Nick Bollinger

Icelandic musician Jónsi is best known as the vocalist and multi-instrumentalist for post-rock band Sigur Rós. Jónsi also performs together with his partner Alex Somers as an art collaboration called… Audio

Tony is joined by the host of The Sampler Nick Bollinger, and sonic artist and RNZ studio operator Flo Wilson, to review new tunes by Cut Off Your Hands, Pacific Heights, Sylvan Esso, and more. Video, Audio

Nick Bollinger discusses a new benchmark for veteran Wellington band The Phoenix Foundation; the welcome - if overdue - return of Dead Famous People, and the magnificent miserablism of Richard and… Audio

New Zealand indie-pop band Dead Famous People debuted in the 1980s. After a couple of releases, including an EP on Flying Nun Records, the band relocated to London. They signed a deal with Billy… Audio

Nick Bollinger reviews dark reflections on modern America from Sufjian Stevens; a celebration of an old-time song-and-dance man from Joachim Cooder; and the hip-hop-from-another-planet of Sam Gendel.

Sufjian Stevens is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. His debut album, A Sun Came, was released through Asthmatic Kitty, a label Sufjian and his step-father started together… Audio

Joachim Cooder is a drummer and keyboardist best known for his collaborations with his father, Ry Cooder. His new album, Over That Road I'm Bound: The Songs of Uncle Dave Macon is Joachims reimaging… Audio

Nick Bollinger discusses the power of refusal in the music of Lincolnshire's Billy Nomates; the visceral post-rock of Auckland's Wax Chattels; and a motherlode of previously unreleased Prince. Audio

There's been enough said about the power of positive thinking, but expressing the negative can be powerful too. UK singer Billy Nomates does just that. Her debut single was simply titled 'NO' and she… Video, Audio

The unreleased recordings of Prince have long been the stuff of legend, until now. His 1987 masterpiece Sign O' The Times has been re-issued, including all the original tracks as well as dozens of… Video, Audio

Nick Bollinger reviews the global hip-hop of Nigerian rap star Burna Boy; a funky tonic for dark times from Fantastic Negrito; and the personal, political blues of Darren Watson. Audio

Nigerian hip-hop superstar Burna Boy (real name Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu) rose to fame in 2012 after releasing "Like to Party" from his debut album L.I.F.E. Since then, he's signed to a major U.S label… Audio

Fantastic Negrito (real name Xavier Amin Dphrepaulezz) has been making music since 1993 when he released his debut album The X Factor under his real name. He took an extended break from music in 2007… Audio

This week in The Sampler Nick Bollinger discusses the quietly instructive narratives of Bill Callahan; songs of lost innocence from The Flaming Lips; and the history-steeped rock'n'roll of Chuck… Audio