The Alpaca Brothers were a short lived noisy post-punk band from Dunedin formed by Bruce Blucher and Nick Wilkinson in 1984, with a young Steve Cournane soon joining as drummer. The group disbanded after releasing a single EP for Flying Nun, but miraculously resurfaced recently (after a 36 year absence) with a new album.
#nzmusic #alpacabrothers
Led by the dynamic duo of Celia Mancini and Chris Heazlewood, New Zealand’s surf and noise guitar gods King Loser were one of the best local groups for much of the 1990’s with 3 terrific albums and a handful of singles and bootleg releases before their split in 1997.
#nzmusic #kingloser
Say Yes To Apes were a loose, noisy, often sloppy and usually creative Dunedin-then-Christchurch-based underground rock outfit formed by frontman Kevin Smith (several years before his acting career took off), drummer Pat Faigan (aka Duane Zarakov of Space Dust, King Loserand multi-instrumentalist Steve Watson, born out of the earlier Picnic Boys.
The Picnic Boys was a loose collective formed around the core trio of Kevin Smith, Patrick Faigan and Steve Watson (who later became Say Yes to Apes). At Faigan’s behest the various members recorded their own take on ‘experimental’ music to tape, which was later compiled into a handful of cassette releases on the groups TV Eye label in the early 1980s.
#nzmusic #thepicnicboys #sayyestoapes #tveye
Trillionaires were a Christchurch institution through the late 1990s and 2000s. A covers band formed as a super-group of local musicians with the twin vocals of Ross Humphries and Nicole Moffat.
The group were known for their eclectic covers, with each song reinterpreted in their own unique style, usually as a rollicking garage rock’n’roll number, driven by the killer guitar of Mick Elborado and the rhythm section of John Christoffels (bass) and Malcolm Grant (drums).
#nzmusic #trillionaires
Celia Mancini’s ‘lounge band in the ’80s.’ A Christchurch-based group that played a variety of upmarket events with Mancini fronting a killer backing band. Unknown for many years, a recording of Bobby Hebb’s ‘Sonny’ on the excellent ‘The Celia Mancini Tapes’ posthumous release in 2018.
#nzmusic #celiamancini #theafterdinnermints
Presumably named after a song by notorious cult leading serial killer (and Beach Boys collaborator) Charles Manson. One of Duane Zarakov, Celia Mancini and Brother Love’s many psychedelic rock acts – this time a Christchurch-based group who were around during 1991 (after the demise of The Axel Grinders, but before Space Dust and King Loser) and recorded a single cassette EP.
#nzmusic #undergroundmusic #ceasetoexist #theaxelgrinders #kingloser #spacedust
The Axel Grinders were a hard-edged rock’n’roll group with touch of humour, formed by future King Loser members Celia Patel (aka Celia Mancini), Pat Faigan (Duane Zarakov) and Martin Henderson (Brother Love), with John Markie (John Segovia) and Phil Ascott. Their recordings were finally made freely available in 2014.
#nzmusic #theaxelgrinders #kingloser
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
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
Bygone Era were a prominent but short-lived late 1980’s rock group with hardcore punk aspirations, during an era when New Zealand had few hardcore punk groups.
They put out an EP, and a split 7″ with The Warners on Onslaught Records label (run by vocalist Rowan Coffey’s brother Simon) before breaking up in 1989, their full length album ‘Get Airborne’ coming out posthumously.
#nzmusic #nzhardcore #bygoneera #thewarners
Gas were a 3 piece garage-rock 3 piece from Christchurch, featuring ex-members of The McGoohans, Drowning is Easy and Scorched Earth Policy. Formed in 1995 and ended in 2002.
Short-lived Christchurch punky group from 1981/2, made up of a bunch of English Immigrants still not quite old enough to drink in pubs. The would form a vital cog in the story of Scorched Earth Policy and te Terminals.
The Shallows were a short-lived Christchurch trio fronted by Roy Montgomery in 1985. Backed by Mick Elborado (bass) and Mary Heney (guitar / vocals) the trio recorded and self-released a sole 7″ single over a couple weeks in May, 1985.
The single was the result of a $750 government arts grant – the group laid out their exact expenses on the inside sleeve of the single.
Excellent early Flying Nun band from Christchurch featuring 3 future Terminals (Stapleton, Elborado and Crook).
Some terrific songs that build suspense and tension with galloping drums, rumbling bass and a cacophony of guitar, organ and violin.