This month's music

I'm unashamedly soft when it comes to 'music moments'. Nothing gets me in the same way as the right song, in the right place, at the right moment. Nothing. I've got a stockpile of memories, magical spots of time, when music has got me. Those moments can't be manufactured - it's the show of human qualities that make the magic. I like that - a lot.

So, I take my hat off to people who commit themselves to making music. Who work at their craft even when it's going badly, who commit themselves to daily practice, who turn up for the weekly band practice. I've never been one of those people - a proper musician - so I can only imagine that it's not always a picnic, but that perhaps the lure of being part of (or the cause of) one of those special moments can go a long way.

Here's my pick for this month's top three hard working New Zealand bands, bringing the magic. (Click on their names to check out their video)

1. Nightchoir - who are about to head off on a national tour. Check them out live if you possibly can!

2. Beach pigs

3. Ghost wave

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