#nzmm

[tabzjoynt]

[hauntedchronicler]

Kia ora!  It’s the final day of Te Marama Puoro o Aotearoa, and I’ve saved today to celebrate one of the all time greatest songs ever produced in this country.

Poi E was released in 1984 by Pātea Māori Club, as the first single off their album of the same name.  It was the best selling single of the year in Aotearoa, outselling all international artists.  The song was written to promote cultural pride in young Māori by blending traditional singing styles with modern hip hop.  It was popularised by a news story after receiving hardly any commercial play, and shot to number 1 overnight, cementing its place in Aotearoa’s cultural landscape for decades to come.  After being used in an advert in 2009 Poi E returned to the charts, followed by another comeback the year later after featuring in the Taika Waititi film Boy, making it the only song from Aotearoa ever to chart over three decades.  In July 2016, a film about the song, Poi E: The Story of Our Song, premiered at the New Zealand International Film Festival.  With nearly four decades of love to its name, it’s hard to think of a song that’s closer to the hearts of the nation.

And with that, I’ll be closing out my month of local music!  I hope everyone’s enjoyed it and found some new favourites, and I wanna quickly say thank you to everyone who’s followed me over the course of this project as well!  It’s been exciting getting to chat music and share the awesome talent in Aotearoa with so many people, and the support has been so wonderful!  I’m going to be doing a final roundup later today where I’ll reblog all of the posts throughout the month, so you can catch up if you’ve missed any, and I’ve also made a Youtube playlist with (almost) all of the songs I’ve featured or mentioned throughout the month!  (Unfortunately had to leave off a couple that I could only find on Bandcamp, so check the previous posts for those ones!  There are also a few less-than-ideal recordings of indie artists who again - their work is much more easily accessible on Bandcamp, so check them out!)  Thanks again everyone, and enjoy kiwi music all year round!

[hauntedchronicler]

Kia ora!  The month’s almost over - it’s day 30 of Te Marama Puoro o Aotearoa!

Dave Dobbyn has been one of the biggest names in Aotearoa’s music scene for nearly 50 years.  Dobbyn quit teachers’ college in 1976 to focus on his rock band Th’ Dudes, who performed together until 1980.  After their dissolution Dobbyn formed pop group DD Smash, a group that found immediate success and helped Dobbyn overcome the stage fright he had struggled with early in his career.  After a power cut during a concert led to violent behaviour from the crowd, Dobbyn was charged with inciting a riot due to anti-police comments he had made while on stage, though he was later aquitted.  In 1986 DD Smash disbanded, and Dobbyn decided to pursue a solo career, one that took him from success to success, having dozens of singles and every album reach the charts, and winning 23 RIANZ awards across the course of his career.  It’s hard to overstate his impact on music and culture in Aotearoa, a voice that has reflected the people for decades.

[hauntedchronicler]

Kia ora e hoa mā, welcome to day 29 of Te Marama Puoro o Aotearoa!

Today’s featured artist is Crowded House.  Where to even start?  Formed in 1985, Crowded House are a band so long-lasting and influential that their membership spans multiple generations of the same family.  Founded by Neil Finn, Paul Hester, and Nick Seymour, later band members included Neil’s brother Tim (of Split Enz), and much further down the line his sons Elroy and Liam.  The band were quick to find international success, with their second single reaching number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US, and number 1 in Canada.  They released four studio albums, toured the world, and won many awards throughout their first run, before going their separate ways in 1996.  After a decade off, a few of the original members got back together and decided to rebuild the band in 2006, producing another two albums before again going on hiatus in 2016.  After Neil Finn spent some time as a replacement for Lindsey Buckingham in Fleetwood Mac, the group once again reunited in 2019, having since released another album and embarked on international tour.

You’ll like them if you like: Fleetwood Mac, The Rembrandts, Tears For Fears, ‘Til Tuesday

Similar NZ Artists: The Exponents - Rock Mi-Sex - New Wave Split Enz - New Wave The Mutton Birds - Rock

[hauntedchronicler]

Nau mai haere mai, it’s day 28 of Te Marama Puoro o Aotearoa!

Today’s featured artist is a titan of the Aotearoa music scene, Stan Walker!  Born in Australia but raised in Aotearoa, Stan Walker was able to find healing from a difficult upbringing through the music at his church.  After moving back to Australia as an adult, he competed in the seventh season of Australian Idol, becoming the first New Zealander ever to win.  He has had a broad and successful career since, boasting six studio albums, multiple film and television appearances, judging roles in singing competitions, and many charitable ventures.  In 2018 after concerns were raised about his health, Walker revealed that he had needed to have his stomach removed, after discovering he had inherited a rare stomach cancer causing gene that had killed dozens of members of his family.  He returned to music shortly afterwards, and has continued releasing new singles and albums since.

You’ll like him if you like: Beyoncé, Guy Sebastian, Frank Ocean, H.E.R, John Legend

Similar NZ Artists: Troy Kingi - Funk/Soul Maimoa - Pop J. Williams - Pop/R&B Drax Project - Pop/R&B

[hauntedchronicler]

Kia ora e hoa mā!  It’s day 27 of Te Marama Puoro o Aotearoa, and I wanna take a turn for the indie today.

Lucy Hunter is an independent musician from Ōtepoti who got her start as one third of the post-punk band Opposite Sex.  Having released their first album on a small independent label in 2011, the band has continued playing small tours throughout the company and releasing music without a label, focusing on their own sound and style.  While the band are known for heavier, more demanding music, vocalist Lucy Hunter’s solo work is slower and more thoughtful, asking the listener to sit with it and share the singer’s feelings as they listen.  In addition to her solo work, Hunter has continued to release new music with Opposite Sex, as well as a new project Wet Specimen.

You’ll like her if you like: Phoebe Bridgers, Regina Spektor, Tori Amos, Mitski

Similar NZ Artists: Opposite Sex - Post-Punk Wet Specimen - Alternative Astro Children - Post-Punk Repulsive Woman - Indie

[hauntedchronicler]

Kia ora!  It’s day 26 of Te Marama Puoro o Aotearoa, and I wanna talk about a song that’s close to every kiwi’s heart.

Pōkarekare Ana is often referred to as the unofficial national anthem of Aotearoa, and you’d be hard pressed to find a kiwi who doesn’t know the song.  Though its origins are not clear, it was composed sometime around 1914, likely by a group of people.  It originated “north of Auckland,” and was published in 1919 by Eastern Maori politicians Paraire Tomoana and Āpirana Ngata, neither of whom knew where or by who it was composed.  The lyrics are directed to the woman the singer loves, telling her of the depth of the singer’s love despite the troubled waters that separate them, and longing that they be reunited.  Some theorise that the lyrics refer to the story of Hinemoa and Tūtānekai, though with the original writers unknown it’s impossible to be certain.  No matter the origin however, over a century later Pōkarekare Ana remains one of the nation’s most beloved love songs.

[hauntedchronicler]

Kia ora!  It’s day 25 of Te Marama Puoro o Aotearoa, and we’re running out of time!  (Running out of time!)

In all seriousness, today I want to talk about Elemeno P, one of Aotearoa’s best known rock bands, absolute titans of The Emo Years.  Getting their start as flatmates, the two founding members recorded a selection of demos and shopped them around different labels, with no representation or backing behind them.  They were picked up quickly by Universal and after filling out their numbers the band were quickly thrust into the limelight, playing alongside groups like Sum 41 and Good Charlotte before even releasing their debut album.  Their 3 studio albums charted at 1, 2, and 3 respectively, and after several years together the band parted ways in 2012 to pursue individual musical ventures, though they have reunited to perform together on occasion.

You’ll like them if you like: Sum 41, Good Charlotte, Alkaline Trio, Blink 182, Paramore

Similar NZ Artists: Zed - Pop-Rock The Feelers - Pop-Rock Supergroove - Funk-Rock 48May - Pop-Rock