Okay, well that was something different. Mia Kelly is the driving force behind Te Whanganui-a-Tara based Japes. This is a more avant-garde sound than a lot you’re going to hear around at the moment, and this is very much music for the introvert who walks among us – by which I mean someone who will…

Ōtautahi is the home of Fijian born CH!EF, real name Ratu Cokanasiga. This guy is a true R & B performer, delivering a rich, Polynesian timbre baritone, smooth like a flat white from Cuba Mall, velvety like something velvet. Bringing a clear, South Pacific influenced touch of reggae to the underlying R & B style,…

I’m an instant fan of Geoff Ong! When It Gets Easy is just on general release and I love it! Or, as I’d be saying if I still lived in Olde Wales, I loves it I does, see. Based out of Tāmaki Makaurau, Geoff is adept at the most uplifting form of indie pop I…

Amiria Grenell has just launched her latest album, The Winter Light. She’s nailed this folk-pop sound of hers, as we find with lead single The Ghost In You. Coming in with a light, soft ballady vibe a la Mary Hopkins (Welsh legend, yay!), Amiria swiftly moves up in energy levels with some great, thick bottom…

About a thousand years ago I worked in the glorious capital for the predecessor of Fonterra, the late, (possibly) great New Zealand Dairy Board. At one point I was seconded for a six week stint with our buddies at the massive Kiwi Dairies principal site at Hawera. This was where I got my love of…

What can one say about Devilskin that ain’t been writ before? Well, while pondering whether Jennie Skulander has come back from Cloud Nine following appearing with Disturbed the other day, I had a listen to their cover of Heart‘s Barracuda and gave myself a few moments to muse on my review. Ann Wilson‘s otherworldly vocal…

Well now. What to say about this one. Otautahi’s Shana Graham is the lady behind Valere, with a catalogue of sweet R & B tracks to her name already. This time, when I first get to review her work, she’s given me a track about something – or some people, rather – very special to…

This single is not actually out on general release until 5th April, so if the following passage piques your interest please set your diaries to download on that date. Silcrow is an Auckland-based 4 piece rock/grunge/indie combo that’s making waves in numerous scenes right now, and this single, Too Late To Forget, gives me some…

Tāmaki-based Māori producer Mokotron, proudly hailing from Ngāti Hine, brings us the follow up single to Tawhito, the equally indigenous-based but re-mixed Decolonize Existence, lighter than the original Colonize Existence – which I’ll get into shortly. Need we ask ourselves why this message is turning up so regularly in Aotearoa New Zealand in these turbulent,…

Yay, I get to review a track produced and engineered by my buddy Zorran Mendonsa! The lovely chap who, back in the day, took control of the mixing desk for one of the bands on the label I ran. He was excellent then; I see he’s not lost an iota of his touch or ear…