Release Roundup: Mousey, JessB, T. G. Shand, Best Bets, Caru & DylanBiscuit, Tess Liautaud + More

If I was a standup comedian I might say something like this: "I just flew in to our Friday Release Roundup zone and boy are my arms tired". Revisit this week's coverage of SKILAA, The Wendys, Arahi and Keira Wallace, watch our fabulous new LIVE MUSIC BAR episode starring Phoebe Rings, then explore more new / recent Aotearoa release highlights by T. G. Shand, Mousey, JessB, Ducklingmonster, REED., LEISURE, Greatsouth, Best Bets, Tess Liautaud, and Caru & DylanBiscuit.

Southern shoegaze / dream-pop spellcrafter T. G. Shand aka Annemarie Duff maintains a seemingly endless winning streak, unfurling impressionistic new single / video 'Scenes'. "'Scenes' attempts to layer various concepts of observing the warm routines of communities. Being ok with not feeling connected to those natural rituals, absorbing the feeling of community through observing it, and a long hot summer day as it fades into the concrete."

Finalist at various points in time for the Taite Music Prize, Silver Scroll and Best Independent Debut Awards, Mousey aka Sarena Close today shares double-single 'Dog Park / Opener' via Winegum Records — embracing trip-hop sonics with her first official release since 2021's highly acclaimed My Friends. "Sometimes the most harmful thing someone has said to me has been quite a forgettable thing for the person who said them. The axe forgets but the tree remembers, ya know. I feel like I wrote (Dog Park) in 10 minutes. It just fell out — not even a thought of references. I just felt it and went from there".

Playing at 95bFM's free Drive Island event at Tāmaki Makaurau's Ellen Melville Centre this evening, Aotearoa rap force JessB teams up with local and overseas heavyweights Sister Nancy (!), Sampa the Great, Gold Fang, Kranium, Who Shot Scott, Dera Meelan, MOW Music, Tuzi, and more on her long-awaited debut album Feels Like Home. Check out the new video for all-star opening track 'Power'.

Aotearoa DIY electronics legend Ducklingmonter aka Beth Dawson (Futurians) has a new solo album out on vinyl LP via Audio Foundation Records, created during her 2023 Winter Residency at Tāmaki Makaurau’s sub-basement sonic hub. Experience the elemental amazingness of the video for lead single 'Earth on Fire' and look forward to I know​.​.​.​.​.​.​a​.​.​.​way​.​.​. out in full on 19th July, order your copy stat via the Bandcamp link.

Launched late last week for Matariki, REED. aka Sasha Te Whare (Ngāti Maniapoto) shared moving te reo ballad 'MURIMURI AROHA', plus visuals putting a novel twist on the classic "band in a van" motif, directed by Luke Penney. "MURIMURI AROHA is a song of grief and the end of a romantic relationship, It was an exaggeration of what was going on in my life at that point in time. My partner was leaving for Whāngarei to fulfil her dream job the week before I attended Song Hubs so there were a lot of emotions building up to that point. We were set on making it work but there was always that question of what if this doesn’t work out".

Aotearoa soul-pop superstars LEISURE reemerged with their first official release since 2023's Leisurevision long player — silky smooth-grooving trans-Tasman collaboration with Australia's Two Another 'Oh Why'.

The new Māori alt-rock project of Papakura's FABLE, Greatsouth followed June's stellar debut single 'Please!' with the emotionally bruised, grungy vistas of 'Nada In My Wallet', launched last Friday for Matariki.

Canterbury's power-punk-popsters Best Bets made a mighty return today, announcing their new album The Hollow Husk of Feeling will be out in September on Melted Ice Cream (Aotearoa) and Meritorio Records (abroad). Hit play on eminently catchy lead single 'Monster' and preorder the Toxic Algae Bloom Green Vinyl LP edition via the Bandcamp link.

Ōtautahi-based Franco-American songwriter Tess Liautaud teams up with a roster of southern pals on windswept new ballad 'The Way It's Meant To Rain', featuring Adam Hattaway, Jessie Shanks, Frankie Daly, Elmore Jones, Michael Kime and Max Liautaud. From the artist's forthcoming album Blue Mind, out in full on 25th October.

Tāmaki Makaurau production / DJ heavyweights Caru & DylanBiscuit casually dropped mid-afternoon today the lead cut from their two-part CaruBiscuit Vol. 1 — feel the pumping house groove of Strictly Rhythm-friendly banger 'Boys a Liar'.