Luxxury
Well, it’s all on tonight. If you’re not exhausted after seeing the rugger at not-the-Cake-Tin, listening on National Radio to performances by unlikely permutations of small animals, hearing the pipes calling at the Opera House or seeing some obscure up-and-coming band at what I think is still called Indigo, then Sandwiches has a party night for everyone. Electroluxxe is billed as “TechnoElectroRockHouse”, thus pretty much covering every genre other than dub, jazz and country. You know how it is: you’re with a bunch of people, all with different tastes in music, and no-one can agree: someone likes 80s New Romantic, another one goes for dirty punky electro, someone else likes indie rock and some sad bugger (probably me) prefers 90s techno. So Electroluxxe comes to the rescue with a play list that includes the likes of Duran Duran, Peaches, Bloc Party and Carl Craig. The word “mashup” doesn’t even begin to describe it.
Those with especially capacious reserves of energy (and cash) could then explore the most decadent dishes and deranged decor of culinary Wellington or try to track down the latest mystery bar. Here’s a hint: one of the commenters has already got it. Here’s another: this is possibly the only bar to have actually become classier when it was taken over by Brian Le Gros.
Giblets, grooves and the guards themselves
Many Wellingtonistas have already discovered the goodness that is Kazu: an oasis of dark wood, mind-bending rice-based beverages and unmentionable innards on sticks, tastefully hidden away from the Courtenay hordes. In the unlikely event that beef tongue and chicken cartilage aren’t enough to tempt you up the staircase, Radio Active’s The Jewel School will be […]
NZ Music Month at the Library
Wellington Public Library is getting into the spirit of NZ Music Month with a series of free concerts of the course of this week. Our pick of the bunch is the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra, featuring the talents of Flight of the Conchords Bret McKenzie and local songsmith Age Pryor, as well as an ever-expanding […]
Slav to the Rhythm
Luke Buda — Benny Andersson (ABBA) impersonator extraordinaire, and one of the frontmen of Wellington band The Phoenix Foundation — has just released his debut solo album ‘Special Surprise’ (following on from his 2004 release ‘The C‑Sides’ mini-album, which is still available over at Slow Boat Records so we’re told).
And it sounds great. Fans of The Phoenix Foundation will know roughly what to expect: lots of nice melodies and guitar action, but with a touch more humour and a lot more synth action than the two ‘Phoenecian’ albums to date. But don’t believe us, believe the paid professional reviewers. Says Lindsay Davis of the Dominion…
Musically, the album is eclectic, mixing the gunslinging rock on the ‘Stallion’ to the Latin feel of ‘Sauerkraut Bossa’, which combines a cheesy electro-lounge rhythm with organ washes and yet somehow you are hooked. ‘Slav to the Rhythm’ updates mid-period Bowie with a slick lyric that morphs into a a driving fuzzed conclusion that would make the Tin Machine blush.
…and Lyndon Walker of Rip it Up…
With lots of soft melodies, mellow synths and a sound which is part Phoenix Foundation and part his own, this album is a great listen from beginning to end…
Any Aucklanders who happen to be reading this blog should be aware that Buda is playing up at the Kings Arms this Saturday (8th April) with SJD, and for us Wellingtonians, more gigs are apparently in
So here’s our man again…
So here’s our man again. This time I have a bit more information. His name is India Bharti (sounds suspiciously like Doderiol Fharti to me), and he is, without doubt the very best Bhartiphone player I have ever heard! No kidding. Of course, he is also the only Bhartiphone player I have ever heard, but […]
Busking 2006
I guess it’s the Fringe, or the Festival itself that brings these guys here, but this particular busker is well worth a look at. Today he was in Manner’s Mall. I could hear him a block or so away & the sound he was producing made me wonder if one of the theremins was in […]
World, meet Cortina
As James pointed out yesterday, there’s a lot going on in Wellington at the moment. I don’t know about any of it, because I live in Auckland. But there is one particular upcoming Wellington event that I am aware of. Tomorrow night, Friday 24 February, much-lauded Wellington-via-Palmerston-North band Cortina will perform at Indigo alongside Disasteradio, […]
Synth Birds of Dawn: take two
Well, this particular Wellingtonista thought the Synth Birds of Dawn sounded great. Nic McGowan and his two fellow theremin players waved their arms about half an hours worth of other-worldy noise making early on Tuesday morning, creating sounds that at times sounded like the gibbon cries heard from the zoo in Newtown every morning, to […]
Synth Birds of Dawn
Residents of Island Bay, do not be alarmed. Those weird, spacey tones reverberating around your suburb next week will not be signalling the impending invasion of Wellington by aliens, but will be, in fact, The Synth Birds of Dawn. Local composer/producer Nic McGowan is co-ordinating a three-piece theremin ‘band’, who will be located one-a-piece on […]
The Little Day Out
For those of not interested in (or without tickets to) the Sevens, and an appreciation of fine local music and the joys of a BBQ on a nice day, may we recommend the Little Day Out, taking place today (Fri 3rd Feb) at 42 Old Porirua Rd, Ngaio. Wellington blues-rockers Connan and the Mockasins are […]