Skip to content

Artists

Tanaka-Nixon Meeting

Mid 1990’s free-noise duo made up of Danny Butt (Flies Inside The Sun) and Michael Morley (The Dead C etc). Released three ultra-rare Peter King 8″ lathes on Morley’s Precious Metal imprint, along with 2 albums and a single. Went from noise, scrapes and drones to releasing their own take on electronic dance music with 1998’s ‘Twelve Inches Heaven’.

#nzmusic #undergroundmusic #freenoise #tanakanixonmeeting

The Pin Group

The very first group to record on Flying Nun Records, fronted by legendary experimental guitarist Roy Montgomery. Dark and Gloomy, evocative recordings – suitably earning the nickname ‘Roy Division’.

#nzmusic #pingroup #flyingnunrecords #roymontgomery

Rik Starrr

‘A sort of holiday’ was a one-off 7″ single on Fkying Nun records from the mysterious Rik Starrr – an alias for Edmund Cake, yet to find his fame in the much vaunted Bressa Creeting Cake.

#nzmusic #rikstarrr #flyingnunrecords #edmundcake #bressacreetingcake

Luge

Manic Christchurch outfit based around the extreme bass guitar talents of (apprentice Wizard) Ari Freeman, with drumming by Andrew Robins, piccolo bass by Andrew Moore and the junk percussion of Mike Fordham (original member Adrian Currie moved to Wellington in 2002). Released an EP before moving on to other groups.

#nzmusic #luge #arifreeman

Putty in Her Hands

Poppy post-punk from Charlotte Yates and Christine Jeffs (now a movie director). Released an EP, expanded to a 6-piece band featuring Jackie Clarke on additional vocals, then split in 1990 with Yates going on to record her own solo material.

3nzmusic #puttyinherhands #charlotteyates

Solatudes

New-wave pop / post-punk group from early 1980’s Christchurch, featuring future Wastrels front-man Anton Jenner. Recently got their sole 7″ single reissued on Leather Jacket Records.

#nzmusic #solatudes #thewastrels

The Strange Girls

Fantastic folky lo-fi group from Dunedin from the super-prolific Clayton Noone and ex-Ho’ Dogs guitarist Kaaterama Morehu – who sadly passed away in 2020.

“At their best, The Strange Girls made ruminative, repetitive and atmospheric bummer folk”

#nzmusic #thestrangegirls #undergorundmusic

Warble

Warble was a High School aged post-rock group formed by (future stand-up comedian and author) Eamonn Marra and Jack Hooker, with the intent to enter Smoke-Free Rock Quest in 2008.

Joined by drummer James Woods (who had previously appeared alongside Hooker in We Will Fight You), violinist Clare Fryer and (initially) Valentine Nixon – though the Purple Pilgrims vocalist left before Warble had started recording their sole EP, which they put out on BandCamp in 2009.

#nzmusic #warble #purplepilgrims

Cloudboy

Excellent Dunedin dream-pop group Cloudboy are reuniting for a national tour after more than 20 years away. What better time than to revisit their band profile!

Formed as a side-project by 3 members of the Dunedin art-pop collective Mink – Cloudboy put out an EP, a couple singles and a terrific album back int he late 1990’s / early 2000s before vocalist Demarnia Lloyd started producing her own solo material.

See UTR for tickets

#nzmusic #cloudboy

Ansi

Biography Haunting improvised soundscapes of dueling bass and guitar with brief smatterings of samples thrown in at just the right moments. Sumac Records Members Discography Links

The Sweethearts

Adam McGrath’s early 2000’s attempt at a vocally-driven song-writing group after years of playing in punk and hard core groups – featured a teenage William Daymond; essentially a pre-cursor to the Eastern. Put out an album that went unnoticed.

#nzmusic #thesweethearts #adammcgrath #theeastern

Constant Pain

Constant Pain were a sadly under-recorded group featuring brilliant underground noisy guitar legends Cameron Bain and Roddy Pain, along with a revolving drummers seat of some of New Zealand’s finest drummers. Walls of wailing feedback and rolling rhythm drive some immense tunes. Both guitarists passed away in the 2010’s.

#nzmusic #constantpain #undergroundmusic #crawlspacereocrds

The International Telepaths

Lo-fi Garage rock’n’roll duo from Dunedin, circa the early to mid 2000’s. Released an album on guitarist/vocalist Dianne Smith (aka ‘Lucy Lurex’) label and promised a 2nd before promptly disappearing in 2005.

#nzmusic #theinternationaltelepaths

The Wastrels

The Wastrels were an early 1980’s Christchurch 4-piece pop-rock group who were touted as the ‘Next Big Thing’, but never kicked on to wider success, with just a single and an EP to their name.

#nzmusic #thewastrels