The Sampler

Maggie Tweedie reviews Japanese Breakfast's fourth album, For Melancholy Brunettes and Sad Women. The result is a balanced and fabled collection of songs inspired by hours of reading, writing, and stepping away from a whirlwind three years in the spotlight.

Elliott Childs reviews Portland musician and Drive-By Truckers co-founder Patterson Hood’s first solo record in over a decade which features indie heavy weights MJ Lenderman and Waxahatchee. 

In this interview, musician Charlotte Yates opens up about her brand-new EP Winter’s Eye and her collaboration with producer Brooke Singer. She tells a tale about working with poet Sam Hunt and reveals details about her upcoming Aotearoa tour, in an honest look into her creative journey with Maggie Tweedie.

Maggie Tweedie reviews Throwing Muses new album Moonlight Concessions. The nine new songs from Moonlight are an effervescent addition to the band's varied and eclectic catalogue, showcasing a more optimistic and luminous sound than ever before.

On his third solo album the '90s hitmaker pays tribute to his late mother on RnB songs with uncommon depth.

An upbeat collection from the Animal Collective member hides its serious intent beneath waves of major-chord harmonies.

The sibling trio deliver their most dynamic collection of tunes, mournful and anthemic while retaining their trademark mystique.

Tony Stamp speaks to Dylan Biscuit and Kenny Sterling from Mānuka Recordings, who since 2022 have been outputting excellent funk, soul, and disco, in collaboration with local musicians.

A new documentary by Questlove follows the rise and fall of a beloved American performer, its soundtrack full of alternate versions of classic tunes.

Andrew Spraggon marks the 25th year of Sola Rosa with a new EP that draws the curtain on this chapter of the project.

The Japanese singer-songwriter presents another soothing selection of tunes, inspired by dreams, fictional worlds, and diving expeditions.

The meeting between an 88-year-old Highlife pioneer, jazz musician, and former A Tribe Called Quest member delivers upbeat, celebratory results.

Prior to his death Martin Phillipps re-recorded a selection of early demos, with results much more lush and gentle than they would have been 40 years ago.

The local indie supergroup continue to hone a very specific vision on their second EP of sparse, krautrock-infused jams.

The Pōneke psych-rock duo's second album contains stories about UFOs, satanic panic, and Spongebob Squarepants, paired with dynamic music drawing on everything from krautrock to new wave.