Brighter star

There's a danger REM could be outshone by their support act on their two-date New Zealand tour.

Bright Eyes - a singer/songwriter by the name of Conor Oberst (right), out of Omaha now residing in New York - is one of the hottest acts in the music biz at the moment.

REM and Bright Eyes play the Westpac Centre in Christchurch on March 24 and the Bowl of Brooklands in New Plymouth on March 26.

Bright Eyes - think Dylan via Ryan Adams and Pavement - took the No 1 and No 2 spots on the US Billboard singles charts last month with his songs, Lua and Take It Easy.

Is it cockiness or confidence that inspires someone to release two singles at the same time? In old Bright Eyes case, you'd have to says it's confidence because he's also just released two new albums, I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning and Digital Ash In A Digital Urn at the same time, too.

COMING TO TOWN

Holly Golightly broke a few hearts when she sang, "It's true that we love one another", in a duet with Jack White from the White Stripes.

Who was this woman wooing our Jack? Well, although she became better known after this duet, Golightly had been around since 1991 in garage group The Headcoatees.

Her solo sound is a mix of electric blues and folk rock. Since 1995 Golightly has released 12 albums, including, ... Truly She Is None Other which, with the help of her duet with White, has been her most successful.

Golightly plays the Kings Arms in Auckland on March 8 and Bar Bodega in Wellington on March 10.

Meanwhile, the Neville Brothers tour New Zealand in April. The New Orleans family group - made up of brothers Aaron, Art, Charles and Cyril, and two of their sons, Ivan and Ian - will be joined by a nine-piece band at Wellington Events Centre on April 12 and Auckland's Logan Campbell Centre on April 13.

The tour is in support of their latest album, Walkin' In The Shadow Of Life, their first album since 1999. The long break between albums was a result of eldest brother Art being paralysed after back surgery in late 2001.

His comment to his siblings that, "I feel like I've been walking in the shadow of life" inspired the new album.

The band's first album Fiyou On The Biyou was released in 1981 but it was the single, Sister Rosa, from 1989's Yellow Moon, that really made their name.

Also touring soon is Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Janis Ian who will play one show at Auckland's Regent Theatre, Friday, March 4.