8 I Friday, October 18, 2013 I GO, The Press, Christchurch www.press.co.nz GO, The Press, Christchurch I Friday, October 18, 2013 I 9 MUSIC Vicki Anderson talks to Tristan Dingemans, of Vicki Anderson talks to Rennie Sparks of the Handsome Family about barking eels TOP10 Dunedin sonic warriors Mountaineater. and the creatures that inhabit new album Wilderness. ALBUMS Mountaineater n the eastern edge of the Heretaunga with the album launch and it’s 1. Pure Heroine – Lorde plains a giant sleeps, dreams. mesmerising. 2. Lightning Bolt - Pearl Jam Occasionally, he shifts. Ripples ‘‘With HDU recording was intensive, 3. 4 - Beyonce emanate across the plains. This is Te over a couple of weeks. This was an 4. I Am... Sasha Fierce – Beyonce OMata O Rongokako. The Mountaineater. elongated process over 22 months, which 5. Somewhere New EP – 5SOS Mountaineater is led by HDU frontman was a blessing and a curse. We had the 6. Midnight Memories Deluxe pre-order – One Tristan Dingemans. He is joined by Chris luxury of time but then it’s hard to know Direction Livingston on drums and Anaru Ngata on when to stop.’’ 7. Bangerz (Deluxe Version) – Miley Cyrus bass and guitar. Mountaineater are a powerful band, 8. Random Access Memories – Daft Punk British radio DJ and journalist the late dark, great and mystical. Songs like 9. Tribute Deluxe – John Newman great John Peel once labelled HDU ‘‘one of Gutterball, Exegesis 7, Jerusalem and the 10. We Are Young and Free – Hillsong Young and the 10 best bands in the world you’ve never nine minute 14 second opus Ch’an Ra have TALL Free heard of’’ and fans of Dunedin sound captured their compelling live sound. terrorists HDU will be interested in seeing Few bands are capable of transforming iTunes NZ Dunedin trio Mountaineater at Dux Live the intangibility of experiencing a natural tonight. landscape into sound, but those that can are TOP 10 ‘‘The three of us are Mountaineater,’’ incredible. Dingemans says. ‘‘Without any one of us, ‘‘It’s so good to get these songs down. SONGS Mountaineater wouldn’t exist.’’ Some of the songs are quite old, we’ve been tales As per HDU, Mountaineater are a band playing them live for a while. They’re good pushing the sound frontiers and sonic takes, I’m happy with the versions we’ve got possibilities of the rock three-piece, laden down.’’ 1. Odessa - Caribou with effects and punctuated with minimalist Dingemans describes the album as 2. Made to Love – John Legend (see the video) vocals and existential aural snippets. ‘‘vaguely autobiographical’’. handsomely 3. We’ll Meet At Riccarton Mall to F... – Christian Reuben Bonner, of An Emerald City, has Spiderbaby, which is nine minutes and 11 Rock (Chch) released Mountaineater’s self-titled album seconds of aural bliss, was written as a 4. Stop the Rain – Apollo Suite (Chch) on his label Banished From the Universe. haiku. 5. IAmNew– Jason Gray (NZ) ‘‘I guess you could call us niche music in ‘‘Two of the verses were written by 6. Spooky House – Kitten Tank (NZ) marketing terms,’’ Dingemans laughs. ‘‘We myself, not a strict haiku, I’m a couple of told 7. I’m The Man That Will Find You – Connan were yarning with Flying Nun for ages but syllables out, but that was the idea. The last Mockasin (NZ) didn’t end up going with them. Reuben was one was written by my former partner, the 8. I’m the Wrong Man – Bannerman (NZ) keen to put the album out and with him we mother of my daughters. It’s a cliche but I 9. Same Home Town – Salmonella Dub (NZ) get the best of both worlds because he gets felt the sense that I was closing a chapter by 10. Helicopterss – Alma Cadik the business side of it but he’s a musician as finishing these songs.’’ mmortal jellyfish, woodpecker VICKI ANDERSON well.’’ ........................................................................................... tongues, dancing octopuses, fly Recorded over 22 months with Dale i THE DETAILS: royalty, the secret language of crows, Cotton at the helm, the album consists of six Mountaineater with support from Ipswich and the mysterious lives of eels and The Mountaineater: Dunedin trio songs but two songs clock in at over nine Asian Tang, tonight at Dux Live, 363 Lincoln Rd. compulsive window-smasher Mary fronted by Tristan Dingemans minutes. The video for first single, Lord of $15 pre-sales from Cosmic. Mountaineater’s self- Sweeney all star on the latest album plays in Christchurch tonight. Sumo was released last week to coincide titled album is available now. by The Handsome Family, Canterbury Poets Collective IWilderness. The Handsome Family – husband and wife Brett and Rennie Sparks – makes a POETRY in PERFORMANCE HIT Shapeshifter and Scrolls awards in consecutive return visit to Christchurch next week ❏ Got $5? Head to Churchills, 441 Fat Freddy’s Drop years. His performance at the from their home in Albuquerque, New 6:30 to 8:30pm ($5) every Wednesday Colombo St, on Saturday night and continue the theme of Silver Scroll awards on Tuesday Mexico, as part of an international tour From Oct 2nd - Nov 20th at CPSA Building, hear Permanence, Squirm, Villain bands recognised for was impressive. for their latest album. and When Pets Attack from their technical work His follow-up EP, How The Feted by the likes of Ringo Starr and Southern end, CPIT carpark, 5 Madras St 9.30pm. Best fiver you ever spent. on their own albums. Light Gets In, was recorded at The Nick Cave, and covered by artists such as Each week visiting poets and an open mic opportunity ❏ Don McGlashan’s speech at the Shapeshifter and the Lab Auckland in March this year, Jeff Tweedy of Wilco, The Handsome Silver Scrolls. (Lorde won, no Upbeats are finalists in produced by Wayne Bell and Family makes music best described as Oct 23rd surprise there). tart the Best Producer engineered by Oliver Harmer, and leaving no tombstone unturned. ❏ Pop Tart’s theme song of the category for was released in May. Their often-dark music merges the Michele Amas, Ben Brown, week, Typical Girls by the Slits. Shapeshifter’s album Sheehan is surely one to watch. sounds of traditional country and ❏ Sarah Amazinnia The orchestral version of Delta. Fat Freddy’s Check out I Need To Get My Fire bluegrass (and, especially, murder 5633155AD Macklemore’s Thrift Shop. Drop joins them in the Back on Youtube. He plays at the ballads) into a more modern landscape. Best Producer lineup Wunderbar, tonight. American critic Greil Marcus MISS for the Blackbird ....................................................................... described them as ‘‘the Beatles of the folk ❏ Yiking, the latest dance craze. album. FOLLOW US: world’’ and said Brett had the ‘‘radiant ❏ Egotistical literary types who Blackbird also on Twitter: @presspoptart baritone of the old-timers who sang pompously dissect and analyse nominated in the Best Engineer features in the Best country because it was Death’s favorite music. Er, it’s all about soul and and Best Producer categories. The Album Cover category music’’. heart. band shares its nomination with with designers Gina Ninth album Wilderness is a concept ❏ The guy who did Rebecca Brett Stanton and Lee Prebble who Kiel and Harry album populated by animals both wild Black’s Friday has a new song worked with them on their fifth A’Court nabbing a and mild, from glow worms to frogs, and called Chinese Food. album, Fandango. spot. Weta workshop’s tall tales are deftly spun around folklore. Lee Prebble demonstrates his Nick Keller is also Rennie Sparks says the songs were TECH AWARDS noted engineering skills with a nominated in this inspired by her fascination with nature. Hagley Writers’ Institute The Technical Award finalists second solo nomination for his category for Brett recorded it in their garage studio for the 48th annual Vodafone New work on Iva Lamkum’s album Beastwars’ album – a place Rennie calls his ‘‘mad scientist Zealand Music Awards have been Black Eagle. Blood Becomes Fire. lab’’ – with Jeff Tweedy lending them the Handsome pair: Husband and wife Rennie and Brett Sparks, aka The Handsome Family, bring their APPLY NOW FOR 2014 announced by Recorded Music NZ. Neil Baldock also joins the Best The winners of the Wilco Loft in Chicago so drummer Jason latest album, Wilderness, to Christchurch next week. Jesse Sheehan: plays at the Wunderbar tonight. The Phoenix Foundation is Engineer lineup. technical awards will Toth could record his parts. For first class professional be announced in ALBUM OF THE WEEK ‘‘I like animals, I’m intrigued by the people don’t want to live. I find interesting had onstage collaborations with such folk- Auckland on Tuesday. and Liv McBride say it took nine natural world,‘‘ Rennie Sparks says. ‘‘For plants and creatures there.’’ royalty as Eliza Carthy, country legend development from leading years to allow their true selves to example, we don’t always think about eels On Caterpillar, for example, Rennie Charlie Louvin and indie-kings like Nick THE TINY LIES ELVIS COSTELLO AND THE ROOTS – New Zealand writers. emerge, ‘‘writing and performing ✪✪✪✪ as having rich lives. But generations of Sparks pens the enthralling tale of a Cave and Jarvis Cocker. Christchurch ‘‘folk-noir’’ duo from the pits of their stomachs’’. Wise Up Ghost eels take the same migratory path around woman struck by lightning who is woken They’ve toured New Zealand on This course is a part-time, year long The Tiny Lies will release their Into the East plays two shows in At first this pairing seems incongruous the world, thousands and thousands of by radio waves. several occasions and have built a strong commitment for adult writers and is new album, The Oaks They Will Christchurch this week: tonight at but upon listening it’s obvious this was a kilometres.