There is a specific sound that nobody but nobody does quite like New Zealanders. Fat Freddy’s, Trinity Roots, Salmonella Dub, The Black Seeds, Katchafire, Che Fu, Herbs. It goes on and on, and my apologies if I missed out one of your favourites. That dub/reggae/R & B crossover that smacks of summer, laid back ladies…

Dunedin has always been home to an avant-garde version of the New Wave sound that came out of the punk rock explosion of the 1970s. This seems to have continued unabated through the decades, and now I find Saurian. These four guys are unique. I’ve reviewed their previous single, and while I loved that one…

And yet another sure-fire hit and live show favourite from the burgeoning indie rock scene in Aotearoa. Sandtrap, who came top 3 in the 2020 Smokefree Rockquest, hail from the City of Sails and consist of Kainoa Ogilvie on vocals, Luke Bennett on guitar, Luca Keltie on bass, and drummer Jimi Terei. They are just…

There’s an unbelievably large talent pool of musicians in these islands of Aotearoa. So many of them are unafraid to experiment and embrace their idols as influences, wearing their love affair with their peers proudly like a badge, and celebrating their legacy with a new, burgeoning rock scene that’s making me very excited for the…

Stray Dogs, four Auckland based chaps with a penchant for a catchy tune and the slickest pop-punk production you’ll hear this side of nowhere else. From the up-coming album Stay Loyal, the guys – Josh (vocals), Cam (guitar), Steve (bass) and Grant (drums) – present us with the single and video for their second release…

Many years ago there was a genre that “evolved” from what had been known as Indie rock. It became known as Britpop. In the mists of time gone by I caught a show at Auckland’s Powerstation, headlined by a band that was taking the world by storm at the time: some countrymen and a countrywoman…