July 2008
Truly it has been a veritable minute since the last slupdate from the rarified air up in the RTM Simplex but that’s not been down to slackness (or even wackness) but more a case of on–trackness and general busyfication and what have you.
On the site tip check out the FOOTAGE section where all of the videos are now gloriously in Flash (waaaaaah aaahhh saviour of the universe) format and so are fast, svelte and even more lovable than before. The latest from SJD for ‘Black Is A Beautiful Colour’ and The Naked And Famous’ ‘Serenade’ are the latest additions but there’s a good mornings worth of time wasting at the very least to be had amongst the filmicfandangles of our folk.
There have been emanations, mighty fine emanations from the SJD camp as Mr Donnelly has been working on his nextest album with the assistance and input of a certain James Duncan of Mount Eden. Naturally we were sworn to secrecy about the delicious direction and top ranking tonal tangents that will be revealed in the not too distant future, but I think its safe to say it’s going to be large Marge.
Talking of the gallivanting James Duncan, work on his long awaited, with much bated breath, full–length opus is proceeding swimmingly. We always knew he had it in him but oh my goodness is it going to be a ripper (as in a very good record, not an instruction to downloaders!), early/mid ‘09 is the expectation and we don’t deal in disappointment.
The Naked And Famous have been sneaking a peak outside of the mighty Auks with their Peephsow tour (check www.thenakedandfamous.com for details) and are also contributing to what is a veritable RTM studio frenzy with deep and deadly preparation for the follow up EP to This Machine, which will be surfacing later this year. The video for Serenade, directed by Joel Kefali for Special Problems (check FOOTAGE for a gander) was made Record Of The Week on C4 and has justifiably been eliciting swoonful sighs and squeals of delight from all who have laid eyes on its ‘talk to the hand’–some delights.
The RTM Riot that topped NZ Music Month off at Galatos was a right gas and a well attended and properly played right gas at that, hats off to all concerned on both sides of the stage.
Hurrah…
May 2008
Once again, it is as they say…on. The Naked And Famous ‘This Machine’ EP is clapping its pink hands around retail and preparing to worm its way into the affection of every ear–clad person with anything between said aural appendages. Grant Smithies, bless his oversized shorts, gave it 5/5 stars in the Sunday Star Times (04.05.08) describing them as ‘brilliant, thrilling, daring and delicious’ and saying they have ‘better songs, better taste and a more well-–developed sense of what’s worth stealing’, amen to that!
As ever we recommend perusing for said item at the Real Groovy empire the mostest cause we have the links, and as far as support goes it’s suspension bridge style and fashion, mutually noice. Folks who’d rather have a file for a friend can get their download on with iTunes, DigiRAMA, Telecom & Vodafone and we’re hoping to have some news about a real high quality option real soonest. You’ll be able to read more about this release and the band in the Missions hoo–ha ‘pon site, real soon.
Magnificent May 5th also sees the release of the limited edition white label 7” from ‘This Machine’ featuring ‘Serenade’ and ‘Kill The Littleblackdots’ with simply stunning stencil artwork done by the band (and producer/soundman Aaron Short) themselves. Also out on 7” is Jefferson Belt’s wonky dub delight ‘Gold Dust’ from the luminescent ‘Table Manners’ album alongside a brand new crisp biscuit and fruity treat from Unitone HiFi ‘Up To Eleven’. Both of these waxy wonders are available through Southbound Distribution who are now also taking care of the bulk of the RTM back catalogue (contact us if you need their deats.)
The Naked And Famous will be launching their poifectly proportioned EP and sly 7” at the Kings Arms on May 9th with Phelps & Munro (who has just remixed HDU stunningly) making a rare outing and Bionic Pixie presenting her debut doodacky. Meanwhile on 31st May it’s a Round Trip Mars Riot at Galatos with SJD, The Naked And Famous, Phelps & Munro and James Duncan being joined by El Jefe del RTM Stinky Jim and the delectable Maiden Hong Kong… too much!!
March 2008
The Naked and Famous – debut EP This Machine out May 5th
Well we promised yous news and here’s a riot of reportage. RTM are like, chuffed to the power of n, to announce the signing and subsequent donning of metaphorical spacesuits of Auckland act The Naked And Famous. This Machine, their debut EP will be released (with distribution from Universal NZ) on May 5th. Beacons will be lit on top of the hills around the nation, bells will be rung and the common folk shall enjoy a prolonged, decadent feast of solid tunes that have enough energy to actually make you feel like you are being launched into space. It’s a robust and welcome addition to the RTM programme and the lead track Serenade has already spectacularly debuted at #1 (and stayed there) on the Radioscope National Alt Chart, as well as troubling the big hitters on the bFM and Radio One Top Tens. What’s even scarier is that the other five tracks are just as good, it’s a bleeding miracle! This Machine will be housed in delectable artwork from the Special Problems crew and has been engineered, mixed and produced by Aaron Short and Thom Powers with the mighty hands and executive ears of Angus McNaughton motioning the master–eering. Check the band’s www.myspace.com/thenakedandfamous for upcoming gig and whatnot behaviour and a sneaky shufty at half the EP in yucky myspace compression stylee-alee-alee.
In other RTM related kerffuffle SJD played a couple of cracking sets (from the scorching to the sublime) at WOMAD and, in relative terms have been gigging like a band with their pants on fire. Talking of which the rather large and very enthusiastic (in a chilled out WOMAD kind of style) crowd who copped the late afternoon Saturday SJD appearance were treated to a rare (possibly second time only since the days of backing CDs, 1 mic and fingersnaps?) and exceptional version of Tree People live, I hope they know how lucky they were. As ever there are upcoming dates and all that at www.myspace.com/sjdmusic Phelps & Munro supported So So Modern recently and the stupendously busy James Duncan is always on his grizzle, we have but one word for these gents…ALBUM! We hope to have a bit of news about a spot of wax and waning from Jefferson Belt soon, and you know there’s other newsy kind of stuff up the proverbial sleeve but that’s above the cuff stuff and those beans must remain unspilt… for now.
February 2008
It has been somewhat of a long time between drinks on the newsflash tip from the RTM Simplex but you know…we’ve been busy. SJD’s Songs From A Dictaphone has continued to wow and flutter all kinds of bi–eared personages, as well as copping much telly time with the use of Beautiful Haze and I Wrote This Song For You in commercials for Monteiths and Buy NZ Made. There’s been some right rollicking gigs up and down the country, and more to come including a couple of outdoor park–type shenanigans in AK and a brace of sweetly timed slots at WOMAD in March.
There’s been barely a squeak from Jefferson Belt since he submerged into his cunningly constructed and swoon-somely svelte studio nouveau, can too much of a good thing be a good thing? There’s ballistic Belt news on the near horizon that’s too sizzling to type and too waxtastique to merely wax on about (on the Green Termite tip) but you’ll have to wait for the next newsflash for that undulating update of oeuf–shattering import.
James Duncan continues to avoid submitting the sweet reward that will be his debut album by joining bands at a dizzying pace. Most recently getting his gig out for Pig Out, rumours of the many banded mercurial six string strumbulator hanging around the Mount Roskill Marching Band’s rehearsals and volunteering his services have been much exaggerated.
Phelps & Munro remains elusive and exclusive, what more can you say? Well Grant Smithies said a great deal more in his book Soundtrack which is out and about in the shops and said exceedingly nice things about P&M, RTM and the crew, nuff to make one and all blush.
If this sounds like it’s a lot, trust us…it’s only the pre-amble. BIG news coming up!! You see those little fellers throwing a few shapes outside the RTM off–world Simplex on the homepage? Well they’re the only people who’ve been told about the 2008 plans and manoeuvers, and they haven’t stopped dancing since. Yes, that BIG. Up To Eleven? Not arf!
August 2007
Velcome to the brand new, shiny RTM Simplex. We done had a major league spruce up, but before going any further can we launch a little ‘grande up’ to Heraldo Felipez, webdood extraordinaire – who has kept the homefires at this here URL blazing for the longest time before handing over the hotseat to Cherry Sprinkles.
Coming in on the teletext like it’s Saturday afternoon scores there’s news in the RTM shoes, this is it.
SJD has released and unleashed Songs From A Dictaphone and gone totally tropo, numbers nuts. Highest new entry #11 on the RIANZ Album Charts on its debut, #1 top seller on the iTunes NZ Album charts, top a top of the bFM Top Ten for the second week in a row bro, on the podium and dazzling em with the golden grin that says #1 on the Mediscope Alt Radio Chart, numero uno seller out of the mighty Real Groovy Auckland… it’s almost too much to take in. We fed all of those notes of numerical niceness into our crucial calculator and worked out that in fact Songs From A Dictaphone is the best, it’s scientifically proven, we even double–checked. Don’t forget to monitor their recklessly swoonsome website www.sjd.co.nz for up to the minute detailia.
The SJD bandorama are involved in what might be described as a stuttering tour over the next wee while, following the first airing of many new tunes at a spectacularly good vibed and well attended launch at Galatos on the week of the release. So many ticket–less plainspeople turned out wanting a slice of the SJD groove gateaux when they played the Wunderbar in Lyttleton that they had to do two consecutive shows, bonus points going out to support act and a half David Kilgour and soundgent Tex for also repping twice, to keep the people nice. Another little stonker was had the night after at Dunedin’s ReFuel for the Radio 1 Onefest - the South Island, as they say, stood up!
Always joining them on stage in his role as gat spankee and official axe moiderer, and sometimes also manfully providing sturdy support-act type action, James Duncan is continuing to concoct, what one and all are hoping, will be the debut album that is worthy to follow up the magnificence of Mirror Minor. Well, when he’s not joining other bands that is, its like musical A.D.D. I tells ya.
Phelps & Munro knocked out a gobsmacker of a live to air for 95bFM in their EnnZEdddd Muzak Weak which has raised our howl of insistence for an album to follow Slowpoke into a foghorn-like brutal blast. It will happen, because it has to.
Jefferson Belt tells us he’s been building a new studio. Even though he hasn’t been bombarding us with brilliant beats like normal we’re not sure whether we believe him, we heard he was off skiving down the shops and spending all his pocket money on spacies.
That’s all the news that’s fit to print for right now, and probably quite a lot that really isn’t. There will be more, so have a gander from time to time, can’t hurt. Thanks for dropping in and do have a shoofty around, there’s a whole bunch to see, watch and read and all that kind of hoo-ha.
Over and out……for now.