Jesus Jones: Right Here, Again (Interview)
Jesus Jones will return to Auckland after more than 20 years to perform their chart-topping album, Doubt, in its entirety. The band, led by front man Mike Edwards, is still made up of the same five musicians who recorded the album back in 1991. That record featured the hit single Right Here, Right Now, a […]
RIP Ian McLagan
Another veteran rocker has passed away. Former Faces keyboard player Ian McLagan has died in Austin, Texas after suffering a stroke. The 69-year-old began his musical career with The Small Faces in the mid-1960s and played on hits Itchycoo Park and Tin Soldier and then went on to The Faces with Rod Stewart. Recently, McLagan […]
RIP: Bobby Keys
We are sad to learn of the death of rock & roll sax man Bobby Keys. Keys, who was 70 years old, was best known for his work with The Rolling Stones. He had been their sax player on and off since 1969. But his career extended way beyond Brown Sugar. He played on hundreds […]
Minuit: The Final Fling
Minuit played their final show on Friday night at Auckland’s Tuning Fork. For those who couldn’t be there, or for those who were there and want to relive the experience, here’s a video clip of the band performing I Hate Guns.
At Last: The Etta James Story – Aotea Centre, 28 November 2014
Vika Bull and The Essential R&B Band have been performing this “narrative concert” based on the life and music of Etta James in Australia for over a year. Now, Vika brings her show to Auckland for one performance at the Aotea Centre. Most New Zealanders will be familiar with Vika Bull through her recordings with […]
Watch Guns n Roses' Dizzy Reed (Interview)
Who’s the largest serving member of Guns ‘n Roses besides Axl Rose? It’s keyboard player Dizzy Reed, who has been with the band since 1990. Reed is in New Zealand touring with Jimmy Barnes as part of the band The Dead Daisies. The Daises are fronted by Jon Stevens and features members of Thin Lizzy, […]
Dirty Kid Discount, 'A Life Amongst the Ruins'
A marriage of Gogol Bordello and a CSquat band seems hard to imagine, yet Dirty Kid Discount appear to be the bastard offspring of such an unholy union, and the world is a better place for it. Insanely catchy yet with surprising depth, if you haven’t heard ‘A Life Amongst the Ruins’ I suggest you […]
Watch The Eastern’s 13th Floor Video Session
Lyttelton band The Eastern have just released their new album, The Territory. The group, led by chief songwriter and vocalist Adam McGrath, draws a musical line from Woody Guthrie to Bob Dylan to Bruce Springsteen while adding a distinctive New Zealand accent to the mix. Recently, McGrath and fellow band members Jess Shanks, Alice Ryan […]
Vika Bull: At Last! (Interview)
Along with her sister Linda, Vika Bull has been a fixture on the Australian music scene for over 20 years. Most recently, they added their voices to CW Stoneking’s latest album. But Vika Bull will be in Auckland on Friday, November 28 to perform At Last: The Etta James Story at the ASB Theatre. Vika […]
See Our New Zealand Music Awards 2014 Photo Gallery
Congratulations to all winners and nominees at this year’s New Zealand Music Awards. We, at The 13th Floor, were especially thrilled to see Tiny Ruins get some much-deserved recognition. Photographer David Watson brought his trusty camera to the Vector Arena and captured plenty of action, both on the red carpet and in the media area […]
Cairo Knife Fight: Ready To Rock (Interview)
With their first album in the can and ready for release, Cairo Knife Fight are ready to make a big noise in 2015. One way they will achieve that goal is playing alongside their friends. Shihad, on what promises to be THE rock & roll tour of the summer season. Joining Shihad and Cairo Knife […]
Hurray For The Riff Raff: Small Town Heroes (Interview)
Alynda Lee Segarra is a New York City native of Puerto Rican descent who grew up listening to doo wop and punk rock, began riding freight trains at age 17 and eventually landed in New Orleans where she fronts a band called Hurray For The Riff Raff. The band’s music is a blend of old […]
Scott J Mason: The 13th Floor Video Session
Scott J Mason is another Auckland musician who has stepped up from behind the drum kit to write and sing his own songs. Mason, who has played with a several bands including Gasoline Cowboy and Mulholland, has just released his first EP, the seven-track Animal Guilt. Scott brought himself and a three-piece string section up […]
Lamb: It’s All About Space (Interview)
Electronic music duo Lamb have been busy lately. They’ve just released a new album, Backspace Unwind, are touring Europe and have announce a concert date at Auckland’s Tuning Fork in February. Lamb was formed 20 years ago by Andy Barlow and Lou Rhodes. They split up 10 years ago but reunited in 2009. Backspace Unwind […]
Spandau Ballet: It’s All True (Interview)
They’re back! Spandau Ballet has returned with a new album, The Story-The Very Best Of Spandau Ballet, which includes three brand new tracks, and a documentary about the band and its history called Soulboys Of The Western World. They have also announced a tour that will bring them to Auckland’s Vector Arena in May of […]
Age Pryor: Rockin’ The Uke (Interview)
Rachel Rayner spoke to the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra’s Age Pryor on the eve of their first album release about taking things seriously and why the ukulele is the ideal instrument. Pryor is a major player in New Zealand music, but until he started the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra with Bret McKenzie, he couldn’t play […]
Introducing: Josh Rennie-Hynes
Josh Rennie-Hynes is an Australian singer-songwriter who has just released his first album, titled February, produced by Shane Nicholson. Josh has booked a 16-date tour of New Zealand that begins today in Te Awamutu and wraps up on December 14th at The Wine Cellar in Auckland. You can find all the dates to his tour […]
Manchester Orchestra: From Cope To Hope (Interview)
No, they’re not British…indie band Manchester Orchestra is based in Atlanta, Georgia. The quintet will play their first New Zealand show at Auckland’s Powerstation on November 17th. This follows the release of Hope, the band’s second album of 2014. In April, the band released Cope, a record they have described as being “unrelenting and unapologetically […]
Ben Ottewell: Rattlebag Blues (Interview)
Ben Ottewell, the gravelly-voiced singer from Gomez has just released his second solo album, Rattlebag. He will also be performing at Auckland’s Tuning Fork this coming Friday. The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda spoke to Ben as he was touring Australia and discussed the thriving music scene in Ben’s hometown of Brighton and what makes a […]
Lucinda Williams: Confident & In Control (Interview)
35 years into her career, Lucinda Williams shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, she’s more productive than ever. Her latest album, Down Where The Spirit Meets The Bone is a double disc set featuring 20 new songs. And as it turns out, there’s more where those came from. That’s what The 13th Floor’s […]