Articles in ‘Music’

In the heart of Southland, where the air is crisp and country music runs through the veins of the community, two young stars from the Halton Hart family band were dreaming big. Georgia Martin and Meila Scully, known as the award-winning duo The Sparks didn't just want to listen to their idol, Lainey Wilson; they wanted to show her exactly how much she had inspired them. Driven by what they described as a "raging fire" in their hearts, the…

Sun, Sails, and Steel Guitars: Your Ultimate Guide to the 2026 Bay of Islands Country Rock Festival - If you’re planning a trip to the "Winterless North," there is no better way to see it than when the Bay of Islands Country Rock Festival is in full swing. The term "winterless" is a bit of a local secret, while the rest of New Zealand is starting to feel the first real bite of May , Northland stays famously mild. In May, you’re looking at…

Genre-blending through subtle jazz intricacies and funky, infectious rhythms – New Zealand’s premiere instrumental act GroovExpress paint an image of optimism and style throughout this superb new collection. · Contemplation Nova is the name, ten tracks devoted to the moment with crisp production that allows the natural strength of each performance to shine through on the recording. It’s a pleasure to lose yourself within, and here are a few…

Through viral pandemics, world moral crises and music business madness, Mykeljon Winckel’s soul-pop-jazz collective GroovExpress keeps right on chuggin’ along, morphing and shape-shifting with the times. In the Summer of 2020, that means a scaled down version featuring more vocals and less members as Winckel takes to his state-of-the-art home studio to record most of the tracks for GroovExpress’ 4th and latest effort… alone. Entitled Get Down &…

The music industry has always been an evolving machine. A constant cog that changes how music is heard transitioning through different types of media, new inventions and other advances that force it to adapt and change long established business models. By the end of 2018, Global recorded music revenue had grown by 9.7% with streaming services making up half of revenue, driven by paid streaming services by 32%. Overall, that had seen a 34%…

The development of Music Education has been a part of New Zealand’s Primary and Intermediate school curriculum since the nineteenth century and has always been viewed as a valued subject inextricably linked with New Zealand’s evolving education system. In 1877, The Education Act established the Department of Education, although it didn’t officially begin to function until 1878. Since most settlers who came to our shores during the nineteenth…

The New Zealand based contemporary jazz sensation GroovExpress returns to the music scene with the release of their single Just Before The Light. The track is a smooth jazz ballad from the number one Billboard album titled Amsterdaam, which I had the honor of reviewing back in October of 2018. Just Before The Light is a sophisticated but elegant composition that is sure to charm the ears of music fans across the globe. This wonderful…

Motown Veteran Michael B. Sutton Launches The Sound of L.A. Entertainment Company with New Distribution Deal with Orchard/Sony. R&B, Pop, Jazz, Gospel and Dance Genres Gloriously Represented with Dynamic New Artists Title: Motown Magic with Veteran Michael B. Sutton Subtitle : Motown Veteran Michael B. Sutton Launches The Sound of L.A. Entertainment Company with New Distribution Deal with Orchard/Sony. R&B, Pop, Jazz, Gospel and Dance Genres…

(November, 16th, 2018 - Los Angeles) Dance music fans in Europe and abroad are intimately familiar with singer-songwriter Aneessa from her international club hits “Jamais,” "Superwoman,” “Dance with Me,” “Sur Mes Terres,” “I Can’t Let You Go” and “It’s on You.” Her album last album (released 2015) "Ce soir" racked up two-million streams in Asia alone. Now after a 3-year hiatus, Lady Aneessa has reinvented herself as just Aneessa now and is…