New Zealand | Musicosity

New Zealand

Trinity Roots

Formed in 1998, Trinity Roots established themselves as a leading act in the New Zealand music scene. The band produced a contemporary sound with roots in the guitar/vocal melody and harmony of reggae, a rock-steady groove and the improvisation of jazz-schooled talented. New Zealand singer Hollie Smith sang and toured with Trinity Roots from 2003 onwards; she appears on their 2004 album Home, Land and Sea.

Artist Type: 

The Ruby Suns

'Fight Softly' is the third album by New Zealand's pop masters The Ruby Suns. Ryan McPhun (their prime mover) has the kind of voracious musical mind that cites as equal influences '80s/'90s New Jack Swing and modern Angolan kuduro, Fleetwood Mac and Britney Spears, Brazilian tropicalia and Argentinean cumbia. He's the kind of diligent, meticulous soul that spends days hunched over a laptop in a tiny rented studio in Auckland, NZ just to perfect a sequenced drum track (mission accomplished).

Shihad

Shihad are a four-piece band from New Zealand, comprising Jon Toogood (guitar/vocals), Tom Larkin (drums), Karl Kippenberger (bass) and Phil Knight (guitar). Their style is best described as "hard rock", although they were described as "metal" in their formative years. Shihad were formed in 1988 in Wellington, New Zealand. They were briefly known between 2002-2004 as "Pacifier". During this time the band was attempting to break into the US market and it was decided that Shihad sounded too much like the arabic word 'jihad', thus the name change. Their major albums and EPs include:

Artist Type: 

Witchrist

Death Metal from Auckland, New Zealand, formed in 2007. Lineup:
Void - Vocals
Occultorture - Guitar
Abomination - Guitar
Atrociter - Bass
Necrobastard - Drums Releases:
<a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Witchrist/Ancient+Tombs">Ancient Tombs</a> (2008/MC/Warfare Noise)
<a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Witchrist/Curses+of+Annihilation">Curses of Annihilation</a> (2009/CD/Crush Until Madness Records,12"/Nuclear Winter Records)
<a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Witchrist/Beheaded+Ouroboros">Beheaded Ouroboros</a> (2010/CD/Invictus Productions)
<a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Witchrist/Morbosidad%20%252F%20Witchrist">Morbo... / Witchrist</a> split 7" (2011/ep/Hells Headbangers) Upcoming:
The Grand Tormentor (Osmose Productions) <a href="http://www.doomcult.net" rel="nofollow">http://www.doomcult.net</a>
<a href="http://www.osmoseproductions.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.osmoseproductions.com</a>

Cut Off Your Hands

Cut Off Your Hands is: Nick Johnston (vocals), Jonathan Lee (guitar), Philip Hadfield (bass), and Elroy Finn (drums). The Auckland based band include Gang of Four, The Cure, Death From Above 1979, Whirlwind Heat, Joy Division, Split Enz, and James Chance and the Contortions among the chief influences on their skittering brand of proto-punk styled indie rock. Their self produced debut EP "Shaky Hands" was released in August 2006 on Speak N Spell, and includes the singles "You and I" and "Expectations".

Artist Type: 

Kora

There are multiple artists with this name: 1) Kora is a 5 piece band with huge live presence - vocal harmonies sailing on a powerhouse rhythm section. Solid musicians, the 4 brothers & Dan, hail from Wellington & Whakatane, Aotearoa (New Zealand). Kora are; Laughton Kora on vocals, guitar & keys; Francis Kora on bass & vocals; Stuart Kora on guitar & vocals; Brad Kora on drums & Dan McGruer on keys & bass. ... 2) Kora is a vocalist from Poland, most famous for her work with Maanam.

Artist Type: 

The Verlaines

The origins of New Zealand's Verlaines can be traced back as early as 1979, with the group's founder Graeme Downes took direct inspiration from fellow Dunedin group, the Clean to form a band of his own. It wasn't until 1981 that the group made their first public appearance with their initial five-piece line-up. The band have so far released seven full-length albums on three different labels, one mini album, three singles and two compilations.

Artist Type: 

Brooke Fraser

Held every year on verdant polo grounds in Indio, California, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is many things to many people: A way to hear the best alternative music, a giant lawn party of hipsters wearing hemp sunhats, or the one place you can gawk at members of super-bands as they ride around on golf carts. For Brooke Fraser, Coachella 2009 was the event that re-awakened her desire to make music. It was April and the New Zealand-born singer and songwriter was burnt out after completing a three-year tour supporting her second album, 2006’s Albertine, which debuted at No.

Artist Type: 

Gate

There are multiple artists by the name of Gate: 1.) Michael Morley is a rock and experimental musician from New Zealand. Morley sings and plays guitar as a member of The Dead C, but also records on his own (and with collaborators) as Gate. Earlier, in the 1980's, Morley was a member of Wreck Small Speakers on Expensive Stereos. Morley founded the Precious Metal label sometime in the late 1980's to document, first on cassette and later LP and CD, his own work as Gate. Most of the releases on Precious Metal were limited to very small quantities.

Artist Type: