The Aesthetics
Dunedin destructo-rock outfit formed in 1995 by Matt Middleton (aka Crude). Trashy but sinister post-punk noise rock inspired by King Loser, Snapper, and the Dead C, with numerous lineup changes over three decades.
Spines
Wellington post-punk/ska band active 1981-1987, founded by Jon McLeary. Blended angular ska-punk with gothic-folk influences, releasing the celebrated ‘Fishing’ EP on Ripper Records. Their song ‘Your Body Stays’ became TV personality John Campbell’s all-time favorite NZ song.
Features
Auckland post-punk band formed in late 1979 by Jed Town and James Pinker (ex-Superettes) with Karel Van Bergen and Chris Orange. Drawing from PIL, Wire, and no-wave, they provided the stylistic delineation between punk and post-punk in Auckland before disbanding in 1980.
Supergroove
Supergroove formed on New Year’s Eve 1989/90 in Auckland, New Zealand, when the members were still in high school. The band began as “The Lowdown Dirty Blues Band” before transitioning to their signature funk sound. The core lineup included Karl Steven (vocals, harmonica), Joe Lonie (bass), Nick Atkinson (saxophone, keyboards), Che Fu (vocals), Ben Sciascia (guitar), and Tim Stewart (trumpet).
Thee Ideal Gus
Thee Ideal Gus is a sprawling experimental collective originating from Hamilton, New Zealand, in the early 1990s. Born from the same prolific underground “gene pool” that produced acts like Pumice, Armpit, and G.Frenzy, the group is characterized by a fluid, loosely defined membership and a steadfast commitment to lo-fi, improvised, and chance-based recording.
Pumice
The noisy, lo-fi and experimental one-man band of prolific multi-instrumentalist Stefan Neville who has been releasing DIY punky folk masterpieces since the mid 1990s (and continues today).
Three Leaning Men
Biography Palmerston North based jangly indie-pop group formed in 1985, featuring future member of The Mutton Birds bassist Alan Gregg, guitarist Greg Malcolm – who would have considerable success in underground circles as a solo artist, in collaboration with other… Read More »Three Leaning Men
Exploding Budgies
Biography Formed while the trio were still students at Northcote College around 1983, the Auckland group embraced a poppy, jangly sound—a style far removed from the fiery intensity guitarist Dave Mitchell would soon become famous for in Goblin Mix and… Read More »Exploding Budgies
Ghost Club
Biography ‘The Ghost Club‘ originally surfaced as the name of a 7″ single released by The 3D’s Dave Michell and Denise Roughan back in 1996 – a wonderful slice of melancholy that slipped under the radar on release. Within a… Read More »Ghost Club
This Kind Of Punishment
After Nocturnal Projections went their seperate ways in the early 80s, the two Jefferies brothers formed This Kind Of Punishment, a group that expanded their song-writing capabilities, and added variety to the Joy Division-styled approach of their former group.
Plagal Grind
Biography Short-lived super-group who’s key line-up centred around guitarist, vocalist and song-writer Alastair Galbraith, with Peter Jefferies (Nocturnal Projections, This Kind Of Punishment) on drums, Dave Mitchell (The 3Ds, Goblin Mix, Ghost Club etc) on rip-roaring guitarm and Galbraith’s former… Read More »Plagal Grind
Undercurrents, The Hatemen and French for Rabbits
Flashback to an oddball booking on December 2011 at the then-new Dux Central comprised of the whimsical French for Rabbit, boisterous Hatemen and the always good Undercurrents.
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The Chills
The Chills, led by Martin Phillips, were a seminal New Zealand band central to the Dunedin Sound. Formed in 1980. Despite struggles, including the death of drummer Martyn Bull and Phillips’ drug dependency and health issues, they continued producing acclaimed albums until Phillips’ unexpected passing in 2024.
#thechills #martinphillips #nzmusic
Regular Cadets
Regular Cadets were part of the Gisborne live music scene of the early to mid 1980s. Members Martin Kirk and (future television celebrity) Jackie Clarke would go on to find more success in later group Marching Orders.
#RegularCadets #NZMusic
Marching Orders
Gisborne-based chirpy synth-pop 4-piece featuring the vocals of future comedian / television personality Jackie Clarke and F Star Records’ Martin Kirk. Thanks to an association with Doug Hood (who engineered their recording) the group put out an obscure 12″ single on Flying Nun Records, before disbanding.
#MarchingOrders #NZMusic