Bullet That Breaks The Key - New EP from Hallelujah Picassos, out Sept 12
Following on from their insanely catchy new single Salvadore (Miles Away From You), released in July to widespread acclaim and much aroha, Hallelujah Picassos return with a brand new digital EP.
The four song EP features Salvadore (Miles Away From You) in its original form, plus a special beat-heavy remix of Salvadore by Dub Asylum (Peter McLennan) vs Pains People (John Pain).
Salvadore has featured extensively on the playlists of BFM, KiwiFM, Radio Active, RDU and Radio One, and appeared on the top ten charts voted by listeners of BFM, KiwiFM and RDU.
Next up, one of their early numbers, Crack Dub (off their debut album Hateman In Love), gets reversioned by the band as Cracked Salvation, a warm, mellow, dubby number, and then we have a raucous, noisy guitar tune, called Hang All Bankers, lyrically inspired by the 2008 financial crisis, and how our politics is ruled by money. It’s a battle cry for the huddled masses. “Let karma be your hell-hound…”
Money, politics, and corruption are themes that runs thru some of the songs featured here. The EP title refers to the key to Pandora's box, and the mythology around it.
The band came together in 2013 to follow up on their reissues (Rewind The Hateman in 2011, Picasso Core Jukebox in 2012) with a handful of live shows with the likes of Drab Doo Riffs, Bloodbags, and Labretta Suede and the Motel 6.
The lads enjoyed playing together again immensely, so they continued on their merry way, blasting through old tunes and writing some new gems. Their last recorded outing was 18 years ago.
The current lineup of the band features the original members – Roland on vocals, Bobbylon on drums and vocals, Peter McLennan on guitars, with Darryn Harkness on bass (Loud Ghost / New Telepathics / Braintree), and original bass player John Pain, shifting to keyboards – his original instrument before joining the Picassos.
The EP was recorded and produced by Daryn Harkness, John Pain and Hallelujah Picassos at the Institute for Telepathic Research, and mastered by Angus McNaughton. Cover art image by Erin Forsyth. Released on Loopy Fruit Recordings, 2014. Cat no PCORP006
track listing
Salvadore (miles away from you)
Hang All Bankers
Cracked Salvation
Salvadore Dub Asylum vs Pains People Remix
ENDS
Salvadore - New song from Hallelujah Picassos, and it's free! Out July 29, 2014
The insanely catchy new single Salvadore (Miles Away From You) represents Hallelujah Picassos first new recording from the recently reunited lineup. The band’s legendary frontman, Roland Rorschach says the song is “A pensive, wistful tale describing a period between defeat and triumph.“
The band came together in 2012 to follow up on their reissues (Rewind The Hateman, Picasso Core Jukebox) with a handful of live shows with the likes of Drab Doo Riffs, Bloodbags, and Labretta Suede and the Motel 6.
The lads enjoyed playing together again immensely, so they continued on their merry way, blasting through old tunes and mixing up some new gems. This is the first fruits of their labours. Their last recorded outing was 18 years ago. It’s been a minute.
Salvadore (Miles Away From You) is a jaunty pop ditty, with a melancholy vocal and skiffle drum shuffle bouncing along over electronic beats, and some fruity skanking guitar chops over the top. Soak it up! Best feedback so far - “It sounds like nothing you guys have done before, but it definitely sounds like the Picassos.”
The current lineup of the band features the original members – Roland on vocals, Bobbylon on drums and vocals, Peter McLennan on guitars, with Darryn Harkness on bass (Loud Ghost / New Telepathics / Braintree), and original bass player John Pain, shifting to keyboards – his original instrument before joining the Picassos.
Salvadore (Miles Away From You) is available via Bandcamp as a free download, and serves as a taster for an EP of more new recordings the band plan to release in mid September.
The song was recorded and produced by John Pain and Hallelujah Picassos at the Institute for Telepathic Research, and mastered by Angus McNaughton. Cover art image by Erin Forsyth Released on Loopy Fruit Recordings.
Hallelujah Picassos - Picasso Core Jukebox - album out March 5, 2012
Following on from last year’s remastered collection of Picasso classics, Hallelujah Picassos are releasing the next installment in their reissue series - a newly remastered, digital album collecting the cover versions from Auckland’s legendary ska/ punk/ reggae/ pop/ thrash/ hiphop/ hardcore outfit. It’s a bunch of songs originally done by the likes of Bo Diddley, James, Brown, HLAH, The Sonics (who are touring NZ in April), Greg Johnson and more, given a crazy sonic twist.
Kicking off with Peanut Butter, a hugely popular tune on student radio when released on cassette in 1991, 21 years ago. The band took the original reel to reel master tape to Stebbings and had them digitise it - they had to bake it first to get it to a playable state! Never heard it sound so good.
There are a few cameos in there too, like comedian/actor Alan Brough turning up to add vocals to Homegirl, a song originally done by Bobbylon and Roland in their Picassos’ side project, Riot Riddum Sound System.
There’s two previously unreleased songs seeing the light of day, covers of The The - Perfect, and Tears of a clown (Smokey, via The Beat, or English Beat). Picasso Core Jukebox comes with an e-booklet with extensive liner notes looking behind the songs and how the band discovered them, along with previously unpublished photos.
Out Monday March 5, thru Bandcamp/Amplifier/iTunes and all good digital outlets. Digital only release. PCorp 004. Released by Loopy Fruit Recordings.
TRACKLISTING:
1 Peanut butter (One way streets, 1967)
2 Who do you love (Bo Diddley 1957)
3 Psycho/Strychnine (The Sonics ,1965)
4 Tears of a clown (Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, via The Beat’s version from 1979)
5 Talk in this town (Greg Johnson, 1993)
6 Air (Head Like A Hole, 1991)
7 Perfect (The The, 1983)
8 Catman (Gene Vincent 1957)
9 Homegirl (Riot riddum sound system 1991)
10 Crying Again (Prime Movers 1982)
11 It’s a man’s world (James Brown, 1966)
__________________________________________
Hallelujah Picassos - Rewind the Hateman, a retrospective collection (out Oct 31, CD/digital)
Hallelujah Picassos were a bunch of happy musical misfits, resident in Auckland from 1988 til 1996. Their sound mashed up a bunch of genres, and was labelled ska-punk-reggae-pop-thrash-hiphop-hardcore, or as they liked to call it, Picasso Core. The Picassos mixed up genres with unabashed glee, slamming them together, often within the same song. It’s fair to say there was nothing quite like them across the nation at the time. They were unique.
The Picassos were famous for their incendiary live shows, which the band liked to describe as “search and destroy”. Simon Grigg, in the liner notes for this collection, says when you saw the band live, “You thrilled at the energy and seductive melody, but found yourself utterly shattered as they walked off… and I’m not a dancer. I can but try to imagine how the band felt.” They opened for acts such as Violent Femmes, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, Faith No More, African Head Charge, Beastie Boys, and Ice T and Body Count.
Rewind the Hateman includes several numbers that were hugely popular on student radio back in the day, such as Rewind, Picasso Core, Hateman and Lovers Plus. Simon Grigg observes “their influence was undeniable, and a generation of local acts who refused to accept the boundaries that those Pink Floyd and Dire Straits-loving critics defined owe massively to the Picassos, often without realising exactly how much they broke down the barriers of musical conservatism in Auckland and beyond.”
Their recordings have languished, being mostly unavailable since their original release. This 18-song collection serves as an introduction to the band across their recording career on Wildside Records (two albums, numerous EPs) and has been remastered at Uptown Studio by Rick Huntington and Alan Jansson. There are further reissue plans afoot.
The artwork featured on the cover is by highly respected artist, the late Martin Emond, who collaborated with the band in 1993, before going on to work with Shihad, Head Like A Hole and Danzig. Emond was a fan of the band (and they loved his comics like White Trash), and he even jumped up onstage at one of their shows and sang Picasso Core, while the band’s singer went crowd surfing. True story. The retrospective collection also includes photos (many previously unpublished), posters and art from the band.
TRACKLISTING
1 Lovers +
2 Black spade picasso core
3 Crack dub
4 Snakeman's cry
5 Bastardiser
6 Sister Stacy
7 Hello Pablo
8 Shivers
9 God gave us Boom Boom Washington
10 Hateman
11 Rewind
12 Drinking with Judas
13 U+I
14 Glue
15 I want you to be my million/Happy go lucky girl
16 Smokin and fumin
17 Yardy
18 Seven stripes of the Maumau
ENDS
The current lineup of the band features the original members – Roland on vocals, Bobbylon on drums and vocals, Peter McLennan on guitars, with Darryn Harkness on bass (Loud Ghost / New Telepathics / Braintree), and original bass player John Pain, shifting to keyboards – his original instrument before joining the Picassos.
Salvadore (Miles Away From You) is available via Bandcamp as a free download, and serves as a taster for an EP of more new recordings the band plan to release in mid September.
The song was recorded and produced by John Pain and Hallelujah Picassos at the Institute for Telepathic Research, and mastered by Angus McNaughton. Cover art image by Erin Forsyth Released on Loopy Fruit Recordings.
Hallelujah Picassos - Picasso Core Jukebox - album out March 5, 2012
Following on from last year’s remastered collection of Picasso classics, Hallelujah Picassos are releasing the next installment in their reissue series - a newly remastered, digital album collecting the cover versions from Auckland’s legendary ska/ punk/ reggae/ pop/ thrash/ hiphop/ hardcore outfit. It’s a bunch of songs originally done by the likes of Bo Diddley, James, Brown, HLAH, The Sonics (who are touring NZ in April), Greg Johnson and more, given a crazy sonic twist.
Kicking off with Peanut Butter, a hugely popular tune on student radio when released on cassette in 1991, 21 years ago. The band took the original reel to reel master tape to Stebbings and had them digitise it - they had to bake it first to get it to a playable state! Never heard it sound so good.
There are a few cameos in there too, like comedian/actor Alan Brough turning up to add vocals to Homegirl, a song originally done by Bobbylon and Roland in their Picassos’ side project, Riot Riddum Sound System.
There’s two previously unreleased songs seeing the light of day, covers of The The - Perfect, and Tears of a clown (Smokey, via The Beat, or English Beat). Picasso Core Jukebox comes with an e-booklet with extensive liner notes looking behind the songs and how the band discovered them, along with previously unpublished photos.
Out Monday March 5, thru Bandcamp/Amplifier/iTunes and all good digital outlets. Digital only release. PCorp 004. Released by Loopy Fruit Recordings.
TRACKLISTING:
1 Peanut butter (One way streets, 1967)
2 Who do you love (Bo Diddley 1957)
3 Psycho/Strychnine (The Sonics ,1965)
4 Tears of a clown (Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, via The Beat’s version from 1979)
5 Talk in this town (Greg Johnson, 1993)
6 Air (Head Like A Hole, 1991)
7 Perfect (The The, 1983)
8 Catman (Gene Vincent 1957)
9 Homegirl (Riot riddum sound system 1991)
10 Crying Again (Prime Movers 1982)
11 It’s a man’s world (James Brown, 1966)
__________________________________________
Hallelujah Picassos - Rewind the Hateman, a retrospective collection (out Oct 31, CD/digital)
Hallelujah Picassos were a bunch of happy musical misfits, resident in Auckland from 1988 til 1996. Their sound mashed up a bunch of genres, and was labelled ska-punk-reggae-pop-thrash-hiphop-hardcore, or as they liked to call it, Picasso Core. The Picassos mixed up genres with unabashed glee, slamming them together, often within the same song. It’s fair to say there was nothing quite like them across the nation at the time. They were unique.
The Picassos were famous for their incendiary live shows, which the band liked to describe as “search and destroy”. Simon Grigg, in the liner notes for this collection, says when you saw the band live, “You thrilled at the energy and seductive melody, but found yourself utterly shattered as they walked off… and I’m not a dancer. I can but try to imagine how the band felt.” They opened for acts such as Violent Femmes, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, Faith No More, African Head Charge, Beastie Boys, and Ice T and Body Count.
Rewind the Hateman includes several numbers that were hugely popular on student radio back in the day, such as Rewind, Picasso Core, Hateman and Lovers Plus. Simon Grigg observes “their influence was undeniable, and a generation of local acts who refused to accept the boundaries that those Pink Floyd and Dire Straits-loving critics defined owe massively to the Picassos, often without realising exactly how much they broke down the barriers of musical conservatism in Auckland and beyond.”
Their recordings have languished, being mostly unavailable since their original release. This 18-song collection serves as an introduction to the band across their recording career on Wildside Records (two albums, numerous EPs) and has been remastered at Uptown Studio by Rick Huntington and Alan Jansson. There are further reissue plans afoot.
The artwork featured on the cover is by highly respected artist, the late Martin Emond, who collaborated with the band in 1993, before going on to work with Shihad, Head Like A Hole and Danzig. Emond was a fan of the band (and they loved his comics like White Trash), and he even jumped up onstage at one of their shows and sang Picasso Core, while the band’s singer went crowd surfing. True story. The retrospective collection also includes photos (many previously unpublished), posters and art from the band.
TRACKLISTING
1 Lovers +
2 Black spade picasso core
3 Crack dub
4 Snakeman's cry
5 Bastardiser
6 Sister Stacy
7 Hello Pablo
8 Shivers
9 God gave us Boom Boom Washington
10 Hateman
11 Rewind
12 Drinking with Judas
13 U+I
14 Glue
15 I want you to be my million/Happy go lucky girl
16 Smokin and fumin
17 Yardy
18 Seven stripes of the Maumau
ENDS
