Or should I say THE BIG DAY OUT. That’s how big it’ll be.

I, along with hundreds of others, am looking forward to it. Butterflies in the stomach kinda thrilled about it, actually. Don’t tell anyone, but this is my first time. With a stellar Big Day Out lineup announced, this year’s event is sure to be a winner. Alternative songstress Bjork is my top pick, but Liam Finn (the bearded boy wonder), Phoenix Foundation (ah, the songs of Kiwi summers) and indie-stars Arcade Fire are also high on my list of must-sees.

Playing at Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland, on January 18th, will be:

Local bands and musicians:

The Phoenix Foundation, Shihad, Katchafire, The Clean, Liam Finn, SJD, Motocade, Cut Off Your Hands, White Birds and Lemons, Op Shop, Pluto, Scribe, Die! Die! Die!, Tiki Tanne, Havoc, Collapsing Cities, Bleeders, Supergroove, The Checks, Young Sid, Antagonist, Dam Native and other New Zealand bands.

And of course, international music acts:

Rage Against the Machine, Bjork, Arcade Fire, LCD Soundsystem, Spoon, Brand New, Anti-Flag, Carl Cox, Kate Nash, Shy Child, Enter Shikari, Operator Please, Unkle, Krafty Kuts & MC Dynamite, The Nightwatchman (Tom Morello acoustic), Dr Octagon with Kutmaster Kurt, Aceyalone, Dizzee Rascal, Paul Kelly, Battles, Hilltop Hoods and Billy Bragg.

For a day of summer sun and music, book your ticket at the official Big Day Out site, any Ticketek outlet, Real Groovy and selected music stores nationwide.

Sounds too good to be true, but world superstars Radiohead have done just that with their new album, In Rainbows.

No longer under the thumb of record giant EMI (their last album, 2003′s Hail to the Thief, was the final in a six-record deal), this experimental group have bucked the trend by shouting a resounding ‘Yes’ to music downloads. Not only can you download the new album from their site, you choose your price, flea-market style. If you want, you can pay only the cost of processing your credit card payment. No one will know how many people have bought the new album or what they paid for it, as Radiohead are not revealing sales numbers or the amount paid for each album.

Challenging the system is nothing new for Radiohead; they’ve always been innovators. Although their last three albums – Kid A, Amnesiac and Hail to the Thief – all reached number one in the charts, these UK rock stars are distinctively experimental in their musical style. Band manager, Bryce Edge, says of the move:

“We’re prepared to take a risk and we might come out looking very foolish. But we believe if your music is great, then people will pay for it.”

Could this be the start of a new trend? Other artists have pulled similar stunts: Prince gave away copies of his last album and The Charlatans are planning to offer free downloads of their next album. Radiohead will release a retail version in early 2008. Fans can also pre-order a “discbox” from the band’s website, which features bonus tracks, a vinyl version of the album and a lyric booklet, as well as the download.

I wonder if any New Zealand bands will follow suit?

This comic musical duo has hit the bigtime in America, a notoriously difficult market to crack. With humour that’s refreshingly dry, the series has attracted a cult following in America, the United Kingdom and at home. Sure, they’re funny to us, but it’s rare for our comedy to translate so well globally. Defying the odds, the show has been dubbed “a very smart, very funny show” by reviewers (and viewers) everywhere. All those YouTube clips, ringtones, t-shirts and ‘Conchordisms’ being thrown around are sure signs these Kiwis are soaring to heady heights.

Now, I’ll admit I heard the hype long before I laid ears on the dulcet tones of these two quirky songbirds, but unlike many hyped acts these guys live up to their publicity. The show’s premise is simple: two Kiwi musicians head to London to make it big, with only a stalkeresque fan and a manager who can’t seem to land them any gigs. Sounds like this might be based on a true story?

If you’re not yet a Conchords convert, tune in for classic love ballads like these: “You’re so beautiful, you could be a waitress… You could be an air hostess in the Sixties… You’re so beautiful, you could be a part-time model, but you’d probably still have to keep your normal job.”

Mondays, 10:00pm on Prime Television. Be there.

Before I go any further, I’ll point out that I like a bit of indie music. Well alright, a lot of indie music. But I try to keep my ear to the ground for interesting New Zealand music news from all genres of beats ‘n’ rhythms. If you want to sample some tasty Kiwi music treats, try:

• The new release from fantastic twosome The Brunettes, entitled Structure and Cosmetics, a happy mix of Beach Boys and cute indie tunes.
• The upcoming release from Phoenix Foundation; their greatly anticipated third album, Happy Ending, is due for release in October 2007.
• The music of Canterbury treasure, Dudley Benson, whose engaging and endearing music has been described as “part choral, part electronica, part pop’.
• Shapeshifter, who are soon to release a live album following the runaway success of Soulstice (which has now gone platinum).
• Kiwi songbird Brooke Fraser, who will be winging her way around New Zealand in October, from Invercargill to Whangarei.
• Ever-strong Minuit, who have been touring New Zealand this month, before departing for Europe to spread their funky blend of rock and electronica.

There’s a whole lot more New Zealand music, so get your ears onto it!