Hard News by Russell Brown

Love Jordan Reyne's voice, since she featured on that album by Baitercell and Schumacher. Glad to hear some new sounds

shameless self promotion
Own a piece of NZ Music history…
… or just enjoy the time travel!
Dux de Lux New Year’s Eve gig poster – celebrating Flying Nun’s first 10 years…

…what a line up!

would be gutted to see soundcloud kneecapped - its my goto for mixes and music podcasts, real fast delivery and a nice sense of community without the need ott rubbish most sites favour

And this week it served me up this nugget:

https://soundcloud.com/tim-richards/louis-baker-birds-tim-1

I really like Louis Baker's music...and this remix makes me love it, beautiful stuff

Following on from last weeks post -

After a campaign to get the Godfather of House Music to #1, Frankie Knuckles and Jamie Principle‘s ‘Your Love’ finished the week at #29 in the UK Singles Chart.

and a great piece by Terry Farley (no house slouch himself)

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/apr/06/frankie-knuckles-1955-2014-appreciation-terry-farley

Love Jordan Reyne’s voice, since she featured on that album by Baitercell and Schumacher. Glad to hear some new sounds

We use the word "indie" a lot. I think Jordan is truly independent.

Yay to new from Jordan.

Thanks for the Thomston links last week Russell. Interestingly, and relevant to your musings about Soundcloud, my daughter (16) loved the Thomston and has been sharing it with her friends. This is either theft or marketing - who decides?
I would have been hard pressed to come across Estere on my own but will now look out for her material and quite probably pay for it if she releases an album.

Great poster. And I remember being there for most of it. No silly countdown to midnight as there would have been in the Square. Bailter Space played last and just blasted on through into what I recall was a drizzly night. Might have been one of the last times Bailter Space played here; I recalled they bailed (!) last minute about a year back - 'didn't want to play Christchurch'. Anyway, they're still largely producing the goods.

IF you're in Lyttelton tonight (Tommy Chang's) - or the Darkroom tomorrow, be sure to catch Aldous aka Hannah Harding at the start of her nationwide tour - wonderful voice (in the vein of Nadia Reid or Tiny Lies' Hollie Fullbrook, yet distinctive) and if she's in the mood, a stirring version of Non, je ne regrette rien.

Estere was so fun last night! I greatly enjoyed her set. (And Erykah Badu was something else.)

@Ian, that poster brings back memories of you in your spacious first-floor studio, slaving over a hot-wax roller. Hope you're well!

Gorilla Gum..

Museum of Forgotten Art Supplies

trove

So this happened.

Just imagine for a moment the weight she must have felt, and then admire the fact she made it through the song without freaking out completely. Still 17.

...spacious first-floor studio
Hah! Those were the days, now I 'work' out of a large cupboard at home to all intents and purposes...
...only one of the 8 or 9 buildings I've ever had a studio or space in chchch still exists (old chemistry at the Arts Centre)

I still have that waxer... and wax!

Museum of Forgotten Art Supplies

I love that site - I have 'artyfacts' they don't seem to show as well...
eg: 'pressed cardboard clipart moulds' from the '60s and '70s - Fab!
...I've been meaning to record and find homes for them
- your nudge adds impetus....

waxing lyrical....
Great to hear from you Mr Rees, I've wondered where you had disappeared to - last I heard was Wellington last century - drop me a line via the email/enevelope icon on the top right of my reply - I'd love to catch up - (and I'd also like to talk to you about possibly using the 'Old Cracroft stonehouse' story you did for your brilliant 'Toys' comic*, in a collection of Chchch-related comics...)

* an excellent self-published work that was later re-issued by Fantagraphics as 'Playgrounds' - (to avoid problems with Pixar I'd imagine) see below

Before the graphic-novel boom of the 2000s, a handful of adult New Zealand comics found publication overseas instead. Two comics published by Fantagraphics in the US, Teaser and the blacksmith by Timothy H. Glass# (1989) and Playgrounds by Peter Rees (1991), both originated in Christchurch and featured local themes and settings.

from te ara the encyclopedia of NZ

#Timothy H. Glass was a tip of the hat to James K Baxter's fictitious alter ego from Horse - but I believe really the work of another under-exposed Chchch Peter (Pete McLauchlan)
His 'The Plain & Ordinary Canterbury Sketchbook' is a gem of a record of mid 20th century provincial, suburban and city life and buildings...
(published by Canterbury University Press)

….admire the fact she made it through
the song without freaking out completely.
Still 17.

…some apology for a ‘journalist’ is given far too much space in The Monthly and just doesn’t get it…

Am I the only critic immune to the charms of Lorde? The 17-year-old New Zealander has the world kneeling at her feet. Her song ‘Royals’ has already earnt her two Grammy awards and been a number one single around the globe. Magazine covers and television appearances are hers for the taking. She’s been praised as honest, incisive, even a genius – so why do I find her so very, very boring?
Like any number of current pop starlets, Lorde sings as if she can’t quite be bothered to commit to an emotion – any emotion – which gives her vocal tone an odd blend of self-satisfaction and vacancy.

Forgive them Lorde
for they are Australian…

;- )

It just hit me how much the timbre of Lorde’s voice
reminds me of Melanie Safka…

Forgive them Lorde for they are Australian…;- )

Some people enjoy sultry music ,others like pop. This writer seems to find music in general a pain. But the comment that Lorde said "In a perfect world ,I wouldn't do interviews..." makes me kinda understand how a writer writing about music and musicians /Solo Artists would find that a bit precious.
I haven't listened to Lorde enough to know if I like her or not to be honest but I do know I love Dido and that journo seems to find all music and Laneway a waste of time. Pretty spiteful. Not an enjoyable read at all.
Ha! I just realised ,it's called The Monthly.....:)

Ha! I just realised,
it’s called The Monthly

I couldn't possibly comment..
;- )

So this happened.

Thanks for finding it Jackson! I guess you either get it or you don't. I do.

Disclaimer: music journalism annoys me and that article on Lorde neatly sums up why.

Pretty much every criticism of Lorde starts with a statement to the effect of
"Am I the only critic immune to the charms of Lorde? "
The answer of course is, 'no you're not the only one, critics like you are a dime a dozen.'
The only legitimate reason for not liking Lorde is, 'I don't like her music'. Simple as that. Fair enough, no argument from me on that.
I like her music. There is some music I like more and some music I like less. The fact that someone doesn't share my taste doesn't interest me very much, let alone bother me.
But can we please stop pretending that people who don't like Lorde (or any other artist) actually have anything more to say than 'I don't particularly like her music/that song/album'?

But can we please stop pretending that people who don’t like Lorde (or any other artist) actually have anything more to say than ‘I don’t particularly like her music/that song/album’?

I thought that was my point,
I just left the writer to (in)articulate it...

</sigh>

I thought that was my point, I just left the writer to (in)articulate it…</sigh>

Thought that was your point too.
Just get on ya bike already Mr Dalziel! ;)

Not _just_ Novoselic and Grohl behind her but also Joan Jett and Kim Gordon? that's some serious muso credibility right there...

Aw II
Just because I can…
spot the Taite ‘Independent Music NZ Classic Record’ Music Prize winner…

…and why wouldn’t ya?

do try not to singalong…

;- )

Neat collection of AK79 related stories from RNZ (and yes I'm somewhat biased by inclusion).

http://www.radionz.co.nz/collections/ak79live