[{"id":211725189271,"handle":"3ds","title":"3Ds","updated_at":"2022-05-16T14:55:10+12:00","body_html":"\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0450\/3165\/3527\/files\/3Ds_Flying_Nun-3_1024x1024.jpg?v=1598675162\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e3Ds were the biggest ‘third wave’ Flying Nun band, formed by musicians from earlier FN groups. Starting out in Dunedin in 1988, they recorded three albums and several EPs, the best-known being \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/flying-out.myshopify.com\/collections\/the-3ds\/products\/the-3ds-the-venus-trail\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Venus Trail\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e (1993). They achieved worldwide critical and commercial success, and toured extensively overseas from 1992-95.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe 3Ds\u003c\/b\u003e came into being in Dunedin in mid-1988, after the male members all relocated from Auckland in search of cheap rent, booze and 24 hour-a-day rock’n roll. Their arrival swelled the ranks of many bands, including \u003cb\u003eSnapper\u003c\/b\u003e,\u003cb\u003e Chug\u003c\/b\u003e and \u003cb\u003ePlagal Grind\u003c\/b\u003e, but they all became best-known as members of the 3Ds.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAfter initially forming as a trio (hence the name) they were joined in early 1989 by David Mitchell. He introduced a third song-writer and singer, as well as the twin-guitar attack which became the defining feature of the group. Mitchell’s intricate and demented artwork also featured memorably on most of their record covers and posters. Once you’ve seen an entire city sodomised by giant rats, you never forget it.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWith the completion of the alchemical transformation from a loose jamming agglomeration to the 3Ds, and the band immediately began their assault on New Zealand’s then-burgeoning underground rock scene. They stood out from the start in their ability to sway both the critics and a broader audience. The 3Ds were a band with something for everyone - a knock-out combination of over-loaded guitars, horror-show imagery and toothsome vocal harmonies. While the Pixies were often cited as a formative influence, it’s more correct to see them as the bastard offspring of Black Sabbath and Fairport Convention. Their point of difference was the unique combination of Celtic lilt with berserk metal fury.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTheir first recordings were delayed by over a year as the band tried twice to secure CreativeNZ funding support, amazingly without success. Their first recordings were a bunch of demos, one of which, \u003ci\u003e‘Meluzina Man’\u003c\/i\u003e became their first release on the 1990 compilation Xpressway Pile-up. The band recorded their Flying Nun debut \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eFish Tales\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e in early 1990, starting a long close association with Dunedin’s Fish St Studios. Their second EP (\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSwarthy Songs for Swabs\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e) and debut album (\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eHellzapoppin’\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e) followed over the next two years, the latter spawning the unstoppable single \u003ci\u003eOuter Space\u003c\/i\u003e. After the first record all their sessions were produced by their live engineer of choice, Tex Houston.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first three records saw US release under licence to First Warning, an RCA-affiliate that almost immediately went pants-up, rather negating the crazed wave of critical adulation that greeted their release. The band first toured the US in 1992, followed by an Australian tour with the\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLemonheads\u003c\/strong\u003e. They were among the first New Zealand bands to take advantage of the international connections established in the later 1980s to tour and release records in both the US and the UK.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTheir second album\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Venus Trail\u003c\/em\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e(1993) has proved to be their classic. This included their best known singles\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eHey Seuss\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eand Beautiful Things. It was released in the US by\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMerge\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e(train-spotters please note, the Merge single of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBeautiful Things\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis an entirely different version, sung by Denise), and also in the UK by Flying Nun, once more to a critical response akin to that given to a free cigarette-scramble in a prison yard.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe year 1994 was dominated by a three-month tour to the UK and the US. While in England they recorded a Peel session and were widely lauded by the music press. Their extensive US tour included gigs with the likes of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePavement\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, but proved a gruelling effort. Still, this was pretty heady stuff for a New Zealand band of that era. The following year they recorded the stop-gap \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCaterwauling\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e four song EP and toured Australia as part of the main stage action at the Big Day Out festival. They also scored the NZ supports on the massive Zoo TV tour by U2, typically taking advantage of the opportunity to plunder the headliners’ liquor rider. This led to a handwritten thumbs-up from Bono and the gift of yet further top-shelf liquor in recognition of their contribution at the shows.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eFinally in 1996 the 3Ds managed one more LP, the darkly-morose \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eStrange News From The Angels\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e. This was well-received but contained no singles to match their previous efforts. The band, feeling that the fun had gone out of the experience, announced their split in early 1997. Coaxed from retirement to perform at the 20th anniversary Merge Fest in 2009, they followed this in early 2010 with a series of shows in New Zealand and a UK appearance at All Tomorrows Parties. Future plans are unclear.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eBy Bruce Russell (The Dead C)\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ePvmxGA2vqU\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2020-08-09T18:29:03+12:00","sort_order":"best-selling","template_suffix":"","disjunctive":false,"rules":[{"column":"tag","relation":"equals","condition":"3Ds"}],"published_scope":"global","image":{"created_at":"2020-08-12T21:56:57+12:00","alt":null,"width":1000,"height":1000,"src":"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0450\/3165\/3527\/collections\/hero_thumb_a1307.jpg?v=1598675175"}},{"id":211727974551,"handle":"chris-knox","title":"Chris Knox","updated_at":"2022-05-09T17:34:24+12:00","body_html":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0450\/3165\/3527\/files\/Chris_Knox_Flying_Nun_1024x1024.jpg?v=1598260692\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eI first met Chris Knox in my shop Records Records, where he would come after he had finished his postie run. He would usually denigrate some of the vaunted albums in the Recent Arrivals bin, always with a smile, lovely teeth, and then drift over to the One Dollar Cardboard Box, where, in those incredible days, he was able to buy Pip Proud for just that one dollar. I had tried to sell Pip Proud for more, but nobody wanted it.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eChris also worked, variously, at the Cadburys Chocolate Factory and Brian Snell's Hi Fi Shop. He flatted behind Snells, and shop manager Ron Esplin was fond of telling people later on when Chris' musical stature grew, that one morning when Chris didn't turn up for work, he went over there to yank him out of bed, only there was someone else in the bed as well. Ron, with the highly developed Presbyterian moral ethic so common to those of us who live in the south, was shocked. But he liked Chris, he kept him on.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Enemy was put together a year or two later. I knew Chris quite well by then, but didn't go to any of the practices, unlike others in our group, who reported back breathlessly that the songs were amazing. Like a number of others, I was asked to come and try out for the band with my Diplomat copy guitar, but I knew my limitations and said I was busy that night.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Beneficiaries Hall debut confirmed The Enemy had amazing songs. Talk turned quickly to getting them down on tape. I had a good reel to reel, a Revox A-77 (which I later sold to David Kilgour, his song Tape Machine is about that) and a bad microphone, so I hauled the two along to the old Cellar Club in Manse Street to record a gig on Alec Bathgate's birthday. Chris had given me a tape I could use - \"Don't worry about what is on it, just wipe eberything off, they're just really old songs I used to write, they're crap.\"\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNone of us had a sense of history then, not even me, who was older, and should have understood history. So I didn't even play the tape before I erased it with The Enemy at The Cellar Club. This would rank as one of the top ten studpiest things I have ever done in my life.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eUnfortunately the cheap microphone had the final say that night. The band dutifully came up to our house on the following Monday and we listened to the tape through a big Jansen valve amplifier to try and get that raw rough live sound. Everyone got very depressed, tape recorders can be cruel when you have only performed in public a couple of times. But Chris was great all the way through, trying to pull the project up from under the water in much the same way he tried to rescue the Toy Love album years later, singing his heart out. Talk turned to doing covers. Yes please, said Mick. No, never, said Chris.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Enemy took all those good songs into Toy Love and records were finally made, chart positions achieved, and then came Flying Nun. When the label produced a pack of cards on their tenth anniversary with drawings by Chris, he did one of me, calling me The Godfather Of The Dunedin Sound. Wrong. Chris was always that. Everyone deferred to him, hung on his every word and piece of advice, and used his evaluation of their performance as a barometer of where they stood. Most of all, Chris helped so many of them, often reserving his most fulsome praise and material assistance to the ones who were at the bottom of the totem pole, the Pip Proud One Dollar Cardboard Box ones.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eI went up to see Chris in Auckland this year, well after his debilitating stroke. I had been told a variety of distressing stories, I didn't know what to expect. But the old Chris was still there, wordless maybe, but the eyes and the smile and the expressive face said so much. As it always did. I had always meant to mention that silly story about him not making it to work that morning at Brian Snells, somehow it had just never come up. Probably because it was silly. It seemed the time now, the moment was ripe for something right off the wall. But Chris was getting tired. I saved it for another time, and used the extra few minutes it would have taken to tell to hug him that much longer.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eChris would have laughed though, he would have really laughed.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2020-08-09T18:56:44+12:00","sort_order":"created","template_suffix":"","disjunctive":false,"rules":[{"column":"tag","relation":"equals","condition":"Chris Knox"}],"published_scope":"global","image":{"created_at":"2020-08-24T21:18:30+12:00","alt":null,"width":1000,"height":1000,"src":"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0450\/3165\/3527\/collections\/Chris_Knox_Flying_Nun_Square.jpg?v=1598260710"}},{"id":392313798900,"handle":"flying-nun-catalog","title":"Flying Nun Catalog","updated_at":"2022-05-20T12:15:09+12:00","body_html":"The full catalog of Flying Nun Records releases, including many rare and collectable records released on 7' 12\" vinyl, cassette, CD and download. Many of these albums are out of print or no longer available, while others have been re-pressed and can be bought in our record store. If you find one of these going cheap in your local junk shop - snap it up!","published_at":"2021-12-04T16:32:39+13:00","sort_order":"created","template_suffix":"","disjunctive":true,"rules":[{"column":"tag","relation":"equals","condition":"Flying Nun Catalog"},{"column":"tag","relation":"equals","condition":"Flying Nun"}],"published_scope":"global"},{"id":211745046679,"handle":"snapper","title":"Snapper","updated_at":"2022-04-09T23:30:06+12:00","body_html":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0450\/3165\/3527\/files\/Snapper_Flying_Nun_1024x1024.jpg?v=1598869186\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSnapper's\u003c\/strong\u003e music has been criminally under-represented on record -- since their first self-titled EP release in 1989, they have released the album \u003cstrong\u003eShotgun Blossom\u003c\/strong\u003e (1992), a seven inch single \u003cstrong\u003eGentle Hour\u003c\/strong\u003e (1993) and \u003cstrong\u003eADM\u003c\/strong\u003e (1996). The hypnotic attack of every Snapper release has been greeted with acclaim, receiving rave reviews in the UK, US and NZ press and gaining a loyal following (including the likes of Stereolab and the Jesus and Mary Chain).\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePeter Gutteridge\u003c\/strong\u003e was a co-founder of \u003cstrong\u003eThe Clean\u003c\/strong\u003e he live-in-1979 tracks on the long-deleted \u003ci\u003eOdditties 2\u003c\/i\u003e cassette – including the first recording of \u003cem\u003ePoint That Thing Somewhere Else.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAlan Haig\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003ePeter Gutteridge\u003c\/strong\u003e played together in the original line-up of \u003cstrong\u003eThe Chills\u003c\/strong\u003e, but after hearing Gutteridge's tapes, Alan and Peter then started playing together again in 1986, recording songs on the 4-track, Haig metronomically replicating the drum machine with his live, motorik rhythms. \u003cstrong\u003eDominic Stones\u003c\/strong\u003e moved from Auckland to Dunedin and joined \u003cstrong\u003eThe 3ds\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eSnapper\u003c\/strong\u003e. \u003cstrong\u003eChristine Voice\u003c\/strong\u003e joined them and suddenly they were \u003cstrong\u003eSnapper\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn 2013, \u003cstrong\u003eFlying Nun\u003c\/strong\u003e re-released the self-titled Snapper EP on vinyl. This EP includes \u003c\/span\u003ethe bands best known track \u003cem\u003eBuddy\u003c\/em\u003e. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSadly, in 2014 Peter passed away. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2020-08-09T21:18:27+12:00","sort_order":"best-selling","template_suffix":"","disjunctive":false,"rules":[{"column":"tag","relation":"equals","condition":"Snapper"}],"published_scope":"global","image":{"created_at":"2020-08-31T22:19:56+12:00","alt":null,"width":1000,"height":1000,"src":"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0450\/3165\/3527\/collections\/Snapper_Flying_Nun_SQUARE.jpg?v=1598869196"}},{"id":211745472663,"handle":"straitjacket-fits","title":"Straitjacket Fits","updated_at":"2022-05-19T10:35:05+12:00","body_html":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThey had smouldering good looks, real star power and most importantly, their guitars rang with more than their rightful share of apocalyptic riffs blessed by Satan himself, or the Lord Jehovah, maybe. Who knows, but they were that good.\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/b\u003eThey nearly conquered the world, but it all ended in tears. \u003cb\u003eStraitjacket Fits\u003c\/b\u003e left us with three achingly great albums and some of the best songs in NZ rock history, and that should be enough.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIf there was a typical “Flying Nun” band in the mid-‘80s, Straitjacket Fits were its antithesis. Short of star power and brooding good looks (unless you counted Graeme Downes’ handsome bookishness or Martin Phillipps’ round-faced cuteness), the label’s good shepherd (haw-haw) must have blanched (or maybe just smiled) at the cool cache ‘the Fits’ instantly brought to the label.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMind you, hindsight is often just poor memory, and maybe at the beginning they just seemed like another bunch of dour Dunedin youths with black jerseys and pudding bowl haircuts.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn fact, \u003cb\u003eBored Games\u003c\/b\u003e (and later \u003cb\u003eThe Double Happys\u003c\/b\u003e) had two potential rock stars in their ranks, Shayne Carter and Wayne Elsey, but that came to a messy, tragic end, and after a suitable period of mourning, we were warned of Carter’s impending greatness by the apocalyptic one-off with Peter Jefferies, ‘Randolph’s Going Home’.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eI find ‘She Speeds’ hard to listen to now, so coiled and intense and perfect and instantly gob-smackingly memorable that it’s branded permanently in my psyche; but when it was released in ‘86 it seemed like there had never been a song like it, and there probably isn’t. Blessed with a bridge that rang with the Byrds-like harmonies of former \u003cb\u003eOrange\u003c\/b\u003e man Andrew Brough, the song’s ultimate genius was in its contrast with the roller coaster “here we go again” momentum of the chorus and its unforgettable Carter guitar lines.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRock journalism talks too much about success and industry, and we’ve all heard those sob stories about \u003cb\u003eStraitjacket Fits\u003c\/b\u003e and how they nearly made it overseas, but how it all went horribly wrong. None of that matters now, because we’ve got the music, and their albums are full of coruscating, surging genius. This is guitar-based rock music the way it is supposed to sound; informed by history, meaning every word and every gesture, surging with hormones, genuine and real but unconcerned with that boring word “authenticity”. \u003cb\u003eStraitjacket Fits\u003c\/b\u003e were all about the imperative to burst through to the sublime, breaking on through to a different place (and Shayne would hate me for saying this, but they remind me of the Doors in that way. I know, I know, Carter is a much less pretentious shaman than Jim Morrison, but…)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSince ‘the Fits’, Shayne has gone on to \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flyingnun.co.nz\/artist\/31\/show_group\" style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 1.4em;\"\u003eDimmer\u003c\/a\u003e, and this sentiment goes against general opinion, but I think his songs are even better these days; now he really gets inside them, knows how to examine them, work his way back out from the song like a happy munching worm in an apple. And he still writes guitar riffs that come straight from Satan, or Jehovah, or wherever.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStraitjacket Fits\u003c\/strong\u003e, then. A couple of classic albums, \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/flyingout.co.nz\/products\/straitjacket-fits-hail\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e'\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eHail'\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/a\u003eand '\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.flyingnun.co.nz\/shop\/38\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eMelt\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cb\u003e'\u003c\/b\u003e, combining Carter’s burning grooves with Brough’s harmonic splendour; one last without Brough ('\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.flyingnun.co.nz\/shop\/35\"\u003eBlow\u003c\/a\u003e') that at the time seemed too dark, too monochromatic. Listen to it now, as I did the other day, and it’s stupendous; rich, and less dated than all that grunge stuff that was so hip at the time. But back to 'Hail': what a record, with their utterly cool version of Laughing Len Cohen’s ‘\u003ci\u003eSo Long, Marianne’\u003c\/i\u003e and, on the CD, their first EP, \u003cb\u003eLife In One Chord\u003c\/b\u003e, added for good measure. But \u003cb\u003eMelt\u003c\/b\u003e is generally considered their best work, despite somewhat dated production, and contains key songs like ‘\u003ci\u003eBad Note For A Heart’\u003c\/i\u003e and Brough’s ‘\u003ci\u003eDown In Splendour\u003c\/i\u003e’.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAt its core, \u003cstrong\u003eStraitjacket Fits\u003c\/strong\u003e were Shayne Carter with able accomplices (did I mention their powerhouse rhythm section of drummer \u003cstrong\u003eJohn Collie\u003c\/strong\u003e and bassist \u003cstrong\u003eDavid Wood\u003c\/strong\u003e?), but in the end, it was all about Carter’s brooding intent, and those malevolent riffs that have a sense of otherness that few “normal” rock groups could ever muster. They rock(ed).\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cb\u003eGARY STEEL\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003ci\u003eGary Steel is a freelance writer, and Music Editor of \u003c\/i\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.witchdoctor.co.nz\/\"\u003e\u003ci\u003ewww.witchdoctor.co.nz\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003ci\u003e He has been spreading his rancid opinions on NZ music since 1978. He has no plans to stop any time soon.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2020-08-09T21:23:53+12:00","sort_order":"best-selling","template_suffix":"","disjunctive":false,"rules":[{"column":"tag","relation":"equals","condition":"Straitjacket Fits"}],"published_scope":"global","image":{"created_at":"2020-09-22T21:49:41+12:00","alt":"Straitjacket Fits Band from New Zealand","width":1000,"height":1000,"src":"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0450\/3165\/3527\/collections\/IMG_20200822_0018_SQUARE.jpg?v=1651291078"}},{"id":211745734807,"handle":"superette","title":"Superette","updated_at":"2022-04-30T13:56:37+12:00","body_html":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSuperette\u003c\/strong\u003e must love animals. Last year, the group named their debut EP \u003cem\u003eRosepig\u003c\/em\u003e after the dog that featured on the cover. The cover of their recent single, Touch Me, was adorned by a mouse and a birthday cake. No prizes then for guessing what to look for when you head to the record store to buy their fantastic new album, Tiger.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTiger\u003c\/em\u003e was created by the same line-up that brought us \u003cem\u003eRosepig\u003c\/em\u003e but lead singer\/guitarist \u003cstrong\u003eDave Mulcahy\u003c\/strong\u003e, bassist \u003cstrong\u003eBen Howe\u003c\/strong\u003e, and drummer \u003cstrong\u003eGreta Anderson\u003c\/strong\u003e have stretched \u003cstrong\u003eSuperette\u003c\/strong\u003e into a more powerful musical unit than Rosepig would ever have suggested possible. That means the clean instrumental drive of the three-piece band is augmented by vastly more assured arrangement and studio production from the band and engineer \u003cstrong\u003eNick Roughan\u003c\/strong\u003e over a set of twelve songs that confirm their quality songwriting talent.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eKiller Clown\u003c\/em\u003e is the only EP track present on \u003cem\u003eTiger\u003c\/em\u003e. \u003cem\u003eTouch M\u003c\/em\u003ee, also here, gives more indication of what to expect from Tiger -- confident, strident performance and extra throttle added to the group's vocals by Greta and Ben joining Dave at the mic throughout the album.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eComparisons to \u003cstrong\u003eJPS Experience\u003c\/strong\u003e, Dave's previous band, are inevitable but \u003cstrong\u003eSuperette's\u003c\/strong\u003e smart, distinctive music sounds increasingly like its own thing: a blend of chunky riffs and sweet melodies that makes real comparison hard. But if you blend the attitudes of a certain \u003cstrong\u003eSonic Youthness\u003c\/strong\u003e in the second half of Tiger and a hint of \u003cstrong\u003eT Rex\u003c\/strong\u003e, especially by the slower songs, with your classic Flying Nun songwriting ingredients then you may have it. Add the cryptic lyrical sense that has always characterised Mulcahy's writing and there's definitely something special here.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhat's certain is that there is variety aplenty. The ragged rocking of \u003cem\u003eUgly Things\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eI Got It Clean\u003c\/em\u003e are followed by \u003cem\u003eSaskatchewan\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eTaiwan\u003c\/em\u003e, each with a bizarre geographical hook. The bright hooks of \u003cem\u003eTouch Me\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eKiss Someone\u003c\/em\u003e contrast with upright heavy riff-monsters like Funny Weather and Felo de se. The mood then extends to gentler moments Bye Bye and Dave's beautiful solo album closer, Waves.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSuperette's\u003c\/strong\u003e videos for \u003cem\u003eKiller Clown\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eTouch Me\u003c\/em\u003e have already received plenty of attention. \u003cem\u003eKiller Clown\u003c\/em\u003e, a surreal adults-as-children party sequence starred the dog \u003cstrong\u003eRosepig\u003c\/strong\u003e. \u003cem\u003eTouch Me\u003c\/em\u003e features pretty much the same cast involved in some badass peepshow action. Another epic Superette clip is due shortly for album track Kiss Someone, and they're promising this one is a safari video with the usual cast.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThose twisted visuals match Superette's song sensibility all too well. There are definitely some strange depths in their music. That just makes it all the more interesting and certainly adds to the fun. Tiger: all sorts of strange fun and definitely worth a ride.\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2020-08-09T21:25:38+12:00","sort_order":"best-selling","template_suffix":"","disjunctive":false,"rules":[{"column":"tag","relation":"equals","condition":"Superette"}],"published_scope":"global","image":{"created_at":"2020-08-26T21:36:47+12:00","alt":"Superette","width":1000,"height":1000,"src":"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0450\/3165\/3527\/collections\/IMG_0111.jpg?v=1651283797"}},{"id":211726762135,"handle":"the-bats","title":"The Bats","updated_at":"2022-05-20T11:30:05+12:00","body_html":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0450\/3165\/3527\/files\/The_Bats_Flying_Nun_2_1024x1024.jpg?v=1598092491\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSpanning the last 38 years,\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBats\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ehave clocked ten incredible albums; each one seeing the band evolve with new material from the prolific songwriting hand of\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRobert\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eScott\u003c\/strong\u003e. Add to that tally the extra singles, b-sides, EPs, compilations and tribute songs they’ve recorded, creating a succinct setlist is a nearly impossible task.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe Bats\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003emust hold a record in New Zealand (perhaps the whole world, once The Rolling Stones throw in the towel) as a band that has survived with the same line-up for 38 years. No split ups, no reforming for nostalgia’s sake.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSo far, half the band have spots in The New Zealand Music Hall Of Fame, vocalist\/ guitarist\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRobert\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eScott\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e(\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eClean\u003c\/strong\u003e) and bassist\/producer\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ePaul\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eKean\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e(\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eToy\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eLove\u003c\/strong\u003e), and it’s only a matter of time before lead guitarist\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eKaye\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eWoodward\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eand drummer\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMalcolm\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGrant\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003efind themselves in there too. The four-piece has created twisted wistful folk, psychedelic rock, bouncy twee pop, and everything in between, but whatever the genre, their sound is always distinctively, unmistakably\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBats\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0450\/3165\/3527\/files\/The_Bats_1024x1024.jpg?v=1598868606\" alt=\"\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"1120\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/xC4SX4c50Ig\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2020-08-09T18:45:04+12:00","sort_order":"best-selling","template_suffix":"","disjunctive":false,"rules":[{"column":"tag","relation":"equals","condition":"The Bats"}],"published_scope":"global","image":{"created_at":"2020-08-22T22:30:21+12:00","alt":null,"width":1000,"height":1002,"src":"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0450\/3165\/3527\/collections\/The_Bats_Flying_Nun.jpg?v=1598092222"}},{"id":211727843479,"handle":"the-chills","title":"The Chills","updated_at":"2022-05-18T11:35:47+12:00","body_html":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0450\/3165\/3527\/files\/The_Chills_Flying_Nun-3_1024x1024.jpg?v=1598867199\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhere \u003cstrong\u003eThe Chills\u003c\/strong\u003e are concerned, there’s no simple summary of who, what and why. Perhaps only ‘when’, and even then the last 30 years seem to blur. This is testament to the physical persistence of Chills founder and centrifugal force \u003cstrong\u003eMartin Phillipps\u003c\/strong\u003e, but also his kaleidoscopic, obsessive and idiosyncratic nature. For no other \u003cstrong\u003eFlying Nun\u003c\/strong\u003e associate had such gumption to reach out overseas, nor was beset by both simple and turbulent twists of fate. Which meant no one could keep up with Phillipps’ wayward path - hence The Chills’ now infamously documented personnel changes (there are over 20 line-ups to peruse if you choose).\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003ciframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/pjW3MT8D9RY\" height=\"630\" width=\"1120\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" frameborder=\"0\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAt least the music remains, and here there is much more certainty. The Chills were exemplars of the so-called Dunedin Sound – an often moist and melancholy, simultaneously dark and breezy amalgam of Western garage-pop roots but invested with an otherworldly aura, as if those overseas influences had indeed seeped in upside down. But only Phillipps was this quixotic, bridging folk and bubblegum, Bowie and Syd Barrett, with feverish shivers and childlike whimsy. (No one else would have dared wear pixie boots with no irony, only joy.). If music has a psycho-geographical bent, then it’s the air, waves and light of the Otago peninsular, and the spaciousness and remoteness of NZ itself, that glows and thrums through his songs.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0450\/3165\/3527\/files\/The_Chills_Flying_Nun-1_1024x1024.jpg?v=1598867261\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2020-08-09T18:55:26+12:00","sort_order":"created-desc","template_suffix":"","disjunctive":false,"rules":[{"column":"tag","relation":"equals","condition":"The Chills"}],"published_scope":"global","image":{"created_at":"2020-08-24T18:47:43+12:00","alt":null,"width":874,"height":877,"src":"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0450\/3165\/3527\/collections\/The_Chills_Flying_Nun.jpg?v=1598251664"}},{"id":211728040087,"handle":"the-clean","title":"The Clean","updated_at":"2022-05-18T11:36:05+12:00","body_html":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0450\/3165\/3527\/files\/The_Clean_Flying_Nun_1024x1024.jpg?v=1598257731\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhat can be said about \u003cstrong\u003eThe Clean\u003c\/strong\u003e? In 1978, they were the seeds of New Zealand punk and the reason for the founding of \u003cstrong\u003eFlying Nun\u003c\/strong\u003e, one of the greatest record labels that ever existed. They carved out a big sandbox for everyone to play in, and their influence resonated not only in New Zealand but around the world. Not only do bands like Yo La Tengo, Guided By Voices, Sonic Youth, Pavement, and their ilk owe a debt to The Clean, but many of today's young upstarts such as Times New Viking, Eat Skull, and a band from China called Carsick Cars have the Dunedin godfathers deeply etched into their DNA.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eI've personally witnessed four or five waves of rediscovery of \u003cstrong\u003eThe Clean\u003c\/strong\u003e in the years since I first heard them in 1986, and the stuff just continues to educate. Homestead's US issue of Compilation in the late '80s and Merge's double-disc Anthology from 2002 both laid out a complete rulebook, and a pretty in-depth one at that. Nevertheless, if someone else compiles them again in 2015, it's going to resonate just as strongly. Simply put, the music of the brothers \u003cstrong\u003eKilgour\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eBob Scott\u003c\/strong\u003e holds up pretty damn well in 2009 for anyone checking them out for the first or 5,000th time.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"1120\" height=\"630\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/7tf1wzg4rdE\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhat's the sound? It's completely theirs but draws on everything from the psychedelic paste of Barrett\/early Floyd to vintage Velvets propulsiveness to almost everything else under the sun. In the case of the live staple \"Point That Thing Somewhere Else,\" here is a song that levitates any room in a way that makes you swear the band just stepped out of Conny Plank's studio in Germany with all the bulldozing power of Hawkwind. Their jubilance at times (the organ-laced \"Tally Ho,\" \"Beatnik,\" \"Whatever I Do\") makes the Banana Splits sound like Bauhaus while simultaneously exhibiting dark undercurrents, making Bauhaus sound like the Banana Splits.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThey created both full studio sound and lo-fi recordings before, during, and after the various waves of the 4-track revolution, making both recording modes work with no loss of the band's identity. As far as other influences, you can hear Arthur Lee, Shirley Collins, and the Rolling Stones, among others, but it's never a kind of forced appropriation; while some bands seem to say, \"Look at my record collection,\" in the case of The Clean, it's organic, seamless, and inimitable. Though hardly as prolific as The Fall, another maverick group of originality, The Clean have endured for almost as long while maintaining a completely unique, quality stamp that's often replicated but never quite mastered by anyone but themselves. They're also one of the best (and sometimes loudest) live bands I've had the pleasure of seeing.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e- \u003cstrong\u003eBrian Turner\u003c\/strong\u003e, New York\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0450\/3165\/3527\/files\/The_Clean_Flying_Nun_-2_1024x1024.jpg?v=1598867702\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2020-08-09T18:58:18+12:00","sort_order":"created-desc","template_suffix":"","disjunctive":false,"rules":[{"column":"tag","relation":"equals","condition":"The Clean"}],"published_scope":"global","image":{"created_at":"2020-08-24T20:29:16+12:00","alt":null,"width":1334,"height":1333,"src":"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0450\/3165\/3527\/collections\/The_Clean_Flying_Nun.jpg?v=1598257756"}},{"id":211746554007,"handle":"various","title":"Various","updated_at":"2022-05-14T13:37:49+12:00","body_html":"","published_at":"2020-08-09T21:30:58+12:00","sort_order":"best-selling","template_suffix":"","disjunctive":false,"rules":[{"column":"tag","relation":"equals","condition":"Various"}],"published_scope":"global"},{"id":262153961623,"handle":"various-1","title":"Various","updated_at":"2022-05-14T13:37:49+12:00","body_html":"","published_at":"2021-03-18T22:15:56+13:00","sort_order":"best-selling","template_suffix":"","disjunctive":false,"rules":[{"column":"tag","relation":"equals","condition":"Various"}],"published_scope":"global"}]