Shindig with Clorinde, Gaze is Ghost and Fake Maria

It's common to be bombarded with literature when you go to gigs. I went to shows in Japan where I was handed a sheath of posters and flyers as thick as a Sunday paper on my way in and an equally hefty load on my way out. The only thing handed me as I left Shindig at St Philips on Mill Road was a handwritten copy of Return From A Walk by Frederico Garcia Lorca. A flyer for the next event wouldn't have hurt as this one could not have been more moving and memorable.

As usual visitors were struck by the unique atmosphere as soon as they walked through the door. A candlelit stall sold refreshments from CB1 Cafe. Another table was decorated with lights and assorted trinkets and other pictures and candles were to be found dotted around the venue. Members of the audience were encouraged to write messages on post-it notes and stick them up around the venue.

Compere Fay Roberts opened proceedings with a poem and introduced first act, Fake Maria. The duo of Hayley Foster and Matt Bothwell were an instant hit when they started playing at Allographic - Matt playing guitar and Hayley reading poems. At this, one of their first official shows they used keyboard in addition to guitar filling the room with beautiful melodies and words.

They were followed by Gaze is Ghost, singer-songwriter Laura McGarrigle. She was accompanied at short notice by a guitarist whose name I didn't catch and Fay who added percussion and backing vocals to Laura's exquisite and tender vocals and piano.

Finally Clorinde made a welcome return to the venue. The mainly Italian, London based instrumental group played interpretations of famous poems. The band performed on multiple instruments as a videos played along with recordings of works including Blake, Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson and Charles Bukowski.

New EP From Jet Jaguar

New Zealand based Jet Jaguar has a new EP out, the first of six due for release this year. In 'Another World' spoken phrases echo amongst a bed of dreamy synths and wobbly basslines. It's like a soundtrack for the space between conciousness and unconsciousness. 'Single-Digit High' has an industrial edge with 80's synths, minimalist beats and vinyl crackle bumping into each other like marshmallow dodgem cars. Heavily processed female vocals echo in and out. The EP concludes all too quickly with the darker 'Mose.' What might once have been a human voice hums and groans a smooth melody as percussive elements build and disintegrate.

It's a deep, atmospheric trio of tunes. The use of vocals is effective but a little standoffish. Voices are warped, distorted and scattered sparingly, mixed up with the electronic instruments.  A track with more prominent vocals and audible words would give this lush electronica a much needed organic element. Looking forward to the other five.

New Single from Malty Media

The New Zealand duo return with the best enema you'll ever receive.

The music of Malty Media aka Stuart McDonald and Michael Upton could have been made for Headstand. Audio clips drawn from movies, adverts and TV programmes are mixed with experimental electronic compositions  in original and memorable music and spoken word compositions. The duo also do occasional radio shows on Radio Active FM. Each one is a seamless journey through an eclectic selection of music and sound. You can listen to their shows here.

Man vs Enema / No Sparky is the first release from the duo in two years. Man vs Enema is built around a snippet of Bear Grylls explaining how an enema can be used for survival. The juxtaposition of Bear's macho commentary and laid-back dub track is a pleasing bit of musical comedy. The absurd and lurid images it conjures up leave an indelible mark on the listener's mind. The subtly comical track is followed by funky chill out piece No Sparky with a wobbly beat and sparkly synths. Grab the free download to be entertained and slightly increase your chances of survival if you find yourself stranded out at sea.

http://www.maltymedia.co.nz