SoundBites: The Last Shadow Puppets, Tahuna Breaks

Tahuna Breaks

It's been a long eight years between drinks, but The Last Shadow Puppets have finally released the follow-up to their debut album The Age of the Understatement.

Everything You've Come to Expect is something of a departure for the duo - Miles Kane and Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner.

As the Independent notes in its review: "If the first album was our heroes marching into battle, this is them drifting into the sunset, cocktail in hand".

That said, that same air of nostalgia that pervaded their debut is just as strong here, even if they have moved on a wee bit.

Check out the video for the title track, in which our dynamic duo are buried up to their necks in sand as the tide comes in. At least one sharp-eyed fan has noticed there are in fact nine versions of the video, so you can play spot the difference.

Tahuna Breaks are calling it a day and have announced their final show next month.

The Auckland funk/dance band have released four albums and a live concert DVD in their 12 years and have been a festival favourite, both here and abroad, with spots including Montreux and Glastonbury.

The band said in a statement: "We feel that time has come for the band to acknowledge its natural conclusion, giving us the opportunity to focus on our individual lives and ambitions."

The final show, at The Studio, K Road, Auckland, May 14, will be two sets, including an intimate acoustic set covering the band's back catalogue, followed by the full 10-piece band and guests. Tickets: https://nonstoptix.com.

Revisit a classic

The Mutton Birds formed 25 years ago from pieces of bands including Blam, Blam, Blam, Dribbling Darts of Love and Six Volts. Frontman Don McGlashan had also performed as half of musical comedy duo The Front Lawn.

1992 saw a self-titled debut album with a cover art image of McGlashan's splendid euphonium aloft over water.

The album was jam-packed with goodies, including Kiwi classic Dominion Road, Your Window, Giant Friend, the beautiful A Thing Well Made, and most notably a very popular cover of The Fourmyula's Nature.

But my favourite has long been the sinister-or-is-it White Valiant - a Kiwi-as tale of hitchhiking in the country.