News

I don't usually post any news updates or anything, but have a few things worthy of blogspace attention even though no one reads this blog. 

Firstly if anyone's been listening to the show in the past few weeks, you'll have noticed my absence. My dad's suffering from esophageal cancer and he's in Guangzhou, China getting treatment, so I was over there to see him. Mum's currently there alone looking after him - which is fucking hard - and it's most likely that I'll have to go back at some stage. It'll depend on his progress in the next couple of weeks. Basically, I'm not sure how regularly I'll be able to the show in the next while. Worry not though, you'll be in good hands - either Soong, Joe, James and Matt will be filling in for me, and they do ace work. I've set up a page at givealittle.co.nz for my dad's cause; if you'd like to read more about it and donate, click here.

Another cause worth supporting is the A Fundamental Experiment LP put out by Semina Tapes. I'm actually not familiar with J.M.W., but his current situation sounds awful and this limited edition comp of Neil Young covers, featuring the likes of Matt Mondanile, Stag Hare, Sun Araw et al is pretty cool. It's $15ppd in the US, but $26 all up to NZ. 

Finally a wonderful Auckland institution is soon coming to a depressing end: the Wine Cellar. There's a facebook group that's rallying people to support the bar/venue in the hope for an extended life, but looks like it's going to be gone for good. But there's a chance its adjacent venue, Whammy, might still survive. WC is the closest thing I have to a neighbourhood bar, like your very own Cheers, but better... there's really nowhere in Auckland like it, once it goes, the city will be much less appealing. It's the kind of place the phrase "best kept secret" was made for. Boo.