Features
New From NZ: X-Ray Charles, Lorde, Jonathan Bree
By Mess+Noise
It’s all about closet sociopaths, reassuring self-talk and dumb puns in our latest roundup of current New Zealand music.
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– After contributing ‘The Shape of Things to Come’ to April’s free Melted Ice Cream comp – plus touring New Zealand nationally behind it – and pulling out all the stops for this video, Christchurch duo X-Ray Charles are giving away their second EP Selph Titled. The guitar-drums duo includes members of several other bands: Shacklock Meth Party, The Dance Asthmatics, Bang Bang Eche and the fantastic Salad Boys. The home-recorded EP packs a cover of ‘As a Matter of Fact’ by DIY veterans Spare Snare and ranges from the Flying Nun jangle of ‘Field Recordings of Animal Noises’ to the slapdash lo-fi anthems of Guided By Voices or The Leafs. Seriously, these guys need to tour Australia with The Leafs post-haste.
[Historical embedded media is withheld pending rights review.]X-Ray Charles - Heavy Fast by Mess+Noise
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– With a super-hyped EP and quickie Australian visit behind her, Auckland’s Lorde continues her savvy balance of stark electronics, grave-beyond-her-years vocals and sneaky nods to rap bravado with ‘Tennis Court’, a more low-key successor to the double-platinum-in-NZ single ‘Royals’. Also check out the murmured B-side ‘Swingin’ Party’. Now if only someone would comment on one of these songs on Soundcloud...
[Historical embedded media is withheld pending rights review.]Tennis Court by LordeMusic
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– “I think some people that do like it like it because it’s not as direct as it might seem,” The Brunettes’ Jonathan Bree told M+N back in 2009 when asked about the band’s perceived twee factor. “I’m pretty terrible at being earnest.” He proves his knack for lyrical irony with the new solo single ‘The Primrose Path’, a seemingly romantic little ditty that suddenly chimes in with lyrics like “I’ll be good to you on the primrose path/And we’ll forget I am a sociopath.” It clocks somewhere between Lawrence Arabia and Stephin Merritt in terms of drollness. The title track from an upcoming solo album, it’s free along with the equally dry album track ‘Booty Call’. Said album comes out on CD, vinyl and digital next Friday (June 21) through Bree’s label Lil’ Chief; pre-order it here. It’s the first solo record for Bree, who has played in The Brunettes for more than a decade. It’s described as “an orchestral pop album [with] lyrics about getting old and feeling crap.”
[Historical embedded media is withheld pending rights review.]Jonathan Bree - The Primrose Path by Mess+Noise
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