Patti Smith – Horses (50th Anniversary Edition) (Sony/Legacy)
“Jesus died for somebody’s sins, but not mine”. Fifty years ago a defiant Patti Smith released her debut album, Horses. Now, here is a look at this new 50th Anniversary Edition of a true classic.
The Antlers – Blight (Transgressive) (13th Floor Album Review)
Blight…The Antlers first full-length album in four years, is resonant, evocative, and poignant.
The Bats – Corner Coming Up (Flying Nun) (13th Floor Album Review)
The 13th Floor’s Simon Coffey signs in with his take on the new album by The Bats.
The Last Dinner Party – From The Pyre (Island) (13th Floor Album Review)
The Last Dinner Party is back, with a sublime return in the form of their new album From The Pyre. An explorative, darker record than their previous work, it’s even better than their debut (which received impressive acclaim across the board).
Todd Snider – High, Lonesome And Then Some (Aimless Records/Thirty Tigers) (13th Floor Album Review)
In his latest album High, Lonesome And Then Some, Todd Snider doesn’t just open the window on the crazy world of a women-chasing, hard drinking, itinerant bluesman, he’s opened-up the front passenger door and insisted he’s taking you for a ride through the back alleys of Nashville, across the high plains and, if we’ve got the gas […]
This Silent Divide – The Fire (13th Floor EP Review)
Wellington band This Silent Divide plate up their heavy rock EP The Fire, dripping with melodic guitar lines, and pent-up anger.
bar italia – Some Like It Hot (Matador) (13th Floor Album Review)
British indie rock trio bar italia are due to release their latest Matador album Some Like it Hot on October 17th. Inspired by themes from the film of the same name, the band paint a catchy pop infused picture that I haven’t been able to stop staring at.
Bloodsports – Anything Can Be A Hammer (Good English Records) (13th Floor Album Review)
This is Bloodsports’ debut Lp, Anything Can Be A Hammer, and to say I’m excited is an understatement.
O/PUS – Out At Sea, The Water Is Deep (1:12 Records) (13th Floor Album Review)
O/PUS were a discovery when Andew Wilson (DIE! DIE! DIE!) debuted his solo act (AW) Tamaki Makaurau venue Cupid Bar back in 2024, there was joy to behold as O/PUS opened the evening up.
Madi Diaz – Fatal Optimist (Anti-) (13th Floor Album Review)
Madi Diaz’s Fatal Optimist is an album built on restraint, precision, and feeling. Each song seems to breathe in time with her voice, which carries both melody and emotion.
Riiki Reid – Drench (Warner NZ) 13th Floor EP Review
New Zealand singer-songwriter Riiki Reid serves up a course of catchy, summer infused alt-pop tracks in her latest EP, Drench.
Madonna – Veronica Electronica (Warner) (13th Floor Album Review)
More than twenty five years after it was first spoken about in fan circles and record label corridors, Madonna’s Veronica Electronica an alter ego as well as a collection of remixes from Ray Of Light was finally released in July of this year.
Robert Finley – Hallelujah! Don’t Let The Devil Fool Ya (Easy Eye)
At the age of 71, blues and soul veteran Robert Finley delivers an implausible third-act masterpiece with Hallelujah! Don’t Let The Devil Fool Ya. Producer Dan Auerbach once more guides Finley, steering him through a swampy, righteous blend of gospel and deep blues.
Flock of Dimes – The Life You Save (Sub Pop) (13th Floor Album Review)
Jen Wasner takes a soulful, searching look in the mirror in Flock of Dimes’ therapeutic The Life You Save, a slow burn that rewards those who stick around.
Kim Paterson with The Mike Nock Trio – Lake Rd (Thick Records) (13th Floor Album Review)
The ‘Auckland Father of Jazz’, Kim Paterson, has teamed up with lifelong friend and fellow legend Mike Nock, both inductees to the Music Hall of Fame, to produce Lake Rd. Nock brings his current trio players Cameron Undy on bass and drummer Nick McBride playing a collection of standards, a self-penned track and one from an unusual […]
Echomatica – Echomatica (13th Floor Album Review)
Echomatica arrive with a self titled debut album that favours texture over immediacy, building moody, slow-burning songs from synths, reverb and restraint.
Laura Veirs & The Choir Who Couldn’t Say – Live in Angoulême (Raven Marching Band)
For more than two decades Portland based singer-songwriter Laura Veirs has turned quiet observation into iridescent song: rivers, snowfields, the faint tracks people leave behind. On Live in Angoulême she lets those vivid descriptions breathe through a 32-voice French school choir, and the result is both faithful and startlingly new.
James Morrison – Fight Another Day (Cooking Vinyl)
After a 6-year hiatus, James Morrison has returned with his sixth studio album, Fight Another Day. His smoky, gravelly voice resounds with raw power, even more refined than his debut album almost two decades ago in 2006.
Tom Scott – Anitya (Years Gone By) (13th Floor Album Review)
Releasing music for the first time under his name, Tom Scott has made Anitya – born of the blood, sweat, and tears shed with Homebrew, @Peace, Average Rap Band, and Avantdale Bowling Club. The 13th Floor’s Jeff Neems has been listening (and talking) to Tom Scott…
The Autumn Defense – Here and Nowhere (Yep Roc) (13th Floor Album Review)
Wilco off-shoot The Autumn Defense is about to release their long-awaited new album, Here and Nowhere. The 13th Floor’s Rob Jones has had an advance listen…