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Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Record Store Day 2020




Sure Covid has hit us all hard but when the opportunity arises music lovers grab the opportunity to celebrate. Under level 2/3 conditions NZ will be buying up large on the vinyl.

Whether bands will be playing in store is yet to be determined. We'll let you know what our friends at Slowboat and Rough Peel are up to. So stay tuned in.

In the meantime check out the world wide releases here

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Top Five Silver Scroll Nominees Announced today!

The top five nominations for the APRA 2020 Silver Scroll songwriting award have been decided. 
The Silver Scroll Award recognises excellence in songwriting.  

They are: Reb Fountain - ‘Don’t You Know Who I Am’, written by Reb Fountain Nadia Reid - ‘Get The Devil Out’, written by Nadia Reid BENEE - ‘Glitter’, written by Stella Bennett, Joshua Fountain and Djesian Suskov L.A.B. - ‘In The Air’, written by Ara Adams-Tamatea, Brad Kora, Stu Kora, Joel Shadbolt, and Miharo Gregory Troy Kingi - ‘Mighty Invader’, written by Troy Kingi. 

The top five Silver Scroll song nominations were voted on by members of APRA (the Australasian Performing Rights Association), which represents songwriters in New Zealand. They chose from a long list of 20 songs, which was compiled from more than 200 entries by a judging panel of 10 songwriters. 

The APRA Silver Scroll Award will (hopefully, Covid-willing) be presented at the Auckland Town Hall on Wednesday 14 October.  That award will be one of five awards, which includes the APRA Maioha Award (celebrating exceptional waiata featuring te reo);  SOUNZ Contemporary Award (which honours contemporary compositions); the APRA Best Original Music in a Feature Film Award and the APRA Best Original Music in a Series Award.   

Reb Fountain
Photo by Tim Gruar

Reb Fountain - ‘Don’t You Know Who I Am’ 

Reb’s been in the Aotearoa music scene for many years, but the release of her third, self-titled album earlier this year has seen her sultry voice and alt-folk sensibilities reach a whole new audience. ‘Don’t You Know Who I Am’ is an intimate, but bold ballad, that explores identity, and calls on the listener to “dig deep, wake up, open your eyes and beat your own drum.” - according to Reb Fountain. 





Photo by Tim Gruar

Nadia Reid - 'Get The Devil Out’ 

Nadia was in the Scrolls the top five in 2017 for her song ‘Richard’. This year it’s for ‘Get The Devil Out’ from her third album Out Of My Province. The song covers past and present selves, looking for reconciliation. 



Benee - ‘Glitter’ 

Last year that Stella Bennett (Benee) along with co-writers Djeisan Suskov and Josh Fountain, took out a top five spot with their track ‘Soaked’. This year they are back with ‘Glitter’ from Benee’s 2019 EP Fire on Marzz, which saw huge international success. ‘Glitter’ is an easy-going pop-ode to the people you still want to party with after everyone else has left. The song pairs Benee’s mischievous and husky voice with the sunny, confident sound of Josh and Djeisan’s production to create a mellow post-party vibe. 




L.A.B

L.A.B. - ‘In the Air’ In March 

L.A.B became the first local independent act to have a song hit #1 in NZ since 2012, spending three weeks at the top. A laid-back reggae and blues groove, ‘In The Air’ showcases L.A.B’s talent for a catchy melody. Combining vocalist Joel Shadbolt’s crooner skills with guest vocalist, and our very good friend,  Lisa Tomlins.  The song is a real good vibe, slow-burned with heaps of nostalgic love song feels to it.  The real success of it is down to the super-tight instrumental interplay between Brad Kora (drums), Stu Kora (guitar, keys), Ara Adams-Tamatea (bass), and Miharo Gregory (keys). 


Troy Kingi
Photo by Tim Gruar

Troy Kingi - ‘Mighty Invader’ 

 In 2018, Troy Kingi was a finalist for his song ‘Aztechknowledgey’, and this year he’s back with ‘Mighty Invader’, from his 2019 reggae album Holy Colony Burning Acres. The song explores the painful legacy of colonisation, providing a visceral picture of Captain Cook’s arrival in the Pacific, and the oppression of indigenous people that followed. Marika Hodgson’s wonderfully melodic bass lines, and rousing horns from Guy Harrison are woven into Troy’s smooth vocals.


For the whole store check it out here: https://apraamcos.co.nz/awards/awards/silver-scroll-awards/

Saturday, August 15, 2020

Avantdale Bowling Club to headline the 2020 Wellington Jazz Festival

West Auckland rapper and hip hop artist Tom Scott will bring his “stunning” (NPR) genre-pushing jazz, hip-hop project Avantdale Bowling Club to Wellington for “an incredible journey of jazz, rap, soul, and spoken word” (Radio13) at the Opera House on Saturday 21 November. 

Joined by some of the country’s top musicians, Scott’s “turn-on-a-pin rhythmic cadence” (Metromag) and his “brutally honest, startlingly raw” lyrics (NZ Herald) promise one of the best nights of live music you’ll experience this year. 

In 2019, his first album under the moniker Avantdale Bowling Club saw Scott win the Taite Music PrizeAlbum of the Year and Hip-hop Artist awards at the New Zealand Music Awards, as well as being named a finalist at the Silver Scrolls for the song Years Gone By. 

Influenced by the likes of Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders and Alice Coltrane, Scott describes his latest album as “a self-help book addressed to myself” that was four years in the making.   

Avantdale Bowling Club’s genre isn’t easy to pin down. Typically irreverent, Scott’s Spotify profile for the project calls it “irrelevant jazz from an island nation off the coast of Antarctica.”   

“The album’s about home and its inhabitants, with all their inadequacies and complexities. It’s about finding peace in the little piece of land you stand on,” he says. 

Scott first emerged in 2007 with Home Brew, a band that still performs live. His other projects – Average Rap Band@Peace, a new Average Man collaboration and his new label ‘Years Gone By’, ensure that he continues to influence a generation of young rappers and push boundaries across genres. 

Scott has been hard at work on ABC 2, so the Wellington Jazz Festival audience is likely to hear new material from his stellar ensemble including Tonga Vaea (vocals/keys/trumpet), Guy Harrison (keys/trumpet), JY Lee (saxophone), Ben Turua (upright bass/bass guitar) and Julien Dyne (drums). 

Wellington Jazz Festival Creative Director Marnie Karmelita says she is looking forward to Wellington Jazz Festival audiences experiencing the incredible ensemble for themselves.  

“Surrounding himself with some of the best jazz musicians in the country, Tom Scott’s latest project has been recognised for its innovation and sheer brilliance. I’m thrilled we were still able to secure them for the rescheduled Wellington Jazz Festival in November this year in a completely New Zealand focused programme.” 

Tickets for Avantdale Bowling Club will be on public sale from 1 September on Ticketmaster. There will be a Culture Club supporters pre-sale from 25 August. Head here to join and find out more.

Keep an eye out for further programme updates over the coming weeks.