STACK NZ Jun #63

MUSIC

THIS MONTH at

visit www.stack.net.nz

On the JB Stereo

POP TALENT SHOWS IN TRANSITION

Muse Drones

The Fall Sub-Lingual Tablet

Simply Red Big Love

Speedy Ortiz Foil Deer

Beau Monga

I t's interesting times for the music talent show phenomenon, long a fixture of TV schedules around the world. Here, we’ve just wrapped up a second season of The X Factor and this month will see the release of the debut album of this year’s winner, the multi-talented singer and beatboxer Beau Monga. Runner-up Nyssa Collins has also just issued her first single and a full album will probably come out later year. But there’s been no word yet whether the show will be back next year, and there are certainly signs of viewer fatigue with the genre in other parts of the globe. For example, the next season of American Idol – the Godfather of this current wave of talent shows – will be its last, with ratings of recent series considerably down on previous years. Then again, talent show king Simon

Cairo Knife Fight The Colossus

been particularly popular here. Artists as diverse as Split Enz, Shona Laing and Space Waltz got their first break on shows like New Faces back in the ‘70s, while arguably American Idol would not have existed if it wasn't for the pioneering efforts of homegrown ‘90s TV show Popstars . Of course, taking part in a show like Idol or X Factor doesn’t always guarantee a long-term music career, but the current crop of contestants seem to be doing OK. Last year’s X Factor winner Jackie Thomas went to No.1 with her self-titled debut, while runner-up Benny Tipene will this month released an expanded edition of his debut LP Bricks , which includes five new tracks. And X Factor judge Stan Walker – himself a past Australian Idol winner – recently released his fifth album Truth & Soul . But if the reality TV element of talent show is a turn-off, there is an alternative: this month sees the regional finals of the long-running event for aspiring young musicians Smokefree Rockquest. Now in its 27th year, Kimbra, Anika Moa, Brooke Fraser, The Datsuns, Broods, The Phoenix Foundation and Naked and The Famous are among the many acts who first got their break through this talent contest, so who knows, the next Lorde may already be waiting in the wings...

Chastity Belt Time To Go Home

Major Lazer Peace Is The Mission

Faith No More Angel Dust (reissue)

Lindemann Skills In Pills

Cowell has just announced a new series called Ultimate DJ , which will zoom in on the booming electronic music culture and is designed to showcase and cultivate fresh new DJ/producer talent. And let’s not forget that the whole concept of talent show contests have been around for donkey’s years and have always

Gin Wigmore Blood To The Bone

Benny Tipene

Muse

JUNE 2015 JB Hi-Fi www.jbhifi.co.nz

50