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Dimmer

King Loser

Led by the dynamic duo of Celia Mancini and Chris Heazlewood, New Zealand’s surf and noise guitar gods King Loser were one of the best local groups for much of the 1990’s with 3 terrific albums and a handful of singles and bootleg releases before their split in 1997.

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Straitjacket Fits

Straitjacket Fits were a corner stone in New Zealand independent rock from their formation in 1986 till their inevitable break-up in February 1994. Though predominantly a kiwi indie-rock group, they were at times dissonant (and incredibly loud), hiding their delicate… Read More »Straitjacket Fits

Live: Flying Nun Records 30th Birthday

Flashback to the Flying Nun Records 30th Birthday show, November 18th, 2011 at the CPIT Students Association with Ghost Club, Shayne P Carter and Popstrangers.

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Double Happys

Double Happys brought together former Bored Games bandmates Shayne Carter and Wayne Else – originally with an unreliable drum-machine (named ‘Herbie Fuckface’), but eventually replaced with their High School friend John Collie. A wonderful, sometimes confrontational group who came to a tragic conclusion with the accidental death of Wayne Elsie in June 1985.

The Cartilage Family

The Cartilage Family were a short-lived Dunedin group featuring Peter Gutteridge (and a bunch of his best early songs), Shayne Carter, Lesley Paris and Francisca Griffin. No official recordings exist and they only performed live twice; but the Cartilage Family were an important stepping stone for New Zealand Music.

Cyclops

Excellent Dunedin 4-piece with a stellar line-up. Dark, noisy guitar and driving rhythm, but sadly only a single hard-to-find album (plus a couple 7″ singles) to their name. Closely tied to Bruce Blucher concurrent band Trash.

Bored Games

Before Dimmer, before Straitjacket Fits, before even the Doublehappys, Shayne Carter was in a Flying Nun Records-type punk band called Bored Games, who opened for the likes of the Clean and Toy Love before the lads had even left high school.

Skeptics

Hugely popular and influential New Zealand industrial rock act who emerged out of Palmerston North in 1979. Known for their grinding sound (a mix of noisy, scattered and angular guitar and eclectic electronic sounds) and one particularly visual music video – the incredible and universally banned ‘Affco’.

Die! Die! Die!

Die! Die! Die!

Since forming their first band in High School back in Dunedin, the duo of Michael Prain and Andrew Wilson have been consistently at the forefront of New Zealand independent music. Die! Die! Die! formed in 2003 as an Auckland-based post-punk group with an explosive, propulsive sound and excellent songs.

The Stereo Bus

The pop outgrowth of Ex-Christchurch song-writer Dave Yetton (Ex Jean-Paul Sartre Experience), who’s backing band has included a couple generations of well-known kiwi performers, including Pluto’s rhythm section at one point.

2 Foot Flame

Peter Jefferies, Michael Morley and Jean Smith (American singer-songwriter behind Mecca Normal) project, who released a couple of dark, but unfortunately unfocused albums on high profile American indie label Matador in the mid 90s.

SJD

Sean James Donnelly – production whizz, class bass-player, and thoroughly uneven song-writer. In 2003 Sjd was thrust into the spotlight after years of touring support and assisting production for the likes of Shayne Carters’ Dimmer with the debut of his… Read More »SJD

dimmer

Biography Dynamic, flowing rock with electronic influences and dark musical overtones. basically the one-man project of former Doublehappys / Straightjacket Fits frontman Shayne Carter, Dimmer spent the best part of 5 years living off the expectations that their solitary debut… Read More »dimmer

Flying Nun Records

The independent label that put New Zealand Music on the map. From Roger Shephard’s formation of the label in 1980 through to now, Flying Nun has been a mark of creative, quirky, inventive music with a distinct kiwi flavor.