Members of Kora and Katchafire have come together as L.A.B. to release their self-titled debut album, a collection of songs perfected on the live circuit over the past three years.
The band - Brad and Stu Kora from Kora and Joel Shadbolt and Ara Adams-Tamatea from Katchafire - hop from genre to genre across the 12 tracks, combining reggae, funk, blues, rock, electronic and more.
Opener She's Gone is a prime example - three minutes of Dire Straits/Pink Floyd style guitar work dropping straight into a classic reggae bassline in the song's second half.
The album was written in Tauranga and Whakatane and recorded at Wellington's Surgery Studios with Dr Lee Prebble.
This Pale Fire - aka Kiwi singer-songwriter Corban Koschak - is impressing music lovers around the world. Huffington Post said his voice was "irrefutably impressive" and "difficult to define, simultaneously exuding constrained flamboyance, charming delicacy and assertive vitality," while hhhappy said Koschak was a force to be reckoned with.
The 27-year-old Aucklander this week released his debut album Alchemy, a self-written and overseen project - with everything from the songs to the album artwork created by Koschak.
This Pale Fire. Photo / Supplied
Pop-rockers stellar* (correct with funny spelling and asterisk) will play two New Zealand shows in March - capping off a summer of festival appearances.
The band, who reformed to cover Sharon O'Neill's Maxine at last week's Vodafone NZ Music Awards, will play Auckland's Tuning Fork on March 9 and Wellington's San Fran on March 10.
Their festival appearances will include Out of the Blue in Nelson, January 6, Waipu Rocks, Northland, January 13 and Selwyn Sounds, Christchurch, March 3.
The band's biggest hits included the late 90s tracks Violent, What You Do (Bastard) and Part of Me.
Yes, his name may be easy to mistake for that of another long-gone musician, and California-born, Wellington-based Jon Lemmon also brings a message of love, but one listen to his new song It's Gonna Be Alright will dispel any confusion.
Sure to be a summer hit, the song is bright and bouncy, with electronic hooks and lyrics of positivity and reinforcement: "Feel the warmth that you're made of, don't worry just give love".
Ex-Moorhouse singer Marley Sola has a new single - Call My Name.
It's the first release since his self-titled EP, which featured the songs On My Own, Fill Me Up and Believe.
Boyband Moorhouse came to national attention on TV talent competition The X Factor in 2013, won by Jackie Thomas. Moorhouse came fourth.
Ria Hall's new track Black Light is dedicated to artist Ralph Hotere, who died while Hall's album Rules of Engagement was in development.
The song, featuring Mara TK, was produced by Electric Wire Hustle. Its video premiered this week via Questlove's Okayplayer.
The Salad Boys. Photo / Supplied
The Salad Boys will take to the road to tour their album This Is Glue in January.
The Christchurch group will perform in Lyttelton on January 18, then play Whanganui, Palmerston North, Wellington, Barrytown, Auckland (twice) and Dunedin.
Venue and ticket information from Under the Radar.
This is Glue is the follow-up to 2015's Metalmania and was also recorded at band leader Joe Sampson's home studio.
It will be released on January 19 on CD, LP including limited edition powder pink and digital, by Chicago's Trouble in Mind label.
Meanwhile, another track from the album, Psych Slasher, has been released. Check it out at the lifestyle section of this newspaper's website.
Midge Marsden and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Photo / Supplied
Bluesman Midge Marsden is celebrating 50 years making music with a two-disc retrospective, released this week.
