SonorHead

Also worthwhile checking out the series of magazines w/ comp CDs called "A Low Hum" that were put out for a few years up to end of 2006. They cover a bit of a range but largely indie guitar-based non-mainstream bands. Some of the names featuring there are: Ghostplane, Dead Pan Rangers, Grand Prix, The Dark Beaks, The Enright House, Lawrence Arabia, The Undercurrents, Punches, Voom etc. Most will have a MySpace or NZMusic.com page.

I second the view that the most likely home for NZs version of "College Rock" will be independent labels like Arch Hill (Pine, Fang, David Kilgour, Reduction Agents) and Lil Chief (Brunettes, Ruby Suns, Shaft) and also Powertool (Puddle, Onanon, Robert Scott). But also don't overlook the independently independent as there a few bands not on "name" labels here who are getting recognition overseas and played on US college radio... which I guess makes them "College Rock".

Phoenix Foundation and solo off-shoots like Sam Scott are probably NZ's answer to Wilco so worth checking them. Also a bit of a long history of bands from the '80's and '90's, mostly on Flying Nun Records at the time who still seem to get regular US College Radio play and are still adored more overseas than they are here - The Clean, The Chills, The Verlaines, The Bats, Bailter Space etc. - even by new generations of music lovers. And for more soundscape/ ambient guitar noise don't forget the mighty HDU. Phew...

I've been away for a while... now I don't recognize NZMusic and can't find artist info on it. Have I missed something? Is it all on Wikipedia? How come I can't find bands who used to be on NZMusic when I use the search function? Where's all the old band poop gone now?

I always reckon that reviews and allocation of 'stars" and suchlike is often more an indication of the reviewer's (and magazine readership's) taste in music than the true merits of the item being reviewed. Most music will have a loving admirer somewhere, but I suspect that mags like RIU are populated by contributors/ reviewers who are not generally great fans of "classic pop" and prefer harder edges over the alternative whimsy of The Ruby Suns and Phoenix Foundation. There is also maybe a "coolness" factor about being hard on local stuff as a kind of (over)reaction to the perception that NZ reviewers "soft" on local produce.

On the other hand, any regular reader of Mojo knows that the contributors to that mag are besotted with "classic" sounds of any era and are more likely to enjoy The Ruby Suns. And likewise Uncut who also rated it highly (and panned Fat Freddy's Drop). I know who's reviews I'd go with any day (and it ain't RIU or RG or GG for a start).

For what its worth, I regard the Ruby Suns release as one of the stand-out NZ releases of the last couple of years.

Indeedy... ALH has been a fantastic one-person crusade for the Real Alternative of NZ (and beyond) music. I was gonna say he was like a Roger ("Flying Nun") Shepherd for the new millenium but a comp CD a month for pretty much 2 years plus 3 Video collection DVDs, at the same time as touring bands from North to South is in a whole new league of borderline obessive compulsiveness for sharing the music he likes with other open-eared souls around the country. So many great bands heard through those CDs and live shows so a big THANK YOU Blink.

Hopefully the loyal ALH supporters will be signing up for next year's equally inspired/ crazy schemes (singles club, music camps, whatever else comes along) and keep this thing Humming along for a while yet.

Yes, very nice indeed etc. BUT there is nothing by The Puddle on it. A mini album ("Pop Lib"), a live album ("Live at the Teddy Bears Club") and a studio album ("Into the Moon") were released on the Nun. I relaise tracks were hand-picked by Roger etc. but it does seem a tiny oversight in an otherwise scholarly-looking collection IMHO.

The album is fabtastic. Bought a copy at the Bachelorette album release gig in Dunedin. More than delivers on the promise of the wonderful EP. I like the wide range of sounds and songs. Seems to be haunted in parts by the ghosts of Syd Barrett, Grandaddy, Magnetic Fields and Young Marble Giants which is just fine by me. "Doo Wop" my current fave. Recommended for Christmas for all the family.

Somewhat detracts from the quality of the article when they select the wrong Phoenix Foundation to use a clip from. Last I heard our Phoenix Foundation were headed down a highly enjoyable Beatles meet Spacerock path, not a paint-by-numbers emo-pop-punk path. Also, when they describe Die! Die! Die! as "art-rock". Maybe "post-punk", which is just as meaningless a term to use, but what isn't "art-rock" these days?

There was something about that NYTimes article that depressed me. Quite a lot about it really. I mean the ideas around state-sponsored music are all quite sound (and have been debated at length here) but cultural marketing and cost-benefit is so un-rock'n'roll.

On the other hand it's gotta be better for a band to benefit their country and "national pride" than benefit some multi-national corporations "bottom line" and get screwed over for every penny under a one-sided contract. Actually getting screwed over by a company is certainly more rock'n'roll than becoming a tourist marketing billboard for your country but even less inviting. And maybe "art-rock" is just more marketable than "post-punk".

That's good stuff Rhino... there are heaps of DIY guides on the 'net. Many are US and a bit over the top but, hey, if anyone knows how to package dust and sell it as gold it's the yanks. Like this one: http://www.musicbizacademy.com/articles/pressrelease.htm
Just Google "how to write a band press kit" and the world will be your oyster. A think Blink also covers this (in a much more down-to-earth-Kiwi way) in his excellent "Local Knowledge" which you can download from www.alowhum.com

To add to Rhino's stuff here are some things I found from experience:
1. The first one you write will always be crap. So sit on it for a while and think about it before you use it.
2. Get other people to read it - someone who knows the band. Someone who doesn't know the band. Someone who knows how to write proper. Listen to their feedback if it's any good. Find some press releases you like (eg: band websites, myspace rants etc.) and look for inspiration in these.
3. Keep it brief but informative - all Rhino's suggestions are good. Think if you were reading about a band you didn't know. What would you want to know?
4. Consider making a seperate press kit for overseas (which might have stuff in it about where NZ is and where in NZ you are and who else they may know that you are like came from there and that kind of stuff). In fact - make sure you know your intended audience - venue owners? reviewers? journalists? record labels? They will all have slightly different info needs. Anticipate these.
5. Most journos/ reviewers will quote stuff from your release as if they wrote it themselves. Sometimes the whole thing will be recycled. So make sure you give them something cool/ tasty/ vaguely accurate to say about you so you don't cringe too much when you read it.

I reckon the Ryan McPhun and the Ruby Suns album (L'il chief Records) would be an excellent leftfield addition to your travel list. Great summery pop sounds that I find perfect for long road trips. Likewise David kilgour's "Frozen Orange". Again summery shimmering pop with a hint of alt.country. OK, also a bit leftfield maybe... but, hey you are on holiday and holidays are about exploring/ discovering new stuff.

Isn't that whole production/ hook thing a bit like telling a bike-riding, dreadlocked, planet-saving hippy that he could pull more chicks if he cut his hair and drove a Porsche?

Anyone with delusions of conquering the mainstream commercial music-as-commodity world with their songs will no doubt heed that well-meaning Business of music Round turnTable advice.

The rest of us, quite content to craft out our niche of perfectly well-recorded (but not sterile/ not overcompressed) quirky pop tunes, and gain some satisfaction (if not wealth) from our work will just keep on cycling in our own direction, thanks mate.

So is that a "yes" to a website for under $100 then???

I keep myself fresh and excited by surfing in the winter waters of Otago. A cold shower and flogging myself with birch branches just doesn't do it for me anymore.

"can design effectively at a cost you can afford"

Are you really suggesting that a slick multinational design team like you can build me an effective website for under $100?

Thanks Karyn, at least we get to understand both sides of the story now. Not that either side makes any particular sense. I'm less interested in the corporate politics and more intesrested in how each option will/ could benefit (a) the public's choices and (b) the musician's chances. The proof will be in the programming... But, as Myshkin says... it's all academic for us south of Christchurch anyway.

Cheers for that... yay for www.cdbaby.com too. it's great to know folks overseas are getting to hear Andrews songs. We've had tracks played on college radio in Seattle and in Berlin, Germany (that's the ones we know of anyway) and have sold a few in Germany now too, probably as a result of this album of the month review in the Guitars Galore fanzine there (see below). You can use the babelfish translator on www.altavista.com if you need. The results are pretty funny but you'll get the gist.

[ http://www.twang-tone.de/almonth.html ]

I second that emotion mostly... I like both but Noizyland always had the charm factor of (a) being a fanatical fansite and (b) squeezing so much informtion into one megabroadsheethomepage... I hope Noizyland keeps going, not only for all the archival content there that is so valuable to search on, but also because I sent you a copy of our album recently and it wouuld've been nice to be added to the list of artists there...

I have tried I don't know how many times to contact the dear folks who run nzmusic.com all to no avail to try and restore Artists Services. Even e-mailed them a "News from the Band" press-release. It's a void I tell you! Sure, there seem to have been problems with getting something spammed but it doesn't seem to stop other press releases and the such like. So This'll have to do for the meantime:
The Dark Beaks album "Spill Your Heart" is out. Eleven tracks of brilliantly original kiwi guitar pop (with psych/folk/country/soul etc. overtones) from the edge of the world. Available from Real Groovy Records and from Amplifier.co.nz which is where you'll have to go to listen to it and see pictures and read about it because ya can't do that here!

[ external link ]

I'm pretty damned happy with Radio 1 down here. In the past 3 years its got me listening to a radio station regularly for the first time since I was a kid and knew no better... always in the car in the morning (Emma's eclectic taste always presents surprises, incongruous (?) delights and a sensible listening diet. It was Wing's take on Suspicious Minds that had me smiling this morning...) and often at other times of the day too. Hell, even at home in the kitchen. There's the odd show I avoid but on the whole it's a wholesome balanced diet and not all Kiwi but sensibly proportioned and I've bought stuff or gone to gigs on the strength of hearing stuff on the Radio which for me is what it's all about rather than just filling in the vacant space between your ears each day (though it does that nicely too).

The Dark Beaks first album "Spill Your Heart" is set for release on Fishrider Records in February 2006. The album features 11 songs ranging from just under 2 minutes to just over 5 minutes in length. The 3-minute pop song is safe in our hands and the melodic din will be put back in Dunedin. The album will be available through all the usual outlets who sell indie releases.

[ http://www.myspace.com/thedarkbeaks ]

Your just being pendantik robyn.

The Dark Beaks appear on the Radio One 2005 sampler so if you are in Dunners and you have a One Card go git a copy. Also, if you are in Dunners and you don't have a One Card then skittle along to Radio One upstairs in the OUSA building at the Uni and get one for only $15 or something. The sampler CD also features live tracks from Die! Die! Die! and Straitjacket Fits from Sammy's earlier this year and new stuff from Onanon ("Bugged"!!!) and Gestalt Switch and The Gladeyes and even some dub/ electro shizzle for you coneheads out there.

Also if you want to hear some Dark Beaks we've finally managed to plop an early mix of Black Skin from the forthcoming album onto download.com (streaming only at this stage) and soon a downloadable MP3 of "Roll Along" from last week's Radio One live-to-air will appear there too. Other tracks from the live to air will make it out sometime as "Deserve It" is gorgeously slinky/ skanky and "Eyes to the Ground" features the most OTT guitar noise ever (true). In fact the whole LTA was outrageously noisy and punchy and sometimes downright bizarre.