It has been a couple of years since I last came across Sam Loveridge and his excellent album, Clarity, and in the intervening time he has turned himself into a full band. At the time of that album release, AAA […]

Simp Vader are a South Auckland alternative rock band, heavily influenced by the Shoegaze movement, who were formed by Rory Maddren (vocals, guitar) and Josh Banning-Taylor (lead guitar) towards the end of 2020. […]

Marianne may only be 18 years of age, but she has already won Smokefree Rockquest, has been on TV and Radio NZ, is a three-time finalist of the Play It Strange songwriting competitions as well as being mentored by […]

This six-track EP from West Coast trio Edge of The Woods shows there is still plenty of room in this musical world for well thought out and delivered music with real soul and heart. They bring together folk, […]

When I was back in Christchurch a few months ago, I went to The Dark Room to experience the mighty Dead Favours in concert, and that night the support act was No Broadcast. They were a band new to me, but they […]

Speech Act Theory is a new project by producer and musician Pete Hickman which allows him to explore his vulnerable side, putting his insecurities out there for all to see. Musically this is bringing together […]

One thing one notices immediately with this album is the depth and power of the production, which is not at all surprising when one reads the small print and realised that none other than the mighty Colin […]

This is the second album by acoustic guitarist Mark Vickness, and here he has been joined by Mads Tolling (violin), Joseph Hebert (cello), Dan Feiszli (bass) and Ty Burhoe (tabla). The combination of acoustic […]

I have always had quite a simple view of music, in that in its purest form it is one person and an instrument and no studio trickery sorting out any issues, which is why I am such a fan of seeing bands in a live […]

[amos/anon] are a Wellington-based project who have been releasing music for more than a decade now. Mind you, if you have not heard of them then that is probably more by design that you may expect, given that on […]

There are some songs which are infectious from the start, with a sense of humour coming through the vocals even before listening to the lyrics, all combined with great hooks and Summer joy. Here we have a number […]

This is the debut album by French band Ecclesia, and it is hard to really know where to start with it. Although they are inspired by doom, this is only a starting point which they have then moved away from into an […]

I first came across Eleine when a friend of mine posted a video of theirs on FaceBook and I was immediately enamoured, so when the opportunity came about to review their third album, I grabbed it. The band was […]

This is the debut album by Canadian band Falset, who are bound to gain a lot of publicity as they include in their ranks, drummer Chance LaBrie, son of Dream Theater’s James LaBrie. The line-up is completed Zach […]

It was only when I was offered this album that I realised I had managed to bypass all of The Flaming Lips’ output since 2002’s Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots which I really enjoyed. It was never deliberate, but […]

Multi-instrumentalist and singer Tom Reynolds is back with his latest release, which sees him move away from the zombies of his past and instead focuses on mental illness. This is not something attempting to make […]

I must confess that when punk first started rearing its ugly head in 1976, I was not a huge fan, as while the energy was interesting, too many songs sounded as if they had been created by people who had no musical […]

Last year I reviewed the debut album, ‘Johnny On The Spot’, by The Grafenberg Disciples and it is safe to say I fell in love with it. Since the album was originally released it has been picked up by Sony and rei […]

Viices have been around the Wellington scene for a few years now, but up until now it has always been the work of Jake McComb, but towards the end of last year the band turned into a trio with the arrival of Liam […]

I first came across Maryen some 30 years ago when she had returned to the UK from the Australia where she had grown up. After being back for some 11 years she headed back to Australia, releasing some incredible […]