The Orange
The Orange was a Dunedin trio formed by Andrew Brough in 1984. They recorded an EP for Flying Nun Records filled with melodic, 1960’s influenced pop before Brough
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Artists
Lee Harvey
Flying Nun Records EP from Auckland musician Chris McKibbin – featuring contributions from Hallelujah Picassos Robert Pauling (aka Bobbylon) and Peter McLennan, under the name The Bagmen. The Picassos Tony de Raad was also an early member.
#nzmusic #leeharvey #leeharveyandthebagmen
The Remarkables
Guitar pop from Palmerston North, though not quite in the same league of shimmering textural guitar as Chris Heaphy’s later band Dissolve their 1985 EP ‘Waiting for a Wave’ has the odd hook and shows promise. Named after the Central Otago mountain range.
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House of Dolls
Christchurch-based Post-Punk group formed by Kit Lawrence and Marie Paynter (aka Marie Celeste) and active from 2004 through 2006. Eventually they would morph into the live rave / electro outfit Pig Out.
#nzmusic #houseofdolls #pigout
The Jumblies
One of the least-known Flying Nun Records releases, ‘Stuff of Dreams’ was the 7″ debut from The Jumblies – the pop-punky Christchurch duo of Claire Timings and Peter Arnold recorded at Nightshift Studios in 1984.
Arnold would somehow manage a 2nd rare release for Flying Nun on 1986; that time performing under his own name and the with appropriate title ‘Rarer than Radium’.
#nzmusic #thejumblies #peterarnold
Look Blue Go Purple
Look Blue Go Purple was an influential and resilient all-female indie-pop group from Dunedin during the Early-Mid 1980s. Despite facing chauvinistic attitudes, they released 3 stellar EPs on Flying Nun, with their debut ‘Bewitched’ reaching No. 21 on the pop chart. Their impact endures through the compilation ‘Still Bewitched’.
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The 3Ds
One of the greatest New Zealand groups of all-time – The 3Ds were one of the key groups in my own personal history as a fan of New Zealand Music. Led by 2 contrasting guitar playing front-men ably backed by a terrific, explosive rhythm section – their songs were full of hooks and exciting noise and distortion.
#nzmusic #the3ds
Brothers Gorgonzola
Christchurch, or maybe Wellington group that released a split 7″ single on Campbell McLay’s Onset/Offset records in 1986. Played with The Axemen at some point. The members would go on to form a number of Wellington-based groups.
#nzmusic #brothersgorgonzola
Runt
Dunedin grunt-rock trio that formed in 1993 and recorded their debut self-titled album at Volt Studios in 1995, and 2nd album Thirsty at Strawberry Sounds in 1997. Bassist / vocalist Richard Strang was also a member of The Magick Heads.
The groups recordings have recently been made available on streaming services after years of being unavailable.
#nzmusic #runt
Spacious
In 1995 The 3Ds guitarist and vocalist Dave Saunders got together with well-known drummer Alan Haig to record a 3-song single for Flying Nun Records under the name Spacious – all 3 songs were eventually re-recorded by The 3Ds for their final album ‘Strange News from the Angels’.
#nzmusic #spacious #the3ds
The Flamin’ Werepigs
The Flamin’ Werepigs were a gritty 3-piece garage-rock outfit from Mid-Late 1990’s Palmerston North who got a couple of recordings put out by Kato Records thanks to pestering label head-honcho Andrew Tolley by faxing a cache of found pornography!
#nzmusic #flaminwerepigs
Junkanoo
Junkanoo were a percussive band from Christchurch who put out a split album release on Campbell McLay’s Onset/Offset label in 1986, recorded at Arne van Bussell’s Nightshift Studios. The name ‘Junkanoo’ stems from a festival that was originated during the period of African chattel slavery in British American colonies.
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The Gardening Angels
The Gardening Angels were a Wellington group that featured a fairly fluid line-up over their 2-album time-span, including members of a number of local Ska bans, plus Richard Caigou from The Holidaymakers, and experienced bassist Steve Hemmens (formerly of fames 1970’s group Mammal).
The group regularly played at Bar Bodega during the early to mid 1990s.
#nzmusic #thegardeningangels
Satellite Spies
Mainstream kiwi pop-rock group out of Auckland with a very disputed history thanks to a split between the two key members – frontman and original song-writer Mark Loveys and guitarist / vocalist Deane Sutherland (aka Tommy Joy).
Best known for their 1985 hit ‘Destiny in Motion’ and the 1994 single ‘It must be love’ – released by Sutherland’s later edition of the group.
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Anji Sami
Auckland-born singer songwriter who made an impact in 2006 while studying a Bachelor of Music at the University of Otago in Dunedin, with several choice support slots and a mega-talented backing band. Self-released an EP produced by Arc Life Records Thomas Bell, utilising the Universities Albany Street Studio.
Moved to Auckland and formed The Sami Sisters, along with Priya and (comedic actress) Madeline Sami, then the 2012 Taite Music Prize nominated shoe-gaze group She’s So Rad.
#nzmusic #anjisami #shessorad #thesamisisters