Long Island New York MC R.A. the Rugged Man is by no means a household name, but with two decades of hip hop history and a slew of high profile collaborations under his belt, he has more than a little… Audio

James Maharey shows Kirsten Johnstone RDU's new studio, built out of a horse float. Audio

Retiring from their mobile broadcast set-up, AKA the RDUnit, AKA a re-purposed horse float, Christchurch's RDU 98.5FM are finally in their permanent new home. RDU alumni Yadana Saw and Melody Thomas… Audio

Remi Kolawole, better known as REMi, is a Melbourne based MC who won the Australian unsigned band competition Triple J Unearthed in 2013. REMi has just released Raw x Infinity, an album produced by… Audio

Music 101 pays tribute to the late musician, with excerpts from his interviews with Kim Hill and Sam Wicks, Shihad's Tom Larkin reflecting on his legacy, and some of the many pieces of music Aaron was… Audio

In Pocket Edition this week, Tony Stamp visits New Zealand's finest songwriters at the Silver Scroll Awards. Maggie Tweedie meets Black Belt Eagle Scout and talks about how their ancestral lands in… Audio

Music 101's Charlotte Ryan speaks to Grammy award winning musician Kimbra. Vera Ellen walks us through her new record, Ideal Home Noise and Cyndi Lauper surprises two bar owners in Dunedin on her tour… Audio

In Pocket Edition this week grunge musician Kristin Hersh dials in from New Orleans. Ruban Nielson reflects on his family connection to Hawaii. And how his heritage has influenced the sound of Unknown… Audio

In Pocket Edition this week, we meet Romy the DJ and songwriter dealing with grief through dance music. Jim Mora speaks to champion boxer Mea Motu and she selects the sounds. And Maggie Tweedie plays… Audio

Roy G and the Bivinators are a Newtown/Paekakariki (Wellington) crew whose sounds have been described as 'a little jaz-matazz with a roots-heavy flavour' best matched with 'a hefty dose of sunlight'… Audio

Race Banyon with his single 'Let's Do Something Crazy' from the Whatever Dreams Are Made Of EP http://racebanyon.bandcamp.com 13 August 2013 Audio

Racing introducing their debut song Carnivilize. Audio

Three years after their split, former Checks Ed Knowles and Sven Pettersen have regrouped as Racing. They talk to Sam Wicks about the new set of influences this time around. Audio

Auckland trio Rackets has taken a novel approach to making noise for six of the singles from their new self-titled album. Dubbing them 'Six Sick Singles', Oscar, Vincent and Jeremy from Rackets worked… Audio

Auckland group Rackets write fuzzy-noodley gems from their charming, character rental in Ellerslie. Their work hasn't gone unnoticed- in less than a year together they've supported Head Like A Hole… Audio

Auckland rock'n'roll trio Rackets perform at The Kings Arms. Radio New Zealand's Andre Upston caught their raucous set for Music 101. [region] Auckland region Audio

Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead talks to National Radio's Kaye Glamuzina during the band's 1998 visit to New Zealand. Produced by Jeremy Ansell for Radio New Zealand. Audio

Jordan Bell of Katchafire reports back on the Ragamuffin festival for Music 101 with Kirsten Johnstone. Audio

The Ragamuffin Children are Anita Clark and Brooke Singer. They met at high school and have been best friends ever since. Both Anita and Brooke live in North Canterbury on the outskirts of… Audio

The Ragamuffin Children are Anita Clark and Brooke Singer. They met at high school and have been best friends ever since. Anita and Brooke live in North Canterbury on the outskirts of Christchurch… Audio

The Grammy award-winning album Slipstream has been hailed as one of Bonnie Raitt's strongest albums. Some of the credit goes to producer Joe Henry, who has also worked with the likes of Allen… Audio

Raiza Biza with the song 'Whenever' from his Dream Something LP. http://soundcloud.com/raizabiza/raiza-biza-whenever-prod-by 24 November 2012. Audio

Tommy Ramone, drummer, producer and last surviving founding member of The Ramones died on 11 July 2014 aged 65.

Trevor Reekie talks to Monte A. Melnic, friend, tour manager and author of the best… Audio

Brooklyn-based electronic instrumentalists Ratatat have channelled the guitar histrionics of Queen's resident astrophysicist, Dr Brian May, on their fifth studio LP, Magnifique. Ratatat… Video, Audio

Sam Wicks finds out how music can bridge a communication gap. Audio

David Rawlings has been Gillian Welch's musical foil for over a decade, supplying his harmony singing, guitar playing and songwriting talents to her albums and live shows. Now Rawlings has stepped out… Audio

Simon Raymonde, former member of the Cocteau Twins and founder of Bella Union Records, discusses his rich musical beginnings, how a reviewer once said Cocteau's album Treasure sounded like the voice… Audio

The band email signature reads: "heavy metal music in the true style of the 1980s", Wellington's Razorwyre tell of double kicks and leather lungs on their debut album Another Dimension. Audio

Jangly New Jersey band Real Estate from Ridgewood, New Jersey, were in New Zealand in April 2012, Dunedin being somewhat of a musical mecca for them. Nick Atkinson spoke to the two guitarists in Real… Audio

Gabriel "Messenjah" Calcott is a Christchurch-based reggae producer who operates Reality Chant Productions. With a vision to gain global exposure for his music and also to introduce some of the… Audio

Auckland-based music producer and promoter Matthew Chicione - better known here as Recloose - talks about his home town of Detroit, and his album 'Early Works' which contains music dripping with the… Audio

NZ-via-Detroit producer and DJ Recloose, a.k.a. Matthew Chicoine explains his MA Thesis on Detroit music, and introduces us to Hamilton Bohannon. Hear his interview with Bohannon here… Audio

Nick Bollinger reviews 'Backwards and Sideways - Live At the San Francisco Bath House' for The Sampler on Radio New Zealand National. Audio

International Record Store Day puts the spotlight on the small music retail stores which have survived despite declining CD sales and competition from chain stores. We take a field trip to Slow Boat… Audio

A very unassuming house is crammed to the roof with immaculately catalogued music on CD and vinyl. It's good stuff too... The latest in UK dubstep on wax, the rarest and most delectable rare-groove… Audio

Nick Bollinger takes a listen to some of the special NZ reissues on offer for Record Store Day, which celebrates these shrines to physical product. Featuring: Spelling Mistakes, La De Da's and… Audio

Studios round the country opened their doors to the public to mark New Zealand Music Month in May 2010. If you were in Palmerston North you could have seen inside The Stomach Studio. In Tauranga The… Audio

For the last 16 years, the world-travelling Red Bull Music Academy has served as a wellspring of inspiration and rite of passage for countless emerging musicians from across the globe. Late last month… Audio

New Zealand's metal landscape is littered with bands taking extremity to its nth degree, but Wellington five-piece Red Dawn have something more traditional in mind. They discuss why listening to Iron… Audio

Drummer Mark Lockett tells us about being thrown in the deep end for an improvisation session with taonga puoro master, Richard Nunns, and turning the resulting soundscape into an album alongside free… Audio

The multi-talented James Milne grew up in Christchurch and moved to Auckland in 2002 when he was a an impressionable young man. Soon after his arrival he auditioned and got the job as bass player in… Audio

In 2003 Nick Bollinger spoke to Lou Reed about his album The Raven for The Sampler on National Radio. Audio

Nick Bollinger reviews the unlikely pairing of Lou Reed and Metallica for the album Lulu. Songs: 'Brandenburg Gate', 'Pumping Blood', 'Mistress Dread', 'Iced Honey', 'The View', 'Cheat On Me', 'Junior… Audio

Marty Duda plays tribute to influential New York musician Lou Reed following his death on 27 October 2013.

As a founding member of The Velvet Underground and then as a solo artist, Lou Reed was one… Audio

In celebration of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori - Maori Language Week - Te Awanui 'Awa' Reeder joins Emma Smith in studio for a Kōrero  and presents some of his contemporary Māori music essentials. Audio

Awa in Hawaii, Nesian Mystik's Te Awanui Reader returns to the islands to meet some of the characters who are championing his South Pacific pop. Audio

February 6 is the birthday of the late great superstar of reggae, Bob Marley, making Waitangi Day the biggest day in the calendar for New Zealand reggae music. Every year the One Love festival draws… Audio

30 years after the early death of celebrated Brazilian singer Elis Regina Chris McGowan, author of The Brazilian Sound: Samba, Bossa Nova and the Popular Music of Brazil discusses her life and… Audio

Ben Ely from the Australian group Regurgiator talks with Emma Smith about a twenty year career being silly with mates. Audio

Reinier Baas, Dutch jazz guitarist wunderkind, and his More Socially Relevant Jazz Ensemble were in town for the Wellington Jazz Festival. Yadana Saw meets the quintet during soundcheck where they… Audio

Composer and music supervisor Brian Reitzell is best known for his work on film soundtracks The Virgin Suicides and Lost In Translation. He's just released a solo set of Krautrock influenced… Audio

Emma Smith talk remastering, shaping sound to formats and more issues in contemporary sound finessing with mastering engineer Angus McNaughton. Audio

Upon the death of Daniel Keighley, the director of the 1980s New Zealand music festival Sweetwaters and founder of the Parihaka International Peace festival,long-time friend, Trevor Reekie shares his… Audio

Hip hop music has always taken a bubble'n'squeak approach to the musical ingredients it uses, sampling anything and everything to take the music into new territory. The Auckland Philharmonia… Audio

The poster for the Remix the Orchestra concert that took place at the Auckland Town Hall on 31 May 2012 - an image of Tupac Shakur playing a violin - speaks volumes about the origins of the project… Audio

Maryrose Crook and her husband Brian are the heart and soul of The Renderers. They formed in Christchurch in 1989, Maryrose's fragile vocals working with Brian's atmospheric yet often raucous guitar… Audio

South Island gothic-country band The Renderers discuss their new album Monsters and Miasmas, and the joys and perils of living in China. Audio

The Resound concert was a highlight of the Dunedin Heritage Festival. The Regent Theatre was transformed into an unforgettable rock arena, featuring ten bands that started out in Dunedin. Newer bands… Audio

Swiss trash-voodoo-billy-bluesman Reverend Beatman and his Lyttelton mate Delaney Davidson stop by the Music 101 studio to play some songs, en-route to terrorising the rest of the country. Audio

Jordan Reyne's latest collection of folk songs with-industrial-teeth is heavy with the history of the South Island's West Coast, 'How the Dead Live', made as part of SOUNZ and Creative New Zealand's… Audio

Nick Bollinger reviews 'How The Dead Live' for The Sampler. Audio

NZ industrial-folk musician based in London Jordan Reyne tells Nick Bollinger (host of The Sampler) about finding a supportive fan-base in the online game 'Second Life', weaving her family history… Audio

Wellington group Rhombus are helmed by beat smiths Thomas Voyce and Simon Rycroft but it's the four voices of the collective that flesh out their studio productions and join the dots of Rhombus'… Audio

Starting in a garage in Queenstown a decade ago, Rhythm Interactive's John Boone has performed his immersive, wordless drumming workshop hundreds of times a year to ever growing audiences -… Audio

Festival founder and director Hamish Pinkham shares the secrets of the Gisborne festival's success. Audio

Melody Thomas is at Rhythm and Vines 2009/10, and surveys the surrounds, music and people. Audio

Quasi-folk balladeer Richard Dawson joins Emma Smith for a chat and a song or two with only his voice. Video, Audio

Rick Bryant and the Jive Bombers have released a new album The Blacksoap from Monkeyburg. Trevor Reekie catches up with Rick Bryant, collaborator Gordon Spittle and producer Ed Cake. Audio

Phoenix Foundation percussionist Wild Bill Ricketts and photographer Amelia Handscomb talk about the second Wild Bill solo album 'West Wind'. Audio

New Auckland reggae and dancehall production house, Riddim Central is the brain child Iron Will aka Willie the Kid, who's been DJing, producing music and running Auckland reggae parties such as One… Audio

In 2010 Maisey Rika was nominated for four Waiata Maori Music Awards, and won all four. She was also a nominee for the prestigious APRA Maioha Award for the song 'Repeat Offender' in 2009. Audio

Two time Waiata Music awards Best Female Solo Artist, Maisey Rika, has just released her second album, Whitiora, recorded entirely in Te Reo Maori. Melody Thomas drops a lnie to Maisey Rika's home in… Audio

On Waitangi Day 2010 Music 101 invited Maisey Rika and Tama Waipara into the studio for a korero with host Kirsten Johnstone, and to perform some of the their songs. The waiata are: Fever, Take A… Audio

Selected by Maniapoto FM - Ringiringi Manawaiti (Ngāti Maniapoto) performs her waiata 'Taku Poutokomanawa'. Audio

Nick Atkinson speaks with the new editor of long running local music mag Rip It Up. Audio

Emma Smith talks to Groove Guide Editor Grant Hislop about purchasing Rip it Up,one of New Zealand's last music magazines. She finds out what Grant has in store for the title, and asks freelance… Audio

Longtime Tom Verlaine collaborator, and recent fill-in for departed Television guitarist Richard Lyiyd, Jimmy Rip talks about his time as a session player for a dazzling array of rock legends from… Audio

MC Jay Roacher is the current New Zealand Battle For Supremacy champion and has held the crown in the Christchurch MC battle scene for three years running. He has represented New Zealand twice in the… Audio

Melody Thomas talks to recording artists Rob Ruha and Maisey Rika on the place of waiata Māori in today's musical landscape, and their Te Wiki O Te Reo Māori video release for the song 'Waiaroha'. Audio

Rob Wigley A.K.A. Mr Roberelli talks to Music 101 host Kirsten Johnstone about how he became interested in writing music for children, and the award winning song 'Beans About Beans' from the album… Audio

Rob Wigley A.K.A. Mr Roberelli talks to Music 101 host Kirsten Johnstone about how he became interested in writing music for children, and the award winning song 'Beans About Beans' from the album… Audio

Off the back of 1.4 million spotify streams Robinson has just signed to a major label and is getting ready for her debut album. The twenty year old from Nelson stops by RNZ studios to perform live. Audio

In 2005, Robyn formed Konichiwa Records, and through that label released the album Robyn, which went number one in Sweden and was nominated for a Grammy. Since then, she's released an album series… Audio

Over 600 entries from throughout the country are whittled down to eight finalists, two of which are from the Waikato town of Cambridge. Nick Atkinson investigates. Audio

Music 101 presenter Sarah McMullan went to the Smokefree Rockquest 2006 National Finals to see how the future of kiwi music is shaping up. Audio

Georgia Nott from Smokefreerockquest 2011 winners Peasants talks with Emma Smith about the win. Audio

Music 101's Emma Smith talks to Georgia Nott from Garin College in Nelson, whose band 'Peasants' won this year's national high school music competition with the song 'Giants'. Audio

We talk with Hamish Nixon, of this year's winning Smokefree Rockquest band, A Bit Nigel, from Taupo-nui-a-Tia College and Rotorua Boys' High School. Audio

Rodney Fisher plays and chats to Alex Behan Live from the Volume Exhibition at the Auckland War Memorial Museum. Audio

Songwriter Rodriguez was give a second life recently, thanks, in part, to the Oscar winning documentary Searching For Sugar Man. We got backstage during Rodriguez's Auckland show to find out how his… Audio

Multi-instrumentalist, film producer, actor, auteur... Omar Rodriguez-Lopez has a hard job keeping still. From the lean post-hardcore of At the Drive-In to the psychedelic wig-outs of The Mars Volta… Audio

Auckland blues musician Tom Rodwell's recent journey to the American south took him to the Georgia Sea Islands, where he came face to face with the private heart of African American music - gospel… Audio

Eternally wandering blues-man Tom Rodwell joins Nick Atkinson in the Music 101 studio, for a handful of songs collected from half a lifetime's travelling. Audio

The Rolling Stones rock and roll circus is back in town tonight, as Mick, Keef, Charlie and Ron roll out 52 years of hits at Auckland's Mt Smart Stadium. Ahead of the concert, we head backstage for a… Audio

Kim Hill talks to the ex-Black Flag singer as well as solo and spoken word artist Henry Rollins. Audio

Sonny Rollins talks to Nick Bollinger ahead of the jazz saxophone colossus playing his only NZ gig. Audio

After a hiatus from fronting abrasive post-punk band Sharpie Crows, Sam Bradford has taken up electronic music and returned as Ron Gallipoli, with a new album titled Ron Gallipoli Loves You All. We… Audio

Sam Bradford, the acerbic frontman of post-punk outfit Sharpie Crows, talks to Sam Wicks about his solo guise, Ron Gallipoli. Audio

Dub and reggae soundsystem Roots Foundation are celebrating 21 years of spinning records together - we speak to Mu, Lemon, Koa and Goosebump about their impact on the Wellington scene. Audio

Nick Bollinger reviews ...And Then You Shoot Your Cousin - the latest album from one of the most versatile house bands in late night television. Audio

Nat Rose with songs from her album Golden Hour, live in the Music 101 studio. Audio

Melody Thomas says hello - and goodbye - to Seattle seven-piece Rose Windows. Audio

Flix Rose performs her original song 'Like Birds' in session at the Wellington Folk Festival 2014. Audio

Roseneath Centenial Ragtime Band, a seven piece New Orleans-inspired jazz group pop into Summer Nights with Emma Smith to play some tunes. Audio

Throw a good time party Live at the San Francisco Bathhouse. Audio

Adelaidean bass player, composer and producer Ross McHenry is on the bill of this year's Wellington Jazz festival, playing with his Future Ensemble, a band that includes New Zealand's own Myele… Audio

Lake Tarawera was the scene of the volcanic erruption that buried the Pink And White Terraces - beautiful geothermic rock formations which were the biggest tourist attraction in NZ, drawing visitors… Audio

Legendary New Zealand soul band Rough Justice are reuniting for their first shows in 34 years. From 1977 to 1979, Rough Justice was one of the hardest-working bands in New Zealand, despite never… Audio

Round Trip Mars label founder Jim Pinckney, sometimes known as Stinky Jim, is releasing a compilation of new and over-looked tunes. Invaderism, as the compilation is known, features Round Trip Mars… Audio

Nick Bollinger listens to The Salesman and The Shark, a new offering from New York singer-songwriter Sean Rowe, who sports a similar "deep dark bass baritone" to performers Leonard Cohen and Johnny… Audio

Nick Bollinger listens to The Salesman and The Shark, a new offering from New York singer-songwriter Sean Rowe, who sports a similar "deep dark bass baritone" to performers Leonard Cohen and Johnny… Audio

Over the course of just two years, bass-and-drums British rock duo Royal Blood have gone from performing their very first gig in a small local pub to being hailed as rock's new saviours. Their debut… Audio

Ryan has had to make tough decisions about the use of the music made by his band The Ruby Suns. Audio

Ryan McPhun heads back to the future on the Ruby Suns' new synth heavy release 'Christopher'. Audio

From shy girl to poetry rebel, fierce Philadelphia rhymesmith Ursula Rucker on what turned her on to speak the truth. Audio

Dawn Tratt investigates musical plans for the Rugby World Cup, with Briony Ellis, Leon Grice, Cath Andersen, Brett Eccles and Peter Campbell. Audio

Run the Jewels - the critically lauded rap duo of Atlanta, Georgia consisting of native Killer Mike and Brooklyn-born and bred MC/producer El-P - is a project only two years deep, but their respective… Audio

On Tuesday 15 November 1988, Run-D.M.C. played The Powerstation in Auckland. This is the story of how that show altered the course of Aotearoa hip hop. Audio, Gallery

Kathryn Ryan interviews session musician, composer and producer Todd Rundgren. He started out as a performer, and moved into producing artists like Meat Loaf, Janis Joplin, Ringo Starr, Patti Smith… Audio

The album Belle, by Bic Runga, produced by Mint Chicks' frontman Kody Neilson, reviewed by Nick Bollinger for The Sampler. The songs included are 'Hello Hello', 'Darkness All Around Us', 'Tiny Little… Audio

Former Mint Chick Kody Nielson produced Bic Runga's 2011 album 'Belle' and his distinctly skewiff pop aesthetic can be heard across its 10 tracks. Sam Wicks visited Runga's Mission Bay home to listen… Audio

Boh Runga's songwriting chops can be heard over everything from her back catalogue with Stellar, club bangers penned with electronic producers Photek and Magik Johnson, and collaborations with System… Audio

Media commentator, music lover and enthusiastic early adopter Russell Brown talks to Melody Thomas about developments in the landscape of music consumption Audio

Biographer Tim Lawrence reflects on the life of the New York music pioneer Arthur Russell on the release of a new Red Hot compilation of his work. Audio

The Audacious Festival of Sonic Arts resounded throughout Christchurch in early March. Justin Gregory talks with sound artist and musician Bruce Russell about his work, No Mean City and what it means… Audio

We sit down with the three members Australian dance act Rüfüs and hear the bitter-sweet story of their success that was never to be witnessed by their mentor and record label boss DJ Ajax, because of… Audio