New Zealand Music News

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard (Credit Jason Galea) Melbourne-based reptilian royalty King Gizzard & The Wizard Lizard are returning to Aotearoa to celebrate the New Year down in Wānaka at the summer festival Rhythm & Alps.  Since their last visit, they have released five albums (phew!), so you can bet their set will be packed full of new songs. Check out the full lineup below and get your tickets before they run out! RHYTHM & ALPS  THURSDAY 29TH TO SATURDAY 31ST DECEMBER - CARDRONA VALLEY, WANAKA w/ Alice Agnes, Andy C + Tonn Piper, Aunty El, Becca B, Bou, Chase And Status DJ Set,...

Photo: Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! have dished out a brand new standalone single - 'Smelter' - an infectious, attitudinal concoction of noise pop and post punk, dug out during the 2020 lockdown from demo sessions dating back over 10 years ago.  Of the single, singer and guitarist Andrew Wilson says "We found a rough demo of Smelter in the first lockdown in 2020 from our abandoned Flying Nun fourth album sessions in 2010. We liked it so much that we decided to bring the song back to life. Lyrically the song is about a lost friend". Smelter by Die! Die! Die! 'Smelter'...

Adam Hattaway & The Haunters. Credit: Nayhauss Only 9 months on from the release of their last album, Rooster (a Flying Nun Record Shop favourite!), Ōtautahi-based charmers Adam Hattaway & The Haunters have just announced their new album Bug Eyes. To give us a little taste of what to come, they have dropped the first single from the forthcoming album - 'Salt' - a stomping, uncompromising tune with a ripping chorus.  ''I sat down at the piano and started pounding this out. It's one of the few songs I’ve written that came out all in one go. Basically I started playing and went through the verse and...

Half Hexagon is the newly-emerged project comprising the powerhouse trio of Yolanda Fagan (Na Noise/Echo Ohs), James Milne (Lawrence Arabia) and Julien Dyne. Despite only a couple of live performances under their belt, they've rounded up quite the cult following, and this new single should give you a fair indication of why that might be.  The incessant bassline and crisp drum patterns drive the song with hypnotic flair, with Yolanda's slinky, devious vocals painting a catchy tune. It's never doing too much, yet at the right moments the song collapses into a cacophonous climax filled with saw wave portamentos and quick drum fills. The...