When U2 played Auckland's Western Springs Stadium - way back before 'speedway' had become a dirty word, around the time of the 'Rattle and Hum' tour I'm guessing - word got around that Bono had heard a recording by Dunedin's 3Ds and personally requested they fill the 'to-die-for' support slot. ...more

Like other local electronic artists such as Simon Flower and Bevan Smith, Antix, aka Barton and Hayden Strom, have, at least initially, achieved more success overseas than in New Zealand. ...more

Being one of five bands to receive Phase Four funding in NZ On Air's latest funding round was the icing on the cake for Auckland-based Autozamm. The ex-Wellington four-piece, who will release their debut album 'As For Now' in July, heard the good news during their recent tour with The Have. ...more

The first Kiwi artist to grace a cover of NZM, talking up 'Loyal' back in October 1988, Dave Dobbyn returned to help celebrate the magazine's 10th birthday in '98 with 'The Islander', his fifth solo album imminent. ...more

Bring together three Caribbean MC's with a New Zealand musician and producer in cosmopolitan London-town, and one possible result is the dancehall, hip hop sound of Eskimo Squad. ...more

The sun doesn't always shine in Wellington. But as news filters through this NZ Music Month morning that two of the capital's favourite bunches of sons - Fat Freddy's Drop and Shihad - occupy the top two places on the nation's music charts, even my normally winter-dark Aro Valley flat seems oddly bathed in a warm glow. ...more

Murk 108, aka Ahmen Mahal, may well be best known for his work under the guise of Captain Imon Star as part of Nuvonesia with Mark de Clive-Lowe and DJ Manuel Bundy. ...more

The media statement from the Minister for Economic Development Jim Anderton, on April 19 announced '$5.4 million to promote contemporary music exports' as part of the 2005 Budget. ...more

There is nothing I can add about the passing of Paul Hester that hasn't already been said more elegantly by people who knew and loved him. ...more

Some would say that you have to be a little crazed to want to run an independent label in New Zealand anyway, but setting yourself the task of releasing 30 albums in as many days surely borders on lunacy. ...more

I was quite prepared to forgive Jon Toogood for what I imagined might be a lack-lustre interview. ...more

Direct signing to a major international label at the behest of its LA-based president, a US-recorded and released debut album, half a million bucks spent on a single video, their own music television tour diary, Grammy Award and MTV finalists, partying with Missy Elliott and global television exposure on the back of the decade's biggest personal entertainment technology phenomenon. ...more

A couple of years ago, Substax were on the brink of being the first New Zealand group to release a breaks album. However, as key member Nick Farrands explains, changes at their record label Kog Transmissions meant the album was not released. ...more

The 2005 bNet Awards got off to the best possible start, with a dynamic performance by the re-formed Straitjacket Fits. ...more