Steffany Beck is new to me, but wow! This lady, originally from Portland, Oregon, is now resident in Christchurch, EnZed. A style that I would describe as avant-garde Country, she really appeals to my mellow yet simmering side. Foot Down is a song about when you realise it’s time to draw a line under where…

Õtautahi’s finest return with an intense, unbelievably intense, new single called Play It Loud. From their album Moment In Time, 1 Drop Nation is bringing us a blend of metal, reggae/dub, some hip-hop, and a whole heap of attitude. Seriously, this song is one of those that screams New Zealand Pasifika. The vibe is capturing…

Folky, deep and gentle of spirit. That’s Amiria Grenell, as far as I am concerned. Her new single, Lanterns, is designed as a follow up to previous release Romeo, which I was lucky enough to review earlier this year. This one is about the conflicting feelings of saying goodbye to someone you love; that heaviness…

Kiwi/Austrian singer Cloudy has evolved her sound for her second EP Raincloud. From her solo start, she’s surrounded herself with bass, drums and guitar, and the resulting material is indie/dream-pop of the highest order. I review singles, though, so I am going to focus on the next single, which as it turns out is the…

And the hits continue! I am in my own little nirvana right now, getting to listen to so much amazing music coming from these shores. The latest track I have been gifted is Black Smoke Trigger‘s absolute beast of a single, The Way Down. A guttural roar of a rhythm section courtesy of bassist Dan…

I’ve reviewed Bird Machine before, and they were good then. This new single, Closure, marks a definite step up in intensity and production level for the duo from Hamilton. This is an ethereal pop number to remember. Jenna and Luke have provided us with a dream-pop sound, enriched with layers of instruments balanced to perfection.…

I’m growing increasingly excited by the burgeoning rock/punk/indie scene evident in this country. From the number of jaw-droppingly good bands and their songwriting abilities, I have jumped into this reviewing game with unerringly good timing. Midwave Breaks is a duo from Tauranga. Comprising drummer Paul Russell (formerly of Supergroove) and multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Bruce Conlon, they have…

Ooooooooh, RIGHT up my alley! Auckland based avant-garde metal/indie artist Minimaiz enlists the considerable talents of vocalist Ivy Marie to put a touch of snarl to the extremely heavy sound of new single Big. Massive guitars, some cool, unique percussive effects, a monster rhythm section and some deep, dark lyrics accompany a bittersweet, Gothic/Industrial melody.…

Sassy and now, tongue in cheek and relevant, Wellington’s Danica Bryant gives us her new single Libra. A song about the transparency and fleetingness of things like social media, fashion, astrology – when used as a means of judgement and condemnation. This is a pop single with teeth. Danica‘s lyrics are at surface level quite…

Maxine Macaulay is a Wellington-based artist, and vocalist/brains behind Goodnight My Darling. This new single, The Empress, is her first release since her eponymously-titled debut 2022 album, and is dark, compelling and ever so slightly scary. Wonderful! If someone wanted to put Portishead, Bjork, Kate Bush, Julia Deans and Everything But The Girl together to…