The line-up of NZ acts to officially accept their invitation to perform at SXSW 2011 has been revealed. The music, film, and interactive conference and festival will take place in Austin, Texas this month from March the 11th to 20th. The NZ showcase will take place on Wednesday March 16 from 5pm – 8pm at West Tent Brush Square Park, and will include performances from IMNZers David Dallas and Street Chant, as well as Brooke Fraser, Liam Finn, The Naked And Famous and Zowie. Other NZ acts appearing at SXSW include - Battle Circus, Kids Of 88, King Kapisi and Surf City. Read more...

As the front-woman of renowned Kiwi act Minuit, and the lyricist behind their tunes, Ruth Carr has always known the power of words – they are her currency. Full of one-liners, poems, lyrics and short tales, Ruth Carr takes us deeper into her world with her debut book ‘I Felt Like a Fight Alright?'due for release on 21 March 2011. The result is a darkly humoured look at life, death and what it is that we do ‘while we're here'. While this sounds all very exciting for fans, Sonja de Friez, Nine to Noon reviewer on Radio NZ National, suggests it has a much wider appeal. "Reminiscent of Cohen's mid-career poetry and writings, Minuit's songstress Ruth Carr has penned an elegant, acerbic and revealing collection which strikes the heart and soul of any reader." You can pick up ‘I Felt Like a Fight, Alright?'from selected bookstores, online from the Minuit Bookstore (minuit.bigcartel.com) and – for those cyber-savvy readers – digitally from mebooks.co.nz.  www.minuit.co.nz

The Clean are the recipients of the inaugural Dunedin Recording Award, presented by The New Zealand Music Industry Centre (NZMiC)  - a collaboration between the University of Otago Music Department and local music business Dunedinmusic.com Ltd (not to be confused with the New Zealand Music Commission).  The NZMiC has identified and created an opportunity for established New Zealand recording artists that have significantly contributed to thriving kiwi cultural identity to be recognised with a substantial award of seven days recording in Dunedin. Professor Henry Johnson - Music HOD at Otago - added "This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the creative talents of contemporary musicians and work with state-of-the-art equipment. The outcomes will help consolidate Dunedin as a centre for recording music and promoting the New Zealand music industry." NZMiC will be calling for applications for the 2012 award in May this year. Potential applicants are encouraged to visit the NZMiC website at http://www.nzmic.org

Those purveyors of noise-pop, pop-punk and indeed punk-noise, Die Die Die, have announced a tour of Australia's East Coast for this autumn. The Dunedin trio, who incredibly have been around for eight years now, will play seven shows across Queensland, NSW and Victoria in support of their latest album Form, released last year on the iconic Kiwi label Flying Nun. The album went straight in at number one in the IMNZ charts. Form marks the band's third album since they burst on to the scene in 2005 with their clanging self-titled debut, which was recorded by Steve Albini. Form was produced by Nick Roughan and so far has only seen release in Australia and New Zealand. The Australian tour includes an appearance at the Big Backyard Festival in Brisbane. Click here for full dates.

New release fanfare

Inspired by his love for the waiata of the renowned composer Hirini Melbourne (Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Kahungunu), Dudley Benson arranged his own interpretations of Melbourne's bird songs and in late 2010 announced their release as Forest: Songs by Hirini Melbourne. Recorded almost entirely with only the human voice and sung largely in te reo Māori, Forest tells the stories of New Zealand's native birds through seven vividly textured pop pieces that exist somewhere between the traditions of folksong and barbershop, choral anthem and hip hop. Produced by Benson, recorded by Hollay and mastered by Parnell, the album features a bold contingent of guest artists including close-harmony vocal quartet The Dawn Chorus, reigning Aotearoa beatbox champion King Homeboy, and legendary folk matriarch Vashti Bunyan. www.dudleybenson.com

Superturtle are releasing a brand new single "Lost In The Herd Again" this Friday March 4th at The Masonic Tavern in Devonport, with very special guests Surf Friends, Goon and Chung Lao. You can check out the new song here.

Pretty Cool Optical Illusions is the sophomore CDEP from the Auckland based energetic pop rock group Sherpa, follwoing on from their 2009 debut I'm Sparklers. The new is bursting with solid pop tracks that have matured from their
debut release in to a more grown up flavour of power-pop tinged psychedelia! Read more...

Returning home to New Zealand to tour and release their second album ‘The Fourth'in Summer 2011, Berlin-based band An Emerald City's sound has evolved and grown since the release of their critically acclaimed debut Circa Scaria. With psychedelic influences and their relocation to one of the world's most beautifully bizarre cities, it is easy to see where the inspiration behind the band's second album has come from. Recorded in a former communist radio station on the banks of the river Spree in East Berlin (also rumoured to be the location of one of the Stasi secret police's headquarters) it shows a band unafraid to explore in new dimensions in sound and space.
http://anemeraldcity.bandcamp.com/

Pianist and composer Dan Poynton, long a champion of NZ music, has released a collection of Douglas Lilburn's compositions, in a series called Douglas Lilburn: Complete Piano Music Vols 1-3 . His stage presence and his skill and sensitivity on the piano are well known and respected throughout New Zealand and around the world. Presented here are three volumes of a projected 4-CD collection which brings to light a number of works which were never publicly performed in the composer's lifetime. All three volumes are essential recordings for admirers of Dan Poynton, Douglas Lilburn and New Zealand's classical music heritage. Read more...

New Zealand jazz bassist Olivier Holland presents Duets, showcasing his skills as performer, composer and arranger in a classy set of instrumental duets with seven standout musicians. Pianist Kevin Field leads a modern jazz ensemble set alongside a selection of Auckland's finest jazz artists: Olivier Holland (Bass), Nathan Haines (Sax), Ron Samsom (Drums), Roger Manins (Sax), John Goldsby (Double Bass), Joscho Stephan (Guitar) and Dixon Nacey (Guitar.) Read more...

This April, David Kilgour will release his eighth solo and first album in four years with band the Heavy Eights. The album, ‘Left by Soft', was recorded over a week two hours south of Dunedin with Heavy Eights bassist Thomas Bell on engineering, production and cooking duties. The album will be available on vinyl and digital formats on April 18 and CD – April 25. Check out the first single, Diamond Mine

On the live front

Kora will be playing Opononi Hotel in Northland and Butler's Reef, Oakura in the Taranaki this coming Easter. Fresh from placing the finishing touches to their new album, Kora are looking forward to road-testing their new material. When Laughton Kora was asked if there's any pressure on recording the new album (remembering their first volume went gold, and the single Politicians stayed in the top ten for eight weeks), he said "Yes and no. The reason we've done so well is that we've stuck to our guns. We didn't listen when we were told, 'Just play straight reggae!'. We love to mix it up: metal, jazz, blues and rock, we love that stuff. The great thing is that we don't get pigeonholed." Kora played Australian dates in late January after playing the Auckland Big Day Out, replacing The Black Keys and since then have been concentrating on the new (not-yet-titled) album. Head here for dates...

Proceeds from the Friday 4 March Ihimaera concert, running as part of the Auckland Festival and featuring King Kapisi, Warren Maxwell, SJD, Lupin (Victoria Girling-Butcher), LA Mitchell, Unitone Hi Fi, Ruia Aperahama, Horomona Horo, Ariana Tikao, The Twinks (Milan Borich and Tim Arnold ex-PLUTO), Teremoana Rapley, Charlotte Yates and Kirk Torrance, will be donated to the NZ Red Cross 2011 Earthquake Appeal. Read more...

Around the World

For our London friends, the UK-based website Spacific, which is dedicated to creative culture from NZ, has links to several Christchurch benefit shows happening in London town...

BUSH HALL :: THE VEILS, RODNEY FISHER MORE :: 03/03/11
The first fundraising concert is this Thursday at the beautiful Bush Hall. Artists performing include The Veils, Rodney Fisher (ex-Goodshirt), Chris Lawson Jones, Ian Munro, Louise & The Pins and Renee Brennan (ex-Tadpole). Read more...
VIBE BAR :: 09/03/11
Our good friends at Brick Lane's Vibe Bar are hosting an event next week. The details are up on their Facebook page - but essentially, the night will feature Kiwi musicians and DJ's plus live art installations as well as some New Zealand drinks specials.

o2 EMPIRE :: SHAPESHIFTER :: 13/05/11
Just announced – more info next month. At: Shepherd's Bush Green, W12