{"title":"Books to Celebrate NZ Music Month","description":"\u003cp\u003eNew Zealand Music Month happens every May, it's a reminder that we have so many talented musicians, singer, songwriters here in Aotearoa. There are so many great gigs and events that happen throughout the month and then finally ends with a celebration at The New Zealand Music Awards. Here are some great reads from NZ artists and writers to enjoy!\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"dont-dream-its-over","title":"Don't Dream It's Over","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn early 1980, 21-year-old Neil Mullane Finn wrote 'I Got You', which became the signature song and biggest hit for the Kiwi band Split Enz, co-founded by Neil's big brother Tim several years earlier. Over the next four decades, Neil not only nurtured one of the finest heads of hair in music, but crafted hit after hit—'Don't Dream It's Over', 'Better Be Home Soon', 'One Step Ahead', 'Into Temptation' and more—for Split Enz, for his own chart-topping band Crowded House, and as a solo act. In 2018, he joined international superstars Fleetwood Mac, who added 'Don't Dream It's Over' to their sets. Neil is the most successful singer-songwriter of his generation from this end of the planet—and probably the most respected.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eNeil has endured his share of challenges. There was massive conflict with his older brother, especially when Tim was briefly invited to join Crowded House in 1990; the tragic death of close friend and Crowded House bandmate Paul Hester; and his difficult early days in England with Split Enz, surviving, but only just, on the dole. Stir in his devout Catholic upbringing, a marriage to Sharon that has somehow lasted more than 40 years—a miracle in the world of entertainment—and the efforts of his sons, Liam and Elroy, to also pursue careers as musicians, and the result is one of the most inspiring musical sagas of recent times.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDon't Dream It's Over\u003c\/em\u003e explores Neil Finn's remarkable life and career, chronicling his rise from a talented young musician in New Zealand to an internationally acclaimed artist.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45705761620204,"sku":"9781761068089","price":33.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781761068089.jpg?v=1728686873"},{"product_id":"how-to-loiter-in-a-turf-war-by-coco-solid-9780143778585","title":"How to Loiter In a Turf War","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA genre-bending work of autobiographical fiction from one of Aotearoa's fiercest and most versatile artists.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eLike nothing you've read before, \u003cem\u003eHow to Loiter in a Turf War\u003c\/em\u003e is a lucid, genre-bending, cinematic work of fiction from one of Aotearoa's most versatile artists.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt's a day in the life of three friends beefing with their own city, Tamaki Makaurau. With gentrification closing in and racial tensions sweltering, the girls must cling to their friendship like a life raft, determined not to let their neighbourhood drift out to sea.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFast, ferociously brilliant, crack-up funny and unforgettably true.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'This book paints a picture of the Auckland I grew up in - when waiting for the 025 to town was a gamble, and the answer to the question 'where are you from?' was an essay, not a sentence. Like everything she makes, Coco Solid imbues this book with fierce intelligence, laser-sharp specificity and cosmic warmth.' - Rose Matafeo\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'Sharp, funny and dope as hell, \u003cem\u003eHow to Loiter in a Turf War\u003c\/em\u003e is another Coco Solid work of genius. With her piercing prose and expansive worlds, Coco has long been a life-raft for brown kids swimming against the whirlpools of urban realities, and this work is no different. Painfully perceptive, familiar and hopeful.' - Lana Lopesi\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'This is one of the most exciting books I've ever read. A celebration and a challenge and an impressive work of art and intelligence.' - Pip Adam\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House Distribution","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46514673680620,"sku":"9780143778585","price":23.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/4502043482239.jpg?v=1748889906"},{"product_id":"songs-from-the-shaky-isles-by-shute-gareth-9781776891474","title":"Songs from the Shaky Isles","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003ci\u003eSongs from the Shaky Isles\u003c\/i\u003e provides a vivid account of how popular music arose in our far-flung island nation. From early songs that could only be heard in person through to modern hits which spread digitally to all ends of the earth.\n\nIt's a fast-paced, big picture account that shows how wider society influenced, and was itself impacted by, the country's musical culture. There's also plenty of room for outrageous anecdotes and insightful analysis.\n\nIt's a treat for music fans and history buffs alike.\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"David Bateman Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46732795347180,"sku":"9781776891474","price":34.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781776891474__49518.jpg?v=1755140152"},{"product_id":"chris-knox-by-craig-robertson-9781869409838","title":"Chris Knox","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eI've got things I can't recall\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nLike the colours of my bedroom wall\u003cbr\u003e\nOh, I can't decide if I\u003cbr\u003e\nWant to know these things or why\u003cbr\u003e\nThey bother me and tantalise me so\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e– from 'I've Left Memories Behind'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn the mid-1990s, the Village Voice described Chris Knox as 'indie rock's premier oddball singer songwriter'. When Knox suffered a stroke a decade later, music icons such as Yo La Tengo, Bill Callahan, Neil Finn, and Shayne Carter all showed up for concerts and a tribute album. Who is this epileptic, opinionated, shorts-and-jandals-wearing, endlessly creative musician and artist from New Zealand?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis is his story – from a childhood in 'flat, rectangular and boring' Invercargill to years of creative experimentation in Dunedin to family life in Auckland; from The Enemy's first gig at Dunedin's Beneficiaries Hall to Toy Love's tour of Australia and on to Tall Dwarfs' escapades around the globe; from tape loops and crashing cutlery recorded on a TEAC 4-track to the biting satire of Jesus on a Stick comics and Listener opinion pieces; and from home-recorded LPs delivered by hand to the ubiquitous voice on ads for Vogels and Heineken.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eChris Knox: Not Given Lightly\u003c\/em\u003e tells the story of one extraordinarily creative man's journey from the obscurity of punk rock to the heart of New Zealand culture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThen again, all the time, every minute, neverending, unrelenting, all around us, without pausing, endless endless, all-pervading, movement motion, this way that way, ticktock, freefall, love love, kiss kiss, make do be is was I me b c d e f g h I think nothing's going to happen.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e– from 'Nothing's Going to Happen'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Upstart Distribution","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46853823693036,"sku":"9781869409838","price":54.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9afcf1ea2765817767b5180d3e10206e.jpg?v=1759259534"},{"product_id":"the-clean-by-richard-langston-9781776711567","title":"The Clean","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eNow, you said it was yesterday, yesterday’s another day\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eHeading round in make believe, I don’t know if it’s you or\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eIf it’s me oh, I don’t know, I don’t know\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eTally ho, tally ho!\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1978 in Dunedin the Kilgour brothers, Hamish and David, and their schoolfriend Peter Gutteridge, got together to form a band called The Clean. When Robert Scott joined in 1980 the band found a combination that endured for nearly forty years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Clean profoundly changed alternative music: hitting the New Zealand charts for months with a single made for $50, ‘Tally Ho!’; helping establish Flying Nun and a music scene independent of the big labels; pioneering a low-fi, do-it-yourself approach to rock music; and touring internationally to influence bands like Pavement and Yo La Tengo.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRaw and immediate, this is the story as told by members of The Clean and their inner circle – fellow musicians such as Chris Knox, Martin Phillipps, Graeme Downes and Ira Kaplan, friends and family, pub promoters and sound engineers, and their good friend, Richard Langston. From teenagers in a Dunedin practice room to New York City on 9\/11 – this is the band’s history as it unfolds.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Upstart Distribution","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47264453329132,"sku":"9781776711567","price":39.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781776711567.webp?v=1769735196"},{"product_id":"dead-people-i-have-known-by-shayne-carter-9781776562213","title":"Dead People I Have Known","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen we crashed over the line two and a half minutes later, there was a short, disbelieving silence and I could feel my knee trembling behind its sarcastic 'Disco' patch. A song I'd written had just been played to the finish, and what's more, it hadn't sounded weak, or delusional—it had, in fact, kicked. I backed down from the mic. Here was a new world of sound. Its sky was borderless, and its horizon curled off a previously flat earth. I'd been given a virtual superpower and a flame to shoot from my fingers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eDead People I Have Known\u003c\/em\u003e, the legendary New Zealand musician Shayne Carter tells the story of a life in music, taking us deep behind the scenes and songs of his riotous teenage bands Bored Games and the Doublehappys and his best-known bands Straitjacket Fits and Dimmer. He traces an intimate history of the Dunedin Sound—that distinctive jangly indie sound that emerged in the seventies, heavily influenced by punk—and the record label Flying Nun.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAs well as the pop culture of the seventies, eighties and nineties, Carter writes candidly of the bleak and violent aspects of Dunedin, the city where he grew up and would later return. His childhood was shaped by violence and addiction, as well as love and music. Alongside the fellow musicians, friends, and family who appear so vividly here, this book is peopled by neighbours, kids at school, people on the street, and the other passing characters who have stayed on in his memory.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWe also learn of the other major force in Carter's life: sport. Harness racing, wrestling, basketball, and football have provided him with a similar solace, even escape, as music.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDead People I Have Known\u003c\/em\u003e is a frank, moving, often incredibly funny autobiography; the story of making a life as a musician over the last forty years in New Zealand, and a work of art in its own right.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'Sometimes profound. Sometimes utterly hilarious. I couldn't put this book down. A triumph.'—Jon Toogood\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'Life life life. Music music music. Girls girls girls. Brilliant - funny, painful, reflective and raw.' —Emily Perkins\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Upstart Press Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47642501972204,"sku":"9781776562213","price":32.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781776562213-dead-people-i-have-known.jpg?v=1779149156"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/collections\/books-to-celebrate-nz-music-month.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}