“All I Need To Do” by Princess Chelsea

NZ Music Every Godzone Month! sign from Too Tone Records in Dunedin.

Our New Zealand Music Month day #29 song is the closing track from Princess Chelsea’s “The Loneliest Girl” album – an examination of the musician’s life called “All I Need To Do”:

“All I Need To Do”  is a reflection on a musician’s life: “I’ve been making music for about 11 years/ I stay inside on summer days/ I’ve drifted from my friends/ my parents, they are so polite/ They want me to have kids/ I’m working in a record store/ to try and pay my bills/ All I need to do/ is make the music and try to be true…”

“The Loneliest Girl” is the fourth album by globe-trotting Chelsea Nikkel, following “Lil’ Golden Book” and “The Great Cybernetic Depression” and a recent album of cover versions. It’s the best of the lot. It’s a more expansive, varied and exploratory collection of great pop songs. Those songs are beautifully crafted and often wry reflections on life, mixed with somewhat dark and melancholy fantasy, wrapped up in a set of glorious Serge Gainsbourg-esque arrangements.

 

“Do It For You” by Scott Mannion

Shop display of re-purposed NZ Music Month poster at Too Tone Records (2010-2017) in Dunedin.

New Zealand Music Month day #9 brings the latest single released ahead of the debut solo album from former Tokey Tones songwriter and Lil ‘Chief Records founder Scott Mannion – “Do It For You”:

There’s a hint of obsessiveness in this smooth tune; partly in the lyrical focus, but also in the admission to perfectionism being one of the contributing factors to this album – due for release 7 June – taking so long to be completed and released.

Lil’ Chief Records has one of the most identifiable label sounds and aesthetics in NZ or anywhere, and, on the strength of the songs shared so far, the album “Loving Echoes” promises to live up to its name by presenting the essence and echoes of all the best attributes of the Lil’ Chief Records sound into one sure-to-be-essential album.

“Growing Older” by Princess Chelsea

Here’s more “Music For Christmas” #2 in the form of the latest Princess Chelsea album “The Loneliest Girl”.  Most likely all Princess Chelsea – and Lil’ Chief Records – fans will have the album. But it’s a great gift idea for anyone who loves a bit of dark alternative pop music. Here’s the self-explanatory “Growing Older” from the album to get your exploration underway.

“The Loneliest Girl” is the fourth album by globe-trotting Chelsea Nikkel, following “Lil’ Golden Book” and “The Great Cybernetic Depression” and a recent album of cover versions. It’s the best of the lot. It’s much less stylised synth pop than the previous albums, and, a more expansive, varied and exploratory collection of great pop songs.

“The Loneliest Girl” is a knowing and emotionally brave collection of reflections on real life, mixed with somewhat dark and melancholy fantasy, and all wrapped up in a set of glorious Serge Gainsbourg-esque arrangements. As you can hear on this track “Respect The Labourers”, complete with strings and sax solo outro:

“Your Kinda Love” by Scott Mannion featuring Clara Viñals

Here’s another PopLib’s  send as a gift tip for the month. We’ve missed several days of send as a gift new music tips but I hope you have used those days wisely to search out your own selections on Bandcamp. We resume now with the welcome return of Scott Mannion, who runs Lil’ Chief Records and was once part of the fabulous Tokey Tones.

“Your Kinda Love” was released earlier this year and features Clara Viñals, a name you may recognise from the new Jonathon Bree single (also on Lil’ Chief Records). Or, if you are knowledgeable about pop music from Spain, from the wonderful Renaldo & Clara.

This is recommended to send as a gift to lovers of finely crafted bittersweet pop, and fans of The Tokey Tones. However, with lines like “there’s something beautiful about the way you lie” be careful who you send it to. Sometimes people take song lyrics very personally.

Alternatively, try the latest single “Not Exactly Deep” just released last week: