NEW RELEASE
John White – Inkadies (dreampop) CD -  $15
Inkadies is a new solo album by dream-pop folk artist John White. Gathering guest musicians from Madison’s lush music scene, the album boasts chiming harmonies and dripping synth accompaniments underneath John’s dreamily relaxed vocals and gently strummed acoustic guitar. John White is also the frontman for seminal Dunedin fuzz-pop band Mëstar and at one time toured extensively with now defunct avante-popsters Cloudboy.
“Dunedin’s best kept secret has to be John White. The Inkadies is the soundtrack to that glorious half-asleep period that we get before sleep – full of strange imaginations and warmth. Beautiful stuff, and an oh-so-welcome return from the talented Mr White.”  – Cheese on Toast

NEW RELEASE
Tim Guy – Big World (folk-pop) CD: $15
Tim Guy’s third album reveals the depth of talent of this criminally underrated singer/songwriter and features major contributions from Jeremy Toy and Julien Dyne from the Open Souls. This release could see him finally getting the attention he deserves.
“Gentle mature heavenly pop.” – Elsewhere
“Guy brings an all star cast to his quality 3rd album.” – Rip It Up

Niko Ne Zna EP (Balkan/gypsy) CD: $10
Niko Ne Zna are New Zealand’s very own Balkan Gypsy brass extravaganza and could be called our version of the great Fanfare Ciocarlia from Romania. Comprising trumpet, saxophone, accordion, trombone, sousaphone, drums and percussion, they can roam while playing, and enchant the audience into dancing, singing, clapping and stomping all night long. Niko Ne Zna will be touring through New Zealand over summer as part of Gypsy Fever and playing several festivals.
“Niko Ne Zna serve up authentic and twisted gypsy goodness on this eponymous EP.” – NZ Musician
“Straight to the dancefloor…” – Elsewhere

The Benka Boradovsky Bordello Band – Polkapocalypse (Balkan/gypsy) CD: $15
The debut album and (sadly) swansong from New Zealand’s answer to Gogol Bordello is a predictably chaotic, glorious ride through a set of inspired East European/Gypsy traditionals, original tunes and covers with a twist – most notably an inspired version of The Dead Kennedy’s “Too Drunk to F**k”.
“Knees-up dance music…” – Elsewhere
“The Benka Borodovsky Bordello Band take accordion, clarinet, flute, violin and electric guitar and create a whirling dervish, a wild good-time combination of klezmer, gypsy music and punk-rock energy.” – Counting the Beat

Cinema 90 EP (electronica/soul) CD: $10
This debut EP by Cinema 90 exhibits an unabashed homage to 90’s trip hop and while references may be made to Massive Attack, Tricky and Moby, this is first and foremost beautifully produced music for your heart, soul and ears.
“An assured debut from a promising new artist.” – Senor Mono

Bond Street Bridge – The Mapmaker’s Art (folk noir) CD: $15
Bond Street Bridge is the creation of Auckland-based multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Sam Prebble who is also known for his work with the Broken Heartbreakers and Reb Fountain. Listening to the lush soundscapes and cunningly interleaved parts on this record, it is hard to believe that it was recorded on a laptop with one microphone, in a falling-down villa next to a motorway.
“A joyously cinematic listening experience.” – Real Groove
“Very different and very good indeed.”’ – Graham Reid (top 40 albums 2008)
“Darkly beautiful in it’s ingenuity.” – Cheese on Toast

Renee-Louise Carafice – Tells You To Fight (indie-pop) CD: $15
Renee-Louise Carafice is a dark-folk-pop songstress born in New Zealand and now based in Chicago. With a bitingly honest and brutally fragile voice, Carafice sings with an alarming openness about desperation, love, loss, homelessness and longing; all the while maintaining a sense of glorious hope at the end of the road. Recorded at Steve Albini’s legendary analogue studio in Chicago, featuring members of Iron and Wine and produced by Ben King from Goldenhorse, this is one fantastic album.
“A stunning debut.” – NZ Listener (top 10 albums 2008)
“She has a compellingly honest voice, a way with a melody, and arrangements which enhance the songs and lift them from bedsit to centre stage.” – Elsewhere

Various – Monkey Magic II (indie-pop/folk/psychedelic/soul/electronic) CD + DVD: $20
Monkey Magic II is  a CD and DVD (Monkey TV) celebrating contemporary independent New Zealand music and features a selection of Monkey artists and friends including An Emerald City, The Mamaku Project, The Hot Grits, Steve Abel plus a Sola Rosa remix of a Onelung track. The DVD is a collection of spectacular lo-fi music videos made by Monkey over the last few years and the gatefold artwork by Leah Morgan featuring native flora and fauna is simply stunning. Less than 100 copies left of this beautiful limited edition package!
“Monkey has a wonderful catalogue to celebrate” – Elsewhere
“The music on the album is universally sublime” – NZ Musician
“Monkey Magic Vol II is highly recommended and kick-ass.” – Lumiere

The Hot Grits – It’s Too Drunk To Be This Early (afrobeat/soul) CD: $15
What do you get if you mix a pound of Fela Kuti’s Afrika 70, two cupfuls of The Meters, 250g of thinly sliced early James Brown and a level dessertspoon of psychedelic rock? You get the heaving, convulsing powerhouse of soul music that is The Hot Grits.
“An infectious recording that casts a powerful musical spell.” – Waikato Times
“It’s Too Drunk to Be This Early is a fantastic (and long-awaited, for those following the band) slice of Fela Kuti-derived funk.” – The Dominion Post

Sleepytime – The Twilight Drone (ambient/electronic) CD + DVD: $15
Ex-Cloudboy member, Johannes Contag presents the third chapter in his Sleepytime project – this time with an uninterrupted album-length drone piece that works not only as soundtrack but also as an ambient film in its own right.
“With a little effort the viewer is rewarded with something majestic, a truly hypnotic experience.” – NZ Musician

The Benka Boradovsky Bordello Band – Danse Macabre EP (gypsy/Balkan) CD:  $10
Hailing from the slums and ghettos of Auckland (the Prague of the South), The Benka Boradovsky Bordello band was a highly theatrical musical group specialising in music of Eastern European, Gypsy and Jewish flavour, along with some Western European influences. If references are necessary, they sound like Tom Waits, Shane McGowan and Franz Kafka drunk too much vodka and thought they were in 1950’s Yugoslavia. Sadly the band disbanded in early 2010.
“BBB Band capture a Jewish, Gypsy feel with breathtaking effectiveness.” – Canta
“It makes you want to kick up your heels and dance like a Cossack…” – Real Groove

Káren Hunter – Rubble (jazz/folk/pop) CD: $10
Iconic singer/songwriter Káren Hunter mined the musical debris and lyrical sediment of the likes of Tom Waits and Rickie Lee Jones collecting inspirations to smash and smooth together while assembling her highly acclaimed fourth solo album ‘Rubble’.
“That she can switch from a dirty jazz-blues rhythm section arrangement to a simple guitar-picking delivery to spoken word reveals Hunter as a major New Zealand talent. From every turn, Rubble is one rough-cut gem of an album.” – Waikato Times.
“Rubble is a class act of an album – do your best to check it out. It will surprise those that are both long-time fans of Karen Hunter and impress those that had never heard of her.” **** (4 stars) – The Dominion Post)

Ishta – Ishta (world fusion) CD: $10
Ishta were a world groove group that were very popular on the festival/summer circuit in New Zealand a few years ago. Their live sound was an intoxicating blend of Indian Classical, Middle Eastern, jazz and dub influences that never failed to get an audience dancing ecstatically. Sadly, the band disbanded in 2006 but various members went on play in other world fusion bands including The Mamaku Project and An Emerald City.
“Truly outstanding was the live band Ishta, who infuse guitar, sitar, double bass, sax/flute, hand drums and a clay pot into an intoxicating cocktail of finely balanced aural ethnicity and contemporary groove.” – The Package
“A thrilling and heady brew…” – The Herald

Peachy Keen – Peachy Keen (noir lounge pop) CD: $10
Peachy Keen was a four-piece Auckland-based band who described their sound as noir lounge pop. Their use of piano and violin gave the band a sophisticated point of difference and their songs range from satirical to theatrical to sublime melancholy. The lineup consisted of bass player, songwriter and singer Kathryn van Beek (also known as an award-winning playwright), classically trained pianist Nigel Braddock, jazz drummer Ben Lockwood and jazz/country violinist Tamasin Taylor (The Nudie Suits).
“There is some dreamy piano, coquettish drumming and snazzy violin, but it is the smoky voice of evil genius singer that most delights. With influences ranging from Pulp and PJ Harvey to Blondie, Peachy Keen is a welcome addition to any music collection.” – The Package

Various – Monkey Magic (ambient/acoustic/electronic/world) CD: $10
Monkey Magic is a sixteen track compilation from 2004 (The Year of the Monkey) featuring new and emerging artists on the label compiled by label boss and chief monkey Nigel Braddock. The album encompasses a diverse range of styles from the upbeat electronica of Onelung and Hummel to the more ambient sounds of Dystopia and Sleepytime, acoustic recordings by Peachy Keen and 8fold and the ethnic groove style of Ishta and Shinya. A great introduction to the label.
“An impressive overview. Mellow, acoustic and rhythmical, Monkey Magic is essential listening.” – Real Groove
“A beautiful album…” Critic

Sleepytime – Vol. 2: Schlafwandler (ambient/electronic) CD: $10
Schlafwandler was devised and compiled in a pyramid looking out on Kapiti Island, New Zealand by Sleepytime aka Johannes Contag of Cloudboy and Mink fame.  The music of this album is an aural meditation, with subtle dynamics and not devoid of tension.  This is music that can heal the heart, mind and soul just as much as it can provide a chilled-out afternoon/end-of-night soundtrack – in today’s gamut of vibe-merchandising, a rare find indeed.
“… a glorious aural lullaby.” – Listener
“Gorgeous and hypnotically addictive.” – Rip It Up

Onelung – Nu Scientist (downbeat/electronica) CD: $10
Nu Scientist is Onelung’s fourth album and features a swirling landscape of sounds and samples “sourced, compiled, edited, wiggidy wigged, reversed, inverted and squeezed” by Kevin Tutt, the mad sonic scientist himself, plus some ethereal vocals from Rachel Bailey (The Broken Heartbreakers) and live double bass by John Fraser.
“… a rich, cinematic listening experience.”  – Metro
“…a refreshing blast of upbeat samples and riffs full of catchy hooks and funky licks.”  – Rip It Up

Various – Leading a Horse to Water (ambient/electronic/world) CD: $10
This 14 track (71 minute) CD features New Zealand artists who performed in the ambient zone at The Gathering 2000. The Gathering was NZ’s largest outdoor dance party and was held over four days during New Years from 1997-2002 attracting up to 10,000 people to one of the most beautiful parts of the country. This compilation was put together by John Heighes who was the organiser of the zone and all-round ambient guru. Half the tracks are unreleased and exclusive to this album. Leading a Horse to Water features established artists such as and SJD and Dub Asylum as well as showcasing other upcoming sonic explorers from Aotearoa.
“This is ambient of the most gentle, whispered and diverse persuasion, and very attractive.” **** (four stars) – The NZ Herald
“Leading a Horse to Water shows you the scope of the genre and doesn’t force you to drink” – Listener