AWNING — PHOTO BY RUBY WILKINSON / WORDS & CURATION BY CARLA CAMILLERI / LOGO BY ZOE HANNAY
AWNING — 'MY FRIEND DOG'
Within the walls of a hillside abode in Lyall Bay, My Friend Dog was created, the debut musical opus from Te Whanganui-A-Tara-based songwriter Awning (AKA Christian Dimick of Recitals and previously, Avant Glass). Despite its short, 11 minute runtime, a visceral comfort is deeply embedded amongst the three songs and their gentle, benign caresses, revealing a sensitive retrospective induced by playfulness and experimentation. All songs, recorded on a Tascam 4-track and micro cassettes in Dimick's little shed, are laced with notes from their surroundings, including inspirations from Christian's partner, Ruby, who often would freestyle lyrics over his guitar playing. "...This process gives me something playful to move forward with lyrically," Christian says.
This little EP is a charming collection reflecting not only a complex artistry, but a self-assured, safe haven of homemade sounds.
You can keep up with Awning's music and buy the new EP, My Friend Dog, via Bandcamp HERE.
LANA DEL REY — 'A&W'
All I can say, is that I've never heard Lana Del Rey make a song like 'A&W' — an absolute standout on her new album Did You Know That There's A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd. Sitting at over 7 minutes, the song begins in somewhat 'Lana' fashion; subdued, half-whispered-half-sung melodies that echo the laments of a childhood left behind, and harsh realities of life's rejections. However, with every corner, a new petal unfurls, revealing expansive, harmonic clusters that melt away the woes, eventually settling into a trap-esque passage that plays with eerie strings and vocal formants to create something utterly unlike anything we have heard from Miss Del Rey. If you were to play the very beginning and the very end of the song, you might think you were listening to two different artists entirely. Hit play above and see for yourself.
Lana Del Rey's new album Did You Know That There's A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd is available to purchase via the Flying Nun Records Store HERE.
GRECCO ROMANK — 'DOGHEAD'
Tāmaki Makaurau dungeon-popstars Grecco Romank recently released their new album Wet Exit via Moral Support, unleashing the trio's expansive musical drama through its maximalist and explorative sounds. Melding Damian Golfinopoulos' metallic production with Billie Fee and Mikey Sperrings gritty spoken word, 'Doghead' spins the project into a chaotic sound-space teetering between something you might hear in a deep underground chamber, or on a planet far away its pulsating basslines sustaining its danceablity. Paired with an epic-ly outlandish video directed by the band and Joshua Harding Harris, the song is an injection of their one-of-a-kind, genre defying "sewer-pop". Their nationwide tour continues this Saturday — tickets available HERE.
Grecco Romank's new album Wet Exit is out now, and you can purchase it via Bandcamp HERE.
NABIHAH IQBAL — 'THIS WORLD COULDN'T SEE US'
British producer, DJ, curator, and musician Nabihah Iqbal is due to release her long awaited followup to 2017's standout album Weighing Of The Heart. The first single to be revealed from the record, 'This World Couldn't See Us', scratches every musical itch — with its hard-hitting 80's drums and shoegaze-heavy guitars flowing effortlessly underneath her infectious spoken word. It's impossible not to dance to this.
You can preorder Nabihah Iqbal's upcoming album DREAMER (out April 28 via Ninja Tune) from the Flying Nun Records Shop HERE.
VERA ELLEN — 'FAKE MILK'
It's a happy day at Flying Nun today, because its Ideal Home Noise release day for indie sweetie Vera Ellen. Prepare for your heartstrings to be plucked/ripped out; Vera opens up and pours out some of her deepest thoughts, shared through her absolutely pristine songwriting that somehow makes you laugh-cry, cry-laugh, laugh, cry, and everything in between. Vera is on another level with this one, and we cannot wait for you to experience it — from start to finish!
Vera Ellen's new album Ideal Home Noise is out today! You can buy it via the Flying Nun Store HERE. Tickets for her Ideal Home Tour are available HERE.
DE LA SOUL — 'BUDDY'
FINALLY! We have the very highly anticipated reissue of De La Soul's classic album 3 Feet High And Rising — one of the most influential albums in hip hop, and a defining moment in the genre's so-called daisy age. 'Buddy', the album's third single released 1988, features fellow figureheads and iconic members of the Native Tongues collective, including Jungle Brothers and Q-Tip (of Tribe Called Quest). It stands as one of my favourite De La Soul tracks ever, serving a generous dose of boom-clap and samples with the posse's undeniably cool, soul-warming performances that make it very difficult to sit still through.
The reissue of the classic De La Soul record 3 Feet High And Rising is out now and available to order via the Flying Nun Records Shop HERE.
THE BETHS — 'WATCHING THE CREDITS'
In the midst of their tour escapades, The Beths blessed us with a surprise B-side cut from their 2022 Taite Prize-nominated album Expert In A Dying Field. The band have a lot to celebrate about recently, and 'Watching The Credits' seems to serve as their mark of jubilation.
Support this track via Bandcamp HERE. If you haven't checked out The Beths' latest album Expert In A Dying Field, you can purchase it via the Flying Nun Records Shop HERE.
We also couldn't mention The Beths without bringing up the fact that they have just released their NPR Tiny Desk set — an amazing achievement! Watch it HERE.
☆☆☆
