Amplifier

20.05.10 

Are you ready to Rock? The Rock FM brings you three of New Zealand's hottest new bands to hit the pubs this winter as part of the State of Rock Tour, heading out over June and July are er Boa, I Am Giant and Black Water Drive. The tour dates and details can be found here. 

A massive Amplifier congratulations to Kora whose self titled album has now passed the double platinum milestone, a significant achievement - well done to the band and Border Music & DRM NZ their distributors here. 

"In October 2007 our five superheroes unleashed the ultimate musical odyssey onto the universe. Combining the invincible elements of the KORA strain, rock, funk and house, the self-titled album featured 14 tracks that held true to every component of music that KORA enjoy. And with album art paying homage to their love of arcade games and epic movies the debut album has become an iconic classic, one which has stayed in the Top 100 since its release in 2007!" 

More from the "how cool is that" news desk... The Black Seeds have a song included on the soundtrack for TV show Breaking Bad (The soundtrack has just been released in the US), they join a ever increasing number of local acts whose music has been used in US TV shows, nice one guys!  

For those who have missed the NZ Music Month bus might I point you to the delightful blog post from Gemma Gracewood about  Dave Dobbyn performance and question and answer session in Wellington at the beginning of NZ Music Month. 

"I was the MC for the evening, which essentially involved introducing the real stars, and I took this photo at the moment that it dawned on me that this wasn't just another chat between two musos. This was turning out to be an extraordinary evening exploring albums, audiences and acceptance, and I wanted to share it.

Thrown together as one of the opening events of the 10th New Zealand Music Month, this was a curious idea that paid off. A kind of live radio show, the evening began with fresh local tunes from Wellington DJ Haddon Morrison. Then acclaimed music writer (and musician himself) Nick Bollinger stepped up to the turntables and span a selection of older Kiwi songs (circa 60s/70s) interspersed with great little stories about them. (One of the albums he chose from was nearly 40 years old - The Fourmyula's Turn Your Back on the Wind - which, until this year, had never been released. )
Nick then invited Dave Dobbyn to the stage, and for the next hour they sat and chatted, Dave occasionally jumping up to the microphone with his Taylor six-string to perform songs at Nick's request....

....What makes a great album?" asked Nick (who's got a new book out: 100 Essential New Zealand Albums, in which Dave features multiple times). Dave said there's a perception that an album is often "one great song with a whole lot of other songs hanging off it," but that, for him, an album becomes great when it has an audience.
"The sooner that a song can get to a band, the sooner it can get to an audience... The listener completes the contract," just as, said Dave, "a painting has to be seen, to complete that thing that it is.

This was a theme for the evening; the relationship between listener and song, and the pressure Dave feels to get his songs to his audience."

Go have a read, its great!

For the serious about the business of music heads don't forget the NZ Music Seminars that are being hosted around the country thanks to The NZ Music Commission and the NZ Music Managers Forum. Entry to all seminars is FREE and open to the public (except for CHARTFEST).

Righto enough reading go check out some music whilst I have a coffee and try on some hats...

Release Of The Day:
Tim Guy - Big World

Big World is the third album from vastly under-exposed singer-songwriter Tim Guy, released on Monkey Records.

Drums and bass glow in the dusk with a countrified, R&B feel like Rumours-era Fleetwood Mac or Big Pink-era The Band, a bliss-bath of woozy Wurlitzers and Rhodes, with guitars like satellites darting across darkling skies.

Tim is backed on the Big World album by a band including Jeremy Toy and Julien Dyne (from Opensouls). Mixed by Jol Mulholland (The Checks) and mastered by Dave Cooley (Polyphonic Spree, Serge Gainsbourg) in L.A.

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

Rock on.
Ed