Anyway, if you’re in Tauranga get to the farmer’s market and support local produce. The gluten-free sausages are great and I had the best masala dosa outside India there one fine day. I’ve only had two dosas outside India but it was pretty authentic.

The farmer’s market is starting at the Mount soon on Sundays and running to the slightly more civilized hour of 1pm.

Malcolm’s new album, Sleight of Hand, is out now. It’s mostly acoustic collection leftovers, covers and wind ups. I’m looking forward to the next project though - “Right now, everything sounds like a fat child throwing a Casio keyboard down a flight of stairs and hitting an old man at the bottom who’s playing Verve songs badly on an over-priced guitar,” says Malcolm.

Meanwhile the filthier half of Arab Strap Aidan John Moffat has released the rather dirty, R rated I Can Hear Your Heart and a singing bottle opener that plays a wee ditty by Aidan every time you crack open a beer. Now I have several rather nice bottle openers including one from Suck UK that looks like an unsuspecting house key and the trusty one that I won at the Massey University chilli eating competition but now I think I need one more.

Jingle Jangle Morning, taken from a verse in Bob Dylan’s song ‘Mr Tambourine Man’, is the title of a Bill Hammond painting depicting majestic avian musicians and serpentine creatures who sing, dance and play instruments upon a floating world of golden clouds and mountainous divides.

Bill Hammond’s sentient birdmen came about after a trip to the Auckland Islands where birds rule. Like New Zealand before the people got there.

Prints.co.nz have a couple of Bill Hammond prints for sale for $79NZD. If you’re in Lyttelton be sure to visit Volcano Cafe and Lava Bar, it’s a nice bar with good food and they have some Bill Hammond art on the walls.

Great Lake Swimmers have also contributed an original song entitled, “Gonna Make it Through This Year”, to a new compilation release named “PEACE ON EARTH: A HOLIDAY ALBUM” available exclusively as a digital download from Hard to Find a Friend and featuring fifteen never-before-released covers of Christmas classics and special holiday themed originals from various artists. Profits raised from this album go directly to Toys for Tots to give gifts to needy children on Christmas morning.

Here’s Scott Cudmore’s new video for “Your Rocky Spine”

Polly will be performing an intimate solo set, for one night only, in each of the following cities:

Wednesday February 13 Civic Theatre, Auckland
Ticketek 0800 TICKETEK or http://www.ticketek.co.nz

Friday February 15 Opera House, Sydney
Ticketek 132 849 or http://www.ticketek.com.au; SOH Box Office 02 9250 7777

Sunday February 17 Concert Hall, Brisbane
Qtix 136 246 or http://www.Qtix.com.au

Wednesday February 20 Hamer Hall, Melbourne
Ticketmaster 136 100 or http://www.ticketmaster.com.au

Friday February 22 Concert Hall, Perth
BOCS ticketing 08 9484 1133 or http://www.bocsticketing.com.au