Montell2099, whose debut single ‘Hunnid on the Drop’ with Savage 21 is released today, reports from his trip to LA to perform at Red Bull Sound Select. Auckland-based, Katikati-raised producer Montell2099 is on a meteoric rise, from making beats in his grandparent’s rural home to collaborating with rapper 21 Savage (who has worked with Drake, Future among … Read more
On Monday 19 June we’re releasing Lorde: Behind the Melodrama, an 11 episode track-by-track podcast interview with Lorde about her new album, Melodrama. Over two afternoons in May, Spinoff Music editor Henry Oliver sat in a boardroom in Auckland with Lorde, talking about the lyrics, songwriting, and production of her new album, and hearing the … Read more
While watching the Comey trial, Lorde announced the first leg of her Melodrama world tour this morning, including New Zealand dates. Here’s where she’s playing when and how to (let in line to) buy tickets. 7 NOV – DUNEDIN @ TOWN HALL 8 NOV – CHRISTCHURCH @ ISAAC THEATRE ROYAL 11 NOV – WELLINGTON @ … Read more
Our regular round-up of new songs and singles, this week featuring SoccerPractice, Selena Gomez, Dion (D4) Lunadon, Liam Gallagher, Otoboke Beaver and Arcade Fire. SONG OF THE WEEK SoccerPractise – ‘Amene’ Waiata + electronic music + indie rock From the outset, SoccerPractise vocalist Geneva Alexander-Marsters has made a point of incorporating Te Reo Māori into the group’s music, … Read more
The Spinoff Music team weighs in on Lorde’s new single. Henry Oliver ‘Perfect Places’ is the last song of the party which Lorde’s forthcoming Melodrama is loosely knitted around. It’s the fervent heartfelt anthem to be slurred between the outdoor confessors and belted out on the dancefloor by the drunk and the high before the … Read more
Our regular round-up of new songs and singles, this week featuring Carly Rae Jepsen, Future & Kendrick Lamar, Teeks and Drax Project. SONG OF THE WEEK Carly Rae Jepsen – ‘Cut to the Feeling’ Is Carly Rae Jepsen the new Robyn? This is the best straight-up pop song of the year so far. Combining Robyn-esque electro with Belinda … Read more
The Spinoff Music team review new albums from Paramore, Harry Styles and Low Cut Connie, and a not-new album from The Beatles. Paramore – After Laughter The best pop-rock front person of the 2000s is back! I’ve been a casual fan of Paramore for a decade now (gosh, that caught up with me quickly!), spanning as … Read more
We read the entire Simon Sweetman/Aldous Harding Facebook thread so you don’t have to. Last week music blogger Simon Sweetman reviewed Aldous Harding’s album Party with a video of goats screaming. Then, a couple of days ago, he added to that critique with a Facebook post of Harding’s Jools Holland performance with the comment “I … Read more
Our regular round-up of new songs and singles, this week featuring Miley Cyrus, HAIM, and Japanese Breakfast! Miley Cyrus – ‘Malibu’ Miley’s hip-hop holiday is over ‘Malibu’ is an easy-breezy-beautiful guitar jam about reconnecting with your ex Liam Hemsworth. There are hand claps. In the video, there are balloons. On the single artwork, Miley is … Read more
The Spinoff Music team review albums from Alice Coltrane, Fazerdaze, BNQT, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Juliana Hatfield and The Comet is Coming. ALBUM OF THE WEEK Alice Coltrane – World Spirituality Classics 1: The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda A long-awaited reissue of new age devotional music from a jazz great This bowled … Read more
Our regular round-up of new songs and singles, this week featuring HAIM, EarthTiger, DJ Khaled, System Corporation and… Nickelback! SONG OF THE WEEK HAIM – ‘I Want You Back’ Another 2013 bright spot returns after a notable absence Yada yada yada … Christine McVie … yada yada yada … Lindsey Buckingham … yada yada yada … Tusk … Read more
Our regular round-up of new songs and singles, this week featuring Kane Strang, SWIDT, TLC, Kimbra (kinda) and more… SONG OF THE WEEK Kane Strang – ‘My Smile Is Extinct’ The new single from New Zealand’s new indie export While first impressions indicate that Kane Strang’s new album Two Hearts and No Brain will be … Read more
The Spinoff Music team review albums from David Dallas, Gorillaz, John Mayer and Craig Finn. ALBUM OF THE WEEK David Dallas – Hood Country Club D.Dot grows up gracefully Aging gracefully in the world of rap has never been easy, especially not in New Zealand. Name an artist that has come anywhere close to longevity and there’s guaranteed … Read more
Tomorrow is Record Store Day. Up and down the country music fans will be swarming their local record stores to buy records and see bands play. Here’s what’s happening when and where. Some people love it. Others hate it. Some people used to love it and now hate it but want to love it again. … Read more
Our regular round-up of new songs and singles, this week featuring Ria Hall, Banks, Desiigner, Bye Bye Fishies and more … SONG OF THE WEEK SONG OF THE WEEK Ria Hall – ‘Tell Me’ (ft. Che Fu) A contemporary reggae protest anthem Five minutes fifty is a bit of an epic runtime for a song that (I … Read more
The Spinoff Music team review albums from The Chainsmokers, Arca, Bonny Doon and Father John Misty. ALBUM OF THE WEEK Father John Misty – Pure Comedy Like early-Elton John but darker… way darker When ex-Fleet Foxes drummer Josh Tillman delivered his sweet sophomore album, I Love You, Honeybear, via his solo moniker Father John Misty, amongst … Read more
Our regular round-up of new songs and singles, this week featuring SWIDT, Thomas Rhett and Maren Morris, Serge Beynaud and more… SONG OF THE WEEK SWIDT – ‘Alfred & Church’ New raps from Onehunga If SWIDT keep going, future historians will be able to recreate Onehunga from their discography – ‘No More Parties In Stoneyhunga’, the bus-route-repping ‘312’ and … Read more
The Spinoff Music team review albums from Mount Eerie, Aimee Mann, Bob Dylan, Nelly Furtado, Vallis Alps and Anna Makirere. ALBUM OF THE WEEK Mount Eerie – A Crow Looked at Me One of the saddest albums ever Phil Elverum’s wife died last year. They had a one-year-old daughter. He made a tender and painful … Read more
The Spinoff Music critics on Aldous Harding’s new single (and video) ‘Imagining My Man’. Henry Oliver When I first heard Aldous Harding’s ‘Horizon’, I was stopped cold. I’d listened to her album Aldous Harding a few times on its release but hadn’t kept up with her output (the primary medium of which seemed to be YouTube … Read more
To once again prove she was not in Grey Lynn the other night, while marking seasonal confectionery treats, Lorde sings a Creme Egg inspired version of ‘Green Light’ on BBC Radio 1. She’s right, they are rich! And he’s right, they have gotten smaller! The Spinoff’s music content is brought to you by our friends at Spark. Listen … Read more
Our regular round-up of new songs and singles, this week featuring Kendrick Lamar, Chuck Berry, Gorillaz, Blondie, Zayn and more… SONG OF THE WEEK Kendrick Lamar – ‘The Heart Part IV’ Kendrick vs Trump Coming along sooner than anyone expected, Kendrick Lamar’s new single is closer to the triumphant West-Coast anthems on good kid, m.A.A.d. … Read more
The Spinoff Music team review albums from Drake, Laura Marling, Spiral Stairs and James Blunt. ALBUM OF THE WEEK Drake – More Life What you’ll be dancing to this weekend A few years ago, as the recording industry was drowning in free mp3s, I told a friend who works at one of the Big Three record labels … Read more
Our regular round-up of new songs and singles, this week featuring Teeth, Fleet Foxes, Weezer, Physical, Shakes and Girl Ray. SONG OF THE WEEK Teeth – ‘Succubus’ Brain-frying self-styled “pan-generational Wellington supergroup”. I’ve been enjoying the Phoenix Foundation’s aging process; their 2015 album Give Up Your Dreams is, to my ears, the best thing they’ve done. … Read more
New albums from Human Resource, Bush, The Shins and Charli XCX. ALBUM OF THE WEEK Human Resource – Human Resource Auckland political industrial post-hardcore debut. Over the past five years or so, there’s been a rich seam of music from … well, nobody likes or consents to be called a ‘scene’, so let’s say an inchoate … Read more
Every Friday, ‘The Album Cycle’ reviews a handful of new releases. ALBUM OF THE WEEK Xiu Xiu – Forget Prolific avant-pop veterans Xiu Xiu are constantly challenging themselves and transforming their sound with each album. Their 2016 release, Plays the Music of Twin Peaks, showcased re-interpretations of Angelo Badalamenti’s soundtrack to Twin Peaks, while their … Read more
It’s not just Lorde releasing hot singles today. The Spinoff Music critics are divided over David Dallas’ latest, ‘Fit In’. Robyn Gallagher Yes, Ddot. This is what getting older feels like. ‘Fit In’ doesn’t have the sound of super-edgy hip hop from 2017, but it doesn’t have to. The lyrics provide Dallas with a clever … Read more
Lorde took the pop world by surprise this morning, dropping new track ‘Liability’ just a week after the release of ‘Green Light’, her first single in three years. The Spinoff Music verdicts are in. Henry Oliver When ‘Royals’ was taking New Zealand, and then the world, by storm, it quickly became annoying to hear people … Read more
‘Best Songs Ever’ features various contributors to The Spinoff Music assessing recent songs and singles. SONG OF THE WEEK Lorde – ‘Green Light’ (of course!) (For nine actual reviews of ‘Green Light’ click here – and excuse the weird 15/16 timing of the above video, it’s the best we could do) Arca – ‘Anoche’ Holy shit! … Read more
The Spinoff Music weighs in on the only song that matters, Lorde’s ‘Green Light’. Amanda Robinson Lorde’s ‘Green Light’ is perhaps the perfect pop song. It’s the kind of track you can sing along to after the first listen, and – like the reflection of the traffic light on the wet road – it signals … Read more