Group behind Blue Smoke, New Zealand's first homegrown hit, inducted into Music Hall of Fame at Silver Scroll Awards

Three of songwriters and performers behind Blue Smoke - the first ever song to be written, recorded and manufactured here and released on a New Zealand label - will be inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame.

Guitarist Jim Carter.

Pixie Williams and Ruru Karaitiana will be honoured posthumously at the 2019 APRA Silver Scroll Awards, to be held in October.  Jim Carter will receive the distinction in the year of his 100th birthday.

Ruru Karaitiana with the first
pressing of Blue Smoke.

Karaitiana wrote Blue Smoke on board Aquitania, a WWII troop ship, in 1940, as he sailed towards the Indian Ocean on his way to fight with the Maori Battalion.

When he returned home in 1943 he recorded the song with Williams on vocals and Carter on guitar, and it became the first record to be pressed by TANZA (To Assist NZ Artists), the first Kiwi record label.

A number of awards will also be handed out at the ceremony on October 2, including the illustrious Silver Scroll Award, which was won last year by Marlon Williams. 

Vocalist Pixie Williams.

2018's Hall of Fame laureate was Break in the Weather singer Jenny Morris. Other musicians to receive the honour include The Topp Twins, Hello Sailor, Herbs and Big Runga.

Karaitiana's son Ruma and Williams' daughter Amelia Costello will accept on behalf of their parents.

Read more about Blue Smoke at Audio Culture:  https://www.audioculture.co.nz/scenes/blue-smoke

The original 1949 78
of Blue Smoke.
It would remain in the
Tanza catalogue throughout
the 1950s.

An advertisement in the
8 October 1948 Listener announces that
Radio Corp’s Columbus Recording Studios
was open for business in Wellington

Louis Baker - San Fran - 10 August 2019

Groove went along to San Fran of Saturday to check out Louis Baker's sold out homecoming concert.  Supported by a 2 piece horn section, vocalist-supremo Lisa Tomlins and super mario all-rounder Mara TK plus his own 3 piece Louis played some fantastic nu-soul from his new album Open and a few hits from his earlier days.  Welcome back, Louis! Photos by Tim Gruar

https://www.louisbaker.co.nz/

MERMAIDENS PREMIERES VISUALS FOR 'MILLENNIA' LOOK ME IN THE EYE, OUT SEPT 6 ON FLYING NUN RECORDS

Mermaidens reveal a soft, pastel-infused dreamscape in their video for new single ‘Millennia’
The video was directed and produced by Tom Mannion and Caity Moloney, a filmmaking duo known as Lazy Susan.

“Everything is on spinning platforms, and the video eventually reveals that this woman and all her masks are on display too,” says co-frontperson and bassist Lily West. The circling visuals feel forced from reality, as the character contemplates life in an overly constructed dream world that cycles through different personas this character has created for themselves.

“Millennia is a deadpan dig at the masks we wear. I wanted us to explore the mess of feelings around that twisted meeting of media and identity and how it can create such a warped sense of reality. There’s an implication that we can’t be successful without this system, despite it not being that much good for anybody. The song is a big faker too - it's all pep and pop hooks, but it's a sad story. The title is a personal joke about feeling old at 25, it was always meant to be the temporary title as it’s not exactly subtle. But after recording, when the song turned out to be so melodramatic, it stuck.”

https://mermaidens.bandcamp.com/

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE THE OTHERS WAY!

August 8, 2019: Others Way month is here! To kick off a jam-packed musical weekend, The Others Way is proud to see the return of The Night Before The Others Way. Get into the Others Way spirit with Na Noise, Mice On Stilts, PollyHill, First Move, Green Grove, DOG Power, Linen, Richard Maybe’s Passion for Nature and Cave Circles & PARKS, playing across St Kevin’s beloved venues; Whammy Bar, Whammy Backroom and The Wine Cellar this Thursday 29 August. Tickets are on sale now from Cosmic Ticketing!

___________________________________________________ THURSDAY 29 AUGUST The Night Before The Others Way Whammy, Backroom & The Wine Cellar St Kevin’s Arcade, Karangahape Road, Auckland Tickets on sale now from Cosmic Ticketing THE NIGHT BEFORE OTHERS WAY LINEUP: Cave Circles & PARKS / DOG Power / First Move / Green Grove / Linen / Mice On Stilts / Na Noise / PollyHill / Richard Maybe's Passion For Nature FRIDAY 30 AUGUST The Others Way Festival 2019 Various venues across Karangahape Road district, Auckland Central Tickets on sale through Flying Out and Undertheradar RSVP here on Facebook THE OTHERS WAY LINEUP 2019, TĀMAKI MAKAURAU: Bad Timing / Bailey Wiley / BEING. / Ben Woods / Blam Blam Blam / Carnivorous Plant Society / The Chills / Chris Cohen / Church & AP / Contenders / Cortina / Crap Date / Creme Jean / Dateline / DOG Power / Echo Ohs / Gary War / Hans Pucket / Jade Imagine / Jen Cloher / John Maus / Linen / Long Distance Runner / Mermaidens / Negative Nancies / NT Honey / Ounce / Princess Chelsea / Purple Pilgrims / Reb Fountain / Richard Maybe’s Passion for Nature / Sad Freq / Shiraz & LSJ / Soaked Oats / Straitjacket Fits / Sulfate / Superstarz / The Terminals / Tiny Ruins / Troy Kingi / Vayne / Water Friendly Potential Others Way Afterparty  (with Borrowed CS and Mara TK) Neck of the Woods $10 door entry (GA) or free entry with your Others Way wristband RSVP here on Facebook SATURDAY 31 AUGUST ParrotDog, Cosmic and Flying Out proudly present: The Others Way Wellington sideshow San Francisco Bathhouse & Valhalla, Wellington Tickets on sale now from Cosmic Ticketing THE OTHERS WAY WELLINGTON SIDESHOW LINEUP: The Chills / Chris Cohen / John Maus / girlboss / Giantess / Purple Pilgrims / Gary War Get into the activity this Others Way week, and let us know what you get up to! #TheOthersWay FLYING OUT ONLINE Facebook | Twitter | Instagram