The College Music Journal conference – or, as it is universally known, CMJ – is on again in New York. Anthonie Tonnon, Marlon Williams, Lontalius and Carb on Carb played this week at the New Zealand showcase, where "complementary Kiwi mince pies" were provided by Dub Pies.
Happily, so were 95bFM's Pennie Black and Hayden Booth, who were firing back photos from the moment they arrived, and captured the showcase flavour in this 15-minute report:
The full performances from the showcase will air on bFM from 2pm tomorrow and I gather there will be further reports.
–––
It's been a big week for Marlon Williams, who also picked up five nominations for this year's New Zealand Music Awards. The announcement of the finalists on Wednesday also, as usual, saw awards in the "technical" categories, the most notable of which was Sean Donnelly as best producer, for SJD's Saint John Divine album. It's somewhat unusual for an artist to be able to produce himself the way Sean has on this record. It's production in the purest sense – taking the songs and performances and making more of them – and the award is richly deserved.
It was also a pleasure to be at the Mercury Theatre last Saturday for SJD's performance of the album with a string section. That was pretty special.
–––
Tomorrow is (no, really) Cassette Store Day and Peter at Dubdotdash has the deails of what's happening at Flying Out and Rebel Soul Records for you. That includes a performance at Flying Out by Street Chant's Emily Littler, who has released a couple of electronic tracks she did a little while ago.
You can get that as digital or a limited-edition cassette here at Bandcamp.
On the heels of his excellent Audioculture history of the Wine Cellar and Whammy, Gareth Shute moves futher down K Road to document the seminal scene of Eden's Bar and the Kiss and Make Up Club. Lots of good stories and embarassing photographs.
Auckand gets another summer music festival next year, in the wake of the news that the promoters of the McLaren Valley festival had been selling tickets and booking acts without having secured resource consent to use their site. Props to The Wireless, who broke the story this week and revealed that the promoters had yet to even apply to the local council for the necessary consents.
The festival will now apparently shift to "a central Auckland site" and run on January 11 and 12 with the same bill. Further details have been promised on October 28.
I'm grateful enough for the chance to see the Flaming Lips in Auckland, but but that shambles has messed up the plans of a few people I know.
Basically, gaining consents is Job Number One if you're trying to stage an outdoor music festival. Note that Auckland City Limits will be staged off the back of the same promoters' hard work in working through the complex consenting requirements at Western Springs for the last Big Day Out. And that Splore goes into another summer at the amazing Tapapakanga Park with consent for another five years locked in it. It's just what you do. Or, rather, should do ...
–––
For as long as it lasts, part one of Music for Misfits, the current BBC three-parter on the history of indie music, is up on YouTube:
I think part two, which covers the remarkable span of the 1980s – from the first moves past punk DIY through Factory, Mute and 4AD to the big noise of the acid house revolution – is actually better, but you'll need to see if your auntie can get you that on VHS.
For now, here's a snippet from part two on The KLF and their roots with Stock, Aitken Waterman:
–––
Tunes!
I usually try and feature tracks you can download or purchase, but the Aussie duo Cup & String have done such a bang-up job on The Streets that I just have to include it. Can someone alert Mike Skinner and get a release approved?
A rather cool (and downloadable) remix of Leonard Cohen's 'Never Mind', aka the theme song for season two of True Detective:
I dropped this soul stormer while I was playing records at Real Groovy last Saturday and a couple of people came up to ask what it was. Must get myself some more Laura Lee ....
And with that, over to you, because it's been a long week and I have a cold. Again ...
–––
The Hard News Friday Music Post is kindly sponsored by:
