Tag: recent picks

Strange Weather: Recent climate books

Madeleine

We have a huge number of books on environment and climate in our collection, and new titles are being published at an astounding rate as the science develops and as the reality of climate change sets in. It can be tempting to pass over these books, especially for those of us already experiencing climate grief or anxiety – the content is confronting and frankly scary. But the authors below are not here to bog us down in hopelessness. The facts they present are undeniable and their writing is urgent, but what they are offering us is a deeper understanding, showing how we might face our fears and channel our actions, and reminding us of the other paths that we – as individuals, as communities, as countries – can take.

There are all sorts here: poets and weather experts, gardeners and journalists, and between them all they cover a vast swathe of topics. If you want to understand the nitty-gritty science, then Under the Weather and Heat are the ones for you. To focus in on particular case studies, check out Fire Weather and Wasteland. For practical advice, Milkwood from Tasmanian-based permaculture experts looks fantastic, while Re-Food offers a road forward grounded in the Aotearoa context. Lastly, the philosophically-minded will enjoy the poetic Soil or the determined essays in Not Too Late. 

Under the weather : a future forecast for New Zealand / Renwick, J. A.
“A warmer world will change more than just our weather patterns. It will change the look of the land around us, what grows and lives on it – including us. Drawing on climate models that can travel to ice ages and hothouses of the deep past, Professor James Renwick untangles how we know exactly what the future holds and why it matters to our everyday lives. He looks at New Zealand’s more frequent natural disasters, warming and rising sea levels, and the ways that the changing weather will affect our agriculture, lifestyle, food security and economy. Arresting, galvanizing and clear-sighted, Under the Weather is a picture of a miraculous planet in danger, a stock-take on what it means for this small country, and a reminder that the shape of our future is up to us.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Re-food : exploring the troubled food system of Aotearoa New Zealand / King, Emily
“In “Re-food”, Emily King advocates for a food systems approach to help the troubled food networks of Aotearoa New Zealand. She looks at the best ways forward to address challenges we face with soils, waterways, climate change, food waste, packaging, unhealthy diets, and a lack of access to food. Written in three parts, “Re-food” traverses the full food system and unpacks its issues along the way while providing timely and relevant ideas and inspiration for readers to solve these problems themselves. It offers tools, insights and mindset changes that chart a path towards a healthier, more sustainable food future, one which incorporates Te Ao Maori and our strengths as a top-quality food-producing nation.” (Catalogue)

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Fabric Hoarders and Orchid Outlaws: New popular non-fic

Madeleine

In 1838, Anne Sykes began to collect an array of fabrics in her personal diary, a project she dedicated herself to during her early adulthood. She collected scraps of her own clothes as well as those of her family and friends, just as some in those years might have collected signatures or locks of hair, resulting in a wonderful record of the fabrics and fashions of her youth. By the 1970s, the diary found its way to a market and then eventually into the hands of fashion historian Kate Strasdin. As she pored over its swatch-laden pages, a picture emerged – not just of Anne Sykes herself but a wider tale of the time too. Strasdin explores this unique glimpse into the Victorian era in her own book, which you can find below.

As for the other picks for this month, the theme of adornments continues in Tiny Statements, a book based on Te Papa’s eclectic collection of badges. For the ecologically inclined we have a guide to navigating the climate crisis alongside author Ben Jacob’s record of his efforts to stave off the decline of wild-growing orchids. Lastly, if you don’t mind a bit of a queue, Dr Emma Espiner’s fantastic memoir is well worth the wait. She writes with wit, passion and empathy, touching on numerous subjects including her whānau, working in healthcare in Aotearoa, and so much more – every bit of it powerful.

There’s a cure for this : a memoir / Espiner, Emma
“From award-winning writer Dr Emma Espiner comes this striking and profound debut memoir. Encompassing whānau, love, death, ’90s action movies and scarfie drinking, There’s a cure for this is Espiner’s own story, from a childhood spent shuttling between a ‘purple lesbian state house and a series of man-alone rentals’ to navigating parenthood on her own terms; from the quietly perceived inequities of her early life to hard-won revelations as a Māori medical student and junior doctor during the Covid-19 pandemic. Clear, irreverent and beautiful, this book offers a candid and moving examination of what it means to be human when it seems like nothing less than superhuman will do.” (Catalogue)

The frontier below : the past, present and future of our quest to go deeper underwater / Maynard, Jeff
“We do not see the ocean when we look at the water that blankets more than two thirds of our planet. We only see the entrance to it. The first divers to enter that world held their breath and splashed beneath the surface, often clutching rocks to pull them down. Over centuries, they invented wooden diving bells, clumsy diving suits, and unwieldy contraptions in attempts to go deeper and stay longer. But each advance was fraught with danger, as the intruders had to survive the crushing weight of water, or the deadly physiological effects of breathing compressed air. Today, as nations scramble to exploit the resources of the ocean floor, The Frontier Below recalls a story of human endeavour that took 2,000 years to travel seven miles.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The dress diary of Mrs Anne Sykes / Strasdin, Kate
“In 1838, Anne Sykes began collecting snippets of fabric from a range of garments in her diary, carefully annotating each one.  Nearly two hundred years later, the diary fell into the hands of Kate Strasdin, a fashion historian and museum curator. Piece by piece, fragments of cloth become windows into Victorian life: pirates in Borneo, the complicated etiquette of mourning, poisonous dyes, the British Empire in full swing, rioting over working conditions and the terrible human cost of Britain’s cotton industry. This is life writing that celebrates ordinary people: the hidden figures, the participants in everyday life. Strasdin lays bare the whole of human experience in the most intimate of mediums: the clothes we choose to wear.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

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May’s NZMM Reviews: Part 3 – Wellington CD/Vinyl Mix

Mark

Here is part 3 of our New Zealand Music Month Music picks for May. You can catch up with Part 1 here, and Part 2 here. This is a mix of some recent, and some older, Wellington releases and reissues on CD & Vinyl.

New Zealand Music Month logo - May 2023

I’ll hum the first few bars / Long, David
Mark: The new David Long is a quasi-classical/experimental album of commissioned pieces. The title track for chamber orchestra, electric guitar and mechatronics was commissioned by Orchestra Wellington and recorded with Stroma. The rest of the tracks were composed for Douglas Wright’s dance work, ‘Rapt’, and are performed by David Long and Jeff Henderson. The orchestral track explores the collision of structured string parts with punk rhythm’s and instrumentation, while the unusual instrumentation of the ‘Rapt’ tracks feature feedback, banjos, toy percussion, accordion, making the music a character in the larger drama of the choreography.
Neil: Just last year David Long released Ash and Bone, a gorgeously suite of pieces that defy easy generic categorisation, which David described as a work that makes “a constellation of musical styles but never quite rests in any one of them”. The same holds true for ‘I’ll Hum the First Few Bars’, a recording as texturally rich and sonically expressive as we have come to expect from this bold and inventive composer.

Wāhine / Griffin, Hannah
Mark: Wāhine’ is an album of poetry by New Zealand women set to music. Our catalogue files it under vocalist Hannah Griffin, but like a lot of Rattle Records projects it’s really a collaborative effort by Griffin, pianist Norman Meehan, and Thomas Voyce (ex-Rhombus) on everything else. Blair Latham (bass clarinet) and Nick van Dijk (flugelhorn) provide some additional coloring on some tracks. The poems are from Hinemoana Baker, Cilla McQueen, and Janet Frame, all re-framed into an amalgam of Electronic textures, processed elements & vocals, & Jazz stylings and phrasing. The arrangements are quite varied, moving from moody and minimal to larger soundscapes, and often quite funky in places.
Neil: ‘Wāhine’ by Hannah Griffin is an album of exceptional New Zealand Aotearoa poems by the likes of Hinemoana Baker, Cilla McQueen, and Janet Frame set to music and released on the outstanding Rattle Label. It is notoriously difficult to set poems convincingly to music, perhaps because they contain their own rhythmic structure, but this collection stunningly avoids any pitfalls, largely because the musicians treat the poems as lyrics. This might seem like a small point but it makes a world of difference, allowing the songs to flow. The end result is very beautiful, atmospheric, mellow, melodic and often melancholic work, with minimalist slightly Jazz undercurrents .

Apart / Bergman, Teresa
Mark: Teresa Bergman is a musician originally from Lower Hutt, who finished fifth on New Zealand Idol in 2005. She moved to Berlin a few years later and found success there as a street busker before being signed to a local label. She has just released her third solo album 33 Single & Broke, which has gotten great reviews. This is her 2nd album, ‘Apart’, which was released in 2019 on the German label Jazzhaus Records. She has a distinctive, rich, jazzy voice that merges Jazz stylings and rhythms, with sophisticated contemporary singer-songwriting, to dig into the knotty subtexts and contradictions of modern relationships.
Neil: Teresa Bergman’s rich, powerful and versatile neo soul jazz voice is at the centre of this album about separation. It is a very impressive, and at points intense, pop-soul outing with strong jazz elements and some folk and experimental moments. And definitely displays a deep emotional honesty in its lyrics.

Swings & roundabouts / Lockett, Mark
Mark: Local drummer Mark Lockett took this set of compositions for his 7th album, composed during lockdown, to New York once the travel restrictions lifted. Employing NY heavyweights David Binney, Duane Eubanks, and expat Kiwi Matt Penman, he eschews a pianist to focus on the chord-less playing that he prefers. Harks back to the late 50s/Early 60s Atlantic albums of Ornette Coleman’s classic quartet with Don Cherry, Charlie Haden, and Ed Blackwell. But this is structured rather than free-form playing, with this engaging set of twisty rhythmically complex tunes.
Neil: ‘Swings and Roundabouts’ is a straight down the line jazz album by New Zealand drummer Mark Lockett . It’s his seventh release and can be described as an adventurous and fresh free-form jazz album, which avoids the more discordant places some free form jazz albums explore. It displays a very high level of musicianship and creativity and should have a great appeal for fans of this particular musical genre.

Heroine : the Wild Poppies complete collection (1986-1989) / Wild Poppies
Mark: Formed in 1986, local band The Wild Poppies quickly released a debut album, then relocated to the UK and made a name for themselves in the fledgling Oxford music scene, touring with Ride and Swervedriver, before the advent of rave culture came to dominate the UK scene, and eclipsed their sound. This release compiles, for the first time, their long out-of-print “Heroine” LP on Poppie Records, the “Stare at the Sun” 7”, the “Out of Time” EP as well as some later day demos. An interesting slice of local jangle pop history, from a band that made a lot of local headlines at the time. They had a sound that still resonates locally, and perhaps would have lasted longer in NZ, rather than the ever evolving nature of UK music at that fertile late 80s/early 90s period.
Neil: This rerelease covers pretty much the entire catalogue of mid 80’s jangle pop maestros The Wild Poppies . Sadly, fate wasn’t to be on their side, as their jangly pop sound much beloved in the early eighties was soon to be commercially eclipsed and swept aside by dance culture. The band split soon after the release of their swan song EP. Their trademark ‘warm wall of sound’ is very much on display and the album is a must listen for fans of Neo-Psychedelic pop, 80’s indie pop, and especially jangle-pop with its distinctive guitar sound.

Questions in red / Lavën, Oscar
Mark: More local Jazz from go-to local tenor sax man Oscar Lavën, who is part of numerous local ensembles and guested on numerous projects from The Roger Fox Big Band, to the Wellington Shake-Em-On-Downers. The band includes local players Mike Taylor on trumpet, John Rae on drums, Patrick Bleakley on bass & Ayrton Foote on piano. All the compositions are by Lavën, who embraces elements of the old and the contemporary in his playing. These guys have played so many Jazz Festivals and gigs together that you can feel the simpatico musical sense between, resulting in a set of expertly performed Jazz. Improvisational in places, but mostly just a swinging set that lets his sax playing shine in various contexts that are always engaging, with their different musical shades and colours.
Neil: Oscar Lavën’s ‘Questions in red’ is one of those oh so cool late night café Jazz offerings. it oozes mellow, chilled and romantic tones. Superbly executed cool Jazz boasting topflight musicianship with touches of Monk and Mingus, which isn’t surprising as he covers some of their work. Oscar also displays his own joyful exploration of his own jazz musicianship throughout.

Haunted / Mina’s Veil
Mark: Mina’s veil are a neoclassical dark-wave band, so there are a lot of soaring soprano lines backed up with rich orchestral accompaniment. They’re inspired by Victorian Gothic novels, fairy tales, myths & legends and have just released their 2nd album ‘Haunted’. Ethereal meets classical, gothic bells and sweeping orchestrations that have a rich, cinematic feel of dramatic crescendos and interludes.
Neil: ‘Haunted’ by Mina’s Veil is a rich gothic melodramatic work, with strong romantic classical overtones, with lyrics sung in soaring soprano heavily inspired by Victorian novels and fairy tales. It is very cinematic in feel and structure. Music that evokes mist-soaked moors, decaying castles and doomed lovers in flock coats.

Ego death / Bryant, Danica
Mark: Danica Bryant, a singer-songwriter who grew up in Hawke’s Bay, and is now based in Wgtn. We are big fans of hers and actually filmed her gig at Gardens Magic in 2021, which you can find on our YouTube channel. ‘Ego Death’ is her sophomore EP, and moves away from the acoustic folky feel of her debut, for a brighter pop-banger focus. Every track here is just super catchy and melodic, while the biting lyrics reveal a caustic juxtaposition of the bitter & the sweet.
Neil: Danica Bryant is one most exciting and rising stars in the Aotearoa / New Zealand pop World. ‘Ego Death’, her sophomore EP, amply displays why, with thoughtful and carefully crafted pop songs which encompasses catchy sugary pop hooks coupled with her memorable lyrics. This is just her second release but you can hear an artist growing in confidence and musical artistry not to mention skill. Danica is already a major artist whose work seems destined to reach a huge mainstream international audience sooner or later.

Melanchole / Johann, Daniel [Also on VINYL]
Mark: ‘Melanchole’ is a set of lo-fi pop songs recorded by the enigmatic Daniel Johann in 2012 when he was 15 years old, and originally self-released in 2013 digitally on Bandcamp under the moniker Salvia Palth. The album went on to become a viral internet sensation, garnering over 100 million streams on Spotify and a large TikTok following, which is only growing. The track “I was all over her” alone now has nearly a quarter of a billion streams on Spotify. In 2016, Melanchole was remastered and released on vinyl with a new track listing. The first pressing sold out within the first 24 hours it was released and this is, I believe, now the 3rd pressing, and it’s 10th Anniversary. Sludgy reverb and crackly production define this atmospheric bedroom pop that has become a beloved cult piece, with its (many) musical imperfections somehow coming to define the messy angst of teenage awkwardness & alienation.
Neil: Daniel Johann aka Salvia Palth aka Adore is an artist well worth checking out, as he has adopted a variety of different musical styles and guises over the years. This his 2013 album was released under the moniker of Salvia Palth and it’s a lo fi melancholic, dream pop slow burner, with heavy duty shoegaze and emo influences. It reminded me a little of the iconic Loveless by My Bloody Valentine. The lyrics are about longing, alienation with a dense nocturnal feel to them. The music has that dreamy, bittersweet hypnotic quality to it. If this is your scene, it’s well worth a listen.

The band from Wellington, New Zealand / Dartz [Also on VINYL]
Mark: DARTZ bring their party-pop-punk aesthetic to life in Wellington in a series of short punchy songs that seem to focus on beers, shitty flats, house parties, bad dealers, Toyota corollas, and getting high. However, if the titles of these songs imply a somewhat shallow sense of fun, that is definitely not the case. Beneath the tongue-in-cheek references, the adopted personas, video antics, and seemingly mundane takes of life in NZ, are tracks with reflective and insightful lines that elevate the material, using the genre to touch on social issues around housing, anxiety, politicians, religious figures, colonisation, mental health and more. A funny and clever album, whose success lies in just the right balance of goofy fun and serious intent.
Neil: Wellington party punk band the Dartz started life as a dare. When they went for a support slot for one of their favourite bands the mullet heavy The Chats. Problem was, at that point in time, they were a totally fictitious outfit – not a band at all, just the idea of a band. But after a frenetic couple of weeks actually putting together and creating a band, they did play that support slot and to their surprise had a rapturous crowd, and the rest as they say is history. Their songs are fast, raucous, often laced with sly humour and mainly about drinking, drugging and having wild party times and fun. “Twenty-four beers and only two free hands” indeed.

Unholy rapture / Dark Divinity [Also on VINYL]
Mark: After 4 singles, a debut EP, and numerous personnel changes, including the departure of vocalist Jolene Tempest, Dark Divinity serve up their debut album. Chunky riffs and precise playing highlight the melodic strain of Death Metal on display here. The return to male vocals with Jesse Wheeler and new guitarist Jiji Aligno add different dimensions to the sound. To non-Metaler’s it may sound a bit samey, but within each track they offer up plenty of technical nuances, shifts in speed and textures to satisfy any Metal fan.
Neil: ‘Unholy rapture’ is Dark Divinity’s debut release, but from the sophistication and confidence of the tracks you would never know. There are elements of black Metal and Death metal, but Dark Divinity has higher aspirations than just being a genre follower. Instead they are out to forge and create their own unique sound. If you like your music dark, fast, furious and brutal, but with an inner melodic core then this should suit you.

Te oranga / Little Bushman [Also on CD]
Mark: Little Bushman were a 2000s group with members who had prominent roles in other local bands. Comprised of Warren Maxwell (Trinity Roots), Rick Cranson, and brothers Joe & Tom Callwood, ‘Te oranga’ was the bands 3rd album, now pressed on Vinyl for the first time. Their mix of proggy, psych 60s & 70s influences, with a moody deep roots-rock folk sound, gave their albums a dynamic sprawling feel, full of space for the music to roam. ‘Te oranga’ is a more more mellow, than the heavier Pendulum that preceded it, with a more soulful keys vibe, Te Reo elements and social commentary. Though this often runs up against the ponderous ‘cosmic’ searching that typifies any ‘prog’ influenced music, the juxtaposition of styles works more often than not, giving their a music a unique energy.
Neil: ‘Te oranga’ is the third album by the legendary local band Little Bushman originally released in 2011. This very welcome Vinyl reissue demonstrates their stunning haunting, blues and 60s psychedelic folk rock trademark sound perfectly. The lyrics, as well as having a space rock vibe, also deal with big issues such as the negative influence of technology in the 21st century. The musicianship on show is exceptional and the vocal delivery of Warren Maxwell points the way towards the other hugely acclaimed band he is part of, Trinity Roots.

The Pacifier album / Shihad [Also on CD]
Mark: 2022 Vinyl reissue of Shihad’s fifth studio album. The 2002 album was a bid for the American market with the band’s name changed to ‘Pacifier’ to avoid associations with the word ‘Jihad’. Derided by fans, and not much liked by the band itself, the music from this period is certainly more commercial, much cleaner sounding, and obviously an attempt at a more commercial sound. Indeed Stone Temple Pilots’ Scott Weiland and DJ Lethal (Limp Bizkit) both feature on the track ‘Coming Down’. Listening to it again today it has actually aged better than you might think, and while it is somewhat generic in places, it has quite a bit in common with that mid-period ‘Foo Fighters’ sound, which itself has achieved an almost classicist position with American rock music. Over polished but worthy of reevaluation.
Neil: Shihad’s trademark interpretation nu-metal, post grunge hard rock (not to mention some excellent albums) had led the band to the top of the rock scene in Aotearoa. All they needed to do now was conquer the American market, but like many bands before them it didn’t quite work out as they expected. Indeed, the band nearly split for good whilst recording and touring this album. It’s a testament to their resilience as a band that they released an album at all. In short, the pressure to release a huge, bestselling album led to conflict and division all round. The resulting album divides opinion both within their fan base and the band itself with one reviewer scathingly calling it a “12 track green card application”. It’s not that bad; just too smoothed out and polished for it to be one of their best releases or play to the bands many strengths.

They seek my head / End Boss [VINYL only]
Mark: The debut album, following 2019 single Feral, and 2020 two song EP Heart of the Sky. Stoner/doom/sludge metal 4 piece that features Nathan Hickey from Beastwars, and guitarists Greg Broadmore and Christian Pearce from Ghidoragh. The key weapon, though, is vocalist E.J. Thorpe, who really shows how much difference in textures and stylings a female vocalist can have on heavy oriented music. Big distorted riffs combine with a darkly symphonic sound, occult vibes and hard-rock/bluesy vocals, filtering in unexpected influences from shoegaze to alt-rock, to create a unique blues-metal kind of sound.
Neil: The debut release from heavy rock, sludge metal band End Boss ‘They Seek my Head’ is a powerful, dark stoner release. The tunes are built round a solid bedrock of relentless pounding drums, heavy duty riffs and truly impressive vocals delivered by EJ Thorpe, which are very carefully incorporated into the mix so as not to get lost. They also sound like the kind of band that would peel the paint of the walls live.

Ships and sailors: New popular non-fiction

Madeleine
A selection of new book covers, set against a stormy sea background

The invention of the ship was also the invention of the shipwreck.

Paul Virilio

Catalogue link: The Wager, by David GrannThere is a fantastic bunch of new non-fiction books this month, and we’re particularly excited for The Wager, a gripping tale of treachery, survival and empire, all bound up in the story of one ship that wrecked in 1742. David Grann crafts a riveting narrative from the historical record, taking us through the conflicting reports of what went down on board the ship, as one side speaks of mutiny and the other of misrule, and the court tries to determine the truth.

Disaster at sea is no new tale, although it is certainly one that still grips us even as the Age of Sail drifts further into the past. New Zealand has had its own share of infamous wrecks, with one of the most notable being the General Grant (the recent Ockham-shortlisted novel Mrs Jewell and the Wreck of the General Grant offers a fictionalised account). This ship is rumoured to have sunk off the Auckland Islands with an exceptional amount of gold, but the treasure trove has never been found despite many valiant efforts over the years. Those islands were particularly deadly – Joan Druett’s book Island of the Lost explores the plight of two other crews that wrecked in the same cold southern waters. Mere miles from each other, the two groups underwent polar-opposite experiences, with one defying the odds to survive while the other floundered into anarchy and ruin. Perhaps this is why the interest in these disasters endures. They are excellent studies of human nature under harsh circumstances, of people at their best and their worst. (The allure of sunken treasure has something to do with it too, no doubt.)

However, it’s not all boat books this month. For the landlubbers amongst us, check out the list below for some other fantastic reads. You’ll find the surprising union of maths and literature, an exploration of death festivals around the world, a protest against the ticking clock, and more.

The Wager : a tale of shipwreck, mutiny, and murder / Grann, David
“On January 28, 1742, a ramshackle vessel of patched-together wood and cloth washed up on the coast of Brazil. Inside were thirty emaciated men, survivors of the Wager, a ship which left England on a secret mission in 1740. Six months later, another, even more decrepit craft landed on the coast of Chile. This boat contained just three castaways, and they had a very different story to tell. As accusations of treachery and murder flew, the Admiralty convened a court martial to determine who was telling the truth. The stakes were life-and-death, for whomever the court found guilty could hang. Grann unearths the deeper meaning of the events, showing that it was not only the Wager’s captain and crew who were on trial – it was the very idea of empire. The incredible twists of the narrative hold the reader spellbound.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Once upon a prime : the wondrous connections between mathematics and literature / Hart, Sarah B.
“We often think of mathematics and literature as polar opposites, as different as they come. But what if, instead, they were inextricably, even fundamentally, linked? In her clear, insightful, laugh-out-loud funny debut, Professor Sarah Hart shows us the myriad connections between math and literature, and how understanding those connections can enhance our enjoyment of both. As the first woman to hold England’s oldest mathematical chair, Hart is the ideal tour guide, taking us on an unforgettable journey through the books we thought we knew, revealing new layers of beauty and wonder. As she promises, you’re going to need a bigger bookcase.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Off-Earth : ethical questions and quandaries for living in outer space / Nesvold, Erika
“Can we do better in space than we’ve done here on Earth? We’ve pinpointed the destination, refined the technology, designed the habitat, outfitted our space residents. Are we forgetting something? A timely reminder that it’s not just rocket science, this thought-provoking book explores the all-too-human issues raised by the prospect of settling in outer space. It’s worth remembering, Erika Nesvold suggests, that in making new worlds, we don’t necessarily leave our earthly problems behind. Space settlement is rapidly becoming ever more likely. Will it look like the utopian vision of Star Trek? Or the dark future of Star Wars? Nesvold challenges us to decide.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Saving time : discovering a life beyond the clock / Odell, Jenny
“Our daily experience, dominated by the corporate clock that so many of us contort ourselves to fit inside, is destroying us. It wasn’t built for people, it was built for profit. Explaining how we got to the point where time became money, Odell offers us new models to live by – inspired by pre-industrial cultures, ecological, and geological time – that make a more humane, more hopeful way of living seem possible. Odell urges us to become stewards of these different rhythms of life, to imagine a life, identity, and source of meaning outside of the world of work and profit, and to understand that the trajectory of our lives – or the life of the planet – is not a foregone conclusion. In that sense, “saving” time could also mean that time saves us.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

American ramble : a walk of memory and renewal / King, Neil
“Neil King Jr’s desire to walk from Washington, D.C., to New York City began as a whim and soon became an obsession. Determined to rediscover what matters in life, Neil turned north with a small satchel on his back and one mission in mind: to pay close attention to the land he crossed and the people he met. The journey travels deep into America’s past and present, uncovering forgotten pockets and overlooked people. By turns amusing, inspiring, and sublime, American Ramble offers an exquisite account of personal and national renewal.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Why we garden : the art, science, philosophy and joy of gardening / Masset, Claire
“Whether you seek sanctuary in your potting shed, find paradise amongst your patio plants or enjoy the simple solace of your hands in the soil, there is beauty, peace and happiness to be found for every gardener in this thoughtful and entertaining collection. Both a hymn to gardening and a call to action, this down-to-earth guide is worth a hundred ‘how-tos’. Wander the gardens of Giverny with Monet to create your own ‘beautiful masterpiece’ or, like George Orwell, reap the joy to be found in the work of an allotment. Discover the soothing symmetry in the spiral of sunflower seeds, or provide a wild abundance of floral habitat for the natural visitors to your garden.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Closer to the edge / Houlding, Leo
“One of Great Britain’s finest climbers and adventurers, Leo Houlding started out climbing at ten years of age in the Lake District tackling the many historic peaks and crags in the area. He has since gone on to summit the world’s tallest walls and toughest peaks, and has crossed continents to take extreme sports to the most remote corners of Earth. How did a working class lad from the north of England scale such heights and avoid the pitfalls and fatal accidents that have struck down so many of his colleagues and friends? Honest, raw and exhilarating, Closer to the Edge is Leo’s ‘warts-and-all’ story of a remarkable climber and free spirit who has been at the top of his game for over thirty years, with still more mountains to explore.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

This party’s dead : grief, joy and spilled rum at the world’s death festivals / Buist, Erica
“By the time Erica Buist’s father-in-law Chris was discovered, upstairs in his bed, his book resting on his chest, he had been dead for over a week. She searched for answers and tried to reason with herself and eventually landed on an inevitable, uncomfortable truth: everybody dies. With Mexico’s Day of the Dead festivities as a starting point, Erica decided to confront death head-on by visiting seven death festivals around the world. This Party’s Dead is the account of her journey to understand how other cultures deal with mortal terror, how they celebrate rather than shy away from the topic of death, and how when openness and acceptance are passed down through the generations, death suddenly doesn’t seem so scary after all.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

May’s NZMM Reviews: Part 2 – NZ Vinyl

Mark

Here is part 2 of our New Zealand Music Month Music picks for May. You can catch up with Part 1 here. This is a selection of some recent New Zealand material we acquired for our collection that is exclusive to vinyl only.

New Zealand Music Month logo - May 2023

Pū whenua hautapu, eka mumura / Kingi, Troy
Mark: The Te Reo reworking of Troy Kingi’s award-winning 2020 album Holy Colony Burning Acres. Politically charged reggae of the finest order, reworking the album from a Māori world view, storytelling recreates the beginning of the journey out of darkness, and follows the challenges, struggles and hopes of numerous iwi from Aotearoa, and the larger world around us.

Neil: : Part of Troy Kingi’s hugely ambitious and so far, stunning ten albums in ten years in ten genres project. ‘Pū whenua hautapu, eka mumura’ is the Te Reo Māori version of the multi award winning ‘Holy Colony Burning Acres’, the third instalment of that project. It is an album that demonstrates a deep multi layered awareness of Aotearoa’s history and culture, a storytelling album that has sublime and subtle musicianship and production delivered with heart and passion.

Sweetheart / SJD
Mark: SJD (Aucklander Sean James Donnelly) returns with another slice of catchy electronic pop, his first since 2015’s Saint John Divine, full of bleeps and glitches beneath the warm melodies. An underrated, yet influential, figure within the NZ music scene, this is another album full of songs offering uplifting hope, optimism and sweet romanticism wrapped in shimmery art-pop, that reminded me a bit of some of the Lightning Seeds work.

Neil: SJD aka Sean John Donnelly’s post lock down album deals with the universal themes of loneliness, isolation and sadness, emotions and feelings that many experienced during this time. It’s called ‘Sweetheart’ after chocolate variety selection boxes that often employ that shape, and because the tracks feature a wide selection of guest contributions from some of NZ’s best-known musicians and singers such as Tami Neilson. It’s an accomplished work with elements of off kilter 70’s synth pop, and also traditional singer songwriter components.

Continue reading “May’s NZMM Reviews: Part 2 – NZ Vinyl” →

NZMM Reviews: Part 1 – Wellington Vinyl

Mark

A lot of bands choose vinyl now as the sole ‘physical’ format for an album release. For New Zealand Music Month, we checked out some recent vinyl exclusives for Wellington artists that we have added to the collection over the last year or so.

New Zealand Music Month logo - May 2023

Jazz from the underground nightclubs of Aotearoa. Vol. 5 / Devils Gate Outfit
Mark: An improvisational jazz collective comprised of some of Wellington’s most well known experimental music figures (Anthony Donaldson, Steve Roche, Daniel Beban, Cory Champion etc). Recorded at Meow in 2021, it was nominated for 2022 Jazz Album of the Year at the NZMA. Full of improvisations that take their cue from Wellington’s rugged coastal landscape with sonic textures resembling bird life, cascading crashing streams, and conflicting, driving, waves and winds.
Neil: This is volume five of a series of Aotearoa jazz albums by the Devils Gate Outfit. This live release from Wellington’s very own Meow venue features some of Wellington’s best improvisational jazz musicians. The music has the feel of the 70’s experimental jazz albums of that time, rugged with lots of sonic explorations, deep grooves and tonal changes.

Saturn return / Soft Plastics
Mark: ‘My World/Your Girl’ was a epic slice of Twin Peaks styled dream-pop/shoegaze balladry from 2020, and now leads off Soft Plastics’ debut album 3 years later. The layered, reverby, billowing guitar lines perfectly wrap around Sophie Scott-Maunder beautiful voice, but the band also pulls in traces of new-wave, punk and surf rock, all refracted through a modern lens. As good as anyone internationally mining this genre.
Neil: Soft Plastics are one of the most hotly tipped NZ bands of recent years, already internationally acclaimed. The music is perfectly formed. Fuzzy, shoegaze indie-rock with dark atmospheric, gothic, lyrical content.

+ Other colours / Wallace
Mark: ‘Future-soul’ singer Wallace, previously based in Sydney, returned to Wellington for the release of her debut album ‘+ Other Colours’, following on from her 2017 EP Pole to Pole. Tipped by industry insiders as NZs next big international music star. Slinky beats and a series of eclectic styles meld a visual and emotional sense of personal experiences grief and vulnerabilities. pair this with feminist themes and nostalgic dance-bop groves, you get an album that channels a smooth late night club vibe, where the past meets the future.

Being alone / Wiri Donna
Mark: Wiri Donna began as the indie-folk alter-ego of SOG’s Bianca Bailey, before becoming a fully fledged band. Lo-fi, jangly indie-pop meets heavier melodic guitars, and touches of cello and violin. Confessional, and sometimes confrontational, the songs focus on finding strength in independence and self-honesty, and navigating a male-dominated world.
Neil: Wiri Donna’s independently released EP is a work that amply demonstrates the quality of current NZ musicians’ output and the state of music scene in NZ. It’s really well produced, doesn’t have a weak track from beginning to end, and showcases her strong voice and her emphatic energetic riff rock vibe, resplendent with summery sweet tones and very personal lyrics. In decades past it would have attracted major record label interest, but these days this sort of corporate interest doesn’t seem necessary.

Big fresh / Richter City Rebels
Mark: Richter City Rebels return with ‘Big Fresh’, another unique mix of jazzy big band grooves, squalling brass, funky reggae dance rhythms, soulful vocals, and rap breaks. Raw Deezy, Chris CK, Moira Jean are on vocal duties, along with Troy Kingi on top track ‘Through My Venetians’. The propulsive energy of the music probably better translates in a live context rather than a studio one, but great music to put on to get your party night started.
Neil: The Richter City Rebels’ music is a soulful and heavy blend of funk, RnB, jazz and hip-hop, held together by a torrent of vibrant brass and pounding bass. This is a good album and gives you a feel for what they are like, but their live performances are totally knock-out and the album doesn’t quite catch the lightning in the bottle of their exhilarating live shows.

Goodnight My Darling / Goodnight My Darling
Mark: The music project of Maxine Macaulay. One of the first graduates from Massey University’s Bachelor of Commercial Music, she shifted from electronic music to a more full band indie-pop sound, and wrote the material for her self-titled debut during a seven month lockdown in Berlin, early 2021. Lovely, reflective, lilting, soft-pop with elements of shoegaze. Introspective and haunting, themes include love and loss and integrating life’s experiences. She described the lush tracks as representing ‘an evolution of self…’.
Neil: A perfectly executed album of laid back and chilled out indie-rock, with elements of shoegaze and even very occasionally psychedelia. Maxine Macaulay’s voice soars in a crystal-clear fashion hovering over the music. A very fine album, and a band to keep an eye on.

No drama / Hans Pucket
Mark: The sophomore LP from Wellington’s indie stalwarts Hans Pucket. Melodic, literate, cleverly written indie rock, it functions as a sort of a concept album about modern twenty-something anxiety. Meeting new people, nervous talking, the pressures of socializing, looking back a the past while trying to find a future. Catchy, dancey tracks, feature everything from strings and guitars, to synths and horns.

Journey to freedom / Welch, Devon
Mark: Recent vinyl reissue of Kapiti musician Devon Welch’s 2021 debut. A multi-instrumentalist, he blends a funk infused feel with elements of reggae, hip hop and soul in this series of instrumentals and vocal tracks. Plenty of tasty guitar lines frame that smokey, laid-back, soulful sound that seems to permeate music from the Kapiti Coast. It must be something in the air up there…

Dreaming of the future again / Womb
Mark: The sophomore album from Womb is another slice of beautiful, warm, ethereal dreamy pop, full of layered strings and gentle melancholy. The immediate reverby sound of the album gives it an intimate ‘live in the studio’ feel. The beautiful vocals wash over you, but there’s a muscular tension at play beneath all the smooth dreaminess, a restrained intensity that underpins all the tracks.

Solar eclipse / Clear Path Ensemble
Mark: More jazz from Clear Path Ensemble, which is the jazz project of Cory Champion, who makes electronic music as Borrowed cs. ‘Solar Eclipse’ follows on from 2020s self-titled debut, and contributors include Daniel Hayles, Johnny Lawrence, Michelle Velvin and Ruby Solly, among others. Fully integrated electronics frame an atmospheric melodic groove fest that takes its launch off point from classic 70s fusion & ECM noodling. The jam-like pieces incorporate elements of ambient, experimental, house and funk, synthy hooks and moody soundscapes that all merge into a retro cosmic journey.

Break / Fazerdaze
Mark: Last year Fazerdaze (AKA Amelia Murray) returned with her first new music in 5 years. Burnt out after the success and touring following Morningside, writer’s block, anxiety, and the break up of a long-term relationship; she embarked on a long period of self-realisation and rediscovery. Returning to music with a new found freedom, she eschews a lot of the dreamy, fuzzy pop associated with previous work and delivers an EP of edgier tracks with bigger riffs and samples; it’s full of uncertainty and tension, but still distinctly melodic.

Wax///wane / Johnson, Lucien
Mark: The sound of critically acclaimed local saxophonist Lucien Johnson is a thread that weaves through many Wellington and international albums and projects. His sophomore album, inspired by the lunar cycles of the Southern hemisphere, has a lovely drifty feel. His shimmering saxophone lines are surrounded by the cascading, dreamy tones of vibraphonist John Bell and harpist Michelle Velvin. Searching in places, but always centred, this is a powerful take on the ‘spiritual jazz’ genre that easily stand alongside anything that has come before.

The blessed ghost / Voodoo Bloo
Mark: The sophomore album from this local post-punk outfit, helmed by Rory McDonald who gained a lot of attention with previous band Lucifer Gunne. Debut album, Jacobus, was a deeply personal reaction to the passing of a close friend, and while ‘The blessed ghost’ is less specific, it’s no less intense, presenting the cathartic journey of its fictional narrator. His voice really is massive, easily navigating between power and fragility, as the emotional tones of the album shift in turn with the various styles on display from post-punk, to indie and pop elements.

Hang low / Dawson, Elliott
Mark: The debut album from Doons lead singer Elliott Dawson. Full of programming, weird drums and grooves that the songs are shaped around, rather than the other way round. ‘CEO’ channels UK post-punk art-rock, with it’s squalling saxophones and in-your-face lyrics, but the rest of the album has a more considered, almost cinematic vibe, set to an often jarring mix of heavy sounds with smooth laid back jazz vibes. The juxtaposition of the pretty with the abrasive frames a series of character sketches that seem to revolve around the breaking of personal cycles of one sort or another.

Orbit I / Recitals
Mark: Recitals are a local 7 piece ‘supergroup’, consisting of members from the bands Fruit Juice Parade, Yukon Era, Soda Boyz, and Courtney Hate. Formerly known as Prison Choir, they released their debut single, ‘Tongue’, in 2020, and their debut album ‘Orbit I’ dropped last year. Vocals are mixed with unusual instrumentation – trumpet features prominently, as does cello – giving the album a unique sprawling feel. With the juxtaposition of heavy alt-rock indie elements, ethereal folk-pop, and new London jazz stylings; it pulls all the musical influences of the band together, delivering something different with its fusion of the chaotic and the calming.

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