SURF CITY - WE KNEW IT WAS NOT GOING TO BE LIKE THIS - OUT TODAY

New Zealand band Surf City’s forthcoming album We Knew It Was Not Going To Be Like This continues their love affair with psychedelic, reverb-swathed guitar pop, drawing from their Flying Nun forefathers The Clean and The Chills, as well as the fuzzed-up dream pop of The Jesus and Mary Chain and the loopy noise of Animal Collective. This time round the songwriting is stronger, the tunes are hookier and the sound is even more lush.

Named after a random snippet of overhead conversation in a crowded South Korean bar, We Knew It Was Not Going To Be Like This captures a haze of broken connections, isolation in the belly of the city. Recorded in snippets from different corners of the world - New Zealand, New York and South Korea.

Initially a four-piece formed by Davin Stoddard and Josh Kennedy with Josh’s brother Jamie on bass and Logan Collins on drums, Surf City released their debut EP in 2008. Arch Hill went on to put out their debut album Kudos domestically in 2010, before it was released worldwide by Fire Records in 2011. 

 The album enjoyed plaudits from the likes of Stereogum, who praised their “impressively assured sound” and “perfect 2-minute pop storm.” Pitchfork noted that “their punky psychedelic pop is impressive” and admitted “Surf City’s pleasure for pleasure’s sake approach already has me pining for more.”


We Knew It Was Not Going To Be Like This is in some ways a massive progression from Kudos, with richer context, deeper lyrics and a melancholy undertow. Musically, the band have developed their signature reverb-heavy fuzz rock in to something more gutsy but whilst retaining a keen ear for melody to create some unforgettable tunes.

We Knew It Was Not Going To Be Like This – out on Arch Hill 23rd of August 2013

You can buy the album on LP, CD and Digital at Flying Out

GHOST WAVE - ALBUM OUT IN NEW ZEALAND TODAY!

As well as the New Zealand release today, we are announcing that Ghost Wave have signed to Flying Nun Records for the USA/Europe and their album will be out there on 27th of August. Ghost Wave’s Ages is the first new release since the seminal New Zealand independent label announced their partnership withCaptured Tracks (DIIV, Wild Nothing, Mac DeMarco) and Secretly Canadian in America.

Ghost Wave have also been confirmed as the support act for The Manic Street Preachers at Vector Arena in Auckland next week - on Tuesday 2nd of July. Tickets are available over here. 

Ghost Wave was a project relegated to a small room in Auckland, New Zealand. Matt Paul, along with collaborator Eammon Logan, self-recorded what became their self-titled EP; a collection of sunny and warped songs characterized by jangly guitars underpinned by motor-style rhythms and a unique melodic sensibility.  The EP caught the attention of the international tastemaking blog, Neon Gold who praised first single “Sunsetter” as “two and a half minutes of sun kissed 70’s bliss.”  Pretty Much Amazing described the EP track “Hippy” as an “invincible lo-fi summer jam, the one that fits the fireworks and the too-fast driving.”

With some early praise in their pockets, Ghost Wave traveled to the U.S. for shows in New York (including CMJ) and Los Angeles. They returned to the states several months later for appearances at 35 Denton Festival and SXSW; showcasing new songs along with an updated live configuration.

“Here She Comes” is the first single from Ages. Indie Shuffle said of the track,  “Over the course of its 3 minutes and 23 seconds, the Auckland-based quartet layer laid-back and nonchalant vocals over jangly guitars and an upbeat bassline.”  VICE premiered the video, which the band filmed in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn when they were in town for CMJ. Ages was recorded and self-produced in various studios around Auckland, New Zealand in six days. Thomas Bell (The Clean) engineered and mixed the record. In describing their new record, Matthew L. Paul notes that it is a departure from the sunny sounds of their debut EP: “There is a kind of amphetamine-like feel to this record. I think, in terms of the way the songs are played, we were less interested in loud/soft and wanted to create a mechanic type sound and song-presence.”

Recently, Beck’s approached Ghost Wave about participating in their Record Label Project. As a part of the project, Beck’s hired designers to create multiple album cover artworks as well as to create an Edison bottle using a Beck’s beer bottle, which was inscribed to play Ghost Wave’s single “Here She Comes” like a 19th century phonograph cylinder. The fascinating video of how the bottle was made can be watched here. Beck's has a 25-year history supporting musicians and artists alike with their Art Labels Project, which has employed the talents of Andy Warhol, Yoko Ono, Damien Hirst, M.I.A. and Kid Cudi amongst many others.

Ghost Wave just wrapped up New Zealand tour dates and a show with The Black Angels. They will return to the U.S. around the release of Ages for a full tour. Stay tuned!

Ghost Wave - "Ages" Album Out in New Zealand Today!

Ghost Wave release their new album "Ages" in New Zealand today! 

- Buy it on LP, CD and Digital direct from Arch Hill here (LP is pre-orders only)

- Buy it on iTunes  here

- Buy on Amplifier here.

- Listen on Spotify  here.

TRANSISTORS - NEW ALBUM AND TOUR

Rangiora’s finest, the Transistors, are announcing the imminent release of their second album Is This Anything?

The album will be released in New Zealand on Arch Hill Recordings on August the 2nd 2013. It was recorded in the Canterbury music hotbed of Sefton. The mighty Bob Frisbee manned the recording controls. The band have conveniently provided a recording plan to highlight the high tech approach to capturing their buzzy sound – see the very bottom of this email…

And what’s even more –Transistors are heading out on tour.  You might have recently seen Transistors supporting The Buzzcocks around New Zealand, or even better, during their 27 date US tour with Guitar Wolf.

Transistors Tour

Friday 2nd of August – The Kings Arms, Auckland - with Street Chant and The Situations

Saturday 3rd of August – Mighty Mighty, Wellington - with The Situations

Friday 9th of August – The Dark Room – Christchurch - with Salad Boys and Ipswich

Saturday 17th August – Queens – Dunedin - with Salad Boys and Kilmog

While you are at it, their EP Flux Pentaphile has now just become available on 7” single and you can buy it from Flying Out here

Is This Anything? Is released on LP/CD/Digital on 2nd of August 2013 on Arch Hill Recordings, distributed by Rhythm Method.

GHOST WAVE - "AGES" ALBUM RELEASE TOUR

Ghost Wave are celebrating the release of their album Ages with a tour around New Zealand. 

- Thursday 13th of June - Mighty Mighty - Wellington - with Soviet Space Dog

- Saturday 22nd of June - Wunderbar - Christchurch - with Salad Boys

- Thursday 28th of June - Kings Arms - with Deer Park, Trust Punks and HDSPNS

The album is out in New Zealand Friday the 28th of June on Vinyl, CD and Digital. Advance copies of the album will be available to buy at the shows as well. 

Here is their latest video for "Here She Comes"

GHOST WAVE - HERE SHE COMES VIDEO

Here comes the new Ghost Wave video for "Here She Comes" . This is the first single from the album "Ages", due out late June on Arch Hill in New Zealand.

Here comes the new 

 video for 

 . This is the first single from the album "Ages", due out late June on Arch Hill in New Zealand.

The video was shot in Brooklyn when the band were over there last year for CMJ. It was made by Stuart Page, responsible for many great videos ranging from Skeptics "Affco" to more recent ones like Snapper "Buddy" and Bailterspace "World We Share".

As Vice Magazine and Matt from Ghost Wave explain:

"What the clip lacks in backup dancers, it makes up in birds. Shooting in Bushwick, NY, they happened across a guy with a rooftop cage full of trained pigeons. Is Matt a bird enthusiast? Apparently not. "I'm not really a bird guy," he tells us before adding, "We’re more into bats and squirrels."

Ghost Wave have some tour dates due to be announced shortly, but in the meantime you can head down to Tyler St Garage in Auckland, NZ, to see them next Wednesday 29th of May.

NEW GHOST WAVE SINGLE - HERE SHE COMES!

Arch Hill are very pleased to announce a new single from GHOST WAVE!

The Ghost Wave sound finds itself somewhere between the Flying Nun bands of the ‘80s, the British explosion of the ‘60s and the wayfaring dubs of Lee "Scratch" Perry. At its inception, the brainchild of Matt Paul (Vocals, Guitar), Ghost Wave was a project relegated to a small room in Auckland, New Zealand. In time, the sonic chemistry that resulted from one person’s relentless work caught the attention of fellow music maker and soon-to-be collaborator Eammon Logan (Drums). Together they self-recorded what came to be their self-titled EP; a collection of sunny and warped songs characterized by jangly guitars underpinned by motor-style rhythms and a unique melodic sensibility. Ghost Wave recruited the talents of future band-mates Mike Ellis (Bass, Vocals) and Jamie Kennedy (Guitar) to assist with the recording. 

With some early praise in their pockets and a quickly developing catalog of work, Ghost Wave traveled to the U.S. for shows in New York, Los Angeles and a showing at CMJ. Ghost Wave returned to the U.S. several months later for appearances at 35 Denton Festival and SXSW; showcasing even more new songs along with an updated live configuration. 

Arch Hill Recordings will release the first single entitled ‘Here She Comes’ from Ghost Wave’s debut LP Ages on May 14, 2014. Stay tuned for more information about Ghost Wave and Ages.

SURF CITY - NEW SINGLE & ALBUM

Surf City will be releasing their second album We Knew It Was Not Going to Be Like This in August via Arch Hill in New Zealand and Fire in the US/Europe. The band have had a bit of a break and now they are back, having recorded their album in New York, New Zealand and South Korea.

Spin Magazine writes of the first single "the LP's sunny first taste, "It's a Common Life," glows with a West Coast pedigree. Reverb-soaked guitar stabs, a laidback call-to-arms chorus, and ba-ba-ba backup vocals make for a perfectly timed single."

Listen to "It's A Common Life" on Soundcloud

Listen to "It's A Common Life" on Bandcamp

Surf City are warming up to the August release with some New Zealand shows:

14th June - Lucha Lounge - Auckland

15th of June - Puppies - Wellington

DAVID KILGOUR WELLINGTON AND AUCKLAND SHOWS

David Kilgour (and band in Chch) are playing some shows in the not too distant future...

Sat 20th of April at Puppies - Wellington

David Kilgour (10.30pm) & Salad Boys (9.30pm)

Tickets available from Under The Radar

Sat May 11th The Darkroom - Christchurch

David Kilgour & The Heavy 8s 

support from Dark Matter

As part of the Christchurch Art Galleries 10th anniversary celebrations.