Grant Smithies

A new compilation called Rocksteady Got Soul cherry-picks classics and rarities from one of the most soulful strands of early Jamaican music. Plus new tunes from New Brighton's Blair Parkes and… Audio

Ethereal folk, French movie soundtracks, synth-heavy psychedelia, shuffling indie grunge, German art-rock: so many styles find a home in the music of Manchester’s Jane Weaver. Audio

Today we'll hear two fine tracks from spanking new international "post-punk dance" compilation Two Synths, A Guitar (And) A Drum Machine, followed by some hectic kologo lute music from Ghana's… Audio

Christchurch bedroom indie-pop producer Pickle Darling (Lukas Mayo) has two fresh singles released today, tasters for splendid upcoming second album, Cosmonaut. We'll also hear gems from fellow… Audio

Early NZ punk band The Plague is reforming for next week's Punk It Up live shows in Auckland, performing alongside members of veteran Aotearoa punk acts (No Tag, Terrorways, Instigators, The Features)… Audio

Big Star's debut album #1 Record was recently given an overdue vinyl reissue, so hopeless fanboy Grant Smithies plays two tracks from that today while shedding tears of joy. After that, a veer up to… Audio

In the mid-70s, Iggy Pop and David Bowie washed up together in Berlin, where one of their favourite haunts was Kreuzberg’s Cafe Exil. Grant Smithies dives in.  Audio

Recorded in the shadow of the Southern Alps in rural Canterbury, The Bats’ 10th album Foothills has just come out. We’ll hear two tracks from that today, alongside gems from St Louis funk crew… Audio

Mysterious London collective Sault has put out four albums over the past 18 months, two of them double LPs. We'll hear two tracks from the band today, alongside a single from bedroom pop auteur Gareth… Audio

Kraftwerk's entire back-catalogue is reissued on vinyl today, and rabid fan-boy Grant Smithies is beside himself with joy. Audio

Funk veteran Lee Field's 1999 album Let's Get A Groove On gets a welcome reissue for Record Store Day next week. We'll hear two tracks from that today, plus a NZ classic from The Subliminals and some… Audio

Former misanthropist turned thoughtful family man Bill Callahan released a new album this week, wryly entitled Gold Record. We'll hear two tracks from that today, alongside a song from Troy Kingi's… Audio

First released in 1968, the second album by Mississippi singer/ songwriter Bobby Gentry has just had the deluxe reissue treatment. Audio

Made over a period of 10 days during lockdown, new album Keep Your Distance! was strapped together online by Virtual Shadow Ensemble, a collective of musicians and spoken word artists from around the… Audio

The debut full-length LP by Straitjacket Fits, 1988's Hail was reissued last Friday by Flying Nun, with the weaker tracks substituted for rippers from the band's 1987 EP, Life In One Chord. Audio

Is The Stroppies the best band name ever? Grant Smithies reckons so, and he’ll play two tracks from the Melbourne band’s studio debut Whoosh today, alongside tracks from Birmingham electronic… Audio

Rough, raw, dirty and loud, the new compilation from Auckland's 1: 12 Records was released last week "just in time to kick-off your first Level 1 house party". We'll hear two tracks from that today… Audio