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.
Band
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).
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).
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
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
Lyndon and the Liars
Short-lived Christchurch group fronted by Ross Humphries after the dissolution of the legendary Pin Group and featuring a young Lyndon Frasier prior to his stint in Ballon D’Essai, plus the future Bats duo of Kaye Woodward and Malcolm Grant.
#lyndonandtheliars #nzmusic
Stepford 5
Biography One of the earlier Christchurch acid-rock groups of Celia Patel (aka Celia Pavlova / Mancini) along with twins Sharon and Joanne Billesdon and Reta La Quesne. Forming after Celia and Rita’s former group The Axel Grinders, Stepford 5 only… Read More »Stepford 5
Trimasterbate
Trimasterbate was a ridiculous Wellington Eletro-Sex-Pop act from Gemma Syme and (Holiday with Friends and Dianna Rozz) with Nicola Higham and Sasha Rainbow, plus Matt Beauchamp-Buck (Holiday with Friends and Crackhouse 5) handling production.
#nzmusic #trimasterbate
3 Voices
3 Voices is an extraordinary release in the history of New Zealand underground pop. The group was formed by the core song-writing duo of Rob Sinclair and David Bowater, with brilliant slick drummer Steve Garden, and an assortment of talented musicians contributing to the sole album. Sinclair and Bowater had both been in Schtung, then briefly formed the group Ray A – which is where most of this material originates from.
#nzmusic #3voices
The Verlaines
Formed in late 1980, The Verlaines is Graeme Downes’ long-standing song-writing vehicle, and one-hell of a brilliant, literate band at that. With the classic early 1980’s line-up of Downes on guitar and vocals, Alan Haig on drums and Jane Dodd on bass, the Verlaines released excellent singles such as ’10 O’Clock In The Afternoon’ from the EP of the same name, and of course their signature tune ‘Death And The Maiden’, which stands as one of the true kiwi classics.
#nzmusic #theverlaines
Vibraslaps
Vibraslaps were an all female post-punky outfit best known for an EP put out on Flying Nun Records in 1985, and for (briefly) being at the forefront of New Zealand’s lesbian feminist music scene during the turbulent mid 1980s.
#nzmusic #vibraslaps
Marie and the Atom
Marie and the Atom were an experimental pop group created as a performance and song-writing vehicle for Gill Civil. The group released 3 boundary-pushing EPs in the mid 1980’s and are best remembered for their song ‘Isol’.
#nzmusic #marieandtheatom
The Knobz
Opportunistic Dunedin-based 4-piece pub-rock band known pretty much exclusively for their career-defining single ‘Culture?’, a satirical lampoon of Prime Minister Muldoon, and his despised 40% sales tax on local music. The song and hastily produced video featured McPhail and Gadsby regular, comedian and Muldoon impersonator Danny Faye. Released in November 1981, ‘Culture?’ is a rock radio classic in New Zealand – and has the distinction of being the first independently released local single to break into the top 5 of the New Zealand charts.
#nzmusic #theknobz