Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Kronos Sends His Xmas Greetings

The Dark Lord and his friends wish everyone the best of the season. 

Get in the Van

Rhythmethod Summer Touring

ARIAL PINK'S HAUNTED GRAFFITI
Auckland - Tuesday 13th March, Kings Arms
Wellington - Wednesday 14th March, Bodega





BEIRUT
Auckland - Monday 16th January, The Powerstation
Wellington - Saturday 14th January, San Francisco Bath House






BIG DAY OUT
Best Coast
Friday 20th January, Mt Smart Stadium

BON IVER
Wellington - Monday 27th February, Wellington Town Hall
Wellington - Tuesday 28th February, Wellington Town Hall

THE CHECKS (w/ The Datsuns)
Waihi - Wednesday 18th January, Waihi Beach Hotel
Auckland - Thursday 19th January Bacco Room
Mangawhai - Friday 27th January, Mangawhai Tavern
Wellington - Thursday 2nd February, San Francisco Bath House


COROMANDEL GOLD
30 - 31st December, Ohuka Farm
Shapeshifter, The Black Seeds, Ladi 6, The Upbeats, Fat Freddy's Drop, Trinity Roots


DUM DUM GIRLS
Auckland - Friday 6th January, Kings Arms


FAT FREDDY'S DROP'S ONE DROP
Matakana - Monday 2nd January, Ascension Wine Estate (w/ Trinity Roots AND Cornerstone Roots)
Havelock North - Saturday 7th January, Black Barn


FLEET FOXES
Wellington - Friday 13th January, Town Hall
Auckland - Saturday 14th January, Town Hall

LA DE DA
Martinborough - Friday 30th December - Saturday 31st December, Dry River Road
Fat Freddy's Drop, State of Mind, Sola Rosa


LADI 6
Lower Hutt - Monday 26th December, The Station Village Complex
Mangawhai - Wednesday 28th December, Butler's Reef
Waihi - Monday 2nd January, Waihi Beach Hotel
Mt Maunganui - Tuesday 3rd January, Brewers Field

LANEWAY FESTIVAL
Auckland, Monday 30th January, Silo Park
The Horrors, SBTRKT, Girls, M83, The Pains of Being Pure At Heart, Toro Y Moi, Washed Out




THEE OH SEES
Auckland - Friday 27th January, Whammy
Wellington - Saturday 28th January - Mighty Mighty
Whanganui - Sunday 29th January - ARC Theatre


THE PHOENIX FOUNDATION
Wellington - Saturday 31th December, Queen's Wharf

SHAPESHIFTER
Matakana - Thursday 29th December, Ascension Vineyard
Motueka - Monday 2nd january, Riwaka Hotel
Tauranga - Friday 6th January, Brewers Field
Waihi - Saturday 7th January, Waihi Beach Hotel

TUNEYARDS
Auckland - Thursday 12th January, The Kings Arms

WOMAD
Taranaki - 16-18th March 
The Black Seeds
The Yoots

RHYTHM AND VINES 
Gisborne -29th-31st December, Wai-o-Hika Estate
The Thomas Oliver Band


RIPPON
Wanaka - Saturday 4th February, Rippon Vineyard, Lake Wanaka
Street Chant, The Yoots, Lord Echo, Trinity Roots

Friday, November 11, 2011

11.11.11



The Checks return with album #3, produced by the band and Grammy award winning producer Bassy Bob Brockman. In early 2011 The Checks took up residence in a semi-abandoned building in the neon guts of Auckland's CBD. Office space was converted into recording studio; dingy walls that look like they would taste of capers and grimy benches became pinup space for song forms and artwork.  Treacle Toffee World (their pre-England practice space) was born again.

A month out from zero hour, Bassy Bob flew in from NYC and three instense weeks of demo-ing tracks began.  The album took shape just in time to enter the analogue playground of Roundhead Studios.

Deadly Summer Sway combines crisp warm tones of ribbon mics, The Who's 1974 Neve mixing console and 24 track tape with a hip hop producer's digital swagger. 

Oh yes indeed. 

Happy Checks Day:  Deadly Summer Sway is now out!

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

New Meg Baird video: "The Finder"


From 'Seasons on Earth' - out now on CD and LP via our friends at Drag City.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

All aboard! Bannerman Dearly Departed album and tour

 
 
The second Bannerman album is out now.  Listen at Bandcamp, buy in stores.

Bannerman on tour:
 
Nov Fri 18th – Golden Dawn (AK)
w/ Heart Attack Alley
Dec Fri 2nd – Cabana (Napier)
w/ Devil's Elbow
Dec Sat 3rd – The Burgundy Room (Welly)
w/ Rosy Tin Teacaddy
Dec Fri 16th – Leigh Sawmill (Leigh)
w/ Artisan Guns + Jellphonic
 
Tickets are on sale now at Undertheradar or direct from Leigh Sawmill and The Cabana for those shows.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

A Big Heap of Celebratory Hot Chips - We're Ten!



Rhythmethod Hits 10 Year Anniversary on Record High

Independent music distributor Rhythmethod was established by Peter Baker in a cold, windowless suburban garage equipped with little more than a dial-up connection and a wheezing fax machine.  Ten years on, the fax machine is no more and his company is delivering some of New Zealand’s best, chart-topping musical talent – Fat Freddy’s Drop, Tiki Taane, Ladi 6 and Shapeshifter to name just a few.

And add to that stellar list the international names such as the White Stripes, Radiohead, Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver, Interpol and a rather popular British lass called Adele.

For Rhythmethod the recent news that Adele’s album “21” is now New Zealand’s longest charting No: 1 album of any artist ever was the perfect anniversary present with which to celebrate 10 years. 

Over the last decade, the company has sold 1.5 million CDs and LPs to retail stores and represented a diverse range of extraordinary local and international acts including OpShop, Cat Power, Dizzee Rascal, Gotan Project and Flight Of The Conchords but local music has always held a special place in its heart.
   
Peter says of all the albums sold over the last 10 years, 50% were albums from NZ artists.  To date the company has returned over 9 million dollars in royalties back to NZ artists, which is something the team is pretty chuffed about.


"From the beginning I idealistically wanted to provide an independent service for artists, retail and media - and that's what the team has ended up doing.  I was enormously inspired by Tony Wilson of Factory Records fame.  So we were aiming for one part Tony Wilson, one part Peter Saville, one part Rob Gretton and one part Alan Erasmus and 10 years later, the influence of those four parts is still evident throughout the whole business."

Any overview of Rhythmethod would be incomplete without mentioning the phenomenal success of Fat Freddy’s Drop, a group who has been with the company from the beginning, and who has captured the imagination of the NZ public 2006. 

Fat Freddy’s Drop has the longest charting Number One album of a New Zealand band ever and their debut studio album Based On A True Story is one of the biggest selling NZ albums of all time, passing eight-times platinum sales (134,000). A fixture in the NZ Top 40 Album Chart since its release in 2006, the album shipped gold (7,500) on the day of release and debuted at number 1, which was a first for any local independent distributor.

But the platinum sales are also mounting up for others on the Rhythmethod roster. Look no further than the Flight Of The Conchords’ self-titled album, The Black Seeds Solid Ground, Tiki’s Past, Present, Future album and Shapeshifter’s System Of A Vampire album; as well as gold sales for Shapeshifter’s Riddim Wise and Live albums, Sola Rosa’s Get It Together and Little Bushman’s Onus Of Sand.

Amongst the accolades Rhythmethod has never lost its heart, championing many small and diverse NZ artist and labels whose releases may have never seen the light of day without the backing of Pete and his team.

“For us the most rewarding and exciting aspect of being an independent distributor is helping artists realise their goals.  That’s always been our intention and I imagine it’ll stay that way for the next ten years.”

RHYTHMETHOD
02/10/2001 -

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Oh my goodness, it's a new Checks album!


CANDYMAN SHIMMER is the explosive first taste from the forthcoming longplayer from The Checks and you can download it right here, right now for a limited time only: www.thechecks.net

"CANDYMAN SHIMMER is really all about you and your stinking mate in a clapped out 1.3 litre Fiat Uno chain smoking cigarettes hooning past two slick fellas in expensive suits cruising the motorway in a silver Porche.  You pull your blue jumper over your eyes as you boost along and think about the Barbados coastline.

THE CHECKS - 11 /11 / 11

The Checks played out their brand new set of material from the forthcoming album over the weekend in Auckland, the response: rapturous…

Keep an eye on www.facebook.com/thechecks for details as this week The Checks will perform their brand new set at the Kathryn Wilson Fashion Show, Friday 10.30pm (free entry to the public). Secret central Auckland venue will be announced at later in the week.

Friday, August 12, 2011

The War on Drugs vs Shabazz Palaces

We're not really into fighting, so we gave The War On Drugs and Shabazz Palaces equal billing on next week's release sheet. 

The War On Drugs is Adam Granduciel, Slave Ambient is the second album, and it's a brilliant sprawl of rock n roll via Secretly Canadian.  "I really like it", says Sales Guy, "it's kinda Springsteen."  Listen and watch over at SC.



Shabazz Palaces Black Up is out on Sub Pop.  The project is lead by lyricist Ishmael Butler aka Palaceer Lazaro, formerly of Digable Planets and Cherrywine.  Bold, experimental, cryptic and dark, it's going straight into the RM staff car player (well, it will, as soon as that vehicle's returned from the panelbeaters). 

















Wednesday, July 27, 2011

On Fridays We Play Records


Well, we play records every day of the week, but Fridays are special cos we take turns to bring our own playlist, have a go on the boss's stereo, eat crisps, drink beer and say kind things about each other's selections.

Monday, July 25, 2011

Happy Heartbreak! Released 1 August!

After nearly two years in the making, recorded in bedrooms and lounges, between studios and day jobs, The Sami Sisters debut album Happy Heartbreak! is finally here.  Happy Heartbreak! is a spunk of a record which takes you on a journey filled with rousing pop songs on a topic we all love to ruminate on.  Warm, uplifting and moving, this debut effort sees Madeleine, Anji and Priya trade their acoustic stylings for a full band sound as synths, electric guitars, drums and those trademark harmonies combine deliciously throughout 11 tracks creating a little pop gem that's a treat for your earholes.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Resurrecting the Staff Pick



Luey's pick of next week's release sheet is the dark, eerie, cinematic Creep On Creepin' On by Timber Timbre via Full Time Hobby. 

Need More Rhythmethod?

Well, pop over to our fancy new Facebook page to get more regular updates. 

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Monday, February 21, 2011

Hot Short Friday



The call went out the day before: "Wear ya coolest / hottest / bestest / funniest shorts tomorrow for a laff.  Winner gets extra potato fritter! Ohhhh....Meeeeeeaaaaannnnnn!"

Who won?  Have a look here and you might find out...


Thursday, January 13, 2011

The National - Terrible Love (Live Uncut in Brooklyn)



(The National. Saw them last night at the Powerstation, Auckland.  Oh. My. Goodness.  Today we are a very happy office).