A bit on the side
A bit on the side
It's not hard to get the picture: Nightchoir and its debut album, 24 Hours Of Night, have a lot to do with twilight zones or the early hours. While most of us were tucked up in bed, three...
Shane Gilchrist
Join the chorus
Join the chorus
It wasn't so much a case of what to put in the second instalment of The Great New Zealand Songbook as what to leave out, according to executive producer Murray Thom.
Doing the hard yards
Doing the hard yards
Shane Gilchrist talks to hardworking Dunedin band Black Boy Peaches.
Sounds of the bayou come even further south
Sounds of the bayou come even further south
Prepare for a taste of swamp-pop - Louisiana outfit Lil' Band O' Gold is preparing to bring its bayou rhythms and stories from the American South to Dunedin next month.
Plight of the humbled bees
Plight of the humbled bees
There has been quite a buzz lately about the return of the backyard produce patch. Kiwis in their droves are said to be digging up the lawn in favour of a few rows of spuds, planting a few...
Dragon's fire flickers on
Dragon's fire flickers on
The legacy of a long-lasting song is that, sometimes, lyrics undergo a form of paradigm shift, a process by which predatory rock can morph into self-reflective philosophy. Dragon's 1978 hit, Are...
To see what he could see
To see what he could see
Oh, just hold on a minute," author Neville Peat says, his voice threatening to trail off amid the surf-like hiss of telephonic static as he describes the view from his Broad Bay study, out...
Shape of things to come
Shape of things to come
It has been three years since the members of Shapeshifter last brought their mix of drum and bass, electronica, soul, jazz and rock to Dunedin. Why so long? Well, they've been busy elsewhere:...
Backstage with Gilbert and Sullivan
Backstage with Gilbert and Sullivan
A Song to Sing, O! takes the audience backstage at a Gilbert and Sullivan production. Shane Gilchrist talks to writer Melvyn Morrow.
'Not My Life' his new life
'Not My Life' his new life
A combination of a love of drama and a desire for fresh challenges has lured Robert Sarkies back to television.
Generation next
Generation next
Eliza-Jane Barnes, daughter of rock belter Jimmy and a long-time collaborator with Liam Finn, the son of Neil Finn, was preparing to head to a Crowded House concert at New York's Bowery Ballroom...
Downloads for nothing and the tracks for free
Downloads for nothing and the tracks for free
In the tradition of Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor, New Zealand label Arch Hill Recordings is offering music for free.
Hot Club Sandwich puts jazz on the southern menu
Hot Club Sandwich puts jazz on the southern menu
Wellington jazz trio Hot Club Sandwich enjoy their music. They also enjoy poking fun at a range of subjects, from youth culture, lifestyle farmers, household appliances, male insecurities and weddings to rugby.
Reconsidering Erica
Reconsidering Erica
South Dunedin grandmother Erica Miller has waited a lifetime to record her debut album, a collection of Elvis Presley songs that, despite the inclusion of a few sad tunes, offers much cause for celebration. Shane Gilchrist reports.
Cutting the fat from the form
Cutting the fat from the form
New label, new album, new tour ... Die! Die! Die! is about to peel paint again, writes Shane Gilchrist.
Super structures
Super structures
The amusing, though slightly cynical website, Ugly New Zealand, offers plenty of photos unlikely to be published in any tourism guide. Among them is Dunedin's very own Ravensbourne Rd, where a...
A moral conflict
A moral conflict
Craig Jurisevic has received a few death threats lately. Yet death is something to which he is not unaccustomed. The Australian trauma surgeon has travelled to Israel, East Timor, Afghanistan...
Hearts set on a certain sound
Hearts set on a certain sound
For their latest album, The Broken Heartbreakers spent more time arranging their songs than they did recording them. Good move, writes Shane Gilchrist.
Tonight, Tono is himself
Tonight, Tono is himself
The second EP from Dunedin band Tono and the Finance Company finds songwriter Anthonie Tonnon in good voice, writes Shane Gilchrist.
To cap it all off
To cap it all off
The ancient wooden doors of the University of Otago registry are closing. Not completely. It might be more accurate to say they are being thrown a little less wide. All the same, the...