Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Stunned Mullet: Silver Scrolls Special Available to Download

Last week the 2007 Silver Scroll Awards were held. You've probably all heard by now that the winner was Brooke Fraser for her song Albertine. Not what we here at The Beach would have chosen, but there you go.

The awards themselves are a pretty glamourous affair but one of the nice features is that almost everyone there is actually a musician, rather than an industry hack. That's because the Silver Scrolls are the awards of a songwriters and performers organisation, APRA. In fact the winning song is voted by the members of APRA, the songwriters themselves.

A special feature of the award show is the performance of the five nominated songs by other musical artists. The idea behind this is that if the song is really good it should stand up to different interpretations, and not be completely bound with its original form and performance.

Also at this years awards there was the inaugural induction into the NZ Music Hall of Fame. While he might not have the cool factor of, say, Shane Carter, or the gravitas of Don McGlashan, the inductee, Jordan Luck, (pictured) has written songs, pop songs, that have endured and become part of the social fabric of our country. The announcement took many by surprise, not least of all Jordan, who described himself as a 'stunned mullet'. However, most felt the accolade was truly deserved.

You can hear interviews with the nominees, the performances of the nominated songs from the award ceremony and excerpts from the awards show (including a classic quote from Helen Clark) in the Counting The Beat Silver Scrolls Special available for streaming or download.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Dylan, Mark Ronson, Simon, El. Who could possibly ask for more?



Go to http://www.dylanmessaging.com/index.html to check out the new Mark Ronson remix of Dylan's 'Most likely you go your way (and I'll go mine)' - Bloomin' marvelous!!! Almost makes you want to go out and buy the new Dylan album doesn't it!!! Not quite tho eh!! ;-)

Monday, September 17, 2007

This Year's Best Record: Yeah Right

The nominees for the NZ Music Awards, best known as The Tuis, have been announced and they're not a bad bunch. And while Hayley Westenra is amongst those nominated there are several acts that are favourites of us here at The Beach who also get the nod. Liam Finn is up for breakthrough artist and single of the year for Second Chance, The Tutts K is also in the single of the year category while (imagine trumpet fanfare here) The Mint Chicks are nominated for four awards - Album of the year, Best Group, Rock Album of the year and Best Album Cover Art.

It's at this point that we get to jump around thumbing out nose at the organisers of the The Tuis, RIANZ, shouting "We knew them before they were big", "told you so" etc, etc. That's because it was around this time last year that we first declared the Mint Chicks brilliance here on the Beach Radio Blog. Then in October, in the inaugural Alternatuis, we gave them the Best Group award, stating
"The Mint Chicks are the stand out group of the year by far. Their album Crazy? Yes! Dumb? No! is superb. These guys write pop songs full of oddball structures and tangential ideas. Live, they go off like the Energiser bunny. As previously heralded here on the blog the Mint Chicks are currently the best band in the land."
You can download a Counting The Beat awards special here (Counting The Beat 16 /09 / 07). The show looks at the upcoming Silver Scrolls, the Tui nominees and revisits the 2006 Alternatui winners.

Friday, September 14, 2007

The remix playlist - 8 Sept 07

...and rather fine it was too!!!

The Chems are still making a mark with 'We are the night' both as an album and a track, I can't stop playing The Gossip 'Listen up' track and this latest (of many) splendid remixes is plure pleasure!!!

More of the same from the Go! Team (which has to be a good thing in anybody's book with their new single 'Grip Like A Vice' and Mark Ronson's re-work of the Kaiser Chiefs single, Oh my god , is (9 months into the year) rapidly heading into my single of the year (closely followed by - New Young Pony Club - The Bomb) but, ofcourse this can always change in an instance!

I played an excellent remix of the LCD Soundsystem's - Us vs Them from Go Home Productions who recently decided to hang up his booties!!! Pervauer of many a quality remix and mashup since 2003 he's decided enough's enough after recieving (justifiably) poor reviews of his recent CD release!!!



Here are the reviews:

"Your sister will love it" IDJ
"Utter Rubish" (4 out of 5) DJ Mag
"Vidler's still a genius but I can't help preferring it when he was
giving away knocked off gear" Word Mag.

and my personal favourite "If You'd been around in 1972 and someone had promised to
hand stitch you a pair of bell-bottoms, then delivered them in 1977,
how would you feel?" Time Out - Priceless!!

Truth is he was way too late with this release and it clearly was aimed, as the review said, 'at your sister' but none-the-less he has produced some excellent work over the years which, bless him, he is now making available to download for free. His entire back catelogue!!! Go to the website above!!

Look out soon on this blog for mp3s of tunes listed on this playlist!!! Just as soon as Country Mike gets his shit together with the webserver!!!! ;-) - Live streaming coming soon to an internet near you!!!


Hour 1 Part 1 -19:46

00:00 Chemical Brothers - We are the night
05:23 The Gossip - (ATOC remix) [sting]
12:28 Mark Ronson ft Lily allen - Oh my god (kaiser chiefs cover)
15:31 Groove Armada - Song 4 mutya (out of control)
19:21 The Go! Team - Grip Like A Vice

Hour 1 part 3 - 21:40

00:00 Tom Middleton - Shinkansen
06:54 LCD Soundsystem - Us vs Them (Go Home Productions Remix) [Sting]
12:12 New Young Pony Club - The Bomb
16:10 TeddieBears - yours to keep ft annie

Hour 2 part 1 - 24:11

00:14 Dan le sac vs scroobius pip - Thou shalt always kill
05:47 Klaxons - Not Over Yet
08:52 M.I.A - Paper planes [Sting]
12:16 Amy Winehouse - Tears dry on their own
15:18 Kate Nash - Foundations
19:06 Unkle - burn my shadow


Hour 2 part 3 - 18:30

00:00 Smith n hack - falling star
05:41 Hard Fi - Suburban Knights (Angello & Ingrosso Remix)
11:56 The Chemical Brothers - The Salmon Dance (Crookers Wow Mix)

Monday, September 10, 2007

Local People, Local Knowledge

Waihekepedia is a new initiative of a group of islanders who have set up a wiki that aims to be the "encyclopedia about Waiheke". Like that other wiki you've probably heard of the idea is for the content to be user generated. Rather than a site that's trying to sell you accomodation or wine tours or real estate this site aims to collect information on the island from those that live here, with the aim of being an information source, but also a way of telling our stories.

Greg Treadwell is an editorial advisor on the Waihekepedia team. He came into the station to talk to Chris on Island Life. Greg explained something about the genesis of the project (a nice little slice of island life in itself), the aims and objectives, and how it works. We recorded the interview and as well as being able to listen to it here, you can find it on the Waihekepedia site itself. How's that for a piece of cross-platform digital wizardry?



Check out the Beach Radio Waihekepedia page

Waiheke Coastguard: Born To be Wild


Every Saturday morning on The Beach our current affairs magazine show Island Life takes a look at Waiheke news, events and people. In recent months we have started to talk regularly to some of the volunteers involved with the Waiheke Coastguard. Our chats are usually pretty relaxed; sometimes we'll talk about safety tips, at other times training they are offering, and sometimes they recount rescues they've performed. Those are the best ones. They want "Born to Be Wild" to be their intro theme tune but I figure if you've got to have an early seventies hard rock track "Smoke On The Water' would be better suited.

The coastguard crew and supporters are all volunteers and they work really hard on and off the water to keep boaties on the Hauraki Gulf safe. I asked them once if they ever go fishing when they're out on patrol. They claim they don't but I don't know, wouldn't you?

Last Saturday the crew skipper Robb Henry came in. He talked about a rescue that saw them get a nomination for a coast guard award and about how they need to raise $800, 000 for a new boat that will mean they have better response capability. The Waiheke Coastguard need our support. If you can help out they would love to hear from you - email judypetercox@clear.net.nz

Thursday, September 06, 2007

Long time no blog

Yeah I know, it's been a while but what with moving house, an overseas trip to the UK for three and half weeks and conceiving twins it's all been a bit hectic!!!

Anyways the show will be back with a vengance soon! Look out for a new show coming soon featuring ofcourse the latest significant releases with an added twist!!!

And I think we're streaming now too!! Check out this blog for an update on the great streaming debate coming soon and a big up to Brent and Chris for keeping the blog fresh of late!! I promise to do my best - Dib dib dib.etc...

Anyways to the blog in hand. As I mentioned earlier, I was back in the UK last month catching up with family and friends!!! One particular bunch of mates formed a covers band, Snoggin' the Dog (affectionately know as the STDs) a couple of years back and, bless 'em, they organised a gig for my return and subsequently asked me to sing a tune..... This was my choice!!!

Et voila...



P.S Please note raptuous applause and whooping at the end of the track!!! :-)