Slow Boat Records and Cuba Street
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How Did I Get Hear? #17 - Alan Gregg on Ed Cake's "Downtown Puff"
- Slow Boat Records
- Behold the Golden Man! Some time in the mid-1990s I was sitting on a sofa in Auckland watching a Saturday morning kids’ TV show called What Now? A band came on and played a song which featured the lyric “If I go to hospital / Will you administer my pill?” I had no idea who they were, but the song was brilliant, and one of the band members appeared to have springs attached to the soles of his shoes. A few weeks later I met two members of that band, Edmund McWilliams and Geoff Maddock, at a Supergroove show at Auckland University. We talked about our shared enthusiasm for the music of Jonathan Richman, and they gave me a cassette(!) of some songs they were working on. When I got home and played the cassette it was a revelation. It contained intensely melodic songs with absurd lyrics and unusual arrangements. I felt like I’d stumbled upon some kind of secret treasure. They were pop songs, but not like anything I’d heard before. The songs on that cassette later turned into the eponymous Bressa Creeting Cake album (Flying Nun Records 1997), which is still spoken of in reverential tones in certain circles. The three piece Bressa Creeting Cake band, with Joel Wilton on drums, came on tour around New Zealand with The Mutton Birds (who I played bass with), and it felt like a privilege to watch them play these amazing songs to baffled audiences each night. By that time Edmund McWilliams was becoming better known under the moniker Edmund Cake. In 1999 Edmund and I played together in Bic Runga’s band, when she supported Paul Kelly on a tour of Australia. On that trip I saw first hand how Ed’s approach was not like other musicians I knew. At one show Bic’s band was invited to join Paul Kelly and his band onstage for their encore, and during the song Ed played Paul Kelly’s acoustic guitar with such intensity that his hand bled all over the body of the guitar. At soundcheck the next day Paul Kelly’s unimpressed guitar technician greeted Ed with the guitar and a cleaning cloth. Ed set to work making it spotless, and we weren’t invited onstage for the encore again. Bressa Creeting Cake split up around that time, and Geoff Maddock formed the band Goldenhorse, which went on to become hugely popular in New Zealand. All of this is a very longwinded way of getting to the point that after the demise of Bressa Creeting Cake, Edmund Cake made a solo album called Downtown Puff (Lil’ Chief Records 2004), which I consider to be a masterpiece. Around the time Bressa Creeting Cake ended, an A&R man from the Dreamworks record label in LA came to visit Ed in New Zealand and gave him an advance to make some demos. Ed recorded three songs and sent them to the label. After not hearing from the A&R guy for a while, Ed called him in LA to ask what he thought of the songs. He replied that they were “Quite great”. Dreamworks did not sign Edmund Cake to the label in the end, but they did sign a little-known artist named Nelly Furtado. In the meantime, Tim Finn had become a supporter of Ed’s music and lent him some recording equipment for a studio Ed had assembled in a building in Gore Street in Auckland. Neil Finn had also become a fan and gave Ed time to complete Downtown Puff in his own studio. Edmund Cake is an unusually talented songwriter. He has a gift for composing melodies and chord changes which are both surprising and breathtakingly beautiful. He’s also able to write lyrics which can be funny and strangely affecting at the same time. And he doesn’t sound like anyone else. On Downtown Puff Ed played most of the instruments, and he engineered and produced the songs himself. It’s an album that constantly treads the line between the sublime and the ridiculous, and sometimes does both at the same time. "You’re Watching Me” and “Beautiful Sleep” are ballads as melodic and effortless as any I can think of. The song "Gunga" sounds like Captain Beefheart jamming with Devo on the set of Sesame Street. “My Son the Harpist” tells the story, over an Omnichord drum beat, of a young harp player who meets a tragic end. Ed was improvising the lyrics the first time he ever recorded the vocal on that song and he never changed them. As a result, there are some spontaneous words in that song that you won’t find in any dictionary. The song “Oh Baby Bear” is the catchiest song you’ll ever hear about the Auckland Public Transport system. Ed sings “She’s got a cuppa tea and sandwich, she’s feeling fine / She just crossed the Pukapuka line,” all delivered in a fair dinkum Kiwi accent. Perhaps Downtown Puff’ s master stroke is the track “Golden Man”, which sounds a bit like a 1970s psychedelic folk band singing a gospel song. The poetic lyrics, swooping melodies and Ed’s trademark falsetto vocals all contribute to the song’s eerie beauty. “He commands the cats to claw / He commands the boats to shore / He commands the gulls to fly / He commands the crops to die”. Sometimes Edmund’s music can evoke the genius of Brian Wilson in the way he can take really unusual chord changes and make them seem completely natural in a pop song. But this music doesn’t sound like Brian Wilson. Ed often adopts different character voices for the songs. One moment he’s singing in a sweet falsetto, and in the next he’s growling like Tom Waits. Each song has a distinct vocal identity, almost reminiscent of the way Prince used completely different voices for some of his songs. But this music sounds nothing like Prince. Sometimes I wonder why the Downtown Puff album isn’t better known than it is. It certainly has some devoted fans, but I can’t help thinking more people would like it if they knew about it. For me it’s the work of a visionary musical artist, and it's a collection of songs that contains just the right balance of beauty, mystery, playfulness and outrageously good tunes. It’s also worth mentioning that Edmund Cake released another album under the name Pie Warmer a few years later called The Fearsome Feeling (2009 Lil’Chief Records), which is every bit as great as Downtown Puff. Alan Gregg last year released a superb album under the name Polite Company, entitled "Please Go Wild" - first single "Circulation" is here, we have copies on LP and CD, and his website is here
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The Phoenix Foundation "Pegasus" Vinyl launch instore at Slow Boat!!
- Slow Boat Records
- We are thrilled to announce that we will be hosting our favourite local homeboys, The Phoenix Foundation, for an instore celebration of the first ever vinyl release of their wonderful second album, 2005’s much loved “Pegasus”, featuring such fan faves as “Hitchcock”, “Damn The River” and “Slightest Shift In The Weather”.
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Record Store Day 2025 at Slow Boat
- Slow Boat Records
- Slow Boat is simply THRILLED to announce we will be hosting exclusive Record Store Day instore performances from a solo Fazerdaze, whose recent album “Soft Power” has been a store fave, and is a finalist for the 2025 Taite Prize, as well as Wellington’s own Warm Regards (in duo form, and featuring Cassette/ Lawrence Arabia’s Tom Watson).
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Merch, baby - MERCH!!!
- Slow Boat Records
- Well, lordy, lordy me - what have we here, then?! After running an (entirely unscientific) Insta poll, we here at Slow Boat have listened to the voice of the people, and have bowed to popular consensus, and had manufactured a limited quantity of marvellous looking Slow Boat hoodies, alongside the regular tee shirts, a new style of (very robust!) tote bags (shall we refer to them as Boat Totes? Yes, I think we shall!) and, for the first time ever - two (count 'em!) varieties of SB trucker caps!! These are available for purchase instore now (my advice - get in quick while we still have a good range of sizes and colours!) so you can be fashion forward, and the envy of your pals. Tees are now $39.50, caps $30, totes $25 and the deluxe hoodies are a still perfectly reasonable $75 - I mean, what price happiness? What price... fashion... Feel free to drop us a line or call (04 385 1330) if you'd like to secure yours, and we'll be seein' ya soon - will have some Record Store Day 2025 related news to share in the upcoming weeks... Peace and love, THE SLOW BOAT CREW XX
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How Did I Get Hear? #16 - Matthew Bannister on Fairport Convention's "What We Did On Our Holidays"
- Slow Boat Records
- As a teenage Beatle freak, there was no place for folk music in my life.
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How did I get hear? #15 - Simon Sweetman on Todd Rundgren's "Something/ Anything"
- Slow Boat Records
- Simon Sweetman on Todd Rundgren's "Something/ Anything" Todd Rundgren’s 1972 masterpiece, Something/Anything is his third album, though his first under just his name.
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Feliz navidad!!
- Slow Boat Records
- WELL.
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How did I get hear? #14 - Jeremy Toy on John Coltrane's "Coltrane Live At Birdland"
- Slow Boat Records
- In the early 2000’s Martin Winch had just released “Espresso Guitar” and I was playing in melodic hardcore bands and freaky free jazz funk bands, so it is safe to say that at my guitar lessons with him we were at either pole.
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How did I get hear? #13 Mike Houlahan on Cocteau Twins' "Treasure"
- Slow Boat Records
- It is 1984, and we are in a suburban bedroom in the most suburban of Wellington suburbs, Tawa.
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Fat Freddy’s Drop x Wellington Chocolate Factory x Slow Boat Records!!!
- Slow Boat Records
- Slow Boat is thrilled to announce that we are to host the Wellington launch of Fat Freddy’s Drop’s brand new album “SLO MO” – along with their collaboration with the Wellington Chocolate Company on a special FFD ‘”SLO MO” chocolate bar – which you will receive FREE when you buy the album!! All are welcome from 4.
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How did I get hear? #12 - Ron Sexsmith on Warren Zevon’s self-titled (second!) album
- Slow Boat Records
- I’d been aware of Warren’s music for quite some time (mostly things like “Werewolves Of London” or “Carmelita”), but for some reason I never took a deep dive until years later.
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How did I get hear? #11 - Paul Johnson on Bob Dylan's "Oh Mercy"
- Slow Boat Records
- I was handed this album as a “$7.
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How did I get hear? #10 - Reverend Christopher Orczy on Todd Rundgren's "A Wizard, A True Star"
- Slow Boat Records
- In the August school holidays of 1989 I was 17 and working in the upstairs 2nd hand department at Echo Records in Christchurch.
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How Did I Get Hear? #9 - Steve Braddock on Oasis' (What's The Story) Morning Glory?
- Slow Boat Records
- I blame Mike Flowers.
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How did I get hear? #8 - Dennis O’Brien on Mink DeVille’s self-titled debut (“Cabretta”)
- Slow Boat Records
- The romantic, passionate voice, songs and attitude flamed throughout the first album from the five piece Mink DeVille in 1977.
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How Did I Get Hear? #7 - Stephen Gallagher on Kronos Quartet's "Black Angels"
- Slow Boat Records
- In 1993, I was immersed in my first year study of composition at what is now known as The New Zealand School of Music.
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How did I get hear? #6 - Grant Smithies on Pere Ubu's "The Modern Dance"
- Slow Boat Records
- I can remember the exact moment my brain exploded.
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How Did I Get Hear? #5 - Fraser Lewry on Butthole Surfers' "Locust Abortion Technician"
- Slow Boat Records
- Fraser Lewry on Butthole Surfers’ “Locust Abortion Technician” My first love was rock music with a capital R: AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin.
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How Did I Get Hear? #4 - Riki Gooch on İlhan Mimaroğlu and Freddie Hubbard’s “Sing Me a Song of Songmy”
- Slow Boat Records
- Riki Gooch on İlhan Mimaroğlu and Freddie Hubbard’s “Sing Me a Song of Songmy” During the early 2000s, I frequently found myself in the esteemed company of my dear friend, mentor, and extraordinary drummer, Anthony Donaldson.
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How did I get hear? #3 - Dianne Swann on Neil Young's "Tonight's The Night"
- Slow Boat Records
- I had just turned 14.
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How did I get hear? #2 - Nick Bollinger on Gram Parsons' "Grievous Angel"
- Slow Boat Records
- When I was sixteen my father died suddenly.
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How did I get hear? #1
- Slow Boat Records
- How did I get here? British singer/ songwriter Kirsty MacColl’s second album “Kite” was released in 1989.
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Record store day 2024 at slow boat!!!
- Slow Boat Records
- Slow Boat is again thrilled to share with you our plans for Record Store Day 2024!! After the success of last year’s event, we have again agreed to co-ordinate with our dear neighbours at 173 Cuba Street, the venerable Flying Nun Records, so that there won’t be any clashes for our respective instore performances, which we are thrilled to announce thus; Flying Nun; 1pm – Living Clipboards – featuring Marineville’s Mark Williams, along with Ghost Club’s Denise Roughan and Jim Abbot – their “All Over Tawa” album is released on the day! Slow Boat; 2pm – Bleeding Star – fresh from the previous weekend’s Otisfest event at San Fran, the excellent Poneke/ Wellington indie guitar band will present their songs in a stripped back, largely acoustic fashion. Flying Nun; 3pm – Cruelly – grungy, punky, shoegazy? Who can say – what it is is life affirming, melodic noise from this young Wellington band – come check it out! Slow Boat; 4pm – Erny Belle (duo) - after the success of her superb second album (on the Flying Nun label), the Tamaki Makaurau/ Auckland based singer songwriter will perform in a duo setting – can’t wait!! We will also be opening at the earlier time of 9am (to give the eager beaver/ early bird RSD queuers an hour less to wait!), and will be bringing you an array of limited RSD vinyl exclusives for your delectation – you know the drill; no holds, no reserves - first in, best fed!! Thoroughly looking forward to what has become a real highlight of the record shop calendar, and to a day where we celebrate vinyl, music, and the culture of the independent record store!! See you all here!!! Xx Team Slow Boat X Team Flying Nun xX
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An announcement on culture vulture vouchers
- Slow Boat Records
- All good things, they say, must come to an end – and so it is the case with the joint Unity Books/ Aro Video/ Slow Boat Culture Vulture vouchers; we are calling time on them.
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2024!!
- Slow Boat Records
- Bloody hell, it's another year, already!! Welcome to it, everyone, and let us start by offering our sincerest thanks to you all for helping make it a busy and memorable one for us all here at The Boat - so many people must have gotten vinyl, and CDs, and vouchers, and tee shirts, and posters and all manner of Slow Boat goodies for Christmas, and that means more people listening to and loving music, and that can only be a good thing, right?! Thanks, also, for your patience in bearing with us with reduced hours and staff in the Xmas/ New Year period - all pretty much back to normal now (just as the Summer really arrives - typical, huh?!) ANYWAY - enjoying meeting folks from around the motu, and indeed around the globe, and helping people find the music they connect with - redeeming those vouchers seems like a swell time to me...! So - all the very best to you, your friends and whanau for 2024, looking forward to continuing to serve you up the platters that matter (have just topped up a HEAP of new vinyl that we sold out of over Xmas!), and to bringing the joy - a few things in the pipeline (not least of which being Record Store Day '24!), will let you know when plans firm up... Take care of yerselves - eat yer greens, keep cool, stay sun smart, and don't leave yer vinyl in the sun!! Peace and love, The Slow Boat Crew XX
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Holiday shop hours
- Slow Boat Records
- Kia ora, everybody, hope everyone is doing good and enjoying some quality family/ break time - just thought we would let you know our likely hours over the next week or so - we will be closed Christmas Day, and open Boxing Day 11-4, and subsequent days the same sort of hours, then closed New Years Day, then same - 11-4.
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So, this is Christmas...
- Slow Boat Records
- Good grief - seems like just yesterday it was April and now - December, already!! Which means - Christmas, and New Year, and Summer, and holidays for lots of people - not so much for us.
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The war on drugs ticket/ test pressing giveaway!!!
- Slow Boat Records
- Stoked to announce that we are, in association with Live Nation NZ, giving away a double pass to the upcoming The War On Drugs show here in December - all you have to do to enter a prize draw for a double pass to the show, tour poster, and signed test pressing of their most recent album "I Don't Live Here Any More" is 'like' our Twitter or Facebook post, and tag who you'd like to take to the show with you - GOOD LUCK!!!
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Spring?!
- Slow Boat Records
- Well, it's apparently, officially Spring - not that you could tell from the dreary weather we are currently experiencing - feels like an extension to what has already felt like a long and arduous Winter.
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Winter
- Slow Boat Records
- Yup - WINTER.
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