There must be little more annoying than for a singer to have their music appropriated by a politician they dislike.

Albi and the Wolves.

It doesn't happen a lot in New Zealand, though Don McGlashan made a notable statement after John Key was first elected. It started something like: 'Even if New Zealanders have decided to vote out the best government this country has had just because they are bored...” and went on to berate TVNZ for using one of Don's songs as the music for Key's victory.

In America, however, there's been a definite rush to get away from the candidates, with Adele becoming only the latest to tell Donald Trump that he does not have permission to use her songs at campaign rallies, after ‘Rolling in the Deep' and ‘Skyfall' both popped up.

She had previously suffered the embarrassment of another political wannabe, Mike Huckabee, trying to cash in on her popularity by posted a version of ‘Hello' featuring lyrics altered to be about his campaign and rivals. Legal threats have since seen the video's audio muted.

Meanwhile, Neil Young and the Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler have already told Trump to stop using their music, Tyler via a cease and desist letter. Fair enough. Trump's campaign (for those who've missed the horrified headlines) has been so offensive that ‘The Huffington Post' now adds a postscript whenever writing about Trump. 'Note to our readers: Donald Trump is a serial liar, rampant xenophobe, racist, misogynist, birther and bully who has repeatedly pledged to ban all Muslims -- 1.6 billion members of an entire religion -- from entering the U.S.”

Michael Stipe of REM certainly didn't mince words after Trump used: ‘It's The End of the World as We Know It' at a rally: 'Go f*** yourselves, the lot of you – you sad, attention-grabbing, power-hungry little men. Do not use our music or my voice for your moronic charade of a campaign”.

Go Michael! Don McGlashan clearly let John Key off lightly with his measured words...

Enough political musing. Next week there are a couple of alt-folky gigs at the Mount and both promise to be damn fine.

Marina Marina.

First up is Thursday, February 11, at Totara St, the concert venue at the Mauao Performing Arts Centre, where three touring acts are joined by local Rockquest winners Joe's Van. The three are Albi and The Wolves, Strangely Arousing and Zarek Silberschmidt, who came from diverse places (from Northland to Reporoa and Rotorua) before uniting in Auckland where they've played several shows together. Now the 11-person troop have hit the road for shows in Whangarei, Leigh, Gisborne and Mount Maunganui.

Here's a brief overview: Albi and The Wolves is definitely an alt-folk outfit. They've released a successful E.P. and played the National Folk Festival. Strangely Arousing mix hard rock influences with elements of reggae and ska. They have opened for Fat Freddies Drop and won both the Pacifica Beats competition and the National Battle Of The Bands. Zarek Silberschmidt plays acoustic guitar and arranges songs you know using finger-style, flamenco, and traditional guitar techniques.

Add in Joe's Van and it should be a great night. You can check them all out online - Albi and the Wolves have a website and pages on Facebook, SoundCloud and BandCamp – doors open at 8pm, entry $10.

And if you need further musical sustenance, next night there's a free gig at The Hop House, which promises to be an enchanting evening of sweet sounding, organic, free-range folk/pop, featuring two singer/songwriters, Canadian Marina Marina and internationally-touring Northlander Olly Knox.

Marina Marina has been winning hearts all over the globe with a packed tour schedule seeing her perform in venues across Canada, Europe, the United Kingdom and Australia. Olly Knox has performed and toured throughout NZ, Canada, and Europe with his music receiving international acclaim. One listener described it as 'like floating on gentle waves while the sun is sparkling on the water”. You can find more about Marina Marina at http://aboutmetoyou.com/ (including her very funny Tumbr page). Things kick off at 7.30pm.

watusi@thesun.co.nz