Spotlight Artist: Vampire Weekend

Every weekday between 1 and 5pm we play tracks from our #spotlightartist. They’re an artist with a body of work which has stood the test of time. We’ll play the hits – but also some deep cuts. Listen ad-free through New Zealand via @tunein at https://goo.gl/VL6m3NS

Vampire Weekend from New York started out in 2006. Their self-titled first album from 2008 received critical acclaim for its diverse musical influences and debuted at number 17 on the Billboard 200, not bad for a first album. Since then they’ve gone on to release Contra (2010), Modern Vampires of the City (2013) and soon to come Father of the Bride. We’re enjoying one of the early singles “Harmony Hall” at the moment – this week we’ll take the chance to look back over their interesting career.

New Music Friday: 22nd February 2019

Its Friday so its time for five brand new tracks to get their first spin on the hour every hour from 9am. We’ll keep playing these tracks on New Zealand Net Radio, home of streaming radio ad free 24/7 throughout New Zealand.

Tim Newman – BURN UP

Marina – Handmade Heaven

Avril Lavigne – Tell Me It’s Over

Magic Giant – Rocketman feat. American Authors

Pet Shop Boys – What Are We Going To Do About The Rich

Album of the Week: Bobbie Gentry’s The Delta Sweete Revisited

New Zealand Net Radio plays a song from our #albumoftheweek every hour from 9am to 12pm Monday to Friday. Listen in @tunein at https://tunein.com/radio/New-Zealand-Net-Radio-s305138/

Bobby Gentry is one of those intriguing legends. A smash hit off her first album with “Ode to Billie Joe”, she was one of the first female artists to write her own songs. She produced seven studio albums, and performed until the late 1970s until she lost interest in performing. That’s it. No reunion tours, anniversary tours etc.

The world was her oyster when she produced her second album The Delta Sweete. Pitchfork brilliantly described it as “full of technicolor arrangements, oddball collages, and playful sexual innuendos”.

Now Mercury Rev (formed in Buffalo, New York in the late 1980s), described as psych-pop masters have turned to this lost gem. Reshaping the songs with a string of big name singers (Phoebe Bridgers, Beth Orton and Lucinda Williams amongst them) we’re in for something a bit different this week – should be a treat!

New Music Friday: 15th February 2019

Its Friday so its time for five brand new tracks to get their first spin on the hour every hour from 9am. We’ll keep playing these tracks on New Zealand Net Radio, home of streaming radio ad free 24/7 throughout New Zealand.

Meg Mac – Something Tells Me

The Chainsmokers – Who Do You Love (feat 5 Seconds of Summer)

Khalid – Talk

Marin Morris – Common (feat. Brandi Carlile)

Dan Sharp – Kindle and Coal

Spotlight Artist: Roy Orbison

Every weekday between 1 and 5pm we play tracks from our #spotlightartist. They’re an artist with a body of work which has stood the test of time. We’ll play the hits – but also some deep cuts. Listen ad-free through New Zealand via @tunein at https://goo.gl/VL6m3NS

The “Big O”, Roy Orbison is a musical legend. Born in Texas, he began singing in a rockabilly band in high school. He was signed by the legendary Sam Phillips (of Elvis fame) in 1956 but achieved his first wave of success with Monument Records beginning in 1960. He had writing credit of many of the singles in this era that hit the top 10 including “Only the Lonely”, “Crying”, “Running Scared”, “In Dreams” and “Oh, Pretty Woman”. Roy Orbison: The Monument Singles Collection is a great compilation to access this era.

Following the tragic loss of his wife, Orbison’s tour went into decline until the 1980s when cover versions of his song re-ignited interest. In 1988 he co-founded the Travelling Wilburys supergroup with Tom Petty, Jeff Lynn, George Harrison and Bob Dylan to great acclaim. Tragically he died of a heart attack in December 1988. One month later “You Got It” hit the top 10, the first time a solo Orbison song had achieved this for 25 years.

Album of the Week: Broods – Don’t Feed The Pop Monster

New Zealand Net Radio plays a song from our #albumoftheweek every hour from 9am to 12pm Monday to Friday. Listen in @tunein at https://tunein.com/radio/New-Zealand-Net-Radio-s305138/

The Broods, from Nelson New Zealand, have been releasing music since 2014. Don’t Feed The Pop Monster is their third effort. With a generous track listing of 12 varied tracks its anything but boring. NME said that “it somehow feels easier to break through the sheen, and get to the heart this time around”. We think it is a step in the right direction in the evolution of this talented group.

New Music Friday – 8th February 2019

Its Friday so its time for five brand new tracks to get their first spin on the hour every hour from 9am. We’ll keep playing these tracks on New Zealand Net Radio, home of streaming radio ad free 24/7 throughout New Zealand.

Florence + The Machine – Moderation

Lauv & Troye Sivan – i’m so tired

Broods – Too Proud

Bring Me The Horizon – Mother Tongue

Mallrat & Basenji – Nobody’s Home

Spotlight Artist: Lana Del Rey

Every weekday between 1 and 5pm we play tracks from our #spotlightartist. They’re an artist with a body of work which has stood the test of time. We’ll play the hits – but also some deep cuts. Listen ad-free through New Zealand via @tunein at https://goo.gl/VL6m3NS

From New York, Lana Del Rey achieved her first success with 2011’s single “Video Games”. Her first album Born To Die released in 2012 was a hit around the world and launched a successful career, dubbed the “Queen of Indie Pop”. We’ve enjoyed her fantastic cinematic music over the years, and look forward to checking out a range of popular and deeper cuts through the week.

Album of the Week: Beirut – Gallipoli

New Zealand Net Radio plays a song from our #albumoftheweek every hour from 9am to 12pm Monday to Friday. Listen in @tunein at https://tunein.com/radio/New-Zealand-Net-Radio-s305138/

This is probably a slightly left-field choice for us. Although the name Gallipoli catches the eye of us Kiwis (its actually referring to an Italian town rather than the Turkish peninsula) we haven’t actually come across Beirut before. Beirut are an indie folk band started by Zach Condon from Santa Fe, New Mexico. A talented multi-instrumentalist, his musical influences include Eastern Europe. This melancholic album has a Mediterranean feel, and great sounds from interesting instruments such as the woodblock metronome, Farfisa organ as well has brass and ukelele. Something different but very enjoyable.