Tag Archives: kiwi

Adios – Hybrid Blues

This is a paid review via Fiverr.

Hybrid Blues is a band that’s homegrown. The mature band members come from a wide range of backgrounds, but have all seem to have joined forces in New Zealand’s East coast city of Tauranga.

Their music is blues meets rock meets country, but it’s certainly upbeat! The rock and roll vibe of their song Adios reminds me of the darker rhythm and blues sound of Johnny Cash. I think it’s the guitar and gravelly vocals.

Adios tells a haunting story, supported by echoed vocals and a solemn guitar solo, which makes me think of The Eagles’ Hotel California.

The only thing missing is for the vocalist to totally let loose after the guitar solo. It’s as though the whole song leads up to a crescendo that isn’t quite there. I think the song should also continue the echoed vocals right through to the end with the story fading out; marching on past us.

Nevertheless, this would be an awesome band to see live! I think their passion is masked by a recording studio. I get the feeling that their live performances would give audiences chills.

It looks like they perform around New Zealand, so keep an eye out for them!

Check Adios out on Spotify!

This is a paid review via Fiverr.

Nobody Gets What They Want Anymore – Marlon Williams ft. Aldous Harding

marlon williams

After recently discovering the Kiwi brilliance that is Aldous Harding, I soon stumbled across this duet with another Kiwi icon, Marlon Williams.

Isn’t is strange, impossible to claim your reward,
I cannot explain, emotions I can barely afford to contain,
You’re the same, you hide away from anything that turns you on,
Nobody gets what they want anymore.

It’s a highly melancholy song, sung in a tone of despair. But it’s so dreamy and relaxing to listen to.

No words, only scream, could possibly protect you, you know what it means,
Two is the charm, a place therein around us and pray and pray,
And saying the name there is no blame, there is no shame, and even more,
Nobody gets what they want anymore.

There’s no animosity in the song, it just sounds like pure surrender to a really bad
situation. I think it’s a break up song:

What am I going to do when you’re in trouble,
And you don’t call out for me?
What am I going to do when I can see that you’ve been crying,
And you don’t want no help from me?
Baby, I can’t separate us out anymore.

It sounds like Marlon Williams is saying: ‘Something really terrible has happened but there’s nothing I can do about it. And that’s that.’

I love Aldous Harding. She’s the perfect choice for this song – it’s not as powerful when Marlon Williams sings it by himself in live performances.

Nevertheless, Marlon’s almost classical voice is faultless, and Aldous’s alternative style is perfect.

The music video to accompany this song is quite tongue-in-cheek (below), which I like. Marlon plays a waiter who keeps getting the orders wrong and ‘nobody gets what they want’.

Jodie.

Hunt for the Wilderpeople

hunt1

Director: Taika Waititi
Writer: Taika Waititi (screenplay), Barry Crump (author of “Wild Pork and Watercress”) and Te Arepa Kahi
Released: 2016
Starring: Sam Neill, Julian Dennison, Rachel House, Rima Te Wiata, Stan Walker, Oscar Knightly, Rhys Darby…
—

I really needed this film in my life.

Another Kiwi classic from director Taika Waititi, Hunt for the Wilderpeople is about a national manhunt ordered for a rebellious Kiwi kid, Ricky (Julian Dennison), and his foster uncle, Hec (Sam Neill), who go missing in the wild New Zealand bush.

[Reading wanted poster]: “‘Faulkner (Sam Neill) is cauc-asian’… Well, they got that wrong because you’re obviously white.” – Ricky Baker

A fantastically hilarious and beautiful tribute to everything that is Kiwi.

Sam Neill and Julian Dennison in hunt for the wilderpeople

After moving back to the UK, I didn’t realise how much I missed New Zealand until I bought the DVD of Hunt for the Wilderpeople. I also didn’t realise how much I identify with the Kiwi ways of life before finishing this movie.

For I can relate to the Kiwiana culture that courses through this movie, the humour, the landscape, the accent – once a cause for embarrassment to me, is now a twang that makes me feel overwhelmingly nostalgic and patriotic. I have concluded that the only English thing about me left is my crooked teeth.

I finished watching this movie with mascara running down my face (mostly due to nostalgic tears of joy and laughter) and an empty packet of Whittaker’s chocolate in my hand, while my feet were cosy in my New Zealand sheepskin slippers (you wouldn’t know it’s currently summer in the UK).

The main character, 12-year-old Julian Dennison, was absolutely phenomenal. He needn’t say much at all – his facial expressions are enough.

But I must say, Paula (Rachel House) has to be my favourite character. She made me laugh so hard! She’s absolutely hilarious. It’s not always what she says, it’s how she says it. Golden!

Paula (Rachel House) in Hunt for the WIlderpeople

“Well, I see he has a rifle. Just keep it away from this little guy. God knows what he’s capable of. OK, he’s all yours. No returns.” – Paula, child welfare

Of course, it wouldn’t be a New Zealand film if it didn’t have Rhys Darby in it! He makes an appearance as “PSYCHO SAM”.

Rhys Darby - Psycho Sam in Hunt for the Wilderpeople

A perfect film for homesick Kiwis. Loved it. I’m about to watch it for a fourth time this week.

Jodie’s rating: 9/10