Amplifier

31.07.09

We have two more great releases from this year we'd like to remind you of before we head off for the weekend. We've covered ten such titles this week and have hardly scratched the surface as its been another busy year for local releases, in fact its been a great year for local music, full stop.

Bachelorette - My Electric Family

In early 2008, Annabel Alpers, aka Bachelorette, funded her first, and ultimately groundbreaking, US tour. Along the way, she sold some records to an eager Ryan Adams at a small club in New York City and made fans out of execs from Chicago's Drag City Records.

Back in NZ, Annabel secluded herself in Otaki Beach, where much of the tracking for My Electric Family took place. Intent and focused on realising her musical vision, Annabel enlisted MAINZ' Roy Martin (The Nothing, Trans Am) and trekked up to Whenuapai to record the Royal NZ Air Force Brass Band for backing instrumentals on one track. Finally, after over a year of hard work, Annabel was approached enthusiastically by Chicago's legendary Drag City Records to put out her new album, My Electric Family.

My Electric Family features a broader instrumentation than Bachelorette's previous releases. The electronic pulses, synthesizers and gorgeous vocal harmonies that characterise Bachelorette's sound remain, but are enhanced by extensive live drumming as well as brass, guitar, bass and pedal steel (played by Dino Karlis, Tom Watson, Craig Terris, Andrew Bain and Lee Prebble). This album flows seamlessly from psychedelic pop to dance grooves to the sci-folk lullaby you thought you could only dream of.

The Eastern - The Eastern

The Eastern have played everywhere (man), from Nashville to Timaru and a few stops in between. Christchurch is home but Lyttelton's where the heart is, as they drink with sailors as house band at the Wunderbar and remember songs shouted across the booth at Sun Studios, on stages in London, in rebel pubs in Baltimore.

The Eastern bring backpacks full of road songs, battered acoustics and no name electrics, banjo, mandolin, glockenspiel, harmonica, foot stomps and old time singing, straight from the gut, the fist and the heart, on their debut full-length, self-titled release.

Wondering what to do for the weekend?

Here are our picks as found on Makuna for getting out there and taking in some live music this weekend.

For a fill breakdown on whats on offer around the country have a look at Makuna 

Have a great weekend.