Jonathan Bree Releases 35 Minute Long Music Video

Today Jonathan Bree has released a 35 minute long music video which spans the entire length of his album 'The Primrose Path'. The video stars himself and Princess Chelsea with intermittent appearances by notable cat Winston Nikkel.

Bree has for a long time been interested in the idea of the 'anti music video' as demonstrated by the clip he made for Princess Chelsea's 'The Cigarette Duet'.

While he is not sure if as many people will have the patience to see through the entire 35 minute span of this Robert Altman inspired music video, he just made it anyway.

The Primrose Path is available as a pay what you like download and is also available on cd or vinyl!

Princess Chelsea drops New Music Video for 'We're So Lost'

Princess Chelsea has a new music video for her new(ish) single 'We're So Lost'.

The video is set in a dystopian cyber future in the year 2022 and is made by Simon Ward and the folks at Skyranch.

Originally a Voom classic, this is the first snippet we've heard from her upcoming second album "The Great Cybernetic Depression".

We're So Lost is available digitally for free and on 7 inch vinyl (not free) and is accompanied by another new song 'When The World Turns Grey' which features the epic shreds of Jonathan Bree & Vincent Lum.

The Eversons release new single and video!

Lil' Chief is excited to announce the release of a new single by The Eversons - Marriage. It is available now for free or 'name your price' on the Eversons bandcamp page.

'Marriage' is the last single from debut album 'Summer Feeling'. 

'Auckland City Song' is the non album b-side. It is a true-life story, documenting The Eversons’ recent move from New Zealand’s tiny capital Wellington, up to the bustling metropolis of Auckland City. Will they make it big in the big city? Or will they crash and burn like so many before them.

The music video was directed by Ralph Matthews. It features the Eversons playing a number of roles including tasty battered fish as well as label mate Princess Chelsea networking on her cool cellular phone.

New Cool Rainbows Single and Video!

Lil' Chief is pleased to announce the release of a brand new single by Cool Rainbows - House By The Beach. 'House By The Beach' is available now for free or 'name your price' on the Cool Rainbows bandcamp page.

'House By The Beach' is the first single from forthcoming album 'Days'. The album 'Days' will be released through Lil' Chief Records in February next year. 

The music video for days was directed by Claire Littler and stars real-life couple Oliver Rose and Johanna Bear. Littler took inspiration from the films of Goddard as well as the dreamy, idealistic tones of the track while developing her ideas for the video. 

Sheep, Dog & Wolf Album 'Egospect' Released Today!

Lil' Chief is pleased to announce the release of 'Egospect' by Sheep, Dog & Wolf.
Sheep, Dog & Wolf is the most recent addition to our roster - and is the project of 19 year old multi-instrumentalist and producer Daniel McBride.

McBride self-released his 2011 ep 'Ablutophobia’  at age 17 and thousands of downloads later The Guardian named him a young 'Surfjan Stevens'.  We here at Lil' Chief had to agree and are pleased to present the first full length album 'Egospect' in digital, cd and vinyl format. Egospect is free to download on Bandcamp however unfortunately due the lack of a money tree at Lil' Chief HQ and the general necessity for us to eat / continue to release music we have to charge for vinyl and cd :)

Sheep, Dog & Wolf will be playing an Auckland album release show tomorrow night (Saturday) at The Golden Dawn in Ponsonby - and will be on stage at 10pm!

Having already attracted the attention of a number of booking agents and promoters in Europe due to the online stir created by his first e.p  Sheep, Dog & Wolf will then be embarking on a European tour.

05.09.13 Haldern / Haldern Pop Bar w/Hundreds 06.09.13 Vlieland / Into the Great Wide Open Festival (NL) 07.09.13 Groningen / Vera (NL) 08.09.13 Deventer / De Hip (NL) 09.09.13 Duisburg / Grammatikoff --> tickets 10.09.13 Mainz / Schon Schön 11.09.13 Chemnitz / Aaltra 12.09.13 Dresden / Ostpol --> tickets 13.09.13 Prag / The Pilot (CZ) 15.09.13 Munich / Orangehouse/Feierwerk --> tickets

16.09.13 Vienna / Arena (A) w/Crocodiles 17.09.13 Linz / Posthof (A) w/ Andrew Colberg & Crocodiles --> tickets 19.09.13 Tilburg / Incubate Festival (NL) w/ MÙM --> tickets 20.09.13 Basel / 1.Stock (CH) --> tickets 21.09.13 Paris / Espace B (FR) --> tickets 22.09.13 Schorndorf / Manufaktur --> tickets 23.09.13 Nancy / L'Autre Canal (FR) w/Coco Rosie 25.09.13 Leipzig / Ilses Erika 26.09.13 Berlin / Schokoladen w/Andrew Colberg 27.09.13 Hamburg / Reeperbahnfestival @ Hasenschaukel

Tickets for European shows can be found here 

The Eversons release Creepy single in English & Japanese!

Today the Eversons release their song 'Creepy' as a pay what you like single. The single has a really cool new song on it called 'Stick Around' and a version of 'Creepy' sung in Japanese.

There's a music video for the Japanese version as well directed and animated by Hadley Donaldson.

New single from a new artist - Sheep, Dog & Wolf!

Lil' Chief Records is pleased to announce a new addition to our roster - Sheep, Dog & Wolf.

Sheep, Dog & Wolf is the solo project of nineteen year old multi-instrumentalist, Daniel McBride and his first album Egospect - is out on Lil' Chief Records on August 23!

The first single from Egospect - 'Egospect' is out today with a video directed by Ali Burns and Daniel McBride.

You can pre-order Egospect on cd & vinyl and digitally !

Sheep, Dog & Wolf will be playing album release shows on: 

Thursday 22 August - Puppies, Wellington  

Saturday 24 August - Golden Dawn, Auckland  

aswell a debut performance this Friday 9 August at the Kings Arms with Princess Chelsea, The Eversons & Disciples of Macca!

The Eversons release new music video for 'Creepy'

The Eversons have released a new music video for 'Creepy' directed and animated by Hadley Donaldson.  A new single version of Creepy will be out on 13th August on Lil' Chief and will feature a Japanese language version of the song and a previously unrelease b-side.

Princess Chelsea Tour Diary #3

Dear Diary,

Last time I wrote a diary entry we had just finished touring with Alt-J and I was quite tired after a grueling month on the road.  

It has now been two months, I am very tired, and the European tour is officially over.   

I write this diary entry on board a Thomas Cook flight to Egypt, there were some cheap package deals going on holidays here for some reason - so I have decided to take this opportunity to finally see the great pyramids.  The man sitting directly behind me feels the need to sensually flex his calves outwards into the aisle and while I am trying to ignore his wriggling stray limb in my peripheral, I cant help but feel straddled.

The Princess Chelsea headline shows started horrifically with a show in Manchester at a 150 capacity venue attended by 10 people.  A somewhat shocking welcome back to reality after having played to 5000 at the Brixton Academy only a few nights before with Alt-J - I tried not to let the poor attendance make me doubt my sense of self-worth and general entire life. Thankfully the next night in Glasgow - attendance peaked to around 13 including the sound-person.

Normally a few shows like this could be enough to break someone with an ego anywhere near the normal* size, however nearly each and everyone of the attendees at these two shows personally thanked me afterwards while giving me heartwarming words of encouragement. Perhaps it was the Boots cold and flu (naturally by this stage we were all pretty sick) but at arguably the lowest point of the tour so far - these meaningful exchanges with people left me feeling strangely calm and sort of pleased with a fast heartbeat and dry mouth. 

Thankfully the rest of the shows were more traditionally encouraging.

The show in Brighton was fun and good. The sound-person was a hipster douche who didn’t seem to like his job, possibly because he wasn’t very good at it. He had a really nice haircut though, very Beatles 64 jazzed up to be more post chill wave 2013.  Did you know the Beatles onto it manager Brian Epstein was a gay man (back when it was illegal) who originally had dreams of becoming a fashion designer?  Early on in their career he also acted as their stylist and made them ditch the leathers (they originally went for a macho bad boy biker look lol) forcing them into bunch of sick suits accidentally creating the whole british invasion look - fancy haircuts, chelsea boots with a cuban heel and well tailored clothing with a 60s mod edge.  In my opinion, there is no better example of Epsteins flawless sense of style than the grey collarless suits worn circa 63 and used on the cover of the American single version of I Wanna Hold Your Hand.

Our mainland-European shows took in Switzerland, Vienna, Germany, Portugal, Belgium, Italy, Czech Republic, Slovakia and some last minute shows added in Hungary.

Band On The Run, Padova, Italy

All of these shows were fully sick, some of the highlights were accidentally leaving a huge and hard to miss kick drum in the country of Belgium, Miles elbow exploding mid-song, me crying on stage in Prague,   freak,unprecedented flooding in Szeged Hungary on the day of our show leaving the venue partly underwater and Jamie Lee walking in on a man urinating in a toilet in Portugal, and in a state of shock and embarrassment saying the first Portuguese word that came into her head ‘obrigado’ which means ‘Thank You’.

Touring has provided us with many great opportunities for photos, especially for Jonathan Bree who has an exceptional ability to create amazing poses and who for the last five years has been secretly working on his own personalised calendar. Below are a few shots from this tour, which may not even make the final cull, such is the quality of material that has been collated on previous tours.

Zurich, Switzerland

Dungeon, Czech Republic

Valencia, Spain

Sales of his new album The Primrose Path have been ok, however I think the label is considering releasing the calendar eventually and launching a BUY CALENDAR GET FREE LP deal.  

*middle class, white, has a job, no weird dietary requirements, wears cargo shorts in the summer

Jonathan Bree releases solo album today!

The Primrose Path is Jonathan Breeʼs first solo album since a career with The Brunettes that saw the band release 4 albums and 4 EPs.

It is a dark and personal album that seems to examine the insecurities associated with feeling crap, irrelevant (Boxes) and over 30, often centered around the waning magic of a long term relationship (Bored At A Mall, Seven, Crippled Darling, The Primrose Path).

Like the Brunettes albums preceding it this one is written recorded and produced by Bree and is an orchestral pop album at its core.

Whereas The Brunettes would often hide adult themes behind pop culture references and double entendres, The Primrose Path is very lyrically direct and at times uncomfortably honest.

The Primrose Path is available now on vinyl, CD and name your price digital!

The Primrose Path:

01 Booty Call
02 Beat Your Head
03 Bored At A Mall
04 Seven
05 Fixed Or Floating
06 Duckie's Lament
07 The Primrose Path0
08 Crippled Darling
09 Laptop
10 Boxes

Jonathan Bree Casually Drops First Single

Jonathan Bree has dropped his first single 'The Primrose Path'. 
The song is set on K Rd in Auckland, NZ and is about some violent sociopath trying to act like an ok guy. 

The single 'Primrose Path' is from an upcoming album also titled "The Primrose Path".  

The album will be released digitally, on cd and on vinyl in New Zealand on June 21st and in France on June 17th and should look something like this:

The Primrose Path will be Jonathan Bree’s first solo album since a career with The Brunettes that has spanned over 10 years and seen the band release 4 albums and 4 eps. 

An orchestral pop album at its core, complex and layered arrangements sit over sick beats which envelop lyrics about getting old and feeling crap and over 30. 

The Primrose Path single is available for free or pay what you like here and includes another album track 'Booty Call'.

If you'd like to pre-order a copy of the album you can do that here.

Recommended for fans of The Beatles, Serge Gainsbourg & A-ha.

Princess Chelsea Tour Diary #2

DEAR DIARY A LOT HAS HAPPENED IN THE LAST MONTH.  WE'VE BEEN TOURING ROCKING OUT TO AUDIENCES OF BETWEEN 1000 - 5000 WHILE SUPPORTING ALT-J. ITS BEEN A LOT OF WORK AND A LOT OF FUN. THE GENERAL RESPONSE FROM THE AUDIENCE ON TWITTER HAS BEEN MOSTLY POSITIVE, SOMETIMES NEGATIVE, SOMETIMES CONFUSED OR SOMETIMES ALL THREE COMBINED.

ALT-J ARE A VERY ACCOMMODATING BAND TO TOUR WITH. 

QUITE OFTEN ACTS WHO HAVE HIT THE BIG TIME DEVELOP SOME KIND OF POWER COMPLEX AND SWAN ABOUT LIKE BIG SHOT 69 PARTY GUYS.  ALT-J ARE BASICALLY THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF THIS AND ARE SO CONSIDERATE THEY SHORTENED THEIR SOUNDCHECK FOR THE SUPPORT BANDS BENEFIT WHILE GENERALLY BEING VERY NICE AND CASUALLY HANDING US BOTTLES OF CHAMPAGNE.  

THE OTHER BAND WHO HAS BEEN TOURING ON THE ALT-J LEG IS FLORIDA BASED 100 WATERS.  THEY PLAY SPACEY ENYA FOLK WITH KEYS, FLUTES, DRUMS, GUITARS AND SICK BEATS OVER THE TOP AND ARE SIGNED TO SKRILLEX’S LABEL. THEY PLAY MICHAEL JACKSON SONGS AFTER THEIR SET AND I WHOLEHEARTEDLY APPROVE OF THIS.

ITS A KOOL BUT ODD FEELING PLAYING THE ESPECIALLY HUGE VENUES AS A SUPPORT ACT.  FOR INSTANCE AT THE BRIXTON ACADEMY, A 5000 CAPACITY VENUE - EVEN IF 2000 PEOPLE IN THE ROOM ARE DIGGING YOUR SET, THAT STILL LEAVES 3000 PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT GAME OF THRONES / FEELINGS. VERY SURREAL BUT STILL HEAPS OF FUN.

MANAGEMENT AND PUBLICISTS ASIDE, I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT INITIAL SUCCESS OR ‘BREAKING THROUGH’ AS A MUSICIAN WAS A RESULT OF A WEIRD SORT OF FATE SOUP MADE UP OF BITS PIECES OF SEEMINGLY UNIMPORTANT AS WELL AS SEEMINGLY IMPORTANT MOMENTS IN YOUR CAREER / LIFE. ITS HARD TO DEFINE AT WHAT POINT ANYTHING TRULY MADE A DIFFERENCE BECAUSE ITS A COMBINATION OF 100 DIFFERENT THINGS AND I IMAGINE THAT EVEN WHEN YOU LOOK BACK ON IT YEARS LATER ITS HARD TO CONNECT THE DOTS.  

MEANWHILE IN NEW ZEALAND IT SEEMS THE INDIE MUSIC MANAGER GAME HAS BEEN LAUNCHED. 

IN MY OPINION I THINK IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A GOOD IDEA TO START THE FEMALE MUSICIANS OFF -1 LEVEL AS A REFLECTION OF THE TRUE STATE OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY. THEN THEY COULD HAVE PASSED OFF THE PART IN THE GAME WHERE THE FEMALE RECORDING ENGINEER IS LIKE THE GIRLFRIEND OF A GUY FROM A BAND OR SOMETHING AND IS ALL LIKE DURRRR I DONT KNOW WHAT IM DOING IS THIS A MICROPHONE LEAD OR A FUNKY NECKLACE / ETHNIC HEADPIECE AS A KIND OF CONTINUATION OF THAT IDEA.

BUT TO BE TOTALLY SERIOUS THERE IS STILL SEXISM LURKING IN THE ALTERNATIVE INDIE AND COMMERCIAL MUSIC SCENEZ. 

OCCASIONALLY YOU'LL READ A REVIEW OR PIECE OF JOURNALISM WRITTEN BY SOMEONE WHO HONESTLY JUST SEEMS GENUINELY PISSED OFF AT YOU FOR BEING A GIRL. 

GRIMES RECENTLY DID A MUCH-TALKED ABOUT TUMBLR POST ABOUT THE CHALLENGES SHE FACES BEING A MUSICIAN, AND TO A CERTAIN DEGREE A LADY MUSICIAN.

I RECENTLY RECEIVED FEEDBACK ON A NEW SINGLE FROM UK RADIO PEEPS AND WAS TOLD THAT AN INFLUENTIAL BBC RADIO 1 DJ AND UNFORTUNATELY AN EXPAT 'WASN’T SO KEEN ON" AND "TAKES A PARTICULAR DISLIKE TO" FEMALE VOCALS...... IN GENERAL.

LOL.

I AM STILL QUITE SHOCKED BY THIS AND SINCERELY HOPE ITS SOME KIND OF MISUNDERSTANDING ON MINE OR ANYONES PART.

BUT TO BE HONEST, I AM PROBABLY JUST BEING OVERLY SENSITIVE.

ON A LIGHTER NOTE, ONE OF THE FUNNIEST THINGS IN THE ENTIRE WORLD IS GOING TO A MUSIC STORE AND WATCHING JONATHAN BREE TRY TO BUY A TINY GUITAR AMP FROM SOMEONE WHO TRULY AND COMPLETELY LIVES FOR SELLING GUITAR AMPLIFIERS.

AFTER DISCOVERING JONATHAN RICHMAN AND THE BEACH BOYS AS A SMALL BOY THEN CUTTING HIS TEETH IN FLYING NUN AFFILIATED GOTH BANDS AS A PRE-TEEN JONABRO WENT TROUGH A BRIEF CYPRESS HILL PHASE BEFORE GETTING INTO SONIC YOUTH AND PAVEMENT THEN MAKING HIS FINAL TRANSITION IN THE MUSICAL CIRCLE OF LIFE - ONLY LISTENING TO THE BEATLES.

IT IS SAFE TO SAY AS SOMEONE WHO APPRECIATES GUNS N ROSES IN THE SAME BREATH AS HANK WILLIAMS, THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT JONABRO IS VERY AWARE OF WHAT HE WANTS AND NEEDS FROM A GUITAR AMP FOR THE PARTICULAR SOUND HE IS TRYING TO CREATE.

AND BASICALLY WHAT HE NEEDS FOR PLAYING GUITAR IN PRINCESS CHELSEA IS A REALLY CRAPPY AND LIGHTWEIGHT PRACTICE AMP THAT HE CAN PUT IN A SUITCASE AND FLY AROUND PLACES AND WHICH HE TRIES TO MAKE SOUND BETTER USING LIKE 5 PEDALS COS ITS CHEAPER THAN HIRING A FENDER TWIN FOR THREE MONTHS.

LAST YEAR AT THE ROCKSHOP THE MUSCLY SALES ASSISTANT WHO WAS ASSISTING US WITH OUR PURCHASE WAS VERY HELPFUL IN DEMONSTRATING THE FUNCTIONS OF THE VARIOUS NON-PORTABLE AMPS WE COULDNT AFFORD BY SHREDDING METALLICA AND SLAYER RIFS PRETTY AVERAGELY ON ALL OF THEM.  WHEN I SUGGESTED WE TRY THE 4 KG FENDER PRACTICE AMP HE LOOKED UTTERLY SICKENED.

‘MATE YOU WOULDNT WANT THAT, THATS SOMETHING A DAD WOULD BUY FOR HIS TEENAGE DAUGHTER’.

'ILL TAKE IT' - JONABRO

THIS YEAR IN BIRMINGHAM WE VISITED A SICK MEGASTORE FILLED WITH THE RADDEST GEAR.  THE FRIENDLY SALES ASSISTANT COULD SHRED MUCH BETTER THAN THE MUSCLY GUY WE HAD MET LAST YEAR AT THE ROCK SHOP INFACT IM PRETTY SURE HE WAS PLAYING YNGWIE MALMSTEEN ON THE FENDER TWIN WE COULDNT AFFORD.  

HE WAS MUCH BETTER AT HIDING HIS DEVASTATION WHEN MID SHRED JONATHAN ASKED FOR JUST THE CHEAPEST THING THEY HAD.   HE WAS STILL REALLY NICE TO US WHEN WE WALKED OUT WITH A 30 POUND (CURRENCY NOT WEIGHT)  SECOND HAND PRACTICE AMP BUT AND ONLY MILDLY SURPRISED WHEN WE TOLD HIM WE WERE USING IT TO PLAY THE BRIXTON ACADEMY.

WHEN HE HEARD WE WERE FROM NEW ZEALAND HE GOT REALLY EXCITED AND SAID 'OH MAN IF I WAS IN NEW ZALAND NOW... ID BE EATING A LAMB!" 

WE ALL FOUND THIS STATEMENT REALLY AMUSING AND AS WE DROVE AWAY FROM THE STORE TOWARDS THE SOUNDCHECK AT THE 02 I IMAGINED THE NICE SALES ASSISTANT GETTING OFF A PLANE AT THE AUCKLAND AIRPORT EXCITEDLY THEN SPRINTING VIOLENTLY OUT THE DOOR AND RUNNING FULL SPEED INTO THE DISTANCE UNTIL HE ARRIVED AT THE NEAREST FIELD, WHERE HE BEGAN SHREDDING AIR GUITAR SOLOS EPICLY GOING 'YEAHHH YEAHHHH' BEFORE THROWING HIS AXE (GUITAR) AT AN UNDERSIZED NEARBY LAMB (FATALLY) THEN RUNNING OVER TO IT AND TAKING A BIG BITE AND THEN SHREDDING SOME MORE.

Princess Chelsea - We're So Lost 7''

The new single from Princess Chelsea is now available to order on 7" vinyl and also digitally - name your price!

The single features art by Kiku and another new track 'When The World Turns Grey'.

Princess Chelsea and band are currently touring Europe playing favourites from Lil' Golden Book and previewing new material!

Dates are as follows, with a few more to be expected in the eastern block in late June.

Mon 20 May - Deaf Institute, Manchester with Pikachunes

Tue 21 May - Broadcast, Glasgow with Pikachunes

Thu 23 May - The Green Door Store, Brighton 

Sat 25 May - Sebright Arms, London with Pikachunes

Sun 26 May - The Louisiana, Bristol

Tues 28 May - Ziegel Oh Lac (Rote Fabrik), Zurich with Pikachunes

Wed 29 May - Summer Student Festival, Padova Italy

Fri 31 May - London Calling, Brussels with Pikachunes

Sat 1 June - Bi Nuu, Berlin supporting Ghost Capsules

Sun 2 June - Studio 672 Cologne, Supporting Ghost Capsules

Wed 5 June - Rhiz, Vienna 

Thu 6 June - Ampere, Munich supporting Ghost Capsules

Fri 7 June - Zwolfzehn, Stuttgart, Germany supporting Ghost capsules

Sat 15 June - Plano B, Porto Portugal with Pikachunes 

Fri 21 June - United Islands Festival 2013, Prague

Sat 22 June - Valassky spalicek 2013, Valasske Mezirici, Czech Republic

Sun 23 June - KC Dunaj, Bratislava, Slovakia with Pikachunes

Princess Chelsea Tour Diary #1

Dear Diary,

Our tour hasn’t started yet we have just been in London checking our Facebooks.

We flew Air New Zealand on Sunday night at 9pm and spent 24 hours on a plane.

I wore a Pink Floyd Dark Side Of The Moon tracksuit with traditional bling and sparkly glitter Docs with a side ponytail.  Cant remember what everyone else was wearing because it wasn’t that.

I was interested to see if we would get overcharged for our luggage by Air New Zealand.

Recently a few Kiwi musos have been negatively affected by the airlines luggage policies, as musical instruments checked in must be under 1m in length or are subject to oversize charges.

This could be very acceptable if you play and travel with a tiny flute or undersized  soprano recorder but not so reasonable if u play a standard 61 note keyboard or any guitar or bass designed for an adult human being.

Furthermore, travelers who have sporting equipment such as radical surfboards, or awesome skis have up to a 2m length allowance.

A choice Firearm or sick Firearm(s) (multiple) are have no apparent length restrictions.

http://www.airnewzealand.com/oversized-items

I was nervous because all of our IRL sized instruments were over 1m in length.

Thankfully though, the lady at the counter seemed real chill and cool and didn’t bat an eyelid when my dangerously humongous 1.3m bass guitar slid lengthily across the luggage belt.

Relieved, we all made our way to security and boarded the plane.

The flight over was about as comfortable as flights get in pacific class.

Naturally, I settled in, played some Tetris and then watched 500 Days of Summer. I ordered a drink every time a Joy Division t shirt appeared on the screen. Obviously I am joking or I would have died from alcohol poisoning but I did watch 500 Days of Summer for the first time and I’m trying to keep this short so will not go into my thoughts and feelings about it.

The new inflight safety video was quirky and set outdoors in a kiwi national park. I thought it was much better than the last one which was animated and featured the likeness and voice of the guy from the TV show Modern Family on it / Snoop Dogg.

We try our best as a band to be polite and courteous travelers, and I like to think we are a nice band and nice people.

However, there is a certain breed of air hostess who really doesn’t seem to get along with Jonabro.

Perhaps you’ve encountered one before – its the breed that makes you feel like a bad and naughty teenager for making reasonable requests, possibly because you look arty (probably on drugs) and in your 20s.

The aptly named Barbara was a tanned, attractive and slender woman aged around 43 with dyed blonde hair and a sexy breathy contrived pre Judy Bailey news presenter accent.

After our impressive in flight meals (I am not being sarcastic, Air NZ really does have the best plane food) Jamie, myself and Jonabro ordered a few drinks.

Air NZ has a cool new feature whereby you can order your drinks using your touch screen.

After about 45 minutes Barbara turned up with mine and Jamie’s drinks.  Jonabro piped up that he had ordered a Bloody Mary so Barbara visibly upset left and returned moments later with it.  She then literally said “There you’ve got all your gins, all your drinks are you happy now”.

Its hard to describe in text form the tone of her voice while saying this  -  but it was not friendly.  I guess you could type it in all caps but maybe in like some kinda hot pink calligraphy font with exclamation marks or something: It was snide and judgmental while confusingly sexy at the same time.

Anyway two hours later Jonabro ordered a gin and tonic which never showed up.  After waiting for quite a long time he politely informed Barbara. She leaned forward and aggressively asked him “WHAT DID YOU ORDER!!??” while shaking her head from left to right in an almost comically mean way.

Jonabro was a bit offended and couldn’t help himself so he responded in a 100% accurate impersonation of her voice complete with comical head shake “A GIN AND TONIC”.

Overall an alright flight.

Our shuttle driver who picked us up at Heathrow airport (BA TRANSFER I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THEM) was a real cool bro and he was very impressed with my choice of Magic FM – he said that it played nice smooth jams. Listening to Joan Osbournes’ What if God Was One Of Us’ while driving on the M5 was officially my first memorable moment of this trip.

I will write again with I assume, many more to come.

New video from Pikachunes - Cinnamon Pop Dream!

Pikachunes has an amazing new video. Made from what we estimate is over 666 still photos "Cinnamon Pop Dream" is the first music video from the recently released EP "Miles".

The video was produced by Lauren Beck and Rick Mereki and film entirely in a Melbourne restaurant bathroom.

Grab yourself a copy of the track here.

Princess Chelsea - Caution Repetitive

Princess Chelsea has teamed up with Simon Ward and Luke Rowell for the final video from the Lil' Golden Book series 'Caution Repetitive'.

The video is a satirical take on narcissistic Youtube culture inspired by the modern whatsinmyhandbagist, tumbrl fashion icon and distressed jeans vlogger.

Caution Repetitive is a spoken word mantra about an underachieving internet persona that repeats and repeats and repeats and repeats.

In a somewhat delicious irony some early viewers of the clip have been disappointed due to its narcissistic qualities.

Chelsea and band will be playing a show at the Kings Arms on April 20 to celebrate the release of a new single 'We're So Lost' (originally a classic Voom song!) Also playing will be Voom, Trust Punks, and Lttle phnx.

The show will be their last before heading off to Europe to tour in the northern summer!

Voom play the Kingland Karnival

Next weekend, as part of the Kingsland Karnival - Voom will be playing a set outside the Kingsland train station at 5pm.

Sparked by the return of sidekicknick from his stint in Berlin it appears that VOOM are getting set to remind everyone how bloody good they are.

Kingsland is home to Lil' Chief Records HQ the most glorious palace 'La Grotto' and also home to many of the artists on our roster including celebrity cat Winston.

What: Voom at The Kingsland Karnival

Where: On the street - by the train station!

When: Sat 23rd, 5pm

Pikachunes Releases new E.P. Today - For Free (If you want)

Pikachunes releases his new e.p. 'Miles' today through Lil' Chief Records.

You can download the e.p here - for free!

The e.p. is essentially four killer singles available as a pay what you like download on Bandcamp. The bfm chart-topper 'Love Hate' opens followed by three new songs - my personal favourite 'Cinnamon Pop Dream' (feat Zowie),'Your Touch' feat Boycrush and 'Tucan' a track that started out as a Kids of 88 Remix but took on a life of its own due to being epically sick and fast becoming a live favourite in 2012.

The e.p. displays a more complex, grander, and dare I say more emotive sound from Pikachunes whilst always remaining danceable and pop-friendly - perhaps a sneak peek of what we should expect from his second album due later this year.

New Ruby Suns Album 'Christopher' Released Today!

Lil' Chief is happy to announce the release of The Ruby Suns fourth album, Christopher!

He'd always been a musical wayfarer, collecting sounds and styles from his travels around the globe, depositing influences and ephemera into the first three knockout Ruby Suns albums (2006’s The Ruby Suns, 2008's Sea Lion and 2010's Fight Softly). In Scandinavia—amidst its icy architecture and sky-high fjords, not to mention the indomitable gloss-pop that's the region's leading export—he discovered the inspiration for 'Christopher'.

First of all, who the hell is Christopher?

Funny you should ask. There is no Christopher. Or rather, the Christopher referred to in the album title
is part of an Auckland-based inside joke that we're on the outside of. To you and me, McPhun explains,
Christopher is an idea. A metaphor: He's that awkward, anxious, hormonal menace you used to be when you were young and foolish and eager for everything.


McPhun found himself embodying that careless youth when he toured Fight Softly with some of his best friends in the band. You hear this story on the bubbly, strutting, central tune "Boy" (which might've been the album title if it weren't already taken by an Irish bar band with delusions of grandeur). It continues in the filtered guitar-and-piano anthem "In Real Life" and the tense heartbreak of "Dramatikk," in the skittering disco pop of "Starlight" and the haunted arrested development of "Futon Fortress."

Beyond adolescent tension is resignation and release. The story of Christopher mirrors McPhun's own coming of age: After a childhood spent in nerdy isolation, hiding away in his bedroom with his guitar while his older sister hosted high school ragers in their parents' Ventura, CA home; after leaving home and becoming a citizen of the world; after disengaging from the relationship that defined most of his adult life, McPhun has stopped thinking so much and joined the party. "Rush" sets the process in motion, but of all the songs on the album, "Jump In" encapsulates a carpe diem MO: "When you reach the end of the world," McPhun sings in his tender falsetto, "don't wanna have no regrets and no penitence."


Christopher's opening song—written first chronologically, recorded at a friend's home studio in Oslo, floating on Nord modular synths and ecstatic dancefloor energy—details McPhun's inebriated encounter with musical crush Robyn backstage at a music festival in Cologne, Germany. "Flower among the leaves is what you are," he sings, his sheepish grin practically bursting out of your speakers "cold glass of water in the desert of pop."

Takes one to know one, Ryan.

Christopher is out now in stores and also available from the Lil Chief Store .  Christopher is available digitally on Itunes and direct from Lil Chief.