I have been a fan of Courtnay & The Unholy Reverie from the first time I heard them. Bluesy, ballsy, full and professional. Hailing from that bastion of quality Kiwi music, the mighty Taranaki, this band keeps on delivering and developing. Lead vocalist Courtnay Low (rhythm guitars too) is joined on lead vocals for this…

As Take That once sang, “Babe…. I’m back again!” Maybe this is relevant to me, maybe my buddy Jason McIver, he who, from his Motueka home, is having a great time bringing out some exceptional guitar-based music, heartfelt and thoughtful. Rich like melted chocolate, and leaving you wanting more. Bewitching and atmospheric, new single Aurelia…

Ōtautahi based three-piece Trouble With Normal brings us rollicking new single I’m Not Sure. Recently I’ve been seeing another resurgence in 21st century New New Wave bands, bringing us today’s interpretation of those chaotic days when Messrs Lydon, Jones, Matlock, Cook and Beverley (can you guess which one’s real surname was Beverley?) had burned bright and…

R & B is a very competitive genre. Christchurch-born, Sydney based Kiwi singer Narakel appears to be aware of this, as he has started on a journey that refuses to be pigeon-holed directly into the genre at a basic level. New single Where Did Everybody Go? is a quality example of how this young artist…

A really good, strong vocal is essential in driving (see what I did there?) a dream-pop track. From the deceptively delicate soprano of Kirsten Morrell for Goldenhorse to Amelia Murray‘s powerful contralto/mezzo soprano as Fazerdaze, there are any number of Kiwi artists who can lay claim to being the cojones-laden front person in Kiwi oriented…

Hmmmm, interesting track. Okay, Unfurl Your Weeds from We Will Ride Fast is what I subjectively take to be a statement from its creator regarding where the message of the lyrics takes one audio moment by audio moment when one doesn’t put up a fight. In having said this, I’ll drop the EPK comment from…

I was expecting club with a touch of reggae influence. Nope. This track is pure Reggae, and Reggae gold at that. Sunset Tsunami, collab of NZ and Sarf London natives Buckwheat and Sideway respectively, have joined forces with Kiwi Reggae heavyweights Israel Starr and The Mighty Asterix, and together they take us not to the…

A pulsing, ambient beginning to the track leads us into a piano-backed contralto vocal with deep messaging behind. We quickly lead into the chorus, a melody that’s commercial but not sugary or “nice”. We’re listening to a choral arrangement vocally during the chorus which works really well as a message driver. This is definitely a…

Whangārei based Jenn Tamati is Junny. She’s been around the music scene awhile, collaborating with renowned electronica artist Amamelia amongst others. Sitting in Aotearoa’s innovative Sunreturn label family of acts, Junny is able to see her own art hitting the platforms. And I am glad of that. As Uncle Bryn says (IYKYK) I shall tell…

What an enchanting debut single! Tebsin, aka April Nisbet, brings us Decadence, a gorgeous song sitting on the cusp of dark pop and wistful ballad, that’s full, powerful, and dripping with warmth and earnest openness. With a scheduled release of Friday 27th March, if you’re a fan of the likes of Tracy Chapman, Mel Parsons,…