Grant Smithies
Music reviewer Grant Smithies
A teensy boutique festival based along Auckland's Karangahape Road, The Others Way returns on Friday 31 August for its fourth year, with around 40 bands performing throughout the day. We hear tunes… Audio
The Beths, The Adults and Bill Direen
Grant Smithies keeps it local, with music from guitar pop renegades The Beths, itinerant Christchurch writer-musician Bill Direen and Shihad frontman Jon Toogood's multicultural mash-up side-project… Audio
Blair Parkes, the Blue Nile & Fabulous Arabia
Music reviewer Grant Smithies goes ape over two killer new tracks from New Brighton krautrocker Blair Parkes, spins the slinky new single from local "tudor reggae" pioneers Fabulous Arabia, and… Audio
Music of Vincent H.L, Hamish Kilgour and Chaka Khan
One former bandmate described it as "nightmare country", but Auckland singer/guitarist Vincent H.L's twang-heavy suburban psych-country racket sounds pretty damn heavenly to our music reviewer, Grant… Audio
Love and lust in the music of Boycrush and Princess Chelsea
Music reviewer Grant Smithies looks at the primary themes of requited and unrequited love, which run through the music of Auckland-based artists Boycrush and Princess Chelsea. We also hear new music… Audio
The spanking new Wild Things redux
Way back in 1990, Flying Nun records released a compilation of early NZ garage rock'n'roll called Wild Things. It's just been reissued with a bunch of new tracks but still in glorious punchy MONO… Audio
Wellington Jazz Festival headliners Chris Dave & John Beasley
The capital's Jazz Festival spans 6-10th June, with more than 100 gigs over five days and around 30 000 people attending. Music reviewer Grant Smithies plays tracks from two of the top international… Audio
New Zealand Music Month - do we need it?
The sonically patriotic Grant Smithies is celebrating New Zealand Music Month with great local songs from Carb On Carb, Troy Kingi, Ha The Unclear and Being. Audio
New music with Grant Smithies
Grant Smithies veers all over the paddock like a tractor with faulty steering, with tracks from Death And The Maiden, Paul Ramos and Darren Watson. Audio
New music with Grant Smithies
Saturday, April 21 is International Record Store Day, an annual vinyl bun-fight that kicked off in America in 2007 as a way of celebrating the cultural impact of independent record stores. Incurable… Audio
Music reviewer Grant Smithies
Grant Smithies is smitten with the fourth Unknown Mortal Orchestra album, Sex and Food, released today. We also hear a storm-inspired collaboration between artist/composer Laurie Anderson and NYC… Audio
Music reviewer - Grant Smithies
They're green, they're hungry, and their roots run deep. Today we take a listen to the triffid-tastic second album from Auckland's Carnivorous Plant Society, the nation's leading exponents of "Mexican… Audio
Music reviewer Grant Smithies
We get an earful of the high-gloss protest songs of Meghan "U.S. Girls" Remy, celebrate an upcoming one-off live gig by reformed Tokoroa funk legends Collision, and get more in touch with mother… Audio
Music reviewer Grant Smithies
Grant plays Wellington band Black Minnaloushe, acid folk troubadour Arthur Ahbez and Detroit space-soul renegades Funkadelic. Audio
Music reviewer - Grant Smithies
Brace yourself, people. After a decade of dormancy, Auckland garage rock reprobates The D4 are reuniting for a whistle-stop NZ tour, culminating in the closing gig of hallowed rock venue, The King's… Audio
Music reviewer Grant Smithies
Blimey! Is it really 20 years since Auckland bass bandits Unitone HiFi played the inaugural Gathering dance festival? It is, and Grant Smithies was there. He's delighted that they've emerged from… Audio
Music, humour and a bit of love
Kennedy Warne, Te Radar, Irene Pink and Grant Smithies help us bid farewell to the year, by reflecting on the best, worst and funniest stories of 2017. Nota Bene performs Christmas songs. Audio
Grant Smithies reviews the latest release from Auckland band The Roulettes
Grant Smithies is left a little giddy by the new album from Auckland trio, The Roulettes. He chats with the band and waxes lyrical about Venus Burns. Video, Audio
Grant Smithies picks four favourites from new NZ funk and soul compilation Heed The Call
You are cordially invited to shake your money-maker. Compiled by Auckland record collectors John Baker and Alan Perrott, a new double album Heed The Call looks at NZ soul, funk and disco released here… Video, Audio
Jamaica’s original dancehall queen Sister Nancy is coming to NZ
Pioneering Jamaican vocalist Sister Nancy is performing in Aotearoa for the first time this weekend, with shows in Raglan and Auckland. Bass-addled fanboy Grant Smithies is beside himself with… Video, Audio
