It’s New Music Friday, it’s New Zealand Music Month and it’s New Zealand Music T-Shirt Day! So much to celebrate! So here are five new Kiwi releases just out today. The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda picks these five new releases for your consideration: Matt Joe Gow & Kerryn Fields – I Remember You (Oily Rag Records) Our friends Matt and Kerryn have teamed up for this, their debut collaborative album. The album was written on the road and features a strong connection to Aotearoa/New Zealand. Matt Joe Gow grew up in Dunedin in the South Island, a place with bad weat ..read more

Beat Rhythm Fashion, Wellington “Post-punk”, “Terrace Scene” trio formed in 1980, dissolved in ’82 and reformed in 2018. Critical Mass is the band’s second long player since reuniting. Originally, Beat Rhythm Fashion was the brainchild of brothers Dan and Nino Birch, who, with drummer Glen Stewart, released three highly-revered singles before dissolving in ’82. Andrew Schmidt describes them in AudioCulture as one of Wellington’s “best-remembered, but least known bands”. Caroline Easther drummed for them during their final months in ‘82 before going on to play with The Verlaines, Let’s Planet ..read more

Empty the rubbish, take out the trash, and make room for JUNK; a brand new mini-festival set to clear out the clutter and bring you the best of the best of Aotearoa’s music underground. JUNK 2024 brings together a baker’s dozen of the best bands and acts from Tāmaki Makaurau and beyond, taking over Whammy, Backroom, and The Wine Cellar on Friday 7th June. This is your chance to get back in the loop, find a new obsession, and catch Aotearoa’s finest musical talents in one place, on one night, in one fell swoop.  Flying in from out of town are Ōtepoti’s own noise rock champs, Dale Kerriga ..read more

Matt Joe Gow and Kerryn Fields team up on this, their debut collaborative album, designed to get your New Zealand Music Month off on the right foot. We here at The 13th Floor love it when our friends play nice together. And that just what Matt and Kerryn do here. Both are Kiwi artists who are now based in Melbourne and both have been making wonderful country/folk/Americana music for several years now. Hearing their voices blend on opening track, and debut single, Your Heart Of Gold, and you immediately know this was a match made in musical heaven. Each singer has a strong, distinctive voice ..read more

Greta Van Fleet has announced that their Starcatcher World Tour will head down under with shows in Australia and New Zealand in August. The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda spoke to bass player (and fashion-slave) Sam Kiszka about what fans can expect when he and his brothers head this way. GRETA VAN FLEET AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND 2024 FORTITUDE MUSIC HALL, BRISBANE WEDNESDAY AUGUST 21 HORDERN PAVILION, SYDNEY SATURDAY AUGUST 24 MARGARET COURT ARENA, MELBOURNE TUESDAY AUGUST 27 SPARK ARENA, AUCKLAND FRIDAY AUGUST 30 For complete tour and ticket information, visit: gretavanfleet.com &am ..read more

Acclaimed Tāmaki Makaurau-based artist Louisa Nicklin known for her introspective songwriting and captivating soundscapes, has released her latest single, Thick, alongside the announcement of her highly anticipated second album, The Big Sulk. Following the success of her self-titled debut album in 2021, Nicklin has established herself as a prominent figure in the music scene, garnering critical acclaim and a devoted following. Here’s the blurb with more: Thick explores the concept of leaning into a situation as a means of escaping thoughts, capturing a repetitive and chaotic energy that ..read more

Legendary Scottish punk band Skids land in New Zealand next week to play two shows as part of their 45th Anniversary Greatest Hits Tour. Fans in Auckland and Wellington can look forward to hearing ‘Into the Valley’, ‘The Saints are Coming’, ‘Working for the Yankee Dollar’, ‘Masquerade’, ‘Sweet Suburbia’ and many more. Plus1 and 95bFM proudly present Skids, with special guests Vorsen: Tuesday 7 May – San Fran, Wellington Wednesday 8 May – Galatos, Auckland All details and tickets are at Plus1.co.nz Opening both shows is Vorsen, the three ..read more

James Taylor and his All Star Band helped bring April to an end in style with a tour-closing, hit-filled, crowd-pleasing show that brought smiles both to Taylor and his fans. At age 76, James Taylor is in better shape than he has any right to be. His addictions and mental health issues are public knowledge but the man sounds and looks closer to 56 than 76. As he told us, when introducing That’s Why I’m Here, it took the death of his friend John Belushi in 1982 to act as a wakeup call and motivate him to recover from his addictions. Tonight, JT’s main vice seems to be bad jokes, mostly about a ..read more

On the first day of NZ Music Month – Ōtautahi-based rising contemporary folk singer and songwriter Keren Mara has today released her vulnerable new single Under The Wind!  Here’s the blurb with more: xr:d:DAGBVSOYYRY:11,j:2774642354840330536,t:24041521 Today’s stunning release is telling of Keren Mara’s knack for raw and emotive storytelling – as she shares her journey of overcoming trauma to help others do the same. “This song acts as a mantra of knowing your inner strength,” says Keren. “It’s about finding peace in the darkness, and also knowing it’s ok to feel and expre ..read more

Eric Bibb is an American blues singer and songwriter based in Stockholm, Sweden. Eric is on his way down under with his first stop in Auckland on May 9th at The Tuning Fork. The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda spoke to Eric about making his new album, Live At The Scala Theatre and how he views the current US political landscape from his perspective as an ex-pat raised by a civil activist. Click here for date and tickets to see Eric Bibb: ERIC BIBB AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND TOUR 2024 After an extensive sell out tour in early 2023 and with a third Grammy nomination in hand, blues legend Eric Bibb has ..read more