Today, British singer-songwriter Jess Glynne released her second album, Always In Between. If you don’t think you’ve heard of her, you probably have. Let us re-introduce you. One part ’90s house queen, one part Florence and/or the Machine and one part Natasha Bedingfield in her prime – Jess Glynne started off as a marketing manager … Read more
Last week, APRA announced the five finalists for the 2017 Silver Scroll Award. Today, exclusively for The Spinoff, the five artists discuss each other’s nominated songs. Ruban Nielson of Unknown Mortal Orchestra on ‘Laugh It Off’ by Chelsea Jade My friend put me on to this song when it first came out and I love … Read more
The Spinoff’s trap correspondent, Tekashi09, reviews one of the biggest albums of the month, Travis Scott’s Astroworld. Esskeetit!
The Spinoff presents the video premiere of SoccerrPractise ‘Kaua E Mate Wheke’ animated video by Kim Newall & Frances Haszard. Geneva Alexander-Marsters says: As a Māori speaker, growing up in central Auckland in an English-urban environment has been challenging for my reo. I find myself looking on the internet to find whakataukī (proverbs) and check kupu as … Read more
The Spinoff presents the video premiere of High Beams’ (IllBaz, Melodownz and Raiza Biza) ‘Red Wine’ video, the New Zealand Goodfellas (or, Goodfullas) IllBaz (Baz Raghib) says: Off the back of the ‘Live Stream’ video which we released to set the tone for the record, we wanted to do things a little differently with ‘Red Wine’. … Read more
The Spinoff presents the video premiere of The Miltones’ new video ‘Disappear’ shot in Auckland’s iconic Civic theatre. The Miltones’ Milly Tabak says: Stepping into the historic Civic building is one thing, but being on stage with remarkable and talented people is truly overwhelming. Being a young female at the beginning of my career I experienced some ‘imposter syndrome’ – … Read more
Here’s everything you need to know about the very chilled-out, extremely popular tropical house DJ. Hang on a minute – I thought ‘tropical house’ was something they have at the botanical gardens. What is it? You know that Ed Sheeran song that goes “I’m in love with your body / I’m in love with the … Read more
The Spinoff presents the video premiere of a new song from Fabulous/Arabia (a collaboration between Mike Fabulous and Lawrence Arabia) called ‘Henry’. Lawrence Arabia says: The lyrics While I have, in my own way, been gentrifying various neighbourhoods around the world over the past fifteen years, I still have only written maybe a couple of songs … Read more
The Spinoff presents the video premiere of Tami Neilson’s ‘Devil in a Dress’, featuring the O’Neill Twins. Tami Neilson says: I was watching the TV series The Fall and there was a scene that directly inspired this song. When a constable wants to use the word ‘innocent’ to describe the killer’s victims in a press release, Gillian Anderson’s character … Read more
Boycrush’s new album Desperate Late Night Energy is out tomorrow. Ahead of its release, The Spinoff presents an exclusive premiere of the video for ‘100%’, featuring Yumi Zouma. Director Hayden Eastmond-Mein: Alistair (Boycrush) and I stumbled across a strange corner of (stock photo and video website) Shutterstock that had a whole series of bizarre clips … Read more
The Spinoff presents the video premiere of Ria Hall’s ‘Te Ahi Kai Pō’, directed by Shae Sterling, inspired by the Battle of Te Ranga in June of 1864. Ria Hall says: I’ve used this battle as a metaphor for the composition, contemplating on how to find solace and peace after the onslaught and dispossession. This song is applicable … Read more
Today, Dunedin-based artist Dudley Benson releases his first single in three years, a cover of Shona Laing’s 1988 song ‘(Glad I’m) Not a Kennedy’. Producer Josh Thomas says: Dudley had wanted to record a version of ‘Kennedy’ for quite a while, but he also had some very particular ideas in mind which meant we needed … Read more
Square Dance Discotheque, a silent disco presented by Spark and Spotify, is set to be the hottest dancefloor in Auckland this weekend – and certainly the most interactive. So you’re not completely unprepared, here are five guaranteed bangers from David Dallas and Shapeshifter’s playlists. One hand raised vertically, the other placed horizontally on top, together … Read more
Nine musicians and producers from this year’s SongHubs, a collaborative song-writing retreat presented by APRA AMCOS with support from NZ on Air, share their experiences. Five rooms at Roundhead Studios, each containing three songwriters and a producer, pumping out a brand new song every day for a week – could there ever be a more … Read more
They formed in 1965, had their biggest hit in 1990 and in 2018 they’re coming to New Zealand with Def Leppard! Get ready with a quick guide to the last half-decade of German hard rock veterans Scorpions. Scorpions? Sorry mate, never heard of them. You have almost definitely heard at least one of their songs. … Read more
Last night, Halsey played an intimate performance to a hundred or so people before her Spark Arena show. The Spinoff was there. Last night, to celebrate the opening of S @ Spark Arena – a new bar and performance space in Spark Arena where Spark customers can hang out and have a drink or two … Read more
The Spinoff and Spark proudly present Pod On The Couch, a weekly podcast exploring music and the people that make it. This episode: Henry Oliver talks to Kate Robertson and Madeleine Chapman about their summer music festival experiences. Spinoff Music editor Henry Oliver, prolific pop pundit Kate Robertson and Spinoff staff writer Madeleine Chapman talk Auckland … Read more
Today, Auckland band Carnivorous Plant Society release their new album The New King. To celebrate, bandleader Finn Scholes has drawn us a comic, a “science fiction story about a man who realises his life is not what it seems,” that you can read while listening to the album. The Spinoff’s music content is brought to you … Read more
The Spinoff presents the video premiere of Paul Williams’ ‘Surf Music’, featuring Rose Matafeo, Brynley Stent, Maddy Budd and Chris Parker. Paul Williams says: The night we shot this video was genuinely one of my favourite nights in recent memory. As I was hanging up those balloons I remember thinking to myself, “This is going to … Read more
The Spinoff (or a sizeable chunk of it) went to Auckland City Limits on Saturday. Here’s our collective review. Head Like A Hole I’ve never seen a hard rock band perform at 1 pm. I’ve also definitely never seen a hard rock band do an energetic, spot-on and intermittently impressive cover of ‘Immigrant Song’ at … Read more
We talk to Etienne Marais, event producer of Auckland City Limits and probably the only person to work at every New Zealand Big Day Out. Etienne Marais is one of the most experienced music event managers in New Zealand. He started by selling water at the first Big Day Out in Auckland in 1994 and has … Read more
Art-pop innovator Grace Jones is playing Auckland City Limits this weekend. To help prepare you, The Spinoff retraces her career in 120 seconds. ‘Slave to the Rhythm’. ‘Pull Up To The Bumper’. A demented version of Sondheim’s ‘Send in the Clowns’. All of your pop faves owe what they do now to Grace Jones – new wave … Read more
LA bass-guitar extraordinaire Thundercat is playing Auckland City Limits this weekend. To help prepare you, The Spinoff retraces his career in 112 seconds. Thundercat, known to his mother as Stephen Bruner, is a bass guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer from Los Angeles. If you don’t think you know his songs, you probably do. And if you … Read more
Wellington synthpop genius Disasteradio is playing Auckland City Limits this weekend! To help prepare you, The Spinoff retraces his career in 121 seconds. Wellington synthpop maestro Luke Rowell has been making hi-fi and high energy music under the pseudonym Disasteradio since 2000. He’s been on a prolific run ever since, playing over 400 shows in 22 countries … Read more
In the 25 years since he first appeared on the scene, Beck has left few genres untouched. To help prepare you for ACL, The Spinoff retraces his diverse career in two minutes. In 1993, Beck was living in Los Angeles, working at a video store, playing so-called “anti-folk” music when he was discovered by independent label … Read more
Political rap/rock supergroup Prophets of Rage are heading to Melbourne’s Download Festival and a sideshow in Auckland (be in to win tickets and flights to that show – and five more Download sideshows – below!). Here are five videos of the ’80s and ’90s powerhouses who have combined forces to form Prophets of Rage, and … Read more
Rock revivalists The D4 have reformed for a final hurrah at Auckland City Limits and the closing of the Kings Arms. To help prepare you for ACL, The Spinoff retraces their career in 106 seconds. It wasn’t until the “New Rock Revolution” of the early-2000s – spearheaded by music magazines like NME and Rolling Stone – … Read more
The Spinoff presents the video premiere of Jonathan Bree’s ‘Valentine’, just in time for a heart-broken Valentine’s Day! ‘Valentine’ director of photography Kermath says: I’m so sick of love songs; they’re so absolutely done. People draw on this falsified world of love through music, trying to make their relationships work as though the instructions are set out … Read more
Our regular round-up of new songs and singles, featuring Tommy Genesis, Stephen Malkmus, Rhye, Transistor, Kehlani and more… SONG OF THE WEEK Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks – ‘Middle America’ An instant Malkmus classic Only Malkmus things: rhyming ‘nerve’ with ‘nerve’; following that with a line that goes “open the door and piss if you … Read more