Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
For indie rock fans, a great source of local info is
www.cheeseontoast.co.nz
,
which lists
gigs and has band interviews and photos. For more on local hip-hop, pop and rock,
check out
www.thecorner.co.nz
and the long-running
www.muzic.net.nz
.
The local hip-hop scene has its heart in the suburbs of South Auckland, which have a
high concentration of Maori and Pacific Island residents. This area is home to one of
New Zealand's foremost hip-hop labels, Dawn Raid, which takes its name from the in-
famous early-morning house raids of the 1970s that police performed on Pacific
Islanders suspected of outstaying their visas. Dawn Raid's most successful artist is Sav-
age, who sold a million copies of his single 'Swing' after it was featured in the movie
Knocked Up
. Within New Zealand, the most well-known hip-hop acts are Scribe, Che
Fu and Smashproof (whose song 'Brother' held number one on the NZ singles charts
longer than any other local act).
Dance music gained a foothold in Christchurch in the 1990s, spawning dub/electronica
outfit Salmonella Dub and its offshoot act, Tiki Taane. Drum 'n' bass remains popular
locally and has spawned internationally renowned acts such as Concord Dawn and
Shapeshifter.
New Music
Since 2000, the NZ music scene has developed new vitality after the government con-
vinced commercial radio stations to adopt a voluntary quota of 20% local music. This en-
abled commercially oriented musicians to develop solid careers. Rock groups such as
Shihad, the Feelers and Op-shop have thrived in this environment, as have a set of soul-
ful female solo artists (who all happen to have Maori heritage): Bic Runga, Anika Moa
and Brooke Fraser (daughter of All Black Bernie Fraser). NZ also produced two interna-
tionally acclaimed garage rock acts over this time: the Datsuns and the D4.
Current Kiwis garnering international recognition include the incredibly gifted song-
stress Kimbra (who sang on Gotye's global smash 'Somebody That I Used To Know');
indie anthem alt-rockers the Naked & Famous; multitalented singer-songwriter Lady-
hawke; the arty Lawrence Arabia; and the semi-psychedelic Unknown Mortal Orchestra.
Aaradhna is a much-touted R&B singer currently making a splash with her album
Trebel
& Reverb,
which won 'Album of the Year' at the 2013 New Zealand Music Awards.
