Radio New Zealand National. 2015-08-11. 00:00-23:59.

A 24-hour recording of Radio New Zealand National. The following rundown is sourced from the broadcaster’s website. Note some overseas/copyright restricted items may not appear in the supplied rundown:

11 August 2015

===12:04 AM. | All Night Programme===
=DESCRIPTION=

Including: 12:05 Music after Midnight; 12:30 Spectrum (RNZ); 1:05 From the World (RNZ); 2:05 Wynton Marsalis - Swinging into the 21st; 3:05 The 10PM Questions by Kate De Goldi (2 of 10, RNZ); 3:30 An Author's View (RNZ); 5:10 Witness (BBC)

===6:00 AM. | Morning Report===
=DESCRIPTION=

Radio New Zealand's three-hour breakfast news show with news and interviews, bulletins on the hour and half-hour, including: 6:18 Pacific News 6:22 Rural News 6:27 and 8:45 Te Manu Korihi News 6:44 and 7:41 NZ Newspapers 6:47 Business News 7:42 and 8:34 Sports News 6:46 and 7:34 Traffic

=AUDIO=

06:00
Top Stories for Tuesday 11 August 2015
BODY:
The head of the SIS talks about the cost of being more open to the public. The Labour Party calls for a top level investigation into the Saudi sheep farm scandal. David Parker says the foreign minister Murry McCully should go and Mountain safety investigators look at whether the avalanche death of a heli-skier could have been prevented.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 31'38"

06:06
Sports News for 11 August 2015
BODY:
An update from the team at RNZ Sport.
Topics: sport
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 2'11"

06:20
Pacific News for 11 August 2015
BODY:
The latest from the Pacific region.
Topics: Pacific
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 2'53"

06:23
Morning Rural News for 11 August 2015
BODY:
News from the rural and farming sectors.
Topics: rural, farming
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 4'10"

06:27
Te Manu Korihi News for 11 August 2015
BODY:
A report out today on Maori obesity levels says there needs to be more government intervention to help Maori make better and healthier food choices; Submissions close today on a National Environment Standard, proposed by the Ministry for Primary Industries, that would let plantation foresters use GM tree stock; An oil painting of the renowned Māori singer, Ana Matawharua Hato, who died in 1953, will soon go on display at the Rotorua Museum.
Topics: te ao Maori
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 3'41"

06:41
SIS says its law should change.
BODY:
The Security Intelligence Service director is suggesting the law governing the spy agency should be changed.
Topics: security, politics
Regions:
Tags: SIS, Security Intelligence Service
Duration: 2'49"

06:44
Mountain Guide Association starting investigation
BODY:
The Mountain Guide Association is trying to work out if anything could have been done to prevent a skier's death yesterday.
Topics: environment, sport
Regions: Otago
Tags: skier's death
Duration: 1'47"

06:47
Analyst sees risk of an oversupply of Akl retirement units
BODY:
An analyst is warning there's a growing risk of an oversupply of retirement units in Auckland.
Topics: business
Regions: Auckland Region
Tags: retirement units
Duration: 3'27"

06:51
Better ways to resolve disputes in retirement villages
BODY:
Meanwhile, the Retirement Commissioner and the Commission for Financial Capability have set up a forum to come up with better ways to resolve disputes in retirement villages.
Topics: business
Regions: Auckland Region
Tags: retirement units
Duration: 24"

06:51
Institute of Directors sees impatience with lack of diversity
BODY:
The Institute of Directors says the lack of diversity on New Zealand's boards is a turnoff for investors and having a negative impact on bottom line profits.
Topics: business
Regions:
Tags: Institute of Directors
Duration: 2'31"

06:53
Kathmandu's appraisal gets mixed reviews: share price falls
BODY:
An appraisal of Kathmandu Holdings' value is getting mixed reviews by analysts, while the share price has failed to spark.
Topics: business
Regions:
Tags: Kathmandu Holdings
Duration: 2'03"

06:56
Investors upbeat after Fonterra news
BODY:
Investors have been buoyed by the prospects of a higher dividend from the country's biggest dairy company.
Topics: business
Regions:
Tags: Fonterra
Duration: 2'19"

06:58
Morning markets for 11 August 2015
BODY:
US stocks have risen after news of a purchase by Warren Buffett's investment firm, Berkshire Hathaway.
Topics: business, economy
Regions:
Tags: markets
Duration: 1'00"

07:07
Sports News for 11 August 2015
BODY:
An update from the team at RNZ Sport.
Topics: sport
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 1'51"

07:11
Greater openness prompting people to avoid being snooped on
BODY:
The Security Intelligence Service has warned greater openness about its activities has prompted people it is monitoring to change the way they communicate to avoid being snooped on.
Topics: security, politics
Regions:
Tags: SIS, Security Intelligence Service
Duration: 3'17"

07:11
Labour calls for inquiry on government's 'deception'
BODY:
The Labour Party has asked the Auditor General and Treasury to investigate whether they've been misled over the Saudi sheep farm scandal.
Topics: politics
Regions:
Tags: live sheep export
Duration: 5'46"

07:20
Avalanche death of heli-skier near Queenstown
BODY:
Investigators are flying in to Queenstown this morning to begin looking in to the avalanche death of a heli-skier.
Topics: sport, environment
Regions: Otago
Tags: skier death
Duration: 3'14"

07:24
Apology to David Wong-Tung
BODY:
On Tuesday, June the 16th, we broadcast a story (and subsequently published it on our website) about the contention of environmentalists in Northland that the Ministry for Primary Industries was failing to ensure that swamp kauri exports complied with the requirements of the Forests Act 1949.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags: apology
Duration: 47"

07:25
Ferns, stars, koru dominate 40 designs for new flag
BODY:
Ferns, stars and koru dominate the 40 designs battling to be New Zealand's new flag.
Topics: politics, arts
Regions:
Tags: New Zealand Flag
Duration: 5'38"

07:34
Attacks on security forces in Turkey overnight
BODY:
A series of attacks in Turkey overnight has left at least six members of the security forces dead and more than ten injured.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags: Turkey, Islamic State, ISIS
Duration: 3'18"

07:37
Another police shooting in Ferguson, Missouri
BODY:
In announcing the state of emergency "St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger said the recent acts of violence will not be tolerated in a community that has worked so tirelessly over the last year to rebuild and become stronger."
Topics:
Regions:
Tags: USA, Ferguson, Missouri
Duration: 4'54"

07:42
Labour leader urges foreign investment in NZ's regions
BODY:
The Labour leader, Andrew Little, is calling for foreign investment in manufacturing in the regions to help support the economy.
Topics: politics
Regions:
Tags: Andrew Little, investment
Duration: 4'06"

07:49
More erosion is predicted for Gisborne
BODY:
The Gisborne District Council is concerned planned new forestry rules will undermine the years of work they've been doing to reduce erosion on the East Coast.
Topics: environment
Regions: East Coast
Tags: erosion
Duration: 3'01"

07:52
Ngapuhi kaumatua say they want to be consulted with
BODY:
A new group from Northland says it wants to be the go-to group for all Iwi issues.
Topics: te ao Maori, politics
Regions: Northland
Tags: Ngapuhi Council of Elders
Duration: 3'53"

07:57
Monastery trustees go back to drawing boards
BODY:
The trustees of one of Wellington's most historic buildings are going back to the drawing board to try to prove that it is not really dangerous after all.
Topics: environment
Regions: Wellington Region
Tags: St Gerards Monastery
Duration: 2'24"

08:07
Sports News for 11 August 2015
BODY:
An update from the team at RNZ Sport.
Topics: sport
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 2'05"

08:11
GCSB chief warns data collection not limited to spy agencies
BODY:
The acting director of the Government Communications Security Bureau, Una Jagose, says the public should be just as concerned about private sector collection of their data as they are about collection by government agencies.
Topics: politics, security
Regions:
Tags: Government Communications Security Bureau, GCSB
Duration: 3'12"

08:14
Civil liberties group wants better safeguards around spying
BODY:
And listening to that was lawyer and spokesman for the Council for Civil Liberties, Thomas Beagle.
Topics: politics, security
Regions:
Tags: Government Communications Security Bureau, GCSB
Duration: 2'13"

08:17
Equestrian Andrew Nicholson injured in England
BODY:
The New Zealand equestrian Andrew Nicholson is in hospital after taking a fall at the Festival of British Eventing at Gatcombe over the weekend.
Topics: sport
Regions:
Tags: Andrew Nicholson, equestrian, horse riding
Duration: 4'21"

08:21
Whittled down flag designs don't please everyone
BODY:
More than 10-thousand designs have been whittled down to just 40 in the hunt for New Zealand's next flag, but opinion remains just as split as ever.
Topics: politics, identity, history
Regions:
Tags: New Zealand Flag
Duration: 3'52"

08:27
IPCC says developed countries must lead the way on emissions
BODY:
A top United Nations official says developed countries like New Zealand have a duty to do more to tackle greenhouse gas emissions than their counterparts in the developing world.
Topics: environment, politics
Regions:
Tags: UN, greenhouse gas emissions
Duration: 4'10"

08:31
Markets Update for 11 August 2015
BODY:
A brief update of movements in the financial sector.
Topics: business, economy
Regions:
Tags: markets
Duration: 1'08"

08:36
New code of conduct being put in place
BODY:
A new code to educate and screen overseas drivers hiring rental cars in New Zealand could be in place as early as October.
Topics: transport
Regions:
Tags: tourism, drivers, code
Duration: 4'03"

08:40
Akl Muslim school readies for all girl take on Othello
BODY:
An Auckland Muslim school is getting ready to put on its first ever production - an all-girl adaptation of Othello.
Topics: education, arts
Regions: Auckland Region
Tags: Muslim school, Othello
Duration: 3'43"

08:45
Te Manu Korihi News for 11 August 2015
BODY:
The MP for Te Tai Tokerau Kelvin Davis is urging whanau to oppose moves to allow genetically-modified pine trees in the the north; A report out today on Maori obesity levels says there needs to be more Government intervention to help Maori make better and healthier food choices; An oil painting of the reknowned Māori singer, Ana Matawharua Hato, who died in 1953, will soon go on display at the Rotorua Museum.
Topics: te ao Maori
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 3'34"

08:49
CK Stead named as New Zealand's newest Poet Laureate
BODY:
That is one of the country's most celebrated scribes, CK Stead, New Zealand's latest Poet Laureate.
Topics: arts
Regions:
Tags: CK Stead, Poet Laureate
Duration: 3'59"

08:57
Kiwi mountaineer documents North Korea
BODY:
A New Zealand mountaineer's ventured where few have before, capturing his experience in North Korea's mountains on a camera.
Topics: sport
Regions:
Tags: mountaineer, North Korea, Roger Shepherd
Duration: 2'14"

=SHOW NOTES=

===9:06 AM. | Nine To Noon===
=DESCRIPTION=

Current affairs and topics of interest, including: 10:45 The Reading: Postman, written and read by Elspeth Sandys Delayed by snow at Munich airport a NZ woman strikes up conversation with an elderly German man. Echoes of the war reverberate casting a shadow over their brief connection (RNZ)

=AUDIO=

09:08
Mortgagee sales on the rise nationwide
BODY:
John Waugh is a lawyers specialising in banking issues who represents a number of rural clients. He has 20 years experience in banking with a number of major banks. Janette Walker is a former Wairarapa farmer, she is now a rural debt mediator, based in Blenheim.
Topics: farming, rural, business
Regions:
Tags: mortgagee sales, banks
Duration: 19'07"

09:27
Recreational fishers to show economic worth
BODY:
Recreational fishers are to put dollar figures on what the sector is worth in a bid to get more quota off commercial fishers. The New Zealand Marine Research Foundation is funding a study to show how much recreational fishing contributes to gross domestic product. Its spokesman Jeff Romeril says the commercial fisheries sector gets 94 percent of the allowable fisheries quota... while recreational fishers get just 6 percent. He says an estimated 900 thousand people go fishing in New Zealand each year - with a further 100 thousand international visitors also giving it a go - and more fish should be available to the recreational sector.
Topics: economy, food, life and society
Regions:
Tags: fish, fishing, fisheries, QMS, Quota Management System, Recreational fishers, marine
Duration: 9'32"

09:40
Massive decline in elephant numbers
BODY:
Tanzania has lost two thirds of its elephant population in just four years.
EXTENDED BODY:
The Great Elephant Census team recently completed its survey of Tanzania and was shocked not only by the absence of elephants, but also the sheer number of carcasses and bones. Entire family groups had been slaughtered.
"One of our front seat observers said he came back from a two-and-a-half-hour flight and he saw 42 elephant carcasses from one side of the plane," said Howard Frederick, the Technical Advisor for the Great Elephant Census.
The census is a two-year aerial and land survey of Africa's savannah and bush elephants, which aims to assess the impact of poaching on the populations.
The results from Tanzania show it has lost two thirds of its elephant population in just four years. Across Africa, one elephant is lost every 15 minutes.
Mr Frederick said the main reason for the losses was organised poaching groups selling the ivory to buyers in China.
"They're Mafia-style gangs, big organised crime that work across the entire continent and they're being fed by this demand from China and other parts of South East Asia, and that demand is so much bigger than the resources we can bring to bear".
He said the trade was almost irresistible for local villagers, who make good money from ivory, but are at the bottom of the chain when it comes to the ivory trade.
Mr Frederick and Lauren Kickham, senior programme manager for the census, spoke to Lynn Freeman.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags: elephants, Tanzania
Duration: 12'16"

09:49
US Correspondent Susan Milligan
BODY:
Susan Milligan is a former White House and National Political Correspondent for the Boston Globe. She is a Contributing Editor to US News and World Report. She also writes for The Washingtonian, Rhode Island Monthly, AARP Bulletin, eJournal and other publications. She teaches a course in Government and the Media to Boston University students at the Washington DC Campus.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags: US news
Duration: 10'31"

10:06
Animal behaviourist Jackson Galaxy
BODY:
Animal behaviourist Jackson Galaxy on animal cruelty legislation, and how cat videos have overtaken porn on the net. He hosts the long running TV series My Cat From Hell seen in New Zealand on Animal Planet. He helps people who're struggling with cats with behavioural issues, though more often than not, it's the cat guardians who need help. He says while more than three million unwanted cats a year are put down in America, that's a fraction of the number euthanised when he started out in animal welfare around two decades ago.
EXTENDED BODY:

Animal behaviourist Jackson Galaxy on animal cruelty legislation, and how cat videos have overtaken porn on the net. He hosts the long running TV series My Cat From Hell seen in New Zealand on Animal Planet. He helps people who're struggling with cats with behavioural issues, though more often than not, it's the cat guardians who need help. He says while more than three million unwanted cats a year are put down in America, that's a fraction of the number euthanised when he started out in animal welfare around two decades ago.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags: animals, cats, pets
Duration: 28'28"

10:38
Book review: 'A Crooked Rib' by Judy Corbalis
BODY:
Published by Vintage, RRP$38.00. Reviewed by Carole Beu.
Topics: books
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 6'05"

11:09
Business commentator Rod Oram
BODY:
The Fonterra dairy industry woes and the international commodity pricing situation.
EXTENDED BODY:

The Fonterra dairy industry woes and the international commodity pricing situation.
Topics: business
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 20'13"

11:29
Architectural design for aging
BODY:
Guy Luscombe has more than 30 years of experience in the public and private sector to the AJA team. For the past twelve years he has focused on the aging sector, but is also passionate about how design can improve the built environment and create communities that enhance the living experience for people of all ages. Guy has written extensively on design and aging and is a regular speaker at conferences.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags: Guy Luscombe
Duration: 13'08"

11:44
Media commentator Gavin Ellis
BODY:
Gavin Ellis is a media commentator and former editor of the New Zealand Herald. He can be contacted on gavin.ellis@xtra.co.nz
EXTENDED BODY:

Gavin Ellis is a media commentator and former editor of the New Zealand Herald. He can be contacted on gavin.ellis@xtra.co.nz
Topics: media
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 15'43"

=SHOW NOTES=

09:05 Mortgagee sales on the rise nationwide
John Waugh is a lawyers specialising in banking issues who represents a number of rural clients. He has 20 years experience in banking with a number of major banks. Janette Walker is a former Wairarapa farmer, she is now a rural debt mediator, based in Blenheim.
09:20 Recreational fishers to show economic worth to get more fish quota
Recreational fishers are to put dollar figures on what the sector is worth in a bid to get more quota off commercial fishers. The New Zealand Marine Research Foundation is funding a study to show how much recreational fishing contributes to gross domestic product.
Its spokesman Jeff Romeril says the commercial fisheries sector gets 94 percent of the allowable fisheries quota... while recreational fishers get just 6 percent. He says an estimated 900 thousand people go fishing in New Zealand each year - with a further 100 thousand international visitors also giving it a go - and more fish should be available to the recreational sector.
9:30 Lauren Kickham and Howard Frederick of the Great Elephant Census
[image:44521:full]
The team that conducts the great elephant census in Africa says it was stunned to find that Tanzania has lost two thirds of its elephant population in just four years.
It blames organised poaching, due to demand from China for ivory.
[gallery:1322]
09:45 US Correspondent Susan Milligan
Susan Milligan is a former White House and National Political Correspondent for the Boston Globe. She is a Contributing Editor to US News and World Report. She also writes for The Washingtonian, Rhode Island Monthly, AARP Bulletin, eJournal and other publications. She teaches a course in Government and the Media to Boston University students at the Washington DC Campus.
10:05 Animal behaviourist Jackson Galaxy
Animal behaviourist Jackson Galaxy on animal cruelty legislation, and how cat videos have overtaken porn on the net. He hosts the long running TV series My Cat From Hell seen in New Zealand on Animal Planet. He helps people who’re struggling with cats with behavioural issues, though more often than not, it’s the cat guardians who need help. He says while more than three million unwanted cats a year are put down in America, that’s a fraction of the number euthanised when he started out in animal welfare around two decades ago.

10:35 Book review: 'A Crooked Rib' by Judy Corbalis
Published by Vintage, RRP$38.00. Reviewed by Carole Beu.
10:45 The Reading: 'Postman', written and read by Elspeth Sandys
Delayed by snow at Munich airport a NZ woman strikes up conversation with an elderly German man. Echoes of the war reverberate casting a shadow over their brief connection (RNZ)
11:05 Business commentator Rod Oram
11:25 Architectural design for aging
Guy Luscombe has more than 30 years of experience in the public and private sector to the AJA team. For the past twelve years he has focused on the aging sector, but is also passionate about how design can improve the built environment and create communities that enhance the living experience for people of all ages. Guy has written extensively on design and aging and is a regular speaker at conferences.
11:45 Media commentator Gavin Ellis
Gavin Ellis is a media commentator and former editor of the New Zealand Herald. He can be contacted on gavin.ellis@xtra.co.nz

=PLAYLIST=

Artist: Lawrence Arabia
Song: Lick Your Wounds
Composer:
Album: The Sparrow
Label:
Time: 10.35

===Noon | Midday Report===
=DESCRIPTION=

Radio New Zealand news, followed by updates and reports until 1.00pm, including: 12:16 Business News 12:26 Sport 12:34 Rural News 12:43 Worldwatch

=AUDIO=

12:00
Midday News for 11 August 2015
BODY:
The police investigate the death of a 3-year old boy and debt-ridden farmers pressured by banks to sell.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 15'23"

12:17
PGG Wrightson not immune to dairy downturn
BODY:
PGG Wrightson says it's not immune to the downturn in the dairy sector, but its exposure to all parts of the farming sector means it's coping pretty well.
Topics: business, economy
Regions:
Tags: dairy
Duration: 1'25"

12:19
Summerset first half net profit more than doubles
BODY:
Summerset Group says its first half profit has more than doubled, driven by record sales and valuation gains.
Topics: business
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 1'06"

12:21
Electronic card spending rises
BODY:
Economists say retail spending has slowed since the beginning of the year.
Topics: business, economy
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 55"

12:22
Truckometer signals economic slowdown
BODY:
The latest traffic volume report indicates the economy may have a flat tyre.
Topics: business, economy
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 1'05"

12:23
Property for Industry more than doubles first half profit
BODY:
Property For Industry says its half year profit is more than twice what it was the year earlier, due to acquistions and developments.
Topics: business
Regions:
Tags: property
Duration: 50"

12:25
Midday Markets for 11 August 2015
BODY:
For the latest from the markets we're joined by Melika King at Craigs Investment Partners.
Topics: business
Regions:
Tags: markets
Duration: 2'40"

12:28
Midday Sports News for 11 August 2015
BODY:
Having had time to come down from their upset win over Australia the Silver Ferns resume their bid for the Netball World Cup todnight when they play Jamaica in Sydney.
Topics: sport
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 2'41"

12:35
Midday Rural News for 11 August 2015
BODY:
News from the rural and farming sectors.
Topics: rural, farming
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 7'26"

=SHOW NOTES=

===1:06 PM. | Jesse Mulligan, 1–4pm===
=DESCRIPTION=

Jesse hosts an upbeat mix of the curious and the compelling, ranging from the stories of the day to the great questions of our time.

=AUDIO=

13:10
Song You Have To Hear - Let It All Go
BODY:
Let It All Go by Birdy and Rhode is a collaboration between English artist Rhodes whose new album drops next month, and Birdy, whose song Skinny Love you might know.
Topics: music
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 4'25"

13:16
Whale Watching - Georgie Smith
BODY:
Staff at Auckland's Maritime Rescue Centre had a rare treat today when a southern right whale spent part of the morning lolling about in Mechanics Bay. The building houses the Coastguard Operations Centre, Police Maritime Unit and the Harbourmaster's Office. And those on duty had an unimpeded view of the massive mammalian visitor. Coastguard spokesperson Georgie Smith was one of those spectators.
Topics: environment
Regions: Auckland Region
Tags: Martime Rescue Centre, Georgie Smith
Duration: 3'12"

13:18
Story Review - Phil Wallington
BODY:
TV3's new 7pm show, Story, kicked off last night. The current affairs programme replaced Campbell Live. Our critic, Phil Wallington, was watching.
Topics: media
Regions:
Tags: story, TV3, Phil Wallington, television
Duration: 7'16"

13:30
Off The Hook - Dylan Moran
BODY:
Our next guest is comedian, writer, actor and filmmaker, Dylan Moran. He's known for his stand-up comedy, his UK sitcom Black Books, and his work in Shaun of the Dead and Run Fatboy Run. And he's bringing his stand-up show, Off The Hook, to New Zealand later this month.
Topics: arts
Regions:
Tags: Off The Hook, comedy
Duration: 9'20"

13:40
Feature Album - 4 Way Street
BODY:
Today's feature album is 4 Way Street by Crosby Stills Nash and Young as chosen by David Cairns of Auckland.
Topics: music
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 24'49"

14:06
Hip Hop World Championship 2015 - Nathan Kara
BODY:
Megacrews from more than 50 countries have been breaking, popping and locking on stage at the 2015 World Hip Hop Championships. And that was the sound of New Zealand crew, Bradas, taking out the final in the Adult Division. Nathan Kara is part of the seven-strong team and he joins us from San Diego.
Topics: arts
Regions: Auckland Region
Tags: Nathan Kara, Hip Hop World Championship 2015
Duration: 7'19"

14:18
Te Kohatu Hangi - John Stevens
BODY:
John Stevens from Waitara has a problem many other business people would be envious of. He's having trouble meeting the worldwide demand for his invention, the Te Kohatu Hangi cooker.
Topics: business
Regions: Taranaki
Tags: Te Kohatu Hangi, John Stevens, Waitara
Duration: 7'19"

14:20
Greatest NZ Concert You've Ever Seen - ZZ Top in Auckland 1987
BODY:
Somewhere near 80 thousand people turned out to see Texan rockers ZZ Top for their 1987 show at Western Springs Stadium - and the band played so loud they were banned from ever performing there again. Jesse speaks to Wayne Elliot, the lead singer for Hamilton hard rockers Knightshade who opened the show. We'll also ask journalists Peter Jessup and Colin Hogg about their impression of the controversial concert.
Topics: music
Regions:
Tags: ZZ Top, concerts, Knightshade
Duration: 35'34"

15:06
Feature interview - Alan Alda
BODY:
Actor Alan Alda isn't a doctor, but he played one on TV for 11 years using medical jargon most of us can't understand as Hawkeye on MASH. Now he helps doctors and scientists connect with the public and explain important scientific concepts by teaching them improv. He runs The Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science.
EXTENDED BODY:
Actor Alan Alda isn't a doctor, but he played one on TV for 11 years using medical jargon most of us can't understand as Hawkeye on MASH.
Now he helps doctors and scientists connect with the public and explain important scientific concepts by teaching them improv. He runs The Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science.
Alan Alda talks to Jesse Mulligan about making science simple.
Topics: arts, science
Regions:
Tags: mash, television
Duration: 26'58"

15:45
The Panel pre-show for 11 August 2015
BODY:
What the world is talking about with Jesse Mulligan, Jim Mora and Zara Potts.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 14'26"

21:46
'Air Puffs', Speech and Mobile Phones
BODY:
Adding air puffs that we produce during speech to mobile phones and hearing aids might make understanding conversations in noisy environments easier
EXTENDED BODY:
By Alison Ballance
“We’re looking at how the airflow that comes from people’s lips can be used to help them understand speech better.”
Donald Derrick, University of Canterbury

Here’s a new idea that might make it easier to make a phone call in a noisy place. When we talk face-to-face with someone we don't just listen with our ears, we also listen with our skin. Tiny puffs of air from speech land on us and can help us understand what we’re hearing. So what if we could feel appropriate air puffs as we listen to someone on a mobile phone in a noisy environment? Would that help us make out those tricky differences between the letters ‘b’ and ‘p’, for example?
Donald Derrick, a linguist at the New Zealand Institute of Language, Brain and Behaviour, believes the answer to this is ‘yes’, and he’s developing a technology that could, in future, be used with devices such as mobile phones, headphones and hearing aids.
To do this, Donald has had to develop novel ways of recording air puff information, separating it from the speech and then finding ways to deliver it. This stage of the project involves an innovative piece of equipment that has been developed at the University of Canterbury, called the ‘ping pong puff air flow meter’. It is, literally, a ping pong ball mounted on a carbon fibre rod, and at its base is a system for measuring the displacement of the ping pong ball by a speaker’s by air flow. This system has allowed Derrick to characterise the different air flows that are produced by words such as ba, pa, fa, sa and ta, as well as shh and chh.
You can try for yourself by holding the back of your hand in front of your mouth as you say those syllables, and you’ll get a sense of the strong wind created by pa, for example (which is an aspirated syllable), compared to almost no air produced by the very similar sounding but unaspirated ba.
“The air puffs are designed to simulate what lips about four or five centimetres away from a speaker would feel like,” and they are delivered through a small piezoelectric pump.

For the next stage of the experiment, Derrick says that it took him about six weeks to write a story that he could get study participants to listen to. “On the surface it’s an incredibly cheesy fantasy story,” he says, but it enabled him to use a whole lot of paired words that sound very similar and are commonly misunderstood in noisy environments. The word pairs included blowing and flowing, burrow and furrow, birch and perch, bumbling and fumbling, piles and vials, bills and pills, and plot and flop. More importantly, the story allowed him to use the words in continuous speech, not just as individual words.
In the study people listen on headphones to the story presented as a series of short excerpts. After each excerpt they are then asked to select which of two words they heard. The story is barely audible above a noisy background – Derrick says he used a signal to noise ratio of zero as this is a commonly encountered ratio in the real world – but the participants are also getting air puff information that they feel on their forehead.
Donald says that in experiments to date the addition of air puffs allows people to recover about one out of every four words that they would have lost. “So the enhancement is not the hugest in the world but it’s significant enough to be worthwhile. It’s similar, by the way, to the enhancement you’d get if you were looking at someone’s face while they were talking to you.”
Donald says the air puffs don’t have to be delivered to the face – they work just as well at the neck, hands and ankles – and no training is needed.
Donald is part of a University of Canterbury team working on the second phase of a science and innovation project funded by the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment. The collaboration with colleagues Jen Hay, Scott Lloyd and Greg O'Beirne is called ‘Aero-tactile enhancement of speech perception’, and the aim is to commercialise the resulting technology. Tom De Rybel is the project's lead engineer.
This study builds on previous work by Donald and colleagues in Canada: in 2009 he co-authored a Nature paper titled ‘Aero-tactile integration in speech perception’ which involved applying slight, inaudible air puffs onto participants’ skin, either the right hand or the neck.
Topics: science, technology
Regions:
Tags: mobile phones, speech, hearing aids, air puffs, aero-tactile, listening
Duration: 13'28"

=SHOW NOTES=

1:10 The Song You Have To Hear
Let It All Go - Birdy and Rhodes
1:15 Whale Watching - Georgie Smith
Staff at Auckland's Maritime Rescue Centre had a rare treat today when a southern right whale spent part of the morning lolling about in Mechanics Bay. The building houses the Coastguard Operations Centre, Police Maritime Unit and the Harbourmaster's Office. And those on duty had an unimpeded view of the massive mammalian visitor. Coastguard spokesperson Georgie Smith was one of those spectators.
1:20 Story Review - Phil Wallington
TV3's new 7pm show, Story, kicked off last night. The current affairs programme replaced Campbell Live. Our critic, Phil Wallington, was watching.
1:30 Off The Hook - Dylan Moran
Our next guest is comedian, writer, actor and filmmaker, Dylan Moran. He's known for his stand-up comedy, his UK sitcom Black Books, and his work in Shaun of the Dead and Run Fatboy Run. And he's bringing his stand-up show, Off The Hook, to New Zealand later this month.
1:40 Feature Album
4 Way Street by Crosby Stills Nash and Young. Chosen by David Cairns of Auckland.
2:08 Hip Hop World Championship 2015 - Nathan Kara
Megacrews from more than 50 countries have been breaking, popping and locking on stage at the 2015 World Hip Hop Championships. And that was the sound of New Zealand crew, Bradas, taking out the final in the Adult Division. Nathan Kara is part of the seven-strong team and he joins us from San Diego.
2:14 Te Kohatu Hangi - John Stevens
John Stevens from Waitara has a problem many other business people would be envious of. He's having trouble meeting the worldwide demand for his invention, the Te Kohatu Hangi cooker.
2:10 The Greatest Kiwi Concert You've Ever Seen - ZZ Top in Auckland 1987
Somewhere near 80 thousand people turned out to see Texan rockers ZZ Top for their 1987 show at Western Springs Stadium - and the band played so loud they were banned from ever performing there again. Jesse speaks to Wayne Elliot, the lead singer for Hamilton hard rockers Knightshade who opened the show. We'll also ask journalists Peter Jessup and Colin Hogg about their impression of the controversial concert.
3:10 Feature interview - Alan Alda
Actor Alan Alda isn't a doctor, but he played one on TV for 11 years using medical jargon most of us can't understand as Hawkeye on MASH. Now he helps doctors and scientists connect with the public and explain important scientific concepts by teaching them improv. He runs The Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science.
3:35 Our Changing World - Alison Ballance
Researchers at the University of Canterbury hope that 'air puffs', the air flow that comes out of our mouths as we talk, could be used as an additional piece of information to help people who use mobile phones or hearing aids pick out sounds against a noisy background. Alison Ballance joins Donald Derrick in the lab to see how a ping pong ball comes into the story.
Stories from Our Changing World.
3:45 The Panel Pre-Show
What the world is talking about. With Jesse Mulligan, Jim Mora and Zara Potts.

===4:06 PM. | The Panel===
=DESCRIPTION=

An hour of discussion featuring a range of panellists from right along the opinion spectrum (RNZ)

=AUDIO=

15:45
The Panel pre-show for 11 August 2015
BODY:
What the world is talking about with Jesse Mulligan, Jim Mora and Zara Potts.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 14'26"

16:05
The Panel with Catherine Robertson and Tainui Stephens (Part 1)
BODY:
Intro, The Rugby World Cup Pub TV Viewing Bill, What's the Story?, Multicultural Auckland, The city state, Facebook Scam.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 24'51"

16:06
The Panel with Catherine Robertson and Tainui Stephens (Part 2)
BODY:
Half Time: Robots, The flag debate, Green with Envy, Fluoridation.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 25'30"

16:07
Intro
BODY:
What the Panelists Catherine Robertson and Tainui Stephens have been up to.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 3'24"

16:10
The Rugby World Cup Pub TV Viewing Bill
BODY:
Letting pubs open in the early hours during the Rugby World Cup, often after 4 am. The "spiteful" Green Party has blocked it, says ACT Party leader David Seymour who introduced it. He was seeking to have pubs open outside legal trading hours to show Rugby World Cup matches being played in the United Kingdom.
Topics: sport
Regions:
Tags: Rugby World Cup
Duration: 7'15"

16:18
What's the Story?
BODY:
The new 7pm show on TV3 had 276,000 viewers last night, Would you have expected a bigger curious audience first up?
Topics: media
Regions:
Tags: news, television
Duration: 2'36"

16:22
Multicultural Auckland
BODY:
Len Brown says he's mended the wounds in the relationship between the council and its advisory panels. Susan Devoy said last week the multiculture wasn't getting enough of a look-in in Auckland's governance and members of the ratepayer-funded Ethnic Peoples Advisory Panel left because they didn't think they were being listened to.
Topics: politics
Regions: Auckland Region
Tags: Auckland City Council
Duration: 4'26"

16:27
The city state
BODY:
Five hundred years ago urban dwellers were more or less exempt from the laws and obligations of the feudal countryside. Today, the situation is reversed. But since the world financial crisis government leaders have been increasingly talking about devolution, and next year representatives from 50 major cities across the globe will convene to address what many see as the political underrepresentation of the urban world.
Topics: media, life and society
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 3'44"

16:28
Facebook Scam
BODY:
A Dunedin woman is $2500 out of pocket after a man she met online took advantage of her by telling her what she "wanted to hear".
Topics: crime
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 3'19"

16:35
Half Time: Robots
BODY:
Will robot workers eventually take over our jobs? With the rise of self-drive cars and trucks it is a possibility.
Topics: technology
Regions:
Tags: robots
Duration: 5'34"

16:40
The flag debate
BODY:
NZ's Consideration Panel members have reviewed all 10,292 ideas for our new national symbol which will flutter fetchingly around the world. Now there's an official long list of 40 flag designs. The Panel members will now be earning all of their $640 a day as they spend a few weeks choosing the final four for the first binding referendum.
Topics: politics, life and society
Regions:
Tags: New Zealand Flag
Duration: 11'45"

16:55
Green with Envy
BODY:
Is Envy good for us? Can we be inspired rather than envious when we meet someone more successful than ourselves?
Topics:
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 5'58"

16:58
Fluoridation
BODY:
New Zealanders are in two minds about fluoridation, after all this time. Fifty-seven percent believe fluoridation of the water supply is good for our teeth. Just over half think fluoridation improves dental health, but less than half are in favour of putting it in the water supply.
Topics: health
Regions:
Tags: fluoridation
Duration: 2'00"

=SHOW NOTES=

===5:00 PM. | Checkpoint===
=DESCRIPTION=

Radio New Zealand's two-hour news and current affairs programme

=AUDIO=

17:00
Checkpoint Top Stories for Tuesday 11 August 2015
BODY:
Police investigate death of Taupo child and man charged with murder in Hamilton; Finance Minister plays down risk of recession; Palmerston North shooting highlights safety gaps - Union; Man who killed Connor Morris admits swinging a sickle; Protestors regroup at Ferguson; Greens labelled party poopers for blocking RWC bill; Japan restarts first nuclear reactor since 2011 tsunami.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 25'32"

17:08
Police investigate death of Taupo child and man charged with murder in Hamilton
BODY:
Tonight police are investigating the death of a three year old boy in Taupo and in a separate case, the death of an elderly man in Hamilton.
Topics: crime
Regions: Waikato
Tags:
Duration: 2'54"

17:10
Finance Minister plays down risk of recession
BODY:
The government is talking down the risk of a recession, in the face of slumping dairy prices.
Topics: politics, economy
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 2'38"

17:14
Palmerston North shooting highlights safety gaps - Union
BODY:
A Palmerston North man has appeared in court on firearms and driving charges this afternoon after opening fire at two police stations in the city last night.
Topics: crime
Regions: Manawatu
Tags:
Duration: 6'23"

17:18
Man who killed Connor Morris admits swinging a sickle
BODY:
The man who killed a gang member's son has recounted the moment he closed his eyes and swung a sickle at him, in order to protect his younger brother.
Topics: crime
Regions:
Tags: gangs
Duration: 2'35"

17:23
Protestors regroup at Ferguson
BODY:
Up to 150 protestors are back on the streets in Ferguson, Missouri, near the site of last night's violence at a rally marking the anniversary of the police shooting of Malcolm Brown.
Topics: law, crime
Regions:
Tags: Ferguson, United States
Duration: 3'48"

17:27
Greens labelled party poopers for blocking RWC bill
BODY:
Green Party MPs have been labelled party poopers and killjoys for blocking a bill to extend opening hours for bars during the Rugby World Cup.
Topics: politics, sport, law
Regions:
Tags: Rugby World Cup
Duration: 2'39"

17:32
Evening Business for 11 August 2015
BODY:
News from the business sector including a market report.
Topics: business, economy
Regions:
Tags: markets
Duration: 2'13"

17:36
Japan restarts first nuclear reactor since 2011 tsunami
BODY:
Japan has restarted a nuclear reactor for the first time since the Fukushima disaster in 2011 that was triggered by a massive earthquake and tsunami.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags: Japan, Fukushima power plant
Duration: 4'10"

17:42
Auckland hiphop crew take out world champs
BODY:
3500 dancers from more than 50 countries took to the stage, with the New Zealanders taking out the adult division.
Topics: arts
Regions:
Tags: hip hop, World Hip Hop Champs
Duration: 2'01"

17:46
NZ bars could still open for All Blacks games
BODY:
The ACT party leader, David Seymour, says the Greens are killjoys for blocking a bill to extend opening hours for bars during the Rugby World Cup.
Topics: politics
Regions:
Tags: Rugby World Cup
Duration: 4'19"

17:50
East Coast Hapu warn they could challenge forestry standards
BODY:
Hapu on the East Coast warn proposed national standards for forestry could breach their Treaty settlement.
Topics: te ao Maori
Regions: East Coast
Tags: forestry
Duration: 3'25"

17:54
Scientists could have discovered fat gene they can switch
BODY:
To Australia, where the search for a pill to stop you getting fat just took a big step forward.
Topics: health, science
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 4'30"

18:07
Sports News for 11 August 2015
BODY:
An update from the team at RNZ Sport.
Topics: sport
Regions:
Tags: netball, Silver Ferns, All Blacks
Duration: 3'28"

18:16
Silver Ferns set to play Jamaica
BODY:
The Silver Ferns face another tough battle tonight in their campaign for the Netball World Cup in Sydney.
Topics: sport
Regions:
Tags: Netball World Cup, Silver Ferns
Duration: 3'28"

18:21
PM and Treaty Minister defend paying former ministers
BODY:
The Prime Minister has brushed off questions about the Government paying former ministers more than a million dollars to help settle treaty claims.
Topics: politics
Regions:
Tags: Treaty of Waitangi
Duration: 1'48"

18:23
Sydney man shot by police loses compo
BODY:
A young Sydney man who police shot in the stomach by mistake four years ago has been stripped of his half million dollar damages payout and ordered to pay court costs.
Topics: law
Regions:
Tags: Australia, police
Duration: 4'05"

18:27
The Waltzing Matilda trademark crisis
BODY:
A Victoria company's making a move to expand its partial trademark over Australia's unofficial national anthem.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags: Australia, Waltzing Matilda
Duration: 3'10"

18:38
Astronauts tuck into space-grown lettuce
BODY:
Astronauts on the International Space Station have taken their first bites of space-grown lettuce, which grows 26 times faster in orbit than it does down on earth.
EXTENDED BODY:
Astronauts living at the International Space Station have taken their first bites of space-grown lettuce, in another step toward enabling human missions to Mars.

Lettuce growing during the VEGGIE hardware validation test aboard the International Space Station.
Photo: AFP

NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren, said the red romaine lettuce - grown in a special box aboard the orbiting outpost - was amazing, while another astronaut, Scott Kelly, said it tasted good, like the salad herb rocket.
One of the astronauts used a small bottle to spread olive oil and balsamic vinegar on his leaf.
- ABC
Jim Mora talks to Paul Zamprelli of Orbitec, who manufacture the grow boxes, which grow lettuce 26 times faster in orbit than it grows on earth. Growing food on board also contributes to the environmental and life support systems needed to sustain life in space.
Topics: science
Regions:
Tags: International Space Station
Duration: 4'51"

18:44
Aussie Rules arch-rivals forced to unite
BODY:
Two arch-rival Aussie Rules clubs are being forced to merge or risk extinction as the escalation of rural flight carves into the wheat belt of Australia.
Topics: sport
Regions:
Tags: Australia, aussie rules, football
Duration: 3'44"

18:47
Te Manu Korihi News for 11 August 2015
BODY:
East Coast hapu say they could challenge proposed national standards for forestry in the Waitangi Tribunal if the Government pushes ahead with them. The Treaty Negotiations Minister is defending the money paid to former government ministers for their work in settling Tiriti negotiations.
Topics: te ao Maori
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 3'45"

18:51
Today In Parliament for 11 August 2015 - evening edition
BODY:
Finance Minister & Prime Minister field Opposition questions about the state of the economy; Government dealings with a Saudi businessman questioned by Labour's Trade & Export Growth Spokesman David Parker and his leader Andrew Little.
Topics: politics
Regions:
Tags: parliament
Duration: 5'18"

=SHOW NOTES=

===7:06 PM. | Nights===
=DESCRIPTION=

Entertainment and information, including: 7:30 The Sampler: A weekly review and analysis of new CD releases (RNZ) 8:13 Windows on the World: International public radio features and documentaries 9:06 The Tuesday Feature

=AUDIO=

19:12
Our Own Odysseys: Soviet state holiday camp
BODY:
In 1998 Natalie Wilson along with her two-year-old son and husband, caught a train from Berlin to Kaliningrad going through Lithuania, Latvia ,Estonia and back into Russia, crossing from Narva-Joesu, and even spent a night at a former Soviet state holiday camp.
EXTENDED BODY:
In 1998 Natalie Wilson traveled from Berlin to Kaliningrad going through Lithuania, Latvia ,Estonia and back into Russia, crossing from Narva-Joesu.
After a “little bit of planning” she, along with her two-year-old son and husband, boarded a late night train and headed into the heart of post-unification Eastern Europe.
She says evidence of the rebuild after the Cold War was obvious everywhere and she admits feeling “a little bit nervous” during their travels.
Natalie talks to Bryan Crump about the journey - the aftermath of Soviet rule, the lingering presence of the Cold War and spending a night at a former Soviet state holiday camp.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags: odysseys, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Russia.
Duration: 19'16"

20:42
Economics
BODY:
Is there no such thing as a free lunch - with independent scholar Brian Easton. Is the New Zealand economy heading into a recession?
Topics: economy, business, history, money, life and society
Regions:
Tags: economics, recession, TTP, TPP, nz economy.
Duration: 16'51"

20:59
Conundrum Clue 3
BODY:
Listen in on Friday night for the answer.
Topics:
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 20"

21:59
Conundrum Clue 4
BODY:
Listen in on Friday night for the answer
Topics:
Regions:
Tags:
Duration: 32"

=SHOW NOTES=

7:10 Our Own Odysseys: Soviet state holiday camp
A few years back Natalie Wilson caught a train from Berlin to Kaliningrad going through Lithuania, Latvia ,Estonia and back into Russia, crossing from Narva-Joesu, a night was also spent at a former Soviet state holiday camp.
[gallery:1316]
7:30 The Sampler

=SHOW NOTES=

=AUDIO=

19:30
The Sampler for Tuesday, 11 August 2015
BODY:
This week in The Sampler Nick Bollinger reviews the musical dreams of The Phoenix Foundation and the rock'n'roll ripostes of Ezra Furman, while Melody Thomas discusses the debut of British dancepop trio Years & Years.
EXTENDED BODY:

The Phoenix Foundation. Photo by Will Moore.
This week in The Sampler Nick Bollinger reviews the musical dreams of The Phoenix Foundation and the rock'n'roll ripostes of Ezra Furman, while Melody Thomas discusses the debut of British dancepop trio Years & Years.
Topics: music
Regions:
Tags: music, music review, The Phoenix Foundation, Years & Years, Ezra Furman
Duration: 28'33"

19:30
Give Up Your Dreams by The Phoenix Foundation
BODY:
Nick Bollinger enters the musical dreams of The Phoenix Foundation.
EXTENDED BODY:
Nick Bollinger enters the musical dreams of The Phoenix Foundation.
One of the ironies of the so-called music business is that it any money you make is likely to be generated by something only tangentially linked to your music. And among the non-musical merchandise launched along with the new Phoenix Foundation album are a pillowcase and a sleep mask - which is highly appropriate really, as dreams of various kinds are intrinsic to this album. On one level, the music simulates a kind of dream state, or perhaps provides a soundtrack for one. You could put on the sleep mask, get your head comfortable on that pillowcase and float away on lush, otherworldly dreamscapes.
The Phoenix Foundation’s central songwriters Sam Scott and Luke Buda have traditionally been strong on lyrics and melodies, and that hasn’t changed. Still, the striking thing about this album is not the words or even the tunes, but a hypnotic quality based on repetition, which is where the essence of this music’s dreaminess resides. Their fascination with Krautrock has long been apparent – think of the title track from 2010’s Buffalo – but with new drummer Chris O’Connor they have taken those motoric rhythms a step further, combining them with beats that might have their beginnings in electronica or perhaps even African music.
But if the overall mood is dreamlike, the title track – which comes just before the end - is like being woken with a cold shower. Titled ‘Give Up Your Dreams’, it’s a literal wake-up call. Full of droll observations of growing up with rock’n’roll dreams only to find yourself face to face with the responsibilities of adult life, it’s both an exercise in self-mockery and a heartfelt plea.
So Give Up Your Dreams finds The Phoenix Foundation at an apparent crossroads. Musically they have never been better, their experiments never more imaginative nor fruitful. And they are doing things that bands only get to do by sticking together for as long as these guys have and building their own musical language. They may not have had the hits, though a killer pop song like ‘Bob Lennon John Dylan’ (a single from last year and included here) shows they could yet be capable of it. Still I can’t think of another New Zealand band, other than Split Enz, who have created such a rich catalogue; where every album seems to have grown from the one before, while taking a step in some new direction to see what can be found there. We may not appreciate it but The Phoenix Foundation are a national treasure, and if we let this lot give up their dreams then we might as well all give up.
Songs played: Give Up Your Dreams, Silent Orb, Celestial Bodies, Sunbed, Playing Dead, Jason
Related stories

The Phoenix Foundation Music 101 Session
The Phoenix Foundation talk album track listing
The Phoenix Foundation and Dave Dobbyn
Live at the Wellington State Opera House

Listen to more from The Sampler
Topics: music
Regions: Wellington Region
Tags: music, music review, The Phoenix Foundation
Duration: 11'31"

19:30
Communion by Years & Years
BODY:
Melody Thomas discusses the debut of British dancepop trio Years & Years.
EXTENDED BODY:

Years & Years. Photo by Mike Massaro.
Melody Thomas discusses the debut of British dancepop trio Years & Years.
While the members of Years & Years currently worship at the altar of dance music, their formative years were spent congregating around the likes of Jeff Buckley, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan and Neil Young. This is where their desire to make authentic electronic music comes from - music that makes you move and feel. And the bright, easy commerciality of Years & Years’ particular brand of reimagined 80s and 90s dance-pop is given significant weight by this commitment to honest, intimate communion.
Songs played: Foundation, Real, King, Take Shelter, Memo
Listen to more from The Sampler

Topics: music
Regions:
Tags: music, music review, Years & Years
Duration: 7'47"

19:30
Perpetual Motion People by Ezra Furman
BODY:
Nick Bollinger reviews the rock'n'roll ripostes of Chicagoan upstart Ezra Furman.
EXTENDED BODY:

Ezra Furman. Photograph supplied.
Nick Bollinger reviews the rock'n'roll ripostes of Chicagoan upstart Ezra Furman.
Chicago-born Ezra Furman had already made three albums with his earlier group The Harpoons and a crowd-funded solo set, before launching his current outfit The Boyfriends on his excellent 2013 set The Day Of The Dog. And in many ways this new disc builds on the foundations of that record. The four-piece Boyfriends are a rock’n’roll band in the original 50s sense; they even have a honking saxophone. And their proto-rock feel is a perfect match for Furman’s songs, which lend themselves well to early rock devices like chorus refrains that go shoo-doo-shoo-be-dum or bow-bow-chow-dow-doo-be-dah.
But the good-timey vibe is undercut by Furman’s verses, which frequently peer into the darker corners of modern life. Sometimes his attention is trained on American society (and check ‘Ferguson’s Burning’, his straight-to-You Tube protest about the police slaying of Michael Brown); at other times the subject is more personal, such as his bisexuality or life as an Orthodox Jew.
And while The Boyfriends are great, you could strip it all back to just Furman and his guitar and he’d remain one of the most urgent and individual singer-songwriters under thirty.
Songs played: Ordinary Life, Haunted Head, Potholes, My Body Was Made, Tip Of A Match, Lousy Connection, Restless Year
Related stories

Top Albums of 2014

Listen to more from The Sampler
Topics: music
Regions:
Tags: music, music review, Ezra Furman
Duration: 9'22"

7:30 The Sampler
A weekly review and analysis of new CD releases.
8:10 Windows on the World
International public radio documentaries - visit the Windows on the World web page to find links to these documentaries.
8:40 Economics
Is there no such thing as a free lunch - with independent scholar Brian Easton. Is the New Zealand economy heading into a recession?
9:06 The Tuesday Feature: Why Gallipoli?
Why does Gallipoli loom so large in the imagination of Australians and New Zealanders? What are the realities and the myths? Kim Hill discusses these questions with historians Dr Christopher Pugsley, Dr Gavin McLean and Seán Brosnahan.
Dr Chris Pugsley is a military historian, and has written several histories on New Zealand’s participation in the First World War. His research on New Zealanders at Gallipoli is critically regarded as seminal. He was the Historical Director on Te Papa and Weta Workshop’s new exhibition, Gallipoli: The Scale of Our War.
Seán Brosnahan is the curator of Dunedin’s Great War exhibition at Toitu. He has been particularly interested in the experiences of the Otago Infantry Battalion and Otago Mounted Rifles during the First World War. In the lead up to the exhibition, Sean embarked on a journey to follow in the footsteps of these Otago men.
Dr Gavin McLean is a Senior Historian at the Ministry for Culture and Heritage. He is the author of The White Ships: New Zealand’s First World War Hospital Ships, which includes the SS Maheno, the hospital ship that carried casualties from Gallipoli for three months. He is currently co-editing The Penguin Book of New Zealand War Writing with Harry Ricketts, and authoring a history of New Zealand’s wider war at sea.
10:00 Late Edition
A review of the news from Morning Report, Nine to Noon, Afternoons and Checkpoint. Also hear the latest news from around the Pacific on Radio New Zealand International's Dateline Pacific.
11:06 The Shed
Award-winning former British broadcaster Mark Coles presents his pick of the best new music releases and demos from around the planet. A glorious mix of brand new sounds from all over the world, real conversations with music makers and tales of everyday life as seen from an English garden shed (7 of 13, MCM)

===10:00 PM. | Late Edition===
=DESCRIPTION=

Radio New Zealand news, including Dateline Pacific and the day's best interviews from Radio New Zealand National

===11:06 PM. | None (National)===
=DESCRIPTION=

Award winning former British broadcaster Mark Coles presents his pick of the best new music releases and demos from around the planet. A glorious mix of brand new sounds from all over the world, real conversations with music makers and tales of everyday life as seen from an English garden shed (7 of 13, MCM)