GLASS VAULTS "GOLD STAR" MUSIC VIDEO

take a look at the mesmerizing et enigmatic, Philippe Grandrieux-esque, mystical et tribal-steeped cinematic visuals for Glass Vaults new single Gold Star off their phenomenal follow-up "Into Clear" EP (2011), available digitally from bandcamp. enjoy!

354. COOL RAINBOWS "SOUTHERN SUMMER SUN"

i'm very pleased to be posting the delicious debut single all the way from my hometown, the infectiously languorous et laid-back, jazz-infused, shimmery et washed-out, halcyon-tinged reverie, Southern Summer Sun, from Auckland-based indie pop crooner Djeisan Suskov aka Cool Rainbows off his debut "Southern Summer Sun / Tidal Wave" digital 7" (2011).

Suskov may have been daydreaming about the summer sun when he originally wrote this track, but we antipodeans can now fully embrace the fruits of his labour and savour it as an official summer anthem! for those northerners feeling the Winter chill, this track will revive those faded memories of your past summer et have you blissed-out in no time. enjoy!

"We can walk the beach till dark

and fall asleep under clouds.

Do you remember

jumping off rocks,

eating ice cream with your fingers."

recommended for fans of Breaks Co-Op, Washed Out et Toro Y Moi ...




let your eyes soak up the hypnotic et gorgeously grainy, nostalgia-steeped visuals for Southern Summer Sun, directed by Andrew de Freitas {Kieran Blake's Yer Not A Sunrise} for Newfoundland Tack. enjoy!

Cool Rainbows - Southern Summer Sun

the "Southern Summer Sun / Tidal Wave" digital 7" is available from bandcamp, so head over there now et give Suskov whatever money you can for Christmas! the 'b' side Tidal Wave is a gorgeous pop epiphany! {what's with Auckland musicians and tidal waves?! see also The Wilberforces infectious single Tidal Waves}!

Cool Rainbows' debut long player "Whale Rocket" is in the works et set to be released on Lil' Chief Records in the new year. so you can thrash the digital 7" in  mean time!


you can find Cool Rainbows here: twitter | facebook

349. SETH FRIGHTENING "WAKE UP"

next up is an absolutely devastating track from the antipodes! the achingly introspective et off-kilter, ambling, acoustically-driven, deliriously schitzed-out, epic, psych-tinged lamentation Wake Up, from Wellington-based psych/noise folk crooner Sean Kelly aka Seth Frightening off his phenomenal new "B.Hoo" EP (2011).

"I'm in a coma,

oh what a loner

Sooner or later, I'll die

Go outside."

there is definitely something going on with the water supply down there in Wellington, something has to be contributing to the significant amount of excellent music that is emerging there. perhaps it is from these 'poor' musicians consuming large quantities of moldy rye-bread, the ergot poisoning inducing tripped-out psychic states leading to the creation of heightened musical works, this is thought to have been a contributing factor in producing the 'surreal' et hallucinatory masterpieces of Brueghel et Bosch! it certainly demands further investigation!

highly recommended for fans of Syd Barret, Amen Dunes, Phil Elverum et Connan Mockasin ...




i'd strongly suggest getting yourself a copy of the stunning "B.Hoo" EP, it is out now on Sonorous Circle as a free digital download via bandcamp, why are you doing still reading, head over there now et check out this captivating three-song EP!

you can try spooking Seth Frightening here: myspace

341. TIMOTHY BLACKMAN "WOLVES"

well here's a wonderful new talent from the antipodes that i've only just recently discovered, i am compelled to share this beautifully crafted track, the intense et rousing, thrumming et string-laden, cathartic-howling, existential-fueled folk reverie Wolves, from Wellington-based singer-songwriter Timothy Blackman off his sophomore album "Everyone Needs Something To Hold On To" (2011).

the brilliant slow-rising et tension-building, chugging, staccato cello rhythm is reminiscent of Neil Young's phenomenal 'improvised' guitar work on the stunning "Dead Man" soundtrack.

definitely recommended for fans of Mount Eerie/Phil Elverum et Smog/Bill Callahan ...

"Maybe I can touch the sky,

Maybe you can say I do

We were like wolves in the mountains."

take a look at the poignant et disquieting, atmospheric et angst-tinged music video for Wolves, directed by Oslo-based filmmaker Alistair Cheyne. enjoy!

Timothy Blackman - Wolves

the "Everyone Needs Something To Hold On To" album is out now on Home Alone Music, you can acquire it digitally from bandcamp, it is also available from Krecs on cd. et of course there is always itunes.

i'd also recommend checking out his debut album "I've Never Lived" (2010), you can stream/purchase it on bandcamp also. enjoy!

you can find Timothy Blackman here: myspace | facebook | timothyblackman

305. GLASS VAULTS "GOLDEN"!!!

it was about time the antipodes came back onto the radar et this just happens to coincide with the welcome et triumphant return of Glass Vaults!!!

ATTENTION!: to fully 'experience' this next track you're gonna need to shut yourself away somewhere dark et very quiet for the next seven minutes with a pair of airtight headphones.

shimmery, tremolo-swooning chords drip with melancholy et resound into the ether, a Thom Yorke-esque lament gives way to swirly, disorienting atmospherics before leading into a sonic free-fall, the prelude to a dense, blurry et blinding luminescent abyss, that finally absorbs us whole. welcome to the epic, spaced-out reverie Golden, the mindblowing opening track from uber-talented Wellington-based electro/ambient pop duo Glass Vaults {Richard Larsen & Rowan Pierce} off their sublime follow up EP "Into Clear" (2011).


MP3: Golden

i fervently urge you to purchase the sublime masterpiece that is the "Into Clear" EP, it's out now on Jukebox, available on limited edition 12", 300 copies worldwide only, first 50 on green vinyl et the other 250 on classic black, so get in quick! there is also a cd release et digital download via bandcamp {be generous these guys deserve it!}.

also check out my previous post for the stunning New Space single off the brilliant debut "Glass" EP, {if you haven't already}. it is still available from Jukebox on 12" vinyl as well as being digitally downloadable from bandcamp.

you can find the Glass Vaults here: myspace | facebook | glassvaults

171. F IN MATH "DON'T LOOK DOWN"

need a quick pick me up? i've got just the track for you, wrap your ears around this frenetic, high-octane, vocoder-laced, electro pop track, Don't Look Down from Auckland-based one-man-band F In Math {Michael Logie ex Mint Chicks bassist} off his debut "The Couch" EP (2011).

Don't Look Down is an intense, beat-laden, blipped-out, chiptune/8bit-worshiping, virtuosic-bass thrashing, sonic roller-coaster ride, this track could have easily been the theme song to some after school 80s kids adventure cartoon. F In Math really needs to be seen/experienced live to be believed, Logie is a total machine onstage, his pyrotechnical bass playing alone is something to behold, i've seen him play when his voice was completely short circuiting, yet he kept going, have you ever seen someone trying to sing into a vocoder with no voice? it's totally ridiculous, but Logie managed to pull it off with his insane energy et humor! enjoy!

the epic cover art is by Paekakariki-based illustrator Tane Williams, it slots right in to the great tradition of hand drawn Flying Nun covers. 


MP3: Don't Look Down

check out the tripped-out music video for Don't Look Down, directed by Marc Swadel.



i recommend taking the unique, kinetic musical experience that is the "Couch" EP, it is available from Flying Nun Records on cd or mp3, you can also stream the album on the F In Math bandcamp et purchase it on cd, or you can grab it as a digital download from itunes.

you can find F In Math here: myspace | facebook

147. BACHELORETTE "BLANKET"

it was about time for some more antipodean tunes, so here's a wonderfully idiosyncratic, spaced-out, synth-laden track, Blanket from Christchurch/Brooklyn-based synth/lap-pop eccentric tinker Bachelorette {Annabel Alpers} off her fantastic new {last?} self-titled album "Bachelorette" (2011).

"The only way to see you / is through the hole in my chest."

MP3: Blanket

check out the new tripped-out, effects-laden music video for Blanket by Steven Grisé.

Bachelorette - Blanket

et here is the 'quirky' new music video for the single Polarity Party also from the new album, directed by Mike Boulden for Souterrain Transmissions.

Bachelorette - Polarity Party (official video)

the "Bachelorette" album is available from Drag City on cd, mp3/flac et lp! you can also download it digitally from Particle Tracks or itunes.


you can find Bachelorette here: myspace | lastfm | facebook

121. LOWLANDS "THE WORLD PAGES"

well great news, here's an awesome new jangly, fuzzed-out track from the antipodes, The World Pages is from Wellington-based indie/guitar pop artist Lowlands {Tobias Brockie, formerly Rhinoceros Brave} off his new "The World Pages" digital 7" (2011).

Lowlands totally reaffirms/bolsters my faith in the New Zealand indie music scene, a romantic belief that there are still in fact some great new musicians lurking out there in dingy flats, working away diligently, meticulously honing their skills et experimenting in their bedrooms et creating/producing some amazing et unique music that is not "radio friendly" or funded {or faux-funded} by nzoa! there seems to be some really great music coming out of the windy city {Glass Vaults}, it's making me jealous {although winter is almost upon us so not that jealous}.

The World Pages is cast from the same mold of catchy well crafted, jangly, guitar pop that came to define the "Dunedin sound", yet Brockie manages to successfully add his own influences et unique voice into the mix to produce a beautifully considered et paced, melancholy-tinged, power pop jam! enjoy!!!


MP3: The World Pages

et here's another fantastic Flying Nun-tinged track:

MP3: Church Bells

the fantastic three track digital 7" is available for free download from the uber-cool French label Beko dsl {digital singles lable}, or from Lowlands bandcamp page, you can also head over the Lowlands/ex Rhinoceros Brave soundcloud page et hear a bunch more tracks from Brockie's impressive "Dark Star Athena" EP (2010) which is well worth getting your hands on!

you can check out Lowlands/Tobias Brockie here: tobiasrhinoceros

115. MOPPY "PIRAHNA PARK"

next up is an epic, blipped-out, woozy, electro track, Pirahna Park from Auckland-based lap-bop experimentalist Moppy {Thom Burton of Wilberforces et the defunct Yokel Ono} off his debut album "Mokai" (2011).

Pirahna Park is a warped, lo-fi, industrial-tinged, electro anthem for misspent youth, it is also a fond word play certain geographically challenged people won't get, so for those of you who haven't had the pleasure of having lived in Hamilton, or stumbling through Parana park on your way home from town on a Friday night then you will have no idea. many a school kid with an over-active imagination has mixed up the spelling of Parana park, et one can assume that Burton never shook this {miss}connection, et there is a distinct possibility he did his fair share of stumbling/tripping in said park during his angsty formative years et thought it would be cool to one day name a song after it, so in many ways the song acts as a kind of flashback, a soundscape of said stumbling/tripped-out experiences, welcome to Pirahna Park in mind-bending 3D! be afraid!


MP3: Pirahna Park

you can purchase the "Mokai" album digitally online from Moppy's bandcamp, you can have a listen before you buy, apparently Arcade Recordings will be releasing a limited number of cdr's et cassette copies, which will be available from random Moppy shows et possibly online somewhere or other, i'll keep you posted when i find out more info.

you can check out Moppy here: myspace | facebook | soundcloud

96. STREET CHANT "LESS CHAT MORE SEWING"

here's the latest angst-laden, infectious, scuzzy, guitar heavy single from Auckland-based noise/grunge-pop trio Street Chant {formerly Mean Street}, the feisty, fuzzed-out Less Chat More Sewing from their impressive debut album "Means" (2010).

"Your crotch is my ashtray / your coffin is my buffet

there's no point in hating / but I'll do it anyway."

these lyrics alone should secured the 'Silver Scroll' award!!!

MP3: Less Chat More Sewing

check out the new fragmented performance video for Less Chat More Sewing made by "Rover".



et here's the awesome lo-fi clip for the breakthrough single Scream Walk directed by Thomas {the Imposter} Burton {aka Moppy/Wilberforces}!



get yourself a copy of the "Means" album {if you haven't already}, it's available from Arch Hill Recordings on cd or lp+mp3! et is also digitally online from itunes.

you can find Street Chant here: facebook | lastfm | streetchant | archhill

91. CONNAN MOCKASIN "IT'S CHOADE MY DEAR"

i've been totally neglecting antipodean music lately, but i must admit i am finding it rather uninspiring of late {i am keen to be proven otherwise!}, so i found myself revisiting Connan Mockasin's brilliant debut album the other day, et since it has just/finally been released in Europe, i thought it would be apt to post his sublime psych pop track It's Choade My Dear for those who haven't had the pleasure/experience, it is from "Please Turn Me Into The Snat" (2010) / "Forever Dolphin Love" (2011).

It's Choade My Dear is a deliciously languid et spacey, psyched-out track, a warped et disorienting off-kilter guitar melody shimmers et ripples away woozily before Hosford's unique, androgynous et infantile vocals drift in, captivating us, his voice, strangely hypnotic, like a soothsayer, we hang on to his every word, as if he is revealing some cryptic, transcendental secret about the universe, or perhaps reminding us of some wondrous et fantastic childhood mystery we have long forgotten. Choade is spaced-out psych pop at its very finest!


MP3: It's Choade My Dear

et here is the tripped-out, lemony music video for It's Choade My Dear directed by Sam Handley.



et here is the new music video for the epic track Forever Dolphin Love directed by Daniel Brereton.



if you don't have it already the "Please Turn Me Into The Snat" is still available digitally online from itunes/nz, otherwise it would be worth grabbing hold of the European release "Forever Dolphin Love", which contains several live tracks et the classic single Sneaky Dog Friend, it is out on now on Phantasy Sounds et is available digitally online from itunes.

check out Conan Mockasin here: myspace | facebook | lastfm

24. GLASS VAULTS "NEW SPACE"

here's a great dreamy tropical flavoured track New Space, by Wellington ambient/dream pop duo Glass Vaults {Richard Larsen et Rowan Pierce}, it is from their debut "Glass" EP (2010).

well, these guys are ridiculously talented, the "Glass" EP was a massive discovery for me {yeah i know, 8 months after the fact, i'm on 'island time'!}, this is a truly inspired work, et Wellington is certainly the logical/perfect breading ground for producing this distinct sound, a sublime amalgamation of rich electronic/percussive experimentation et blissed out introspective dream pop, the result, a unique blend of chillwave et tropical/roots music.

a stream of garbled/piercing digital noise washes over us like sea spray, we have arrived, a simple looping synth melody slowly builds momentum, ebullient yelps echo out of the hazy mist, the pulse of the synth acting like a beacon, guiding us, vaporous, ethereal harmonies swirl around us, "I moved into a new space," a voice wistfully intones, Larsen’s chanting vocals float toward us, they become more abstracted, hallucinatory, trance-like, conjuring up American Indian tribal chants.

the pathway opens out revealing a vast euphoric soundscape before us, we are greeted with layers of exuberant percussion, live et programmed, bass-heavy, thumping, tropical big beats pound away rhythmically, synths drone et jangle out playful melodies while icy atmospherics encircle et flood over us, the chanting grows more upbeat et jaunty, cries of "hey" ring out, trailing off, dissolving into the endlessly lush tropical expanse.

the driving, tribal big-beat sound makes New Space a totally addictive et catchy atmospheric pop song. New Space is a euphoric sonic journey, evoking a rapturous psychedelic ceremonial gathering in some lost-in-time tropical jungle setting, this is the perfect auditory getaway.


MP3: New Space

check out the experimental music video for New Space.



you can get a hold of the "Glass" EP from the Glass Vault's bandcamp, name your price, so be generous! et it is now available on glorious 12" vinyl from Sonorous Circle or Jukboxr.

you can find the Glass Vaults here: myspace | facebook | glassvaults

23. SURF CITY "AUTUMN"

i thought i'd better start representing some local antipodean music, so here's an awesome psyched out noise pop/"shoewave" track, Autumn from New Zealand's greatest band Surf City, this is from their debut "Kudos" LP (2010).

Surf City are certainly trying their best to revive the once internationally recognised et highly regarded "Dunedin Sound", et we should be truly thankful to them, they have painstakingly transplanted the distinct sound 1061.02km north to Auckland, deftly mixed it together with a myriad of other musical influences to create a formidable new blend of psyched out noise pop for a new appreciative generation!

Autumn is an ecstatically experimental pop track, chock full with layered instruments et effects, starting with the opening Beatlesque {Tomorrow Never Knows} backmasking/reverse looping on the cymbals et droning guitars, rim hits patter away before being engulfed by an oscillating wah-wah guitar effect, reminiscent of Johnny Marr on The Smiths How Soon Is Now?, then finally big fat spacious sounding drums bang out an upbeat rhythm with ultra crisp cymbal splashes that keeps your feet stomping for the duration.

frontman Davin Stoddard chants out lyrics with mantric repetition, the words barely decipherable, they become just another layer in the mix, rather than being at the fore, they are buried, soaked up, drowning in the swirling wall of sound, they echo around us dizzily. Stoddard's lazy, almost slurred delivery is reminiscent of Thom Yorke or Stephen Malkmus.

Autumn has that blissful hazy spacious roomy sound, that sublime fuzzed out wall of guitar noise that makes the music of My Bloody Valentine et The Jesus and Mary Chain so iconic, yet Surf City's sound is denser et cleaner, it's a more 'present' sound, reminiscent of Sonic Youth, but also revealing of contemporary digital recording methods.

Autumn is a one way ticket to shoegaze heaven, lie back, crank it up et let the euphoric wave of noise wash over you.


MP3: Autumn

i highly recommend getting yourself a copy of the excellent debut "Kudos" album, it is available from Arch Hill records on cd or vinyl! or you can get it from itunes along with the mind-blowingly good self-titled "Surf City" EP (2008).

you can check out {Kill} Surf City here: myspace | lastfm | facebook