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Nemesis Dub Systems

Biography Early Wildside Records electronic dub outfit comprised of future Unitone Hi-Fi member (and production wizard) Joost Langeveld along with his NRA bandmate Eddie Chambers. Stinky Jim (aka Auckland DJ and musician Jim Pinckney) was a regular contributor, and some… Read More »Nemesis Dub Systems

Daisy Chain Halo

Hamilton rockers (who describe themselves as having a heavy acoustic sound) Daisy Chain Halo are a trio comprised of ex-Wellington group Porch members Carl Watkins and Corrina Watts, along with a succession of drummers, eventually settling on Hamilton-native Luke Hale in mid-2002.

#nzmusic #daisychainhalo

3 Voices

3 Voices is an extraordinary release in the history of New Zealand underground pop. The group was formed by the core song-writing duo of Rob Sinclair and David Bowater, with brilliant slick drummer Steve Garden, and an assortment of talented musicians contributing to the sole album. Sinclair and Bowater had both been in Schtung, then briefly formed the group Ray A – which is where most of this material originates from.

#nzmusic #3voices

Black Albino

Black Albino was the name of a trio Hodgson fronted as guitarist for a single show in 2004.

The show reunited last-generation Incisions members Tim McDonald (Drums) and Karl Jensen (Bass) for a balls-to-the-wall explosion of noise – excellent stuff and an indication of what Hodgson can do given the context.

#nzmusic #blackalbino

Dave Edwards

‘Gleefully Unknown’ Wellington-based New Plymouth-raised lo-fi homebrew musician releasing material under his own name (on his own fiffdimension mail order label), under the fiffdimension or Dave Black aliases, as well as in collaboration with other like-minded artists.

#nzmusic #daveedwards #fiffdimension

Interview: Ascension Band

Flashback to 2004 and an interview I conducted with Dave Edwarfs and Nigel Patterson of Ascension Band on the eve of their performance at the Wellington Fringe Festival.

#nzmusic #ascensionband #daveedwards

The Verlaines

Formed in late 1980, The Verlaines is Graeme Downes’ long-standing song-writing vehicle, and one-hell of a brilliant, literate band at that. With the classic early 1980’s line-up of Downes on guitar and vocals, Alan Haig on drums and Jane Dodd on bass, the Verlaines released excellent singles such as ’10 O’Clock In The Afternoon’ from the EP of the same name, and of course their signature tune ‘Death And The Maiden’, which stands as one of the true kiwi classics.

#nzmusic #theverlaines

Lesley Speaker

Lesley Speaker was a Dunedin trio fronted by Kitset’s Peter Hobbs, putting out a 7″ lathe cut single and a CDr EP on the Beat Atlas label in 1998. Hobbs went on to become a movie soundtrack composer and studio engineer.

#nzmusic #lesleyspeaker

TV Eye

TV Eye was a collective rather than a label, with releases comprised of group, duo and solo material from the musicians that made up the South Island recording collective The Picnic Boys, plus a couple of hard-to-find compilations that include the same groups and a handful of others who may or may not feature key members Kevin Smith, Steve Watson, Pat Faigan, and Tim McCleod.

#tveye #nzmusic #thepicnicboys #sayyestoapes

Return Of The Wahlbergs

Experimental recording alias of Wellington-based musician Brett Garrity, who formed the Stinkbuzz Recording Co-Op label with Julian Desmond (Letterbox Lambs) in 1999. Garrity had a stint as Marineville’s bassist during the period they recorded their well-liked debut Ready for the Dance.

#nzmusic #returnofthewahlbergs

Vibraslaps

Vibraslaps were an all female post-punky outfit best known for an EP put out on Flying Nun Records in 1985, and for (briefly) being at the forefront of New Zealand’s lesbian feminist music scene during the turbulent mid 1980s.

#nzmusic #vibraslaps

Marie and the Atom

Marie and the Atom were an experimental pop group created as a performance and song-writing vehicle for Gill Civil. The group released 3 boundary-pushing EPs in the mid 1980’s and are best remembered for their song ‘Isol’.

#nzmusic #marieandtheatom

The Knobz

Opportunistic Dunedin-based 4-piece pub-rock band known pretty much exclusively for their career-defining single ‘Culture?’, a satirical lampoon of Prime Minister Muldoon, and his despised 40% sales tax on local music. The song and hastily produced video featured McPhail and Gadsby regular, comedian and Muldoon impersonator Danny Faye. Released in November 1981, ‘Culture?’ is a rock radio classic in New Zealand – and has the distinction of being the first independently released local single to break into the top 5 of the New Zealand charts.

#nzmusic #theknobz

Psycho-Kat

The Psycho-Kat was the name given by Tracey Pagey to her solo music for kRkRkRk between mid 1994 & late 1996. “Metal percussion & distorted synth drones Amidst all this industrial noise & chaos, however, were far more subtle compositions which used layered, ethereal vocals, wind instruments & understated loops to create an altogether more meditative & ritualistic feel.

#nzmusic #psycho-kat

Five Year Mission

Napier-based old school punk band that split a record label and an EP with Auckland group Armatrak in 1986. The group prepared a 4 song EP but lost the masters of 2 of the songs, so instead released the two song ‘UFO’ (written about the infamous Kaikoura Lights) as a single.

#nzmusic #fiveyearmission