The Spinoff and Spark proudly present Pod On The Couch, a weekly podcast exploring music and the people that make it. This episode: Kate Robertson and Matthew McAuley join host Henry Oliver to talk about recent new releases. Spinoff Music editor Henry Oliver talks to contributing critics Kate Robertson and Matthew McAuley about new music from Lorde, … 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
Tara Ward gives a tearful farewell to Deirdre, the bespectacled Black Eyed Pea-fanatic of Coronation Street. Coronation Street is set in a surburban netherworld where trams derail into corner shops and serial murderers drive their families into the canal. Why the heck anyone lives there is beyond me, but Deirdre Barlow loved it so much … 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
Pete Douglas runs down his favourite TV soundtracks of all time after killing the mood at a party with some tense Twin Peaks tunes. Here’s a hot party tip: if you play the theme song from Twin Peaks in the middle of a Saturday night gathering it’s a bit of a mood dampener. I learned … Read more
Please enjoy the second episode of our new online series Repressed Memories, wherein James Mustapic revisits weird local shows from his childhood (click here to watch episode one on Sensing Murder). As far as I was concerned, Sticky TV was the best show on TV when I was a kid. Drew Neemia, Erin Simpson, and … Read more
Futurehive member Miriama Aoake guides you through the world of prolific rapper and chart history-maker Future. Nearly eight months has passed since Future’s last release, Project ET: Esco Terrestrial, a project alongside longtime producer, collaborator, and fellow ATLien, DJ Esco. The post-Ciara era of 2014-2016 saw Future at his most prolific and hungry: Monster, Beast … Read more
In the wake of International Women’s Day, Alex Casey remembers an unlikely feminist hero: a squirrel who lives in a plastic dome under the sea. Call the police if you like, but I still think SpongeBob SquarePants is good and funny. I recall long childhood afternoons when I would eat Yum Bars, small bags of … Read more
As part of Equalise My Vocals, a new Spinoff project focusing on equality in the music community, Coco Solid speaks with Marie Celeste Lawrence about her work as a promoter, event manager and musician. In Auckland, Marie Celeste Lawrence is a fixture within the male dominated worlds of event management and music promotion. A music … Read more
Alex Casey talks to Maha Albadrawi and Lucy Zee about bringing New Zealand women’s stories to life in So This Happened. Every woman has at least one of those stories. Like gremlins, they often creep out at night in small circles over wine and cheese, more rarely over hushed coffees by daylight. Sometimes they are … Read more
Alaister Moghan dives deep into the recesses of New Zealand cricket history to uncover the ballads and bangers to which our men in teal once entered the oval. In 1999 sports science was still in its infancy. In my chosen sport of childhood focus, cricket, this was a time of naivety where ice bathing had yet … 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
Our in-house animal reality TV expert Tara Ward reviews Keeping Up With the Kattarshians, a reality series which is about exactly that you think. When the world turns to hell in a handcart, it makes sense that we find solace in the peculiarities of the animal kingdom. Actually, it makes no sense at all, because … Read more
Max Key is touring the country to promote his new single ‘All The Way’. The Spinoff sent known recluse Madeleine Chapman along for the full VIP experience. “You paid to be here? That’s crazy.” The young man laughed as I hurriedly explained that no, I hadn’t paid $59 for a VIP ticket to Max Key’s … Read more
When your first album sees you described as the savior of folk music, how do you turn around and make a second album that’s even better? Nadia Reid talked with Calum Henderson about her new album Preservation, released yesterday. For months after Nadia Reid’s debut album Listen to Formation, Look for the Signs came out, … 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: songwriters Mike Elizondo, Emily Warren, and James Newman join host Henry Oliver to talk about the modern pop songwriting process. Spinoff Music editor Henry Oliver talks to Mike Elizondo (credits include: Eminem, Jay-Z … Read more
Alex and Joseph sprinted to Spinoff HQ to record this Pop on the Couch emergency after Lorde dropped her new single ‘Green Light’ on Friday morning. It’s been a long week of teaser clips, green beaches and smoking cars, but Lorde finally released the first single ‘Green Light’ from her sophomore album Melodrama on Friday morning. … Read more
Alex Casey compares the dramatic re-enactments of Sensing Murder to fellow bad creep show Celebrity Ghost Stories, to find the true winner in the art of the corny reconstruction. The dramatic recreation remains the hokiest thing to ever grace the creepy TV genre from Sensing Murder to Celebrity Ghost Stories, consistently bad and funny no … Read more
Jane Yee, Duncan Greive and Alex Casey gather around the oval table and talk about the latest happenings in New Zealand television and real life in New Zealand. It’s a massive week on The Real Pod as Alex, Jane and Duncan discuss the one-two punch of Lorde’s new single and the nation’s new Bachelor. After a ten … Read more
New Zealand’s most fucked up show is back on the air after a merciful hiatus. Duncan Greive says that Sensing Murder is a crime against television – and now, due to a big format change, even worse than it was the first time around. Sensing Murder, one of the most preposterous shows in New Zealand … 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
Hold your hand on your heart and watch Jimmy Kimmel, Alec Baldwin and Guillermo recreate the most meme-able New Zealand television moment of 2017 on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. It was a mere two weeks ago that we posted the clip of Harry Warner’s synching dick pic nightmare on Shortland Street, chuckling heartily over it on The … Read more
Coldly objective music journalist Henry Oliver DMs two Lorde superfans who run Lorde news-related Twitter feeds. Spoiler: they’re fairly excited. @Lorde_fix @Lordedaily The Spinoff’s music content is brought to you by our friends at Spark. Listen to all the music you love on Spotify Premium, it’s free on all Spark’s Pay Monthly Mobile plans. Sign up … Read more
James Mustapic introduces our new web series Repressed Memories, and explains why he decided to revisit Sensing Murder for the first harrowing episode. NZ TV shows were such an iconic part of my life when I was younger. I was obsessed: with after school kids TV shows, drama TV shows, and even TV shows about … Read more
Murder Week continues: Alex Casey spends an evening with Sensing Murder’s Sue Nicholson during her Answers From the Other Side tour, and doesn’t get a lot of answers. Look, I’m not strictly saying I believe in ghosts. All I’m saying is, when I was 14 I’m pretty sure I talked to David Lange through a … Read more
Thirteen years ago, New Zealand hip hop’s king-hitters joined forces for one of the biggest tours this country has ever seen. Gareth Shute talked to many of those involved to get the inside story of what went down. In March 2004, after years of bubbling under underground, the local hip hop scene was riding a wave … Read more
At three locations around Auckland, Lorde revealed lyrics and another clip from her single, ‘Green Light’. Kate Robertson hit the streets to investigate. 7:00pm: Lorde has just announced on Twitter what I can only describe as a central Auckland Amazing Race. It kicks off at 9:30pm, there are three checkpoints (Herne Bay, Ponsonby and CBD), and … Read more
With the third season of Better Call Saul coming exclusively to Lightbox in April, we looked back at some of the subtle* Breaking Bad nods you might have missed the first time around. You should all know about Better Call Saul by now. Set in the same shonky universe as Breaking Bad, but unfolding in the … Read more