There is not much evidence of that groundswell in Dunedin, with events springing up all over the place, even in those bastions of quiet, the city's public libraries.
Dunedin Public Libraries marketing services chief Liz Knowles said the library had been hosting Music Month events for four years and believed it suited their purpose well.
"We stage events that have connection and relevance to the community and New Zealand Music Month is another opportunity to showcase our collections," she said.
"We house an extensive New Zealand CD music collection."
In fact, the library is offering free hire of New Zealand CD material during May, as well as highlighting its magazine and book collections that relate to music.
"It also allows us to open our doors to local musicians and provide a live cultural connection," Ms Knowles said.
As befits a community library initiative, there has been no shortage of ready helpers, among them music promoter Scott Muir, of dunedinmusic.com, PA purveyors Strawberry Sound, and student broadcaster Radio One.
Ms Knowles does not see any incompatibility between the traditional quiet of the library and the volume of rock 'n roll.
"Libraries are forever moving with the times and are now commonly known as the `living-room of the city'," she said.
"A visit to today's modern libraries will find they are not silent spaces, but vibrant, busy spaces and offer more than just books.
"Engaging in free community events is just an extension of our services and connect with our users and collections."
This year there are more than 30 performances around the city's libraries, including at Waikouaiti, Port Chalmers, Blueskin Bay, Mosgiel and the Dunedin City Library.
Ms Knowles said if anyone wanted to see performances and could not make it to the library, there was footage online at www.dunedinlibraries.com.
• Meanwhile, the more conventional venues of the Dux De Lux, in Queenstown, and Refuel, in Dunedin, this week host Auckland suburbanites Dear Time's Waste, as support act to Yule.
The band claims to have been born from sleepy disillusionment with life in the city's leafy suburbs.
It further claims to paint an "aural picture of soft water colour with a grey wash of light".
The proof for that, or otherwise, is contained in its new EP Room for Rent, the product of "six solid months" recording in a rambling old house that was once a hospice.
The first single, Clandestine, has enjoyed some bNet air time.
