SoundBites: White Wall, D.A.R.K., Birdy

Dolores O'Riordan.

Trying googling White Wall and chances are you'll get a bunch of links to tyre shops.

In fact, White Wall is an Auckland-based musician producing compelling and delightful electronica.

The keyboardist and producer has played European summer festivals with Thomston and toured the US with Janine and the Mixtape. He's also toured New Zealand with his band Hurricane Kids.

White Wall's background includes learning classical piano and majoring in Popular Music at Auckland University.

His These Years EP is out now - check it out at iamwhitewall.bandcamp.com.

Every once in a while, perhaps while watching The Walking Dead, you might wonder to yourself: Whatever happened to Dolores O'Riordan, lead singer of the Cranberries and she of the "In your head ... Zombie, Zombie, Zombie" lyrics and vocals.

Wonder no more - O'Riordan has joined Smiths bassist Andy Rourke and New York DJ Ole Koretsky to form D.A.R.K. (see what they did with the name?).

The band will release their debut album Science Agrees in May, but you can hear the single Curvy above and on iTunes.

Birdy

Birdy has released her third studio album, Beautiful Lies, which she calls her "coming of age" record. Still only 19, Birdy rose to fame with her cover of Bon Iver's Skinny Love when she was 14. The new album features the singles Keeping Your Head Up and Wild Horses, as well as the title track, with a deluxe edition features four bonus tracks.

Revisit a classic
Jesus Christ Superstar started out as a concept album before being made into a stage production and movie.

And what a concept album. Made perhaps more powerful in hindsight by its fleshed-out progeny, the 1970 album's strength is in the listener's familiarity with the story and the music.

Try getting the Heaven on Their Minds earworm out of your head.

Written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, the rock opera features Deep Purple's Ian Gillan in the title role, Murray Head as Judas (Trivia note: his brother starred in Buffy The Vampire Slayer) and Yvonne Elliman as Mary Magdalene.

Elliman and Barry Dennen (Pilate) reprised their roles in the 1973 film version.

SoundBites Extra

Aaron and Bryce Dessner

A new all-star tribute to the Grateful Dead will be released on May 20.

The 4AD compilation Day of the Dead is curated by Aaron and Bryce Dessner of The National.

As well as The National, the line-up of acts paying tribute includes Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Real Estate, The War on Drugs, Courtney Barnett, The Flaming Lips, Kurt Vile and the Violators (featuring J Mascis), Lucinda Williams, Jim James, Perfume Genius and more.

Five of the album's 59 tracks have been made available with album pre-order and on streaming services and YouTube.

The tracklisting is:

Thunder (Vol. 1):
1. The War on Drugs Touch of Grey
2. Phosphorescent, Jenny Lewis & Friends Sugaree
3. Jim James & Friends Candyman
4. Moses Sumney, Jenny Lewis & Friends Cassidy
5. Bruce Hornsby and DeYarmond Edison Black Muddy River
6. Ed Droste, Binki Shapiro & Friends Loser
7. The National Peggy-O
8. Kurt Vile and the Violators (featuring J Mascis) Box of Rain
9. Bonnie 'Prince' Billy & Friends Rubin and Cherise
10. Perfume Genius, Sharon Van Etten & Friends To Lay Me Down
11. Courtney Barnett New Speedway Boogie
12. Mumford & Sons Friend of the Devil
13. Lucius Uncle John's Band
14. The Lone Bellow & Friends Me and My Uncle
15. Lee Ranaldo, Lisa Hannigan & Friends Mountains of the Moon
16. Anohni and yMusic Black Peter
17. Bryce Dessner Garcia Counterpoint
18. Daniel Rossen, Christopher Bear and The National
(featuring Josh Kaufman, Conrad Doucette, So Percussion
and Brooklyn Youth Chorus) Terrapin Station (Suite)
19. Angel Olsen Attics of My Life
20. Wilco with Bob Weir St. Stephen (live)

Lightning (Vol. 2):
1. Bonnie 'Prince' Billy If I Had the World to Give
2. Phosphorescent & Friends Standing on the Moon
3. Charles Bradley and Menahan Street Band Cumberland Blues
4. The Tallest Man on Earth & Friends Ship of Fools
5. Bonnie 'Prince' Billy & Friends Bird Song
6. The National Morning Dew
7. Marijuana Deathsquads Truckin'
8. Cass McCombs, Joe Russo & Friends Dark Star
9. Nightfall of Diamonds Nightfall of Diamonds
10. Tim Hecker Transitive Refraction Axis for John Oswald
11. Lucinda Williams & Friends Going Down The Road Feelin' Bad
12. Tunde Adebimpe, Lee Ranaldo & Friends Playing in the Band
13. Local Natives Stella Blue
14. Tal National Eyes of the World
15. Bela Fleck Help on the Way
16. Orchestra Baobab Franklin's Tower
17. Luluc with Xylouris White Till the Morning Comes
18. The Walkmen Ripple
19. Richard Reed Parry with Caroline Shaw and Little Scream
(featuring Garth Hudson) Brokedown Palace

Sunshine (Vol. 3):
1. Real Estate Here Comes Sunshine
2. Unknown Mortal Orchestra Shakedown Street
3. Hiss Golden Messenger Brown-Eyed Women
4. This Is the Kit Jack-A-Roe
5. Daniel Rossen and Christopher Bear High Time
6. The Lone Bellow & Friends Dire Wolf
7. Winston Marshall, Kodiak Blue and Shura Althea
8. Orchestra Baobab Clementine Jam
9. Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider
10. Bill Callahan Easy Wind
11. Ira Kaplan & Friends Wharf Rat
12. The Rileys Estimated Prophet
13. Man Forever, So Percussion and Oneida Drums -> Space
14. Fucked Up Cream Puff War
15. The Flaming Lips Dark Star
16. s t a r g a z e What's Become of the Baby
17. Vijay Iyer King Solomon's Marbles
18. Mina Tindle & Friends Rosemary
19. Sam Amidon And We Bid You Goodnight
20. The National with Bob Weir I Know You Rider (live)