Music at Elsewhere

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Rosy Tin Teacaddy: All Mountains Are Men (Earl Grey Records)

18 Jul 2011  |  <1 min read

The Department of Conservation seems an unlikely sponsor of local music, but under its Wild Creations artist-in-resident programme the indie.folk duo Rosy Tin Teacaddy (Andy Hummel and Holly Jane Ewens to their parents) spent six weeks at Lake Tarawera and wrote what became this gently delivered concept-album collection released a fortnight ago on the 125th anniversary of the Tarawera... > Read more

Beauty, My Dear

Various Artists: Paul McCartney's Jukebox (Chrome Dreams/Triton)

18 Jul 2011  |  1 min read

With the current reassessment of Paul McCartney's career immediately post-Beatles -- driven by the reissue of Band on the Run and the McCartney and McCartney II albums -- Mojo magazine offered a 15 track cover CD of "The Roots of Paul McCartney" which was a collection of songs which had influenced him. This 29 song collection however is far more extensive and interesting. Both... > Read more

Hippy Hippy Shake

Samantha Fish, Cassie Taylor, Dani Wilde: Girls with Guitars (Ruf)

18 Jul 2011  |  <1 min read

Nothing like naming your album with a product description, right? This lead/bass/rhythm trio (with drummer Jamie Little) bridge sultry blues, a soul-kiss and rock'n'roll blues (bassist Cassie the daughter of the great Otis). Wilde's Stax/Aretha/sexy vocals impress and she's a double threat, pulling out mercurial and razor sharp lead solos. They deliver fine originals, and a feisty... > Read more

Leaving Chicago

New Telepathics: Clapping with Rockets (OUR Records)

12 Jul 2011  |  1 min read

New Telepathics' multi-instrumentalist mainman Darryn Harkness has certainly covered the waterfront in his 20-year career. He's been in straight ahead rock bands, the From Scratch percussion ensemble, written music to accompany the silent film Nosferatu, pulled together bands feeding off the spirit of Sun Ra and Fela Anikulapo Kuti, written self-published poetry, played and lived in the UK and... > Read more

River Calls Me Now

The Cave Singers: No Witch (Jajaguwar)

11 Jul 2011  |  <1 min read

Over two previous albums this Seattle-based outfit weren't easy to pigeon-hole (alt.country, boho-folk, indie.something?) but were always interesting because of that, and not the least for singer Peter Quirk's distinctive vocals which were “quirky” for want of a better word. Here however they really throw in some visceral and edgy material (the abrasive and tense Black... > Read more

Faze Wave

The Vietnam War: The Vietnam War (Round Trip Mars)

7 Jul 2011  |  1 min read

Despite the explosive connotations of their name, Auckland's Vietnam War are far from an incendiary rock outfit. Rather, they are in that country rock lineage which reaches back to the Byrds (there's a little pre-Sweethearts Byrdsean jangle in the mid-ground of the opener High Window) and runs through the Band, and to the early Renderers and the Warratahs/Wayne Mason in New Zealand. They... > Read more

Same Thought

Joe Ely: Satisfied at Last (Rack 'Em Records/Southbound)

5 Jul 2011  |  <1 min read

The very good news is that the great Joe Ely -- who has delivered a few patchy albums in the past decade -- doesn't sound at all "satisfied" as the album's title would suggest. In fact from the opener The Highway is My Home to Butch Hancock's Circumstance 40 minutes later this tight'n'tidy 10 song collection has much of the old Tex-Mex and narrative fire-power of some of his best... > Read more

Leo and Leona

The 3D's: Early Recordings 1989-90 (Flying Nun)

5 Jul 2011  |  1 min read

Inspired by everything from the Pixies and Neil Young's El Dorado EP, sonic noise and folk music, the 3D's were a Flying Nun band which inspired passionate loyalty for the visceral power of their sound and often weaving, beguling melodies (from singer Denise Roughan as well as the guitars). The re-release last year of their early albums (Hellzapoppin', The Venus Trail and Strange News from... > Read more

Evil Kid

Neil Young and the International Harvesters: A Treasure (Reprise)

4 Jul 2011  |  2 min read  |  2

While many of us would wish Neil Young release the next long-awaited installement of his Archives series (ho ho ho, like that'll happen any time soon), in his wilful and non-chronological release schedule it was almost expected a follow-up to the terrific and raw Le Noise would be . . . a country music album. But even so, A Treasure is a little unexpected as it comes from his on-going... > Read more

Flying on the Ground is Wrong

Kitty, Daisy and Lewis: Smoking in Heaven (Sunday Best)

4 Jul 2011  |  <1 min read

While some have be quite taken by KD&Lewis' retro look and sound -- which is undeniably entertaining on the surface and live -- I have remained immune and indifferent to their charms. And nothing on this album of all originals can persuade me to be otherwise. These songs sound lame when they aren't just plain dull, or working out some tropes which so many others have not only done... > Read more

I'm Going Back

Various Artists: Watch the Closing Doors (Year Zero/Southbound)

4 Jul 2011  |  <1 min read

This ambitious double disc compilation of New York's musical melting pot (1945-59) by writer Kris Needs – who delivered the free-wheeling collection Dirty Water; The Birth of Punk Attitude – scoops up jazz (Ellington, Armstrong, Mingus), pop (Frankie Lymon), folk (Dave Van Ronk), blues (Sonny Terry, Big Maybelle) and Latin (Machito). Disc one ends with John Cage reading... > Read more

Autumn in New York

Various Artists: LateNightTales; Trentemoller (LateNightTales)

4 Jul 2011  |  <1 min read

Another installment in the on-going LNT series, this compiled by Danish electronica artist Trentemoller who opts for a dark, almost suffocating and disturbing evening at home by many less familiar but very interesting artists (The Black Angels, Chimes and Bells, Darkness Falls, Thee Oh See's) alongside a few moody notables (This Mortal Coil, Low, Mazzy Star, Velvet Underground, M.Ward,... > Read more

Science Killer

Mickey Newbury: An American Trilogy (Saint Cecilia Knows/Southbound)

28 Jun 2011  |  1 min read  |  1

Not many people know about Texan Mickey Newbury, who died almost a decade ago, age 62. Maybe it's enough Elvis (who made Newbury's medley An American Trilogy a cornerstone of his latter performances) did. And that Mickey's songs were covered by Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Willie Nelson, Joan Baez and dozens of others. Often spoken of in the same sentence as Kris Kristofferson... > Read more

33rd of August/When the Baby in My Lady Gets the Blues

Urge Overkill: Rock&Roll Submarine (Redeye)

27 Jun 2011  |  1 min read

Possibly the most coolly knowing, confidently aloof band since Steely Dan, Urge Overkill out of Chicago were touring mates with Nirvana and Pearl Jam but their stylish and increasingly power pop sound (and cover of Neil Diamond's Girl You'll be a Woman Soon which was used in Pulp Fiction) took them to a mainstream, but small, audience. This, their first album in over 15 years, and has... > Read more

Poison Flower

Highway: Highway (Ode)

26 Jun 2011  |  2 min read

A decade or so ago there was a major excavation undertaken of New Zealand pop and rock of the Sixties, thanks to enthusiasts like John Baker and Andrew Schmidt, and Chris Caddick at EMI who actioned a series of terrific compilations. Some of the work of these people spilled over into the early Seventies. Thierry Pannetier at EMI was responsible for the three decade-bridging double discs of... > Read more

New Day

Tamar McLeod Sinclair: The Heart Notes (TaMartin)

22 Jun 2011  |  2 min read

No one would accuse this Auckland-born graduate of Wellington's Massey University Conservatorium of Music of lacking ambition. This, her debut, is the result of her internationalism (she has worked in various parts of Europe for over five years) and the songs were written everywhere from Sydney and parts of Italy to Scotland, Switzerland and the Czech Republic (where it was recorded, as well as... > Read more

Thankful

Apanui: Matariki (Frequency)

21 Jun 2011  |  <1 min read

Ngahiwi Apanui, formerly of the seminal reggae band Aotearoa, was in the vanguard of the use of taonga puoro (traditional instruments) with his autobiographical solo album Te hono ke te Kainga/The Link with the Homeland in '89 which also brought in reggae and folk. A staunch advocate of te reo and cultural pride, he opens this album with an electro-thump call for everyone to support... > Read more

Apanui: Ko Ko/Call Call

Spa: Spells for Travelling Forth By Day (Sarang Bang)

20 Jun 2011  |  <1 min read

On a cursory listen, this album by the Auckland three-piece Spa (Steven Tait, Hayden Sinclair, Brian Donnelly) plus guests seems a little slight and unfocused. An acoustic instrumental opens proceedings, later there is indie.pop, alt.rock, a touch of Plastic Bertrand/Ramones-like punk-pop (Lionel Lopez, about a former sports star?), a little shoo-wop pop . . .. But -- and might we mention... > Read more

Please Let Me Down

The Wronglers with Jimmie Dale Gilmore: Heirloom Music (Neanderthal)

20 Jun 2011  |  <1 min read

Jimmie Dale Gilmore possesses one of the most distinctive voices and when deployed on lachrymose ballads he can tear your heart out. But this is an odd and old time project, Gilmore out front of a band of mixed abilities (interesting, but not interesting enough) and performing mostly songs from the Thirties and Forties, some of which come from bluegrass, others from blues and country. And... > Read more

If I Should Wander Back

Greg Brown: Freak Flag (YepRoc)

20 Jun 2011  |  1 min read

When you get to your 24th album you probably aren't expecting a major breakthrough in terms of having a whole new audience find you. And nothing on this fine album sounds like either a departure, or capable of taking this poet/singer beyond those who already know of him. Formerly the musical director on the famous A Prairie Home Companion radio show, married to Iris De Ment and with a... > Read more

Rain and Snow