International and Industry Action

Dunedin independent record label Fishrider Records celebrates 5 years of “psych-pop from below the underground” this year. The first release on the “micro-independent” label was The Dark Beaks “Spill Your Heart” released in 2006. Label founder Ian Henderson says: “The label had to have a name and I was riding a fish-design surfboard at the time so that’s what it became." 


New release fanfare

...And speaking of Robert Scott, The Bats released their eighth studio album this week - ‘Free All The Monsters’.  Recorded at Seacliff, a former asylum in the grand Victorian style just outside of Dunedin, New Zealand, and masterfully produced by Dale Cotton (HDU, Dimmer), it captures some of their strongest songs to date.  On Monday October 31st Bannerman welcomes into existence their new album, Dearly Departed - a close brother to The Dusty Dream Hole. Both albums share the same qualities and illustrations are once again by Angela Keoghan. The Valves have kept low the past few years although they haven’t been sat around twiddling their thumbs. They have been twiddling with instruments though and after a line up change that involved 3 key members they now return settled and ready to rock! Veteran is a term bandied about rather freely these days, almost as much as legendary - but if any one band deserves that title in this country it is hardcore punk pioneers Sticky Filth. After all not many bands in New Zealand can claim a continuous existence of twenty-six years (1985-2011). 2010 was a tough year for Sticky Filth with founding members Craig Radford and Chris Snowdon both involved in separate serious accidents which saw the originally scheduled 25th anniversary release of Fourth Domain to be put on hold. Motocade guitarist Geordie McCallum returns with a new project under the moniker SINSIN to create a vibrant mix of shoe gaze and ambient rock. Bringing together three eclectic artists from three renowned Kiwi acts, Geordie is joined by Zowie bass player Harry Champion and Kerretta drummer Hamish Walker in the live line-up. 'Third Eye' is the latest single from Auckland-based band Badd Energy - one of Flying Nun's newest signings.


On the live front

Following the news that today their debut album has powered into the No 1 slot on the NZ album chart and the IMNZ chart AND has gone gold, Six60 are proud to announce a second Powerstation show in Auckland for Saturday 12th November as part of their album release tour.  Fresh from a successful summer in Europe, Ladi6 is looking forward to hitchin’ a ride with some of her favourite NZ bands and intends to wield her knockout show, proving to Kiwi audiences why she is now so highly regarded overseas. From a dream-come-true support slot for Erykah Badu in Berlin to very well-received shows at Glastonbury and The Big Chill, Ladi with Parks and Julien Dyne have been turning heads overseas in a big way, with more than 50 performances throughout the European summer and a run of festivals in Asia; while her break-through The Liberation Of… album has received glowing reviews in the UK and beyond. When Flip Grater took her guitar to Europe, she slept on couches, took in the sights and must-sees of Europe, performed her music in seven countries – and ate some great food. Now she captures her journey in an exciting new book, describing the places, people and experience of touring.


Around the World

Independent label music agency Merlin and YouTube today announced a global deal that will license repertoire from hundreds of labels to the YouTube service, effective immediately. The agreement covers thousands of acts, including Yeasayer, Antony and the Johnsons, Aphex Twin, Prodigy and Grizzly Bear. The deal is the culmination of lengthy negotiations, which Merlin and YouTube said underscores YouTube’s commitment to the independent music sector as well as Merlin’s determination to secure competitive terms on behalf of its members. Among the independent labels involved in this deal are Earache, Secretly Canadian, Ninja Tune, Cooking Vinyl, Warp, Phonofile, Pschent, Morr Music, !K7 and Inertia.