Acoustic EP Now Available For Free Download

Like the recent Remixes and Collaborations album, our Acoustic EP, too, is now finally available as a free download at bandcamp.mu:

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Remixes And Collaborations Album: A Free Net Release

Just a quick note about a new internet release that you can download for free and in various formats (mp3, aac, ogg vorbis, flac and apple lossless) here:

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My friend Simon

Simon, a really good friend of mine, will soon be joining me on my last New Zealand tour as Halon Sirius. Now Simon’s pretty much just getting started as a live act, and so there are lots of things he just hasn’t found the time to sort out yet - one of those things being press photos. Anyhow, I decided it might be fun to chauffeur Simon around town with my camera in tow, and see if the two of us couldn’t get a few good shots happening.

Despite wind and rain, I think I managed to capture quite a few striking shots, and I was just glad I didn’t totally waste Simon’s time! :)

Here are some of my favorite ones I took of him today:

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Series Two Records release 5-CD compilation with a song of mine on it!

I’m quite stoked and honored to be featured on the new Series Two Records compilation!

The 5-CD set features 118 artists and over 390 minutes of indie music. Participating on this compilation are artists from all over the world, including bands from North America, Sweden, United Kingdom, France, Denmark, Norway, Peru, Argentina, Spain, Costa Rica, Australia, Taiwan, Australia, Japan, Indonesia, New Zealand, Serbia, China, Canada, Germany, Russia, Switzerland and the Philippines.

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New Zealand Skier Documentary uses Scattering the Sun!

Scattering the Sun used for NZ Skier documentary! from Mark Roberts on YouTube.

I am so stoked about this! I got back from the tour all exhausted, but one of the nice things I did the morning after my first sleep was to open up a package Bucket Productions sent me, which included a free mag of New Zealand Skier and a bloody awesome NZ Ski DVD, which I had offered my music to for free.

The resulting documentary is totally radical, with guys and girls essentially jumping of terrifyingly dangerous-looking mountain cliffs and twisting their bodies, like nothing could ever be more natural and simple.

Anyhow, they used the entirety of Scattering The Sun Like Gunshot for the opening intro chapter (like 7 minutes + long!!), which had me grinning so wide I had to massage my face after watching the DVD for fear of cramping up.

Without anyone’s permission (please no lawsuits ya’ll!), I threw up a short clip of the opening sequence just to give all of you a feel for how well the track works with the slow-mo skiing footage. Check out the video, and if you’re into that sort of stuff, definitely grab a copy of the mag and video (New Zealand Skier and Basket Productions).

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The futility of flogging music

Ha. Oh my gosh. This article on Music Think Tank is so spot on it makes me want to cry, laugh hysterically, and jump out the window face first.

This part, especially, evoked nothing but sighs and nods from me:

People can download virtually any music for free these days, arguing that it’s OK, bands can make money by touring, instead. Which is like casually suggesting to the owner of an off license, after he’s spotted you nicking a bottle of wine, that he can sell a few crisps to make up for it. And anyway, The Rolling Stones might well gross millions on a world tour, but nearly all bands lose money hand over fist while on the road.

(I just lost well over 600 NZD touring the North Island!)

People might come out with stats about live music revenues being on a gradual incline, but believe me – having been in bands known and unknown, and done tour budgets for countless others – touring represents a black hole of disappearing cash for musicians. Sound engineers might get paid, promoters ensure that they get their cut, but precious little filters down to the musicians, unless they’re lucky enough to get tour support from the record company. Which is actually an advance. Which means that, er, it’s their money in the first place.

Read the full article here.

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Solo Electronic Tour of New Zealand’s North Island!

This coming August, I’ll be embarking on a solo electronic tour of the North Island. Armed with a synth, mpc, vocoder and a guitar plugged into my trusty looper, I’ll be performing songs off of A Maze and Amazement and my forthcoming record. Touring with me is my friend and Wellington based artist i.Ryoko.

Dates are:

Thursday 21st - Wanganui @ Eye of Night [AA]
Friday 22nd - Wellington @ Brownote (above Bluenote) [AA]
Saturday 23rd - Palmerston North @ Public Library [AA]
Thursday 28th - Wellington @ Happy
Friday 29th - Hamilton @ La Commune [AA]
Saturday 30th - Auckland @ Winecellar

Plan on coming to one of our shows? Why not RSVP via facebook?

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Major website overhaul and other projects

I’m sorry I’ve been a bit slow on writing up new blog posts. Essentially, I’ve been really busy with the following:

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Cat and Bird Split 7″

The Cat and Bird 7″ is a very limited edition split between us and the late Break Mission Kills. This collaboration, however, is more of a marriage than a split, with each of our band’s derelict post-pop aesthetic supporting the other’s. The entire run is limited to 100 copies, though the record (and bonus tracks) can be downloaded for free at www.catandbird.info.

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Enright House merch now on trade-me

I suppose it took me long enough, really, but after reading this interesting article (albeit, a bit annoyingly written) this afternoon, I thought - hell yeah, why not! - and put up some of our new shirts, badges, EPs and 7″s, as well as a few copies of our album. If you live outside of New Zealand and fancy buying something off us, just hang tight a wee while longer. We’ll have a proper paypal store up within the next few weeks! In the meantime:

2 1/4″ Badges/Buttons (5 NZD, including shipping):

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The Enright House and HDU at Al’s Bar 04.30.2008

We’re stoked to be part of HDU’s album release tour, by bringing you the last-ever performance of our acoustic set! We religiously rehearsed the set for almost four months and then took it on a 10-day South Island tour, where we played these songs for hipsters, adults, children and grandparents. It will be hard to part with the wonderful experience of playing these tender renditions, so it will undoubtedly be an emotional farewell.

Not only will it be the last-ever show in this format, but Thomas, our dear friend and former guitarist, will be down from Wellington to reunite us as the same 4-piece line-up that debuted the acoustic set at Camp A Low Hum earlier this year. If you missed us at camp and didn’t make it out during our tour, this is a show I think you won’t want to miss… I mean, for Pete’s sake, it’s a show with HDU, right? Don’t sit this one out if you like our music - you’ll be sorry you did, attract heaps of rancid Karma, and get smashed in the face by a crash-landing flying saucer.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you…

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This Monday: EH at Real Groovy in ChCh [5 pm]

Real Groovy, one of our local record stores, is holding a series of instore performances this coming week to honor New Zealand’s music month (an annual “celebration” of New Zealand’s local music).

Anyhow, Simon, our drummer, is away on a school trip this Monday, so Evan and I will be playing the upcoming instore performance as a duo. Evan will be on piano and brushed snare, and I’ll be playing guitar and some accordion. In contrast to the acoustic set we took on tour, I’m actually bringing my looping pedal with me.

In addition to Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, which we’ve not played acoustically to date, we’ll also be debuting a new “song”.

Aside from the HDU gig on the 30th, this will be your last chance to catch us playing acoustically, and almost certainly the last time you’ll catch me playing an accordion :).

Be there or be triangular.

-M.

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