SoundBites: Hozier, Cheap Fakes, Vinyl

Saoirse Ronan and Hozier

Irish churchgoer Hozier is leading a charity campaign raising both awareness of domestic violence and money for victims.

The singer/songwriter - most famous for his megahit Take Me To Church - is joining forces with actress Saoirse Ronan (The Lovely Bones, Brooklyn) with the release of the video to his song Cherry Wine. In the clip, released on Valentine's Day, Ronan plays a woman dealing with a physically abusive relationship.

A live version of the song appears as the closing track on Hozier's self-titled album.

In New Zealand, proceeds from the iTunes single will go to domestic abuse charity Shine (www.2shine.org.nz).

Aussie festival favourites Cheap Fakes are making their way to New Zealand for the first time this month.

With a sound that's big on horns and funk, the six-piece combo will appeal to fans of Kiwi acts like Fat Freddy's Drop and the Black Seeds.

Cheap Fakes have just released their third album Modern Vintage, recorded with legendary producer John Merchant (Michael Jackson, Bee Gees, Lenny Kravitz).

Their tour, which starts in Napier on February 24, will include shows in Auckland, Whanganui and Masterton before heading to Wellington and the South Island.
Check out the track Baby, It's a Good Song on YouTube and see www.undertheradar.co.nz/utr/ticket for tour dates and tickets.

In other tour news, Angel Deradoorian, formerly of Dirty Projectors, will be playing one show in New Zealand, at Auckland's King's Arms on April 13. Tickets are at Under the Radar.

Revisit a classic ... era
With the premiere of Mick Jagger and Martin Scorsese's HBO series Vinyl this week, a novel musical experience has also been launched.

The drama series, showing on Sky's SoHo in New Zealand, is set in 1970s New York - the dawn of punk, disco and hip-hop as seen through the eyes of a record label boss.

A soundtrack, featuring a range of artists, has been released, with a new digital EP released every Friday with music from that week's upcoming episode, with a second full length soundtrack due in April.