They say if you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere. Rapper David Dallas has already made his mark in his native New Zealand and now the half-Samoan MC has inked a P&D and marketing deal with Duck Down Music and looks to conquer hip-hop’s birthplace. Duck Down Music is an independent Hip-Hop label and Music Marketing Company based in New York City, which just celebrated its 15-year anniversary and is home to acts such as 9th Wonder, Buckshot, Pharoahe Monch, Pete Rock,  Smif-N-Wessun, Sean Price and Skyzoo to name a few. The deal is in conjunction with Dawn Raid Entertainment LLC and Dirty Management. Now with Duck Down in the fold, David Dallas plans to release a free Internet-only album, The Rose Tint early next year. After that? “Just blow up and be a millionaire basically,” Dallas says jokingly. Now that’s the American dream. http://www.daviddallas.co.nz/

This summer, Shapeshifter are offering an opprtunity to all the talented producers out there. Hot off the back of an acclaimed series of UK and European performances in support of The System Is A Remix album through prestigious English drum and bass label Hospital Records, Shapeshifter will release their remix album locally in January 2011 under the title System Remix. For the album, Shapeshifter are holding a competition to find a remix of 'Longest Day' to showcase alongside re-imaginings of songs off The System Is A Vampire from Kiwi bass music leading lights including The Upbeats, State of Mind and Pacific Heights, and respected English and European drum and bass producers including Netsky, Logistics, B-Complex, Camo + Krooked and The Nextmen. The competition opens on 1 December 2010 and runs until 5pm Friday 7th January 2011. And don't forget, you can catch Shapeshifter live around the country this December and January. www.shapeshifter.co.nz

The 5th of December is the day that Santa will arrive by helicopter at the Pirongia Lions Cancer Kids Christmas Day at Pirongia School.The highlight as always is a lolly scramble at 40,000 feet (give or take a foot). Keith from the Pirongia Mountain Men may or may not have a connection with Santa. Also, check out their collection of uniquely Kiwi Christmas albums: http://www.pirongiamountainmusiccompany.co.nz/media.php

You may have caught The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls on TV One last Sunday as part of the Sunday Theatre series. The film has so far screened at 84 film festivals and won 20 awards in places as diverse as Sweden, Korea, Ireland, Tahiti, Paris, Hamburg, Tokyo, New York, Seattle and LA; and it is a nominee for Best Music Documentary at the prestigioius IDA Awards (Independent Documentary Awards) in LA hosted by the US Directors Guild on December 3rd. And catch the Topp Twins on their Summer Hoe-Down, featuring
New Zealand’s cream of contemporary alt-country and bluegrass artists playing amongst the vines this summer at boutique wineries in January and February 2011 and 'topping' it all off at WOMAD in March. http://topptwins.com/gig-guide/summer-hoe-down/about

New Release Fanfare

The Midnights have completed their debut LP, “Outside”, and are set to officially introduce their low-fi brand of roots-reggae to Aotearoa. Their talent and passion for live reggae music has seen the band secure spots at many festivals alongside reggae legends such as The Wailers, UB40, Third World, The Skatalites, Big Youth and Maxi Priest purely on the basis of their formidable live reputation. Now with their debut “Outside” certifiably done and dusted the band is once again limbering up for a string of summer shows. www.themidnights.co.nz

Head Like a Hole have taken another step toward their comeback, rocking hotter, hairier and better than ever with their new single ‘Swagger of Thieves’ out via DRM this Monday December 6. The single is the first from the yet-to-be-titled new album due in stores in March 2011. And of course they're celebrating with an epic New Year's Eve festival at the Kings Arms, Auckland, December 31 2010 with Luger Boa, Cairo Knife Fight, The Dirty Sweets, Double Barrelled, Gundry Blues and guest DJs. Click here for Swagger of Thieves gig details.

On the Live Front

Superturtle, Goon and Chung Lao (featuring Mike Kwok, ex-Drill) are playing a free show at The Masonic in Devonport this Friday December 3rd; and as a bonus they're upstairs in the room with the great harbour view. The gig starts at 8pm with an early 11pm finish , so you can catch the ferry with the money you've saved from the free entry! Also "Holiday Well" from Superturtle's "About The Sun" album will be available as a free download for 24 hours at the website www.dailybeat.co.nz from Saturday December 4th at 1pm.

With more than 40 acts from home and abroad already on board it's time to complete the picture of what's in store for the 2011 Big Day Out festival; from the IMNZ whanau Luger Boa, Surf City, Tommy Ill, Grayson Gilmour, the Unfaithful Ways, Steriogram and Home Brew join Sia, The Greenhornes, Silent Disco,  Black Milk, The Phoenix Foundation, Kody & Bic, Computers Want Me Dead, Mt Eden Dubstep, Knives At Noon, Bang Bang Eche, Matt And Kim, Reggie Watts, Wunmi, Red Bacteria Vacuum, The Balloonatic, Aural Trash, Harry The Bastard, Three Houses Down, Family Cactus, DJ Meltron, The Earlybirds, 1995, Ghost and DJ CXL. www.bigdayout.com

Nikau Rhythm and George FM Present the annual Auckland Anniversary Weekend rave in the Coromandel: on Saturday 29th of Jan at The Coroglen Tavern you'll be partying to Concord Dawn, The Upbeats, Bulletproof and Optimus Gryme with MCs Tiki, P Digsss (Shapeshifter), KP (Sunshine Sound System), Rugged Techniques and JDubs. Get tickets from http://www.dashtickets.co.nz/event/327

Around the World

Morr Music (Berlin, Germany) presents Not Given Lightly - A Tribute To the Giant Golden Book Of New Zealand’s Alternative Music Scene - a 2CD compilation paying tribute to some of the highly influential New Zealand indie-pop bands of the 1980s, whose steadfast DIY aesthetic paved the way internationally for the future development of modern indie bands to follow. CD1 features cover versions of some of New Zealand's most beloved songs from that era by Morr's best current artists: The Chills, The Verlaines, Tall Dwarfs, Chris Knox, The Bats, Graeme Jeffries, The Clean, Peter Jefferies, Robert Scott and David Kilgour are covered by Lali Puna, People Press Play, Tarwater, It's A Musical, B.Fleischmann, The Go Find, Guther, The Wooden Birds, Butcher The Bar, Sin Fang Bous, Borko, Masha, Qrella, Saroos, American Analog Set, Bobby & Blumm, Contriva, Isan and Electric President. CD2 features tracks that look towards the future of indie-pop and artists include: Benni Hemm Hemm, Radical Face, Seabear, Surf City, Seafault and Populous. http://www.morrmusic.com/artist/Various%20Artists/release/118