Underplays #1 - Heart Theme

Since my laptop's having a bit of trouble at the momet I STILL haven't resized the images of Strange News Fundraiser #2 for uploading, but to compensate I have made a new section of the blog called UNDERPLAYS (it's a clever mix of "Underdead", "Playlist" and a word that describes music you haven't listened to enough); clearly it's where I cbf writing things about the music and just want you to freakin download it for free and listen to it and love it (see: the point of my having a music blog. I'm a sharer not a critic).

This first playlist is themed around hearts because the two songs I first decided to put in the playlist had 'heart' in the title. When you've got a good theme going you should run with it. If you want to do something weird like burning the playlist onto a CD then putting it in a case the above image is for the front cover and the below image has the tracklisting for the back. Go to this link for the songs srry ads are not loltimes.

Underplays - #1 (Hearts)

Track list:

heagw347qna08gadw4ecawfgg553fdafes5gh731

NOT WORKING

I'll do it later, which could be in like a month because I'm going home tomorrow and at home we have no internet so I'd have to go especially out of my way

WHATEVER, you'll see the photos eventually.

Have some random rap

Some Mux Mool

Some K-OS

Hollaaa

(Update: they are now up.)

I Am A Golden God

My favourite* member of my favourite* band quotes my favourite* movie in one of his solo works:

Jack Steadman - Drugs

And he also has about 30 songs for free download here**, including this nice one: Give Up

*Favourite is used liberally

**You have to member to download but from my experience, it's worth it.

Pretty soon I will post the photos from last Thursday's Strange News Fundraiser gig. Hold tight.

(Update: they are now up.)

Like Bernard, Willis, Jimmy, Stan or Stu

You will probably fail to believe this, but they put out three EPs and two albums; Bruce was only the halfway point for these crazy Auckland guys.

My first LOLNZMUZIK of the month (and hopefully a few more to come in the remaining days, as an apology for not having my life sorted 20 days in), is the cult fave song by Rubicon; gifted to me at a party that featured Close Up cameras.

Rubicon - Bruce
(Click into the new page before downloading)

Crank it, homies. Host a singalong at your place.

Artisan Guns

Artisan Guns are one of those bands whose name seems to have always been familiar because I know people who know people who know people and hey! it's New Zealand.
But being somewhat of a pessimist towards the standard of popular New Zealand music (an admittedly stink start to NZMM on my part, apologies), I hadn't gone out of my way to find/purchase/sample-steal Bird & Bone and Allah knows they never played any publicized all-ages gigs in Wellington on that EP. Maybe they did and I was too cool to go. With all the Ivy Lies and Junipah out there you've got to approach any underage gig with skepticism.
Well fate and the general indie hub of Auckland guided me to Hearts. After picking up a copy of the recent Presence magazine, of which Artisan Guns were the cover story, I decided to give them a chance. This amounted to nothing until my Psych lecture a week back when a group of cool kids two rows in front of me started passing around a freshly bought copy of Hearts, so in the next brief talking interlude I decided to pass the laptop-yielder my flash drive.
Joy! He had Bird & Bone too!

Sure, that story's fine and dandy, but what of the music review?
Sordid analogy-folkspeak-jargon time. Ugh.
ARTISAN GUNS' HEARTS EP TRULY BRINGS OUT THE POP THAT CURRENT SECULAR MUSIC SO STUPIDLY IGNORES IT'S LIKE WHEN YOU'RE LYING IN A HAMMOCK WITH THE WRONG LOVER IN YOUR ARMS BUT ALSO A CAT SO IT'S ALRIGHT AND THE SOUND OF THE OCEAN DEFINITELY MAKES UP FOR THE TORN YOUTHFUL EMOTION INSIDE YOU PLUS THE GROUP TRULY SHOWS THAT THEY HAVE MATURED AS A COLLECTIVE CREW SINCE THEIR EARLY FORMED DAYS.
Suck it.
I don't review the way the music sounds.
You come hear for stories and free downloads.
If this wasn't a good album I wouldn't write a post about it.

Artisan Guns - Going Back In Time
(Open new page and click download)

Seeing Viewing Watching Observing

Really though, who would've predicted that a radical change in my life would keep me from writing frequent posts?
I've seen a lot in the past month, and by "seen" I don't just mean the live music aspect but visually taking in many new scenes and people. For example, feast your own eyes on Kelly St Park, a small art hub abandoned lot turned community park that exists down the road from my flat.

Speaking of gigs however, I'm not going to even start on the Mint Chicks' farewell show (just saying, everyone's overreacting and destroying a whole set is money better spent than shipping equipment to the US), but one beautifully exerted concert that I was happy to have attended was one particular Ruby Suns show, featuring Signer.
Yes I had my camera and yes it was too much fun to take many photos.
Some solid photography of Signer has been posted on Wonderpics for your viewing pleasure.
Why is the new album not in my hands right now?
I hope you've sought after it and given it a listen even though I've been too much of an under-rock dweller lately to discover anything new.
If you haven't heard much of Ruby Suns (or Signer), these mp3s may take your fancy.

The Ruby Suns - Give Advice
The Ruby Suns - Morning Sun
Signer - Languidly Toot
(Open link in a new tab and download from there, I can't do my fancy quicklink on these university computers nor can I center them without centering the whole post)

Might see you by May.

Sup 'Home'

I don't know anything about this band or this guy

Maybe heard about them one time

But how did this get on my computer

Who had the insight to like them and link them?

This song is just SO FREAKIN in tune with my ears.

And lack of home

And overall nomadic tendencies.

A big part of every band I stumble upon is the vocal quality.

Weemos singing through their nose can never be justified (Plushgun LOL)

Super reverb on a mic to cover missed pitch is always obvious,

But these guys sing to have fun and tell a story.

It's everything.

Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros - Home

Play count fast reaching up to Tiny Dancer's top spot.

I'm Fading Out Again, Oh No. There I Go.

Score one for The Sixty One.

I'm not sure how many people put this site in their bookmarks and leave it open while they abuse the face but as I was particularly eager tonight to complete some quests requiring the home page, I abandoned my little 'Open Mic on 100' comfort zone and kept packing my life into a suitcase while the hottest songs right now exerted life back into my room.

After listening to this band The Kickdrums, I was surprised to read in the pop-up text about their history of rap production, which I admit wasn't overly obvious from the song Animal.

Curiosity taking over, I seat to weaving a complex pattern that resulted in their EP being on my iTunes being given a good old fashioned 5am "hmm".

Cool gif bro.

Their approach to each song does seem a little familiar, and when the vocals on Animal first surfaced I could've sworn it was Brian Molko, but I suppose there's nothing wrong with a little familiarity if you can execute it well.

Each song on the EP adopts a different style, and by no means do I think the following free download is their best, but it is the most chill and after Homegrown + packing I am selfishly gunna make you chill with me.

The Kickdrums - When I Come Down

If you wanna find me on thesixtyone I am younomee

(And I make some cool playlists.)