Max Johns embarks on a comprehensive tour of the current NZ music landscape.<\/p>\n
Summer read \u2013 originally published February 28 2025.<\/p>\n
On Monday Independent Music NZ will announce the ten albums shortlisted for this year\u2019s Taite Music Prize, which is traditionally called \u201cthe prestigious Taite Music Prize\u201d on first mention. Albums are judged on originality, artistic merit, creativity and excellence, with $12,500 and a trophy a bit like a metal hammer awarded to the winner.<\/p>\n
The UK has the Mercury Prize, even though Mercury (the telecommunications company) doesn\u2019t sponsor it or even exist anymore. Aussie shortens the Australian Music Prize to AMP so it sounds cooler. Our version is named after a music journalist who filmed bonkers stories, often inside the TV3 elevator. Dylan Taite (1937-2003) had impeccable taste and the clout to get almost any interview, including the last one Bob Marley gave on TV, which was thankfully not in a lift. His style was something else. Marilyn Manson \u2013 the sadistic torture junkie who in 1998 took the form of a gender-ambiguous alien god \u2013 once described Taite as \u201cweird\u201d.<\/p>\n
Typical Dylan Taite piece to camera (Image: YouTube)<\/p>\n
It all starts when IMNZ calls for nominations. There are rules on localness, albumness (no EPs) and newness. There\u2019s an entry fee (less than a Laneway ticket). That\u2019s it. Every nominated album becomes a candidate in a vote among IMNZ\u2019s 1000+ members. So, what do you get when you ask every musician in the country to share their latest album in exchange for the chance to win a big cash prize?<\/p>\n
Last year we got 68 hopefuls. I learned this after promising a cool but unknown website called Hamilton Underground Press<\/a> that I\u2019d review \u201call the nominations\u201d, then quickly learning that this was not the same thing as \u201cthe 10-album shortlist\u201d. It was a tour of NZ music\u2019s current landscape, complete with major landmarks, obscure points of interest, barren stretches and hidden gems. Over here is lush and stunning native beauty; over there it\u2019s all been mined to shit. To get a real sense of it you need to walk end to end, Te Araroa-style.<\/p>\n This year there are 81 and I\u2019m once again going through them all, listening to every album, in full, in (mostly) alphabetical order. In the true spirit of \u201cso you don\u2019t have to\u201d, I\u2019ll boil each one down to its most representative song, compiled on the playlist below. If you like that song you\u2019ll probably like the album. Easy. Let\u2019s go.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n We begin with an hour of R&B and soul that could only come from Aotearoa. It\u2019s a debut but AJA sounds like she\u2019s already put in her 10,000 hours. The backing group is in an absolute groove too. She sings mostly in te reo M\u0101ori which left me Googling for translations, knowing I was missing something good. Too early to predict finalists, but damn.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Te Reo ki Whakarongotai\u2019<\/p>\n Quality. Opens with APRA Silver Scroll winner \u2018K\u0101tuarehe\u2019 and keeps to that high standard. Poppy, bilingual funk that I\u2019ll happily bounce uncomprehendingly along to. Only \u2018GAINZ\u2019, with unconvincing semi-rap over a predictable bassline, misses the target. Everything else sounds like a true pro doing what she loves. Troy Kingi (see #43) features on \u2018Honey Back\u2019.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Kahurangi\u2019<\/p>\n Taite Music Prize form guide: Finalist, 2021<\/p>\n Monolingualism sucks \u2013 it\u2019s album number three and I\u2019ve missed most of the lyrics so far. Aro are a married couple who \u201cshare a passion for the power of language and music to tell stories celebrating our cultural identity\u201d. Two strong voices unite jazz, more traditional waiata, harmony-driven ballads, haka, and even a throbbing bass-filled number that all fit together nicely. Wholesome as.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018T\u014dtara\u2019<\/p>\n 4. Blue Dreams<\/a>, by Holly Arrowsmith<\/p>\n Wait, Anna Coddington didn\u2019t belong under A. Sigh. In a rush to realphabetise the list I land (wrongly, see #5) on Arrowsmith. Country blues that works well but will be punished by my \u201clisten only once\u201d rule. Feels like this album\u2019s quiet personality would shine through on repeat.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Mountain Lion\u2019<\/p>\n On a cattle ranch near the Mexican border the 60s never ended. Welcome to Arthur Ahbez country, where spaghetti western soundtrack meets proto-psychedelic folk. Ahbez\u2019s advice is to \u201crack a cold one or roll a number\u201d but I was sober and mowing the lawns. When he slipped into Elvis impersonation or put on a Johnny Cash drawl for an entire song, homage became parody.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018A Song for Jim\u2019<\/p>\n 6. Medicine<\/a>, by Louis Baker<\/p>\n Only five songs and 18 minutes long. By the official rules (six songs or 25 minutes) not a contender. Someone\u2019s just lost their entry fee. So much soul, so little time.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: Track 6, which doesn\u2019t exist<\/p>\n Taite Music Prize form guide: Finalist, 2020<\/p>\n The slow and spacious work of a thoughtful songwriter. Rhythmic flourishes, floating piano and sad slide guitar call to mind a downbeat Wilco. The tempo and temperature drop over 8 tracks, until \u2018Uncertain\u2019 throws in a big, loud finish. Acoustic demo \u2018Myself, Vindicated\u2019, is a nice final twist.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Spring\u2019<\/p>\n 8. Find Me<\/a>, by Sim Bastick<\/p>\n Sim Bastick feels free. She\u2019s in touch with nature, getting into new age spirituality and making upbeat music about it. She\u2019s in a good place, to which her incredibly happy-sounding songs fail to transport the listener. Find Me is all about pleasure that someone else is feeling.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Wait a Minute\u2019<\/p>\n Pop-punk with a bit of jangle that could have come from any time since the mid-90s. Four chords, verse-chorus-verse, you know the formula. Fun enough on a first, probably only, listen.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Hairshirt\u2019<\/p>\n This is exactly why I\u2019ve taken on this project \u2013 to discover that space funk is alive and well in New Zealand! Maybe not as spacey as George Clinton and his actual mothership but still, this is cool. Deep bass, sax, vocoders, cosmic guitar solos, synthesisers, handclaps and tambourines are all here and they\u2019re going to make you move.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018R.C.\u2019<\/p>\n Reggae that leans mostly Polynesian, but Caribbean in the title track. Like Best Bets (#9), Under-rated sits inside its genre and doesn\u2019t push boundaries. That will count against you when a prize\u2019s criteria include originality and innovation, but Lomez Brown sounds too kicked back to mind.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Been You\u2019<\/p>\n 12. K\u014dwhai<\/a>, by Sophie Burbery<\/p>\n Ambitious: \u201cAn electronic, instrumental, ambient soundscape comprised of five musical pieces that traverse the anatomy & physiology of the k\u014dwhai tree\u201d. As they say, one listener\u2019s meditative is another\u2019s repetitive and hey, did you know that the roots (\u2018Aka\u2019) of the k\u014dwhai are mostly made of two notes?<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Rau\u2019<\/p>\n 13. Filter<\/a>, by Byllie-jean<\/p>\n Boasts of fresh new kicks over a strong R&B beat set the tone, but there\u2019s depth and some grimy moments to come. Absolute standout\/Silver Scroll finalist \u2018Running Amuck\u2019 makes you nod your head while filling it with thoughts about colonialism. Closer \u2018E Moko\u2019 slows down and switches to te reo M\u0101ori. Short and really bloody good.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Desperate Fools\u2019<\/p>\n A second album in two years; roots-reggae band Corrella are working hard while they\u2019re hot. Skeletons has range, with slower numbers alongside the summery backbeat we know them for. \u2018Right Side\u2019 deserves a spin at every BBQ, while ballad \u2018For The Night\u2019 gets remarkably heartfelt on the line, \u201cA nice cold Lion Red and a backseat for a bed\u201d.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018War\u2019<\/p>\n Our first metal, but this trio is let down by a disappointing sonic flatness. The louds aren\u2019t loud enough and the quiet parts ought to back off more. I\u2019d turn up to a Dark Water gig in my blackest T-shirt ready for them to blow this recording out of the water. \u2018Seas of Fallen Concern\u2019 has all sorts of potential.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Always Will\u2019<\/p>\n So, so good. You\u2019re yelling along to a punk song about ripping summertime bongs (\u2018Paradise\u2019), then find yourself covering the housing crisis and historical Treaty breaches. Smart dressed up as stupid. Like Taites legend Tom Scott<\/a>, DARTZ celebrate our weird little country while pointing out all the broken bits, and it\u2019s an absolute party.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Gender Reveal Burnout\u2019<\/p>\n Enjoyable guitar-driven indie pop livened by sweet harmonies and the odd loud chorus. There\u2019s a clear line though the Beths and Fur Patrol all the way back to Look Blue Go Purple. Snippets of studio banter don\u2019t add much.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: Feels like I have to choose \u2018Choose Me\u2019<\/p>\n It\u2019s hard not to be influenced by Davidson\u2019s impressive back catalogue and many awards. Out Of My Head has a spacious, unshowy atmosphere. Its light country base draws broadly on blues and rock, with some near-cosmic touches. Tap your toes, hum along, and expect to hear new things on your 50th and 100th listens. A lot of talent has gone into downplaying this album\u2019s artistic complexity. Or I\u2019ve been hoodwinked by that damn CV.\u00a0<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018You Drive Me Wild\u2019<\/p>\n Taite Music Prize form guide: Finalist, 2015<\/p>\n 19. Uneven Ground<\/a>, by Death And The Maiden<\/p>\n This unsettling and utterly engaging album is their best yet \u2013 a machine-made sound with a distinctly human uneasiness. \u2018Not Like\u2019 gets groovy; \u2018Leanest Cut\u2019 brings in guitars. Whatever\u2019s backing Lucinda King I could listen all day, if there weren\u2019t still 62 albums to go.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018River\u2019<\/p>\n Good, with flashes of fantastic. The uptempo stuff is best but there\u2019s a convincing slower side too, all shown off through funk, reggae, soul and more. Mid-verse switches between te reo M\u0101ori and English are made seamless by clever rhyme schemes. D&B dancefloor anthem \u2018Kei Whati te Marama\u2019 is massive. This Northern Brave fan just learned that TVNZ\u2019s catchy cricket theme song is \u2018Ko T\u0101tou te Ahi\u2019.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018I\u2019m Crazy\u2019<\/p>\n Grungy, melodic rock. Especially when she\u2019s in unvarnished speak-singing mode, Wiri Donna injects the right amount of anger into this EP, balancing out the poppier touches.\u00a0<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Hell or Highwater\u2019<\/p>\n Fuzzed-up doom metal with an old school psychedelic aura and plenty of gothic influence. Gussie Larkin\u2019s low tuning and heavy guitar tones mitigate the need for bass. Ezra Simmons drums and takes on a lot of backing vocals. It\u2019s a big sound for two people; possibly a bit niche to expect heaps of votes.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Bodies Dissolve Tonight!\u2019<\/p>\n Taite Music Prize form guide: Gussie Larkin\u2019s been a finalist (2018 & 2020) with Mermaidens<\/p>\n The winner of 2024\u2019s Taite Music Prize isn\u2019t resting on her laurels, or trying to remake Ideal Home Noise \u2013 this is an acoustic, 18-minute (but six-song, so it\u2019s eligible) EP centred on a break-up. Sparse guitar, with a little piano and cello, back personal and raw lyrics (\u201cDon\u2019t ask me if I\u2019m going to hate you\u2026Don\u2019t comfort me\u201d). heartbreak for jetlag is an unpolished bedroom recording, and all the better for it.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Enough\u2019<\/p>\n Taite Music Prize form guide: Winner, 2024; finalist, 2022<\/p>\n This entry is a YouTube playlist. Creative, but videos of floating clouds don\u2019t add much. Why repeat \u201cphases of the moon, phases of the moon\u201d against a daytime sky? Beautiful acoustic stuff, very well written and arranged, with perfectly dreamy vocals. It just seems little, um, disqualifying that Phases adds only 3 new songs to two EPs from 2023. Em\u2019s won a new fan and, yes, he\u2019s a nark.\u00a0<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Reach Out\u2019 (2024)<\/p>\n Taite Music Prize form guide: Recording engineer for finalists Tiny Ruins (Ceremony, 2024) Fazerdaze (Break!, 2023) and Te Kaahu (Te Kaahu o Rangi, 2023)<\/p>\n Opens with a lost Tiny Ruins song, I swear, then expands fast. Latin rhythms drive folk songs, country ballads get spacey themes, and darkly comic jazz shows up too. Double bass anchors everything; the variation and Everingham\u2019s voice are strengths. I\u2019m left behind by language once again, but the issue is \u2013 twist! \u2013 my lack of Spanish.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018To Hold\u2019<\/p>\n Fazerdaze\u2019s smart bedroom pop returns, just a little quieter and more introspective. \u2018Cherry Pie\u2019 and \u2018So Easy\u2019 are as catchy as anything in the back catalogue. The last two tracks favour acoustic guitar over electronics. Bring your high expectations, just remember that everyone grows up.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018In Blue\u2019<\/p>\n Taite Music Prize form guide: Finalist, 2018 and 2023<\/p>\n 27. Flowers Dream<\/a>, by \u82b1\u6eaa Flowerstream<\/p>\n Sixteen dreamy minutes \u2013 not that dreams are always rainbows and sunshine \u2013 that follow Fazerdaze nicely. This \u201cgenrefluid Chinese\/P\u0101keh\u0101\/M\u0101ori duo\u201d would be perfect playing a divey cocktail bar where the gravity isn\u2019t quite right. They set moods, shift sands, make you wonder who\u2019s watching you.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Procrastination Inspiration\u2019<\/p>\n Bluesy rock that, as the name suggests, would probably sound better at nighttime. In the blazing Waitangi Day sun I was struck mostly by a Classic Hits kind of vibe, 80s-style arrangements that sound like they were written on guitar then played on keyboards for some reason. There\u2019s a bit of soul in the slower numbers and the closing guitar solo is the album\u2019s peak.\u00a0<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Sitting On Top of the World\u2019<\/p>\n Parody? Maybe. Art? Probably. Head-scratcher? Definitely. The sound of a chilled out folk-rock band microdosing in their Sunday best, including faithful recitations of \u2018Psalm 119\u2019 and \u2018The Lord\u2019s Prayer\u2019. Not so much giggling in church as staring at the stained glass, seeing shiny shapes that won\u2019t be there tomorrow. Worth repeated listens for sure.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Collect for Midday\u2019<\/p>\n 30. DZINDZA<\/a>, by Thabani Gapara<\/p>\n Accomplished contemporary jazz from a talented saxophonist. There are African rhythms (Gapara is Zimbabwean) and the occasional string quartet, but not enough of either to label it fusion. Regardless of musicianship, not a genre with much chance of making the final.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Mwana Mevhu\u2019<\/p>\n Singer-songwriter Will McGillivrey sings low and plays slow acoustic guitar. These are songs not for a campfire, but for the ashes. There are snatches of Evan Dando\u2019s saddest solo work; Bon Iver at his most straightforward; Paul McLaney halfway changed into his Gramsci clothes. After guilt, regret and even hospital scenes, things turn slightly more optimistic towards the end.\u00a0<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Xhale\u2019<\/p>\n 32. In Green EP<\/a>, by Taylor Griffin<\/p>\n Jazz of a rocky, funky variety. Mostly instrumental. Taylor Griffin\u2019s a percussionist with some serious skills and a handy contacts list. Nathan Haines (see #34) and Geoff Ong are among the contributors he takes through some quite complex, often pacey pieces.\u00a0<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Magnetic\u2019<\/p>\n Disclosure: trappy hip hop isn\u2019t my thing. Anyway, behind a web3\/metaverse wrapper \u2013 album ownership tokens, 3D avatars \u2013 is a mixed bag. Unconvincing boast tracks and vocoder-heavy R&B could be from anywhere in the world. The best, like \u2018Pepeha\u2019 and \u2018Whakam\u0101 H\u014dh\u0101\u2019, comes from closer to home. \u2018H\u012bkoi\u2019 is 8 minutes of spoken work autobiography, a true marker of self-belief.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Gold\u2019<\/p>\n 34. Notes<\/a>, by Nathan Haines<\/p>\n A third hit of jazz in short order. If 81 albums are a festival this is an hour-plus in the chillout zone. Since the 1990s saxophonist\/flautist Haines has been working his ambient, acidic groove so hard that it\u2019s become a trench. Among the few tracks with vocals, \u2018Just Holdin\u2019 On\u2019 and \u2018Don\u2019t Think\u2019 have revealing names and bland lyrics. \u2018Journey to the Peak\u2019 and \u2018Get Up to Get Down\u2019 lift the mood.\u00a0<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Sleek\u2019<\/p>\n Polished mid-tempo rock that deserves a larger audience than Spotify\u2019s numbers suggest. There\u2019s something about the vocal range, the harmonies and the spacious sound that evokes Neil Finn, which is a very hard thing to do. As you\u2019d expect from Pluto\u2019s bassist, Hall\u2019s a strong songwriter who subtly avoids obvious patterns.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Warning Shot\u2019<\/p>\n 36. High Horse<\/a>, by Adam Hattaway and the Haunters<\/p>\n Hattaway\u2019s sixth album in five years is laid back, sometimes slow, more rocking chair than rockin\u2019. Countrified with violin and slide guitars, the band\u2019s steady line is occasionally broken by surprising moments like his falsetto, which we first hear on \u2018Room to Breathe\u2019. Neither a standout nor a misstep.\u00a0<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Conical Hill\u2019<\/p>\n A young muso fuses punky guitar riffs, indie rock, and jazzier songs in an eclectic debut. Seven tracks that prove what HIRI is capable of. Mature moments like \u2018A M\u0101ori Love Song\u2019, in 3\/4 time and with verses in te reo M\u0101ori, sit alongside teenage poetry. Surely the start of an interesting discography.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Juliet\u2019<\/p>\n Mostly instrumental psychedelic rock with deep guitar solos that echo the hippie era. These grooves could enhance a long road trip, or trips of other sorts. If you\u2019re stationary and sober the slower freakouts can get tiring. A few tracks turn slightly country, which is a definite trend this year. When vocals appear they have heavy reverb. Audio snippets about UFOs and Jesus pan in and out.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018T\u016brangawaewae\u2019<\/p>\n Hyde\u2019s second, and second-best, album in two years. His easy FM-friendly rock channels John Mayer, Goo Goo Dolls, The Calling, and many others. Every track could appear at the serious bit of some American coming-of-age movie while the main couple look at each meaningfully. Generic love songs for any setting.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Where It All Begins\u2019<\/p>\n Reviewed out of order because everyone else in the room vetoed my first attempt. Instrumental, experimental, repetitive things mostly played on keyboards (the small amount of guitar-led stuff is better). \u2018Russian Ice Disco\u2019 lasts 10 indefensible minutes. Maybe this album could soundtrack quirky YouTube animations? More likely it will remain a Spotify curio.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Just Desserts\u2019<\/p>\n 41. Omen<\/a>, by Japes<\/p>\n A well-executed and angular mix of industrial trip hop and dark pop. In a very modern sense this is atmospheric music \u2013 airy but with space for radiation, pollutants, and surveillance drones. At times Mia Kelly\u2019s vocals have a Lorde-like timbre. The deep, sad pop of \u2018Process\u2019 recalls the xx and Billie Eilish, while percussive snips and clicks on \u2018Lighter Thief\u2019 could be from Bj\u00f6rk\u2019s Vespertine. I liked this one.\u00a0<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Doom\u2019<\/p>\n Soft pop of a bedroomy sort. Be careful or it might drift right past you, and then if you had to sum it up after one listen you\u2019d be wondering what just happened. Probably you were set too much at ease by the dreamy vocals and too fixated on the drumming, which is mostly subtle but somehow just right.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Chaos Worked Its Way In\u2019<\/p>\n Part eight of Kingi\u2019s monumental 10-10-10 project took him to the Californian wilderness and the home of desert rock \u2013 literally in the footsteps of Kyuss, Queens of the Stone Age, etc \u2013 where he fit right in. This hits hard, taps into America\u2019s indigenous history and spirituality, and sounds like a party. Surely the only album ever to open with a line about \u201ccharging through the rectal area\u201d and also be a very good listen.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Ride the Rhino\u2019<\/p>\n Taite Music Prize form guide: Winner, 2020; finalist, 2021 and 2022<\/p>\n A treat for the dogged reviewer of alphabetised artists: consecutive heavy hitters. After yearly albums from 2017-2021, L.A.B VI took time to roll out more of their high-quality kiwi summer sound. Rootsy reggae and more contemporary backbeats sit side-by-side. \u2018Take It Away\u2019 rocks a little harder; the out-of-place \u2018I Believe\u2019 is a syrupy ballad with an appearance from AJA (see #1).<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Ocean Demon\u2019<\/p>\n Taite Music Prize form guide: Finalists, 2020 & 2021<\/p>\n Piano and swelling strings accompany the first two songs, underlining Lines\u2019 serious vocal talent. Then the album goes pop, getting catchier and making less of her strong and expressive voice. You\u2019ll hear performances that few people could match and you\u2019ll hear reasons for this album\u2019s chart success, mostly separately. In a big finish, \u2018Grand Illusions\u2019 hits both marks.\u00a0<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Start of the Middle\u2019<\/p>\n Thoughtful, slow electronica with darkness that swings from a foreboding presence to a comfortable hiding place \u2013\u00a0a duality found in lines like, \u201cI should probably face my demons and start getting my faith back\u201d. MacLeod\u2019s voice is the main instrument in clever, quiet symbiosis with the machines. Fascinating.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Closer\u2019<\/p>\n 47. HIRL<\/a>, by Marlin\u2019s Dreaming<\/p>\n Quiet, single-paced indie pop from a four-piece band. The introspective template from debut Lizard\u2019s Tears (2017) remains with even fewer edges. Spots of slide guitar and harmonica differentiate songs a little and Erny Belle lends a useful hand on \u2018Earnestly\u2019.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Every Single Time\u2019<\/p>\n 48. Shine On, by Nigel Marshall<\/p>\n Bluesy, jazzy rock made for lazy afternoons in country pubs. Marshall\u2019s old-timer storytelling includes childhood memories, character sketches and environmental warnings.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018T\u016b\u012b\u2019<\/p>\n 49. ONO<\/a>, by Moana & the Tribe<\/p>\n We\u2019re not 50 albums in and this is the eighth to feature te reo M\u0101ori. The language would be much further from the musical mainstream without Moana Maniapoto\u2019s decades of dedication. ONO travels the indigenous world in collaborations with w\u0101hine from Norway, Australia, Taiwan, Canada, Hawai\u2019i and Scotland. Musically spacious, it really works. The art has obvious depth; I\u2019m out of mine.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song (which feels really reductive this time): \u2018T\u014dku Reo\u2019<\/p>\n Taite Music Prize form guide: Tahi (1993) received the 2019 Independent Music NZ Classic Record award<\/p>\n 50. About Time<\/a>, by Rikki Morris<\/p>\n Feeling very old thanks to consecutive artists who I remember from my primary school days, which began in the 80s. I really wanted to like this one, but it\u2019s too middle of the road, too predictable. Easy listening that doubles down on easy \u2013 as we will see, the exact opposite of #51.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018The Saddest Sound\u2019<\/p>\n Brace yourself. New Zealand\u2019s least wholesome family band put actual mother murderers on the album cover. Song titles include \u2018Brick in a Stocking\u2019 and \u2018El Cadaver Incompleto\u2019. Bass guitar rattles and thumps terribly low; drums are smashed. Hannah Harte wails sorely and offensively over the racket. A dull blanket of lo-fi production makes everything less confronting than it should be.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Molested by a Jehovah\u2019<\/p>\n I\u2019m a middle aged, middle class, monolingual, P\u0101keh\u0101 father of two and, boy, do I feel every single one of those things when Mokotron\u2019s on. The deep bass gets me dad-dancing and the sound of the koauau raises goosebumps. But I\u2019m an outsider looking in, missing out, not comprehending half of what\u2019s happening amid the breaks (vocals are all chanted in te reo M\u0101ori). There\u2019s a lot to take in if you can: Tiopira McDowell has both brought audiences to tears and downplayed himself as a \u201cnovelty act\u201d.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018K\u014cPEKE\u2019<\/p>\n Ouch, genre change whiplash. Stylewise, Mousey is out on her own with cinematic songs that have quiet home recording aesthetics. Her thoughts and fears (\u201cI\u2019m not quite sure why I\u2019m singing about this one\u201d) unfold alongside slow acoustic guitar, driving drumbeats, modern folk music, fuzzy samples. It\u2019s deceptive, unique and beautiful.\u00a0<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Dog Park\u2019<\/p>\n Quality rock with fewer surprises or gimmicks than you might get from other Flying Nun bands. Instead Mystery Waitress rely on smart lyrics, lead guitar that drives songs without hogging the spotlight and, in Tessa Dillon, a fine vocalist. Paired tracks \u2018Pt 1. Hospital\u2019 and \u2018Pt 2. Tiger\u2019 exemplify their smarts.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Nightbug\u2019<\/p>\n Scandal! Newzerror entered the same album last year. To plagiarise my old Hamilton Underground Press review: Metal riffs straight from the days when Metallica and Anvil shared festival stages and wind machines. If (and only if) you\u2019re a Devilskin fan, give it a whirl.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Hold On\u2019<\/p>\n Serious talent. Smart songwriting and arrangements give you space to think about what you hear, which includes captivating singing with impressive range. Nicklin\u2019s songs don\u2019t take the beaten path. Some crack the off-kilter code of Amnesiac-era Radiohead\u2018s urgent drumming and cycling bass. Elsewhere things bend under slow harmonics and harmonies. \u2018Can\u2019t See\u2019 meditates on the spot. It\u2019s all very, very good.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018The Highs\u2019<\/p>\n Ambient electronica of middling quality. Some reasonably effective moments like \u2018Company of god LLC\u2019 sit next to repetitive laptop demos. As the Bandcamp notes say, \u201cI was mucking around and this came out\u201d.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018No Content\u2019<\/p>\n S\u2019been a long wait for some upbeat indie rock, but worth it. This is wonderful. Every track adds something. Bike-like \u2018Easter at the RSC\u2019 mixes sweet pop with distorted guitars. \u2018Can\u2019t Find It Now\u2019 lasts just 66 cute seconds. \u2018Raleigh Arena\u2019 rocks straight ahead. \u2018The Pass\u2019 has a hippyish jangle fit for the Elephant 6 collective.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Lucky Charm\u2019<\/p>\n Typical. You spend all day waiting for one indie rock release, then two turn up at once. Office Dog take on some serious subject matter in a relatively positive way, though not as brightly as 2023\u2019s Spiel. They do a good job of finding a more measured sound but can\u2019t resist stamping on the pedals near the end. An interesting signpost.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Can\u2019t Wait\u2019<\/p>\n Ignore that last thing I said. You spend all day waiting and then three indie rock releases turn up at once. Parallel Park are youthful and serious, impressively complete for a band that played Rockquest a couple of years ago. There are groovier moments, grungier bits, radio-ready pop songs. A well-compiled album with range and chops.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Can We Talk?\u2019<\/p>\n A fourth consecutive rock band and, ironically, the least novel. They signal potential with the tender, half-whispered opener \u2018June\u2019, then tumble into undifferentiated pop-punk. In heavier songs with the perfect formula for massive choruses, the band turns it all the way up to, oh, about 7. Moments are described but not created (indeed: \u201cI romanticise until I feel nothing\u201d). PARK RD will improve.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Did It Anyway\u2019<\/p>\n 62. Sabotage<\/a>, by Mel Parsons<\/p>\n Mel Parsons softly walks the line between country and alt-country. On Sabotage she blends in a wisp of folk, replacing the rockier edge we\u2019ve heard from her previously, and it\u2019s a successful evolution. This is a high-grade album, serious, understated and perfectly pitched. The harmonies are a highlight.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Sabotage\u2019<\/p>\n Taite Music Prize form guide: Finalist, 2019<\/p>\n This spontaneous and fun collaboration between Jazmine Mary, whose solo work twists jazz into strange arty shapes, and Arahi, best known for Silver Scroll-nominated ballad \u2018My Baby\u2019s Like a Hurricane\u2019, evolves from a surreal little waltz about dreams to banjo-rich songs about horses, guns and whiskey. Friends co-writing and harmonising for the shared enjoyment of it.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Known\u2019<\/p>\n Taite Music Prize form guide: Best Independent Debut Award \u2013 Jazmine Mary, 2022<\/p>\n Good, noisy post-punk in the aggressive and full-on vein of Die! Die! Die! Among mostly dialled-back nominations this dark and frenetic niche stands out. Guitars drone and squeal, anxious lungs are emptied at full volume. Disappointing Sequel is more industrial and more fully realised than Repeat, Repeat (2020). Right album, wrong name.\u00a0<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Map, Territory\u2019<\/p>\n An unforgettable name that didn\u2019t make me expect funky jazz. It\u2019s fitting that I misjudged this album by its cover, because Phoebe Johnson loves a cliche (\u201cI\u2019m rubber, you\u2019re glue\u2026\u201d, \u201cThis town ain\u2019t big enough\u2026\u201d). The brass section sounds effortlessly cool \u2013 a sure sign that they\u2019re working hard. Some tracks get orgasmic; \u2018Landlord\u2019 is very schmoove for a track that suggests we should eat the rich.\u00a0<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Compromise\u2019<\/p>\n Formerly stupid rich kid, Lucian Rice now goes by his own name and even uses capital letters sometimes. His music has gotten less anonymous, too. This EP sits between bedroom emo rock and fuzzy shoegaze. The effects on \u2018spineback\u2019 and \u2018ninezero\u2019 are particularly, well, effective. right now, forever is young, personal, and good. The kid ain\u2019t stupid anymore.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018spineback\u2019<\/p>\n Fraser Ross takes us over the ocean, across the Ganges and into the mythical wilderness, mostly America\u2019s untamed west with hints of the Celtic highlands. We hear totemic influences like Leonard Cohen, in Ross\u2019s low and unvarnished voice, and pre-electric Bob Dylan in the phrasing of the (very good) title track. A folky, expansive ramble with an educated guide.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018You Are So Steep\u2019<\/p>\n A highly adaptable five-piece band. Chilled bass-led crooning, mood-setting rock with bluesy notes, grunge, heavier blasts with a metallic tinge, even rap-rock. They play it all with precision and cleverly dropped beats. But with so much in the mix Lonely Playground is unfocused. Guy Yarrall\u2019s vocal range suffers in comparison as Freya Pinkerton skillfully rides from choirgirl to aggressive rock chick.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Deep Inside\u2019<\/p>\n Wordy, smart neo-soul with a twist of jazz. Closely harmonised vocals slide over uptempo, skittering drums and walking bass. Rap interjects every now and then, and guitar lines hold it all together without grabbing attention. Song structures keep you guessing. There are NSFW moments, one of which includes a shoutout to 95bFM.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Jenny Greenteeth\u2019<\/p>\n A soft and pleasant collision of classical guitar, cello, country-shuffling folk, lilting ballads and crystal voices. Evergreen poetic themes like nature and murder add to the overall renaissance vibe. Looks like this trio is one-third New Zealander, two-thirds American\u2014by the Taite rules, insufficiently local.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Something in the Stars\u2019<\/p>\n 71. Queen Of The Rain, by The Spines<\/p>\n Mostly harmless. The umpteenth version of Jon McLeary\u2019s band of outsiders plays folky rock that doesn\u2019t stand out, especially with 70 albums to compete against and 10 more to come. His singing is a bit forced and eclectic instrumentation (strings, vibraphone, maracas, harmonica\u2026) adds less than you\u2019d hope.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Buckets of Blood\u2019<\/p>\n A theatre professional makes a pop-ish album about motherhood. It requires attention but I found it tricky to keep focus as it swayed between an actor giving a performance and a writer singing her own poems. Sometimes (\u2018Pin It Down\u2019) it all comes together. Other times the concept weighs on the delivery.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018The Living Subordinate\u2019<\/p>\n Radio-friendly rock without a single rough edge. It opens with the best bit (the anthemic \u2018Some Say So\u2019) racks a few formulaic songs side-by-side, and includes a cover of Australian Crawl\u2019s 1983 classic \u2018Reckless (Don\u2019t Be So\u2026)\u2019 which, according to Spotify\u2019s recklessly curated data, was written by Tablefox?<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018Mother\u2019<\/p>\n Recorded before Las Tetas disappeared from Auckland\u2019s rock scene over a decade ago, and finally released when they reunited last year. Does it count as 2024 music? This self-appointed judge will allow it. Energy and immediacy bleeds through loose, loud punk and garage-y indie pop. Their Kings Arms gigs must\u2019ve been something: you can almost hear the sweat.<\/p>\n Boiled down to one song: \u2018The French Song\u2019<\/p>\nRead Arthur Ahbez\u2019s perfect weekend playlist here<\/a><\/p>\n
Read Wiri Donna\u2019s perfect weekend playlist here<\/a><\/p>\n
Read Earth Tongue\u2019s perfect weekend playlist here<\/a><\/p>\n
Read Vera Ellen\u2019s perfect weekend playlist here<\/a><\/p>\n
Read Sam Fowles\u2019 perfect weekend playlist here<\/a><\/p>\n
Read Troy Kingi\u2019s perfect weekend playlist here<\/a><\/p>\n
Read Mokotron\u2019s perfect weekend playlist here<\/a>
\n52. WAEREA<\/a>, by MOKOTRON<\/p>\nRead Mousey\u2019s perfect weekend playlist here<\/a><\/p>\n
Read Revulva\u2019s perfect weekend playlist here<\/a>
\n65. Revulva<\/a>, by Revulva<\/p>\n