Amplifier

16.03.10

Alongside our daily featured release today we have some visual excitement for the Flying Nun fans out there from NZ On Screen as well as our gig picks for the week. 

For those of you wanting a crystal ball so you can foresee some of the exciting musical releases coming up, look no further than NZ On Air's latest funding announcements - a great means to get a peek at what we can look forward to. 

For those of you looking forward to this week's performance of the reformed Fourmyula in Auckland, please note THE VENUE for the show on Thursday 18th March 2010 has changed. The new venue is the MonteCristo Room, 51 - 53.

Righto time to get up.

Release Of The Day:
The Nukes - Live

Live is the first release by the Nukes. All the tracks are recorded live at the Titirangi Theatre (their home patch) in December of last year.

The songs are all original and are the culmination of two years work. The album is full of humour, with just a tinge of edginess, as the band endeavour to explore places and themes songs don't usually venture into.

The Nukes bring a fresh approach to the Ukulele, proving that it's possible to be innovative on a charming, but limited instrument.

Eye Candy
[press release]

Our friends over at "NZ On Screen has today launched a collection of classic Flying Nun music videos, curated by the label's founder Roger Shepherd.

The clips are accompanied by an inside story from Shepherd and written tributes from ex-MTV Europe chief Brent Hansen and media commentator and former Rip It Up editor Russell Brown.

The timing of the Flying Nun Collection marks Shepherd's recent buy-back (from Warner Music) of the record company he founded in Christchurch in 1981.

Included are label legends such as Chris Knox (Nothing's Going to Happen, The Brain that Wouldn't Die, Face of Fashion); The Clean (Beatnik, Anything Could Happen, Getting Older); the Verlaines (Death and the Maiden); Straitjacket Fits (She Speeds); Sneaky Feelings (Husband House); The Bats (North by North); and The Chills (Heavenly Pop Hit).

It's the first time the classic 1993 clip for the 3Ds track Spooky has been available since it screened.

Flying Nun's Auckland branch is represented by the Headless Chickens (Gaskrankinstation) and the Able Tasmans (Hold Me). The Chills' Heavenly Pop Hit, Bailterspace's Splat and Garageland's Come Back are examples of bigger budget overseas clips. Weta-love story Papa People by Bressa Creeting Cake, Look Blue Go Purple's quirky Cactus Cat clip, and just about anything from Chris Knox are wilful definitions of 'unique'. The oldest tracks in the collection are The Clean clips, and the noise control-baiting Adults and Children by The Gordons.

NZ On Screen Content Director Irene Gardiner said the Flying Nun Collection represented an extraordinary slice of New Zealand music and video-making history.

"Many of the music videos in the collection are triumphs of creativity and flair over budget. The Jonathan Ogilvie-directed She Speeds promo has become an absolute classic, and was made for $250. Chris Knox's work is internationally recognised for its original movie-making."

Roger Shepherd puts the distinction of the Flying Nun promos down to geography, blissful ignorance and a sheer just-do-it spirit:

"They were made at the bottom of the world, so any international technical advances and styles were happily reinterpreted and transmogrified into videos that looked different and at times just a little strange. A general style may have loosely evolved ... but it was simply due to limited budgets and correspondingly unlimited imaginations."

All the clips in the collection - and 34 other Flying Nun promos - are available to be embedded. Share, and enjoy - anything could happen!

Fully funded by NZ On Air, NZ On Screen was established in 2008 to showcase New Zealand television, film, and music video. The Flying Nun Collection, and over 900 other titles, can all be seen free of charge on http://nzonscreen.com ."

Gigs

Here are our pick for live music for this week as found on the Makuna gig guide.

For a full breakdown on whats on offer around the countries pubs and clubs take a look at Makuna

Have a great day
Ed