Counting The Beat - NZ Music

The Free Music Archive (FMA) is a fantastic project initiated by one my favourite radio stations in the world, WFMU, a freeform non-commercial station from New York. The Free Music Archive is a curated on-line collection of music that is free and legal to listen to and download. The music in the collection reflects the wide-ranging and left-field approach of WFMU and the other stations that are contributing. Being a US initiative there's not a lot of New Zealand music on there, but there is a bit. I've been following the FMA since it was started trying to keep track of any kiwi contributions and I present those on this episode. More info at http://www.countingthebeat.gen.nz

Einstein Music Journal is one of my favourite New Zealand music websites. There are some other good kiwi music related sites I follow like Cheese On Toast, Under The Radar and Real Groove. What makes EMJ stand out from those others is that it is a music blog, unlike the others which are all commercial in nature - selling music, tickets, advertising gigs etc. Einstein Music Journal is run by Aucklanders Nick Fulton and Sarah Gooding. Their blog showcases indie and alternative music from New Zealand and around the world. Recently Nick and Sarah visited Waiheke Island and i asked them along to the radio station where we recorded a live episode of Counting The Beat. I asked Nick and Sarah to select some of their current kiwi favourites. More infor at http://www.countingthebeat.gen.nz

This episode features songs - from 50s rock'n'roll to indie-folk to dance remixes - that include the indigenous language of New Zealand - Te Reo Maori. More info at http://www.countingthebeat.gen.nz

There's been lots in the media lately about the return of vinyl and while there are elements of the usual media beat-up there is some local activity that backs up the hype. NZ music website and promotion company Cheese on Toast has just broadened their activity venturing into the release of music with the launch of a 7” singles club. Each month Cheese on Toast will launch a split 7” featuring two up and coming local acts. The singles are launched at a live event with most of the limited release singles being sold at the gig. The first in the series featured poet/MC Tourettes backed with The Drab Doo Riffs – a band fronted by Karl Stevens, formerly of Supergroove. Motivated by the arrival in the letterbox of my very newest 7" single I went rummaging for a few of my old 7" vinyl faves and they're featured in this episode in all their crackly glory. More info at http://www.countingthebeat.gen.nz

A bunch of new and recent NZ music releases from Batrider, So So Modern, Street Chant, Urbantramper, Bear Cat and Liam Finn/Eliza Jane. More info at http://www.countingthebeat.gen.nz

In the past I've featured songs about Rugby on Counting The Beat, but there's another sport which is just as, if not more, strongly represented in the kiwi songbook and that's horse racing. It seems there's something about the gee-gees that stirs songwriters to pen paeans to the sport and it's heroes in a way not even the national sport can do. Racing has long been an important part of NZ culture, it's the only sport to be have it's own government minister, and it's only in relatively recent times that racing has fallen from the great NZ cultural triptytch, as expressed by Danny McGirr, of 'Rugby, Racing and Beer.' More info at http://countingthebeat.blogspot.com

There are lots of songs written about the weather of course. And because this is New Zealand most of them are about rain. As former Prime Minister Geoff Palmer once said, "New Zealand is an indubitably pluvial country". The inspiration for this episode was a crazy record I picked up recently in Wellington - The New Zealand Weather Forecast as sung by The St Mary's Cathedral Choir. The podcast includes that song plus others from Dark Tower, Cool Rainbows, The Enright House and An Emerald City. There's more info, links and videos at http://countingthebeat.blogspot.com

Some of New Zealand's most acclaimed musicians are virtually unknown at home. The music they produce appeals to such a niche audience that it is only on the international stage that there are sufficient numbers of people interested that they can make a mark. This is particularly true of artists producing what could be described as post-rock, experimental, avant-garde punk. The Art of Noise episode features recent releases from some of these artists - Pumice, Our Love Will Destroy The World, Kerretta and Mountaineater. More info, links and videos at http://countingthebeat.blogspot.com

I expect that by now you're all up with the news that Chris Knox , an iconic kiwi artist with a 30 year career taking in solo material, The Enemy, The Tall Dwarfs and The Nothing, has suffered from a stroke. Since forming The Enemy in Dunedin in 1977 Knox has earned a crust as a musician, cartoonist and critic. His stroke has meant he can't do any of those things at present so fans are being called on to support him by buying his music. Some of Knox's more talented fans, including David Kilgour,Lou Barlow, Graeme Downs, Guided By Voices, The Mountain Goats, Martin Phillips, Jay Reatard, Yo La Tengo, Lambchop, Shane Carter, Will Oldham, Jeff Mangum, and Bill Callahan, are currently working on a fundraising album of Knox covers. The list of contributors to that tribute album are an indication of the high regard with which he is held by musicians around the world. So it's no suprise that his songs have already been covered by many kiwi and international artists. This episode of Counting The Beat gathers some of those covers. More info, links and videos at http://countingthebeat.blogspot.com

Sometimes I feel like there's almost too much music to listen to. And that means I miss things that deserve greater attention. In this episode I go back and take a listen to some recent-ish releases that I overlooked. They're the ones that got away. Features songs from Bachelorette, Cassette, Over The Atlantic and The Mint Chicks. More info, videos and links at http://countingthebeat.blogspot.com

A round up of new and recent kiwi releases from The Clean, Urbantramper, The New Telepathics & Sora Shima. More info, links and videos at http://countingthebeat.blogspot.com

I've got a bit of a thing about collecting songs named after New Zealand towns and locations and every once in a while I put together a Counting the Beat special featuring some of those songs. In this episode I focus in on a specific part of our country, the Waikato. More info at http://countingthebeat.blogspot.com

The police are a surprisingly popular subject choice for musicians, albeit usually those at the punkier end of the spectrum. In the 1980s clashes between police and punks weren’t uncommon. In fact it was the tactics of the special Auckland Task Squad team policing unit at one of their gigs that prompted The Newmatics to pen 'Riot Squad', a song that went on to have special poignancy during the 1981 Springbok rugby tour of New Zealand. This episode features kiwi songs about the police. More info at http://countingthebeat.blogspot.com

Every year the New Zealand country music community celebrates and recognises their best at the Gold Guitar Awards. However, just about every year the interesting and innovative is overlooked in favour of cliched, big hats and checked shirt country. This year, however, a song I actually like has taken an award at the Gold Guitars. This episode takes in the Best NZ country song of 2009 and some other kiwi country tracks that won't turn your brain to mush. More info at http://countingthebeat.blogspot.com

It's time for a round-up of new and recent releases. This time I've got an eclectic collection ranging from lounge bar chic to drunken revelry to the hushed tones of a museum exhibition hall. Featuring The Benka Borodovsky Bordello Band, Julien Dyne and Tiki Taane. More info at http://countingthebeat.blogspot.com

Sam Hunt is arguably New Zealand's best known poet. Helped along by his irreverence, distinctive style and iconic delivery he's almost certainly the only living poet to have household name status. His talent as a poet is recognised across generations from the literati to the bloke at the pub. With his stovepipe trousers, open shirts and unruly long hair Hunt looks like a seventies rock star. In fact Hunt has been closely associated with the NZ music scene, he has often shared the bill with rock acts and on occasion has collaborated on musical projects ranging from an album with Mammal in 1972 to his recent album with David Kilgour. More info at http://countingthebeat.blogspot.com

Grand Prix have recently released their fourth album, more or a less a straight out rocker, called Speed of Sound. Much has been made by some critics of Grand Prix's fascination with cars and racing, but actually this album is probably the one with the least focus on those subjects. There has been an evolution across Grand Prix's four albums that is much more significant than the gradual shift from an automotive theme and that is the change in their sound. Those car metaphors may yet prove to be millstone for Grand Prix but I can't resist one more. Grand Prix's musical journey isn't so much a flat-out run down the straight but more like a road trip along a winding highway. The podcast includes songs from all four Grand Prix albums. More info at http://countingthebeat.blogspot.com

A bunch of new and recent kiwi releases from The Eastern, David Kilgour and Sam Hunt, Stormbird and An Emerald City. More info, links to the artists sites, videos and more at http://countingthebeat.blogspot.com

NZ music special featuring songs named after NZ towns and locations. The deal is that all songs on the show have a New Zealand place name as their title. As you may imagine the result is an eclectic array of musical styles, from folk, to electronica, to punk and more. More info at http://countingthebeat.blogspot.com/

Rugby may be New Zealand's national game and the All Blacks revered with fervour by many kiwis but when it comes to inspiring songwriters the Men in Black often seem to stimulate more hackneyed cliches than lyrical grace.In this episode we hear the best and the very worst NZ rugby songs. More info at http://countingthebeat.blogspot.com