One of Bruce Russell’s (Dead C) and Alastair Galbraith’s darkest outfits, often dealing with distinct imagery and motif’s in their music and especially pronounced in their liner notes (most of which are distributed through Russell’s Corpus Hermeticum label).
Formed by the duo in Dunedin in 1984, and primarily a free noise group. Though primarily a duo, Peter Stapleton had been a regular contributor from 1993 until his passing in March 2020.
The starting point for two key members of the Christchurch Music Community, Pihed featured Andrew Penman (Salmonella Dub, bass and vocals) and Tom Mahon (The Strange Loves, guitar and vocals), along with Carolyn O’Neill (vocals), Bede Pascoe (keyboards), and Andrew Cavanagh (drums).
Heavy free-noise-metal from Auckland 3, occasionally expanded to a 4 piece with the addition of Constant Pain’s Cameron Bain.
Dave Mulcahy‘s first post-Jean Paul Sartre Experience band was the unfortunately short-lived Superette, who sprung up in Auckland in 1993. With Mulcahy taking guitar and vocal duties, he pulled together former Blue Marbles duo Ben Howe (Bass) and Greta Anderson (Drums/Backing Vox) to record the rough, thematically scary, but thoroughly charming Rosepig EP. From here the band became known as one of the better live pop-rock acts around New Zealand, and where one of the defining bands (along with the 3Ds) that turned me on to New Zealand bands.
An early to mid 1980’s alias for Onset/Offset records Campbell McLay. A strictly DIY affair, engineered like a million other Christchurch records at the time by Arnie van Bussell at Nightshift Studios.
The Enright House was the not quite pop, not quite post rock, brain-child of German born Mark Roberts.
The live band consisted of Roberts along with Thomas Lambert on guitar (also of A Flight to Blackout), Simon Gemmill on Drums and Evan Schaare on synths.
Alec Bathgate’s always kept a couple steps back in his fellow Enemy, Toy Love and Tall Dwarfs shadow, but released a lovely little Byrds-jangle-pop album (with heavy Beatles and Beach Boy flourishes) in 1996.
More technically competent than Knox, and somewhat reserved (in comparison at least), Bathgate is a reflective, precarious song-writer of great talent.
Nick ‘Harte’ Hodgson’s loud rock’n’roll outfit.
Started life as Tony Valens and the Incisions in the mid 90’s and were mostly concentrated on primal rhythms and harsh, noisy guitar flourishes – creating some absolutely brilliant sounds far outside the commercial scope of rock’n’roll.
4-piece early 80’s group from Auckland. Key single ‘That Girl’ is a slice of British-style power-pop:
Put out some sought after releases on the iconic Ripper and Propeller labels in the early 1980’s and were included in Propeller’s terrific ‘Doobie Do Disc’ and ‘It’s bigger than the both of us (NZ Singles 1979-82)’ compilations.
Juricevich and Roach came from 2nd gen punk outfit Sheerlux (previously the Stimulators), Chris Burt would go on to join the Stridulators and work with the Headless Chickens, and Solomon would go on to form The Rapture.
Short-lived David Mitchell 3 piece, and the last of his Auckland bands. This is when he truly found his voice, with support from Phil Moore, Andrew Moon and (Flying Nun alumni) Alf Danielson. Their complete recordings would later be compiled (along with The Exploding Budgies complete discography) as a compilation CD in 1991.
Whilst Chris Matthews was struggling within the pop-confines of the Prime Movers, Johnny Pierce (Bass), Grant Fell (Guitar) and Bevan Sweeney (Drums) were forming their own sound as Children’s Hour.
The early 2000’s recording outfit of Jordan Reyne. Built around Reyne’s strong vocals and a variety of musicians, mostly of the studio-pro variety (which currently includes Trinity Roots’ Rikki Gooch).
Yuri Frusin and Helen Johnstone (also both of Garbage and the Flowers) with Pianist Kristen Wineera (The Idle Suite, The Drugs, The Blueness).
Both members have since reunited with GATFs guitarist Paul Ling in the Melbourne-based Minit.
Excellent post-punk band taking in equal measures of Voidoids style angular guitar and Blood Brothers style furious hardcore screaming and breakbeat crunch. A talented 4-piece with an excellent grounding in music production, they were snapped up by Flying Nun after building a strong live reputation in auckland during 2002-3. ‘licking letters’ is the first single, coming from the break-through Octagon, Octagon, Octagon Ep, and is a jerky, stop-start ripper, few bands have shown such intensity committed to plastic.
Years of playing camping grounds, festivals and all sorts of alternative venues have turned the Topps into a household name in New Zealand, eventually becoming television stars with their scattered performances. Their performances include country yodel sing-a-longs, any number of sketch-character setups (usually with crowd involvement), and of course spoon solos.