Release Roundup: Elliot & Vincent, Pickle Darling, Japes, Mystery Waitress, Colter Carson + More

Revisit this week's coverage of Delaney Davidson & Barry Saunders, Wiri Donna, Young Gho$t & Unwell and Powder Chutes & Haast Hunter, pay respect to departed songwriting genius Martin Phillipps of The Chills, watch our thrilling new episode of LIVE MUSIC BAR starring cow-punk crooner D.C. Maxwell, and discover more recently unearthed Aotearoa release highlights below from Pickle Darling, Elliot & Vincent, Colter Carson, Yon Loader, Mystery Waitress, Japes, Finn Johansson, Tami Neilson, and Moniker. If you haven't already, don't forget to enter our UTR 20th anniversary prize giveaway / order a limited edition tee HERE before the 16th August cutoff.

Playing four double headline dates across Aotearoa with fellow Ōtautahi songwriting magician Ryan Fisherman in October (get tickets HERE), Pickle Darling today shared a YouTube exclusive cover of Swedish dance-pop star Robyn's 2010 classic 'Call Your Girlfriend'.

Supports for The Jesus And Mary Chain's Tāmaki Makaurau headline show this week with nary an official release to their name, rising stars Elliot & Vincent aka singer / drummer Elliot Finn and guitarist Vincent Cherry finally treated fans to slow-burning, scorching and crunchy (scrunchy?) debut single 'Doberman'.

The first official release from Aotearoa electronic dance heavyweight Eden Burns' new imprint is Big Beat Manifesto Catalogue Nr. 1 — a six track club sizzler by Ōtautahi producer Colter Carson, out now courtesy of Munich's Public Possession. Still a handful of vinyl 12" copies left via the Bandcamp link, get a wiggle on.

The second single from James Stuteley's (Carb on Carb) collaborative project Yon Loader, the wistful and unabashedly emotive 'Tied Up In' features impassioned vocals by Will Roud (Model Home) and cello from Olivia Grace Wilding (Recitals) — intriguingly a direct sequel to the 2009 reflections of first single 'Another Year'. Preorder the vinyl LP edition via the Bandcamp link before Yon Loader launches in full on 13th September.

Pōneke's Mystery Waitress, the four-piece of songwriter / guitarist Tessa Dillon, Olivia Campion (drums), Xanthe Rook (bass) and James Morgan (synths and guitar) unfurled their luminous second album Bright Black Night via Flying Nun Records — recorded, mixed, and mastered by studio titan James Goldsmith (Beastwars, DARTZ). Order the gatefold vinyl LP edition via the Bandcamp link.

It's evidently been a fab week for local releases, including the long-awaited new EP (or perhaps mini-album?) from Japes aka musician / producer / DJ / broadcaster Mia Kelly, who has just relocated to Naarm / Melbourne from Te Whanganui-a-Tara. Co-produced with Bevan Smith (Signer), and featuring additional percussion by Cory Champion and Riley Dick, Omen's vividly textured song-scapes feel earthy and alchemical. Another winner from Sunreturn, as one commenter enthused: "stunning ! stunning ! stunning !"

Tāmaki Makaurau musical polymath Finn Johansson was in RNZ's studios laying down some hot tunes today as he casually revealed his first solo release in nearly two years, emotionally tender ballad 'I Want My Dad To Hold Me' — featuring Hannah Morrell on fiddle and Dave Khan on pedal steel.

2023 APRA Best Country Music Song Award winner Tami Neilson revealed the first single from her highly-teased Neilson Sings Nelson album, a majestic cover of Willie Nelson's 'I Never Cared For You' complete with immersive VR visual experience. Recorded at Willie’s Pedernales Studio, Texas, the whole shebang is out on 6th September — preorder the vinyl LP and CD editions via the Bandcamp link.

Neilson also sings on the SpongeBob-adjacent new soundtrack to Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie, also featuring a selection of instrumental works by Moniker, the award-winning alter-ego of The Phoenix Foundation's Conrad Wedde, Samuel Scott and Luke Buda. Sip on a piña colada and enjoy their mind-scrambling Carl Stalling / Zorn-like cartoon compositions.