Finally some dirty words from Underscore

Underscore has been kicking around the pop school indie rock scene for a while, playing shows, reviewing sandwiches and rebooting the Skype soundtrack. Despite this varied experience they’ve never had an official release until now, with Dirty Word.

The track starts with an infectious indie rock riff that Franz Ferdinand could’ve been proud of, and some juicy chords that could’ve taught them a thing or two. Underscore keeps you interested with constant rhythmic mix ups, changes in tone, and a cheeky lil modal shift in the chorus that gets the nerdy musos raising an eyebrow and nodding in approval. The bridge of the track lets lead singer Jono really open up his pipes and put on some gravel to belt out some big notes.

Despite my juvenile hope that the word in question would’ve been more dirty, I feel that Underscore has skilfully brought an important message into a fun and energetic song to improve awareness of mental health, and letting us all know it’s okay to ask for help. It’s really a message we as a community can’t hear enough of.

We look forward to hearing more from Underscore! And hopefully an EP will be on the way. Keep tabs on them on Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.

Ministry of Folk – Hoop, Jazmine Mary, Being., Looking for Alaska

Acoustic, Folk, folk rock, Live Music

Artists meet sporadically at the Ministry of Folk to deliver intimate live performances in an old church hall. The audience munches on snacks brought from home, enjoying the fairy lights and ambience. The event is hosted by the inimitable Hoop, who make the stage feel like the lounge of a family friend.

Running a little late, we stumbled through the door at 7.35 with a bottle of what we’d just realised was cork wine. Hoop’s talented and kind violinist Emily welcomed me into the kitchen where we found a rustic corkscrew, and their drummer used brute strength to release the stopper. The band was huddled in the kitchen for a pre show chat; it’s clear that they’re a well bonded and comfortable group of musicians.

Hoop opened the stage like the audience were old friends. Based on the Australian bush fires, Devil’s Choice is a stand out track written in 5/4. The violinist imitated an ambulance’s siren, and the band built the atmosphere with a jungle rhythm on the flute. Nick and Al’s voices blended impeccably, allowing for that classic “folk” sound riddled with harmonies.

This Year was written from the perspective of a family who had battled COVID, cancer and chemotherapy throughout 2020. The song claims 2021 as a new and brighter year – a sentiment the room was holding on to with hope. It was a pleasure to watch Hoop perform again.

Jazmine Mary and Being. are a duo founded on the common ground of the name Jasmine. Both artists appeared comfortable on stage, drawing the audience in with sarcasm and a genuine friendship. The set began with Jazmine Mary’s latest release Dancer. The track is melancholy and features impressive vocal depth from Jazmine Mary. We rediscovered our love for Dolly Parton when the pair delivered a haunting cover of Jolene.

Being. fronted the second half of the set. Her music was driven by modal shifts and a precise vocal performance. Count Me In was moving, arranged with sliding synths under a soft guitar. Beings.’s lyrics have a poetic quality to them, as she described the feeling of defeat as “dragging around a lifeless body. Truly, the clarity in her voice held the audience captive.

The final set for the evening was performed by the enchanting Looking For Alaska. What defined their time on stage was the mesmerising stories they had to share. Each song was driven by human emotion; frontwoman Amy told the tales of her late little cousin and a Grandmother who used to laugh so hard her teeth fell out. The duo’s trust for each other was tangible. It was a mesmerising set.

It’s difficult to pick any one piece that stood out, as each song boasted a certain ‘X Factor’. Where Have You Gone was a sultry slow jam with tight harmony that built to a phenomenal belted section. Home drew the audience to sing along and Hey You was a display of love coupled with a drinking game. Each song in the set was polished and precise, featuring flawless guitar playing from Aaron and out of this world vocals from Amy. The duo’s voices blended impeccably.

Part way through a song the room erupted into surround sound alert level 3 warnings. Despite the anxiety the sound always entices Looking For Alaska remained comfortable on stage, and soon had the audience yelling for several encores. I’m glad we spent our last night of freedom listening to such an astonishing display of musicality.

CHRIS PIDSLEY – Listen to Your Mum

Uncategorized

We like to think we know better than our parents, but sometimes we really need to listen to our mum.

With his latest single, Chris Pidsley talks through the confusion of navigating a relationship with struggle, and the value of just taking advice from your parents who often do know what’s best. The lyrics are beautiful and evoke a general nostalgia that leaves interpretation up to the listener. He takes the song in a similar direction to Cavetown, who also write looking back to teenage years. The sound is fitting and works well.

Chris collaborated with other musicians for the first time with this track, bring in brass from his friend Ryan. Lockdown hasn’t stopped Chris making new music, as this was all done virtually and has come together swell.

Listen in to the full arrangement or the acoustic version below.

Angry Girl – Vikae

electro pop, Electro Rock, INDIE, indie pop

Dropping this Friday is the kind of song that makes you want to hire a security team. Vikae has outdone herself with her latest single Angry Girl, featuring killer production and lyrics that will cut you back like a weed.

Beat one is ominous and expanding. The track utilises sinister synths and percussion to set the tone: she. is. livid. Vikae’s theatrical vocal control creates the believable character of a girl who’s been wronged. I loved the use of octaved vocals in the pre chorus; it’s an effect that’s always satisfyingly unsettling.

The drop into the chorus is perfect. The rhythms are super interesting, and the harmonies are epic. Angry Girl uses silence expertly to build tension, and a sense of foreboding. You can experience Angry Girl in all its rebel glory at Vikae’s Casette Nine release this Friday. Come grab a beer!

Set Me Alight – Georgia Maria

Folk, folk rock

Fire up your steampunk pirate ship surround sound, because Georgia Maria is back. Earlier this year the lyrical songstress impressed us with her complex rhythms and captivating storytelling. Born out of the hellfire of 2020 is her fiery new single Set Me Alight.

The track begins with an almost theatrical build. The band bores into your mind, building a unison rhythm before falling into a “Celtic rock” groove. Set Me Alight lets you settle in the new feel before introducing Georgia Maria’s distinctive soaring voice. As always, there is an “other-worldly” feel to her composition. She seems to tell tales of another dimension, blending folk with distorted instrumentation. Her sound is unique and distinctive, inspired by the past and future. The middle of the song explores a tasteful distorted solo, paired with the swaying groove of Set Me Alight.

Set Me Alight is nothing short of epic, which is what we’ve come to expect from Georgia Maria.

Lucky Stars – Mikaela Cougar

pop rock, rock, Singer Songwriter

Mikaela Cougar is a force to be reckoned with, releasing three killer singles this year alone. Her latest feat is the cosmic Lucky Stars EP, which she hopes will “shoot people through moonbeams, landing them amongst the stars”. Dude. You gotta hear it.

The EP slaps from the get go, starting with nostalgic “grrl rock” single Lucky Stars. The track is moody gold, and it took me straight back to watching 10 Things I Hate About You in the early 2000s. There’s a certain No Doubt energy to the song, but it’s definitely that little bit edgier. It builds through the use of classic palm muting, distortion and layered vocals. It’s a good time.

I Don’t Wanna Be In Love is one of my absolute favourites. It was great to listen to the track again; it impressed me just as much this time. From there it moved into Stupid Love Drunk, which gave me major Lorde vibes. Mikaela’s pop alto shined in this track as her vocals walked the edge of spoken word in the verses. I can picture Stupid Love Drunk being s o m u c h f u n live as the audience yells the words with her. Don’t be fooled by the groovy rhythm section and fun chorus though; the song has secret lyrical substance.

The fourth track See Straight is the single that made me fall in love with Mikaela’s music earlier this year. It was just as eerie and mesmerising this time, and nice to hear it in the context of the rest of the collection. The final track Scared begins a little more sultry than the earlier tracks. It’s cool to see Mikaela experimenting with different sounds and topics. It launches into her iconic “grrrl rock” sound before long. Overall the Lucky Stars EP is a really well balanced set of tracks. Mikaela has managed to develop a distinct and coherent sound while still delivering a diverse set of songs; a feat worthy of recognition.The full Lucky Stars EP will be available to the public this Friday, and Mikaela will take to the stage with her band at Wine Cellar. If her live performance is anywhere near as epic as her discography then the crowd will be in for a super fun night. Get your pre Halloween boogie on, and maybe I’ll see you in there!

You can find Mikaela Cougar and her music on Instagram, Facebook and Spotify.

Queen of Disaster – Chiara Foschiani

electro pop, INDIE, indie pop

If you love Christine and the Queens as much as I do then you’ll adore Chiara Foschiani. Ignoring the fact that her age makes me feel like a recent retiree, I was incredibly impressed by her debut single Queen of Disaster. Born in 2003, Chiara Foschiani is a Parisian multi instrumentalist and producer who left high school to pursue music full time when she was 16. Having generated notable interest on soundcloud, Chiara released her first Spotify track in October.

I was suspicious at first of the “poppy” introduction, but Queen of Disaster quickly melts away into a super groovy pre chorus. The lyrics are simple but effective, with some killer moments like the line the earth is on fire. The chorus layers epic vocal harmonies and what sounds like an electric banjo. The production is creative, and you can hear how much fun Chiara had in the studio.

Chiara Foschiani is a new kid on the block, but she’s not to be underestimated. Her debut single is both creative and impressive. I look forward to following her musical career! Follow her on Instagram and Facebook.

Misconceptions – Lévyne

indie pop, Pop, Singer Songwriter

Lévyne is an alt-pop gem who’s been flying a little under the radar in Auckland for a while now. She’s released consistently intricate and creative singles such as Pause, and Look at Me which culminated in her Debut EP ‘Being Low‘ which easily differentiated itself amongst the sea of kiwi pop released this year. With Misconceptions coming out last Friday Lévyne is ramping up the excitement for new things to come.

Misconceptions is a scathing review of a heartbreak. It’s “ultimately about a relationship ending with each person having a different side to the story.” The song begins meek but cuts to self assurance and an empowered retrospect. The song “serves as a realisation that it’s not worth spending your time stressing about people that don’t want to understand your perspective.” tells Lévyne “It was quite a liberating song to write – to draw a bit of a line in the sand and express that enough was enough!”

Lévyne teamed up with Daniel Martin and Ølympus to write and record the track before adding Oscar Keys, and Matthew Twyman into the mix to make the magical music video released today!

Lévyne has managed to keep busy despite the lockdowns this year sharing the stage with kiwi heavyweights Daffodils and Foley. This summer she will be taking her music to the crows of Rhythm and Vines

In between lockdowns in Auckland, Lévyne has still managed to play shows, supporting the likes of Daffodils and Foley and now she’s set to play NZ’s biggest New Year’s Eve festival Rhythm & Vine! Don’t sleep on Lévyne, this girl is going places.

Check out Lévyne on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Spotify.

Gecko – Climbing Frame

INDIE, Singer Songwriter, Uncategorized

It’s been a long time coming, but Gecko has finally released his sophomore album Climbing Frame!

Gecko is an absolute gem of a musician that I had the pleasure of seeing perform in a ruin of a chapel in London before I even knew he had graced the stage at So Far in my home turf in Auckland, New Zealand.

He’s a just a completely different breed of musician to any other I have ever come across. Gecko gets up in front of an audience and leaves them uncertain whether or not they’ve just seen a comedian spin them into fits of laughter, or a thoughtful singer songwriter leave them introspective for the evening. Listening through Climbing Frame is no different.
Gecko starts off the album with his playful single “Can’t know all the songs”, a fun jab at people who always expect every musician to have an encyclopedic knowledge of their own musical taste. We’ve already had the delight of reviewing this song, if you want to read more check out what Isla had to say here!

This is then juxtaposed with the title track “Climbing Frame”, which is a beautiful take on children’s ability to take a bad situation and take a creative, fun spin on it. This song “tells the story of a tree that had fallen down in a storm in the middle of Queens Park. Without a seconds thought, it had become a new climbing frame for the kids who frequented the park.” Gecko muses that “there’s hope that the youngest people in this world will turn the apocalyptic hand that they’ve been dealt into something positive that we have not yet seen.”

The album also throws perspectives at you that you wouldn’t expect. “Laika” tells the story of the first dog sent into space but the Russian space programme to become a “distant canine, drifting in space time”. The song is playful in nature, but delves into an oddly relatable existential crisis of a dog who is riddled with self doubt and not feeling worthy to be sent to space. Although Laika thinks “I guess the sooner I go, the sooner I can come home”, the song twinges at the heart strings with the sad reality that this was a one way trip for Laika.

“A Whole Life” tells the endearing story of a younger Gecko explaining to Nursery kids how difficult his first year at school was and the importance of not calling your teacher mum. The song progresses through life always telling a younger gecko that although you “might not want things to change” you must grow up, and that there’s a whole life ahead. The song touches on the difficulties in each stage of life, but how each stage is bearable, and that we get through it. It’s a reassuring sentiment, especially in times such as these.

Gecko’s first album was called ‘Album of the year’ in the Morning Star, and his music has taken him across the world from Stockholm to over here in lil old New Zealand. We wish all the more success to Gecko in his future endeavours, and look forward to seeing more music come through.

Make sure to follow Gecko on Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.

Time Is Laughing – Jessy & The Volunteers

Uncategorized

Self proclaimed “Taranaki beach bum” Jessy Wadeson built her band brick by brick in her basement. The result is the effortlessly cool, contagiously funky experience of a band Jessy & The Volunteers. The groups takes elements of RnB, blues and soul, weaving them together to make a distinct sound. 2019 brought with it the release of debut music video “Phone Face”, and performances at summer festivals alongside “Goodshirt”, “Sola Rosa” and “Katchafire”. Jessy & The Volunteers’ latest masterpiece is the release of Time is Laughing.

I was lucky enough to catch Jessy & The Volunteers live last year, and it was one of the most captivating performances I’ve seen in a while. Their on stage energy is mesmerising, and their musicality is flawless. Wadeson is a phenomenal front woman, keeping the audience engaged and moving like a natural. The way the group manages to translate this energy from stage is impressive.

Time is Laughing rolls in with a funky guitar line and epic synths. Wadeson’s voice is soulful and characterful. She utilises backing vocals to build a nostalgic soundscape. Her performance is lively. I was particularly impressed by the kit, which refuses to stay still, keeping the groove alive from 00:00 to 4:23. The use of funky synths is super fun, too – the piece breaks for a heartbeat to allow a quick solo before opening back up into an epic chorus.

I love the way Jessy & The Volunteers always develop their songs. They don’t sit in a regular form, they transform and develop, allowing the group to both explore, and create a distinct sound for themselves. If you haven’t discovered this Aotearoa gem, I’d thoroughly suggest following them on Instagram and Facebook.