One More Forgotten Band

 

In 1986 New Zealand's Flying Nun was the record label that introduced me to many great and now forgotten bands with their label compilation Tuatara. A band that didn't managed to be featured on this compilation were Able Tasmans. They borrowed their name from Dutch explorer Abel Tasman and released also in 1986 their first and superb debut A Cuppa Tea And A Lie Down. I really loved their sophisticated and superb arrangements between loud guitar music and pop elements. Largely acoustic sound added with keyboards and corrosive guitars. For me it is a timeless album filled with sweet, crafty and intelligent guitar pop songs that stand in a row with The Woodentops, Belle & Sebastian or Yo La Tengo.

Able Tasmans - What Was That Thing

Able Tasmans - Evil Barbeque

Able Tasmans - Little Hearts

Able Tasmans - Rainbow

Silver Bullets

A few weeks ago I had a little series about the Flying Nun label. Now I found out that The Chills, one of the main protagonist of the new sound from New Zealand made a new record. They still do their picking, little twangy, funny new wave sound added with some piano. Not the worst way tho start into a new week.

Flying Nun # 3

Another band from Dunedin is needed to be featured in this series (thank you, Dirk). The DoubleHappys were a short-lived band that had a great influence to the Dunedin sound in the early 80s. They didn't released a regular album - only some singles and EP's but their sound was fantastic. They made real great songs in this time with a straight bass, forward driving drums and some guitars that could drive you crazy. Listening to this songs again it reminds me a lot to Jesus and the Mary Jane without their feedbacks. Great stuff.

DoubleHappys - Needles And Plastic
DoubleHappys - Big Fat Elvis

The band toured in 1985 to promote their newest EP. Towards the end of the tour the band were traveling south from Auckland by train, and the band member Wayne Elsey, in high spirits, climbed out of a carriage. The train passed under a bridge, killing Elsey instantly.

The two remaining members of the band decided not to continue with the name, but later formed the nucleus of Straitjacket Fits which became one of the leading acts of Flying Nun's second wave. Their first EP became a classic in New Zealand rock music. Remarkable is their song 'She Speeds' with it's edgy lead vocal, a dynamic jagged guitar and stabs of strings which tumbled into a churning melodic chorus. That they are not just another guitar based band they show us on 'Sparkle That Shine' a classic pop song with a great downbeat groove and fantastic harmonies. 

Straightjacket Fits - She Speeds

Straightjacket Fits - Sparkle That Shines

Flying Nun # 2

Whilst the first two bands in this series were located in Dunedin The Bats were formed in Christchurch. Already with the first song to the Tuatara-compilation they showed us their trademarks: classic jangle indie-pop songs with wonderful picked guitar strings. The Bats are still on tour and working on new material. Their songs are still worth to listen and in my opinion some forgotten gems.

The Bats - North By North

Named after the French poet Paul Verlaine The Verlaines are another New Zealand band that should be named in this series. Their songs are often not that song you expected when listened to half of the song. I thought many times how to describe their sound so let Wikipedia tell:

The Verlaines were noted for their angular, "difficult" song structures, wordy and downbeat lyrics, unusual subject matter all contained in often frantic up-tempo playing. The Verlaines were led by songwriter and vocalist/guitarist Graeme Downes although many other New Zealand musicians played guitar, bass, drums and brass instruments during the different stages of the band.

Nevertheless - they made great songs we should listen to from time to time.

Verlaines - Doomsday
Verlaines - Death & the Maiden

Flying Nun # 1

Our mate Dirk needed some help a few days ago. After all he's happy to have all the bands and songs named on Iris' tape. The requested song was on a compilation of Flying Nun records, released in the late 90s. I knew that I've heard this song before and thought by myself it sounds a little bit like The Go-Betweens. I searched for the record and finally I found it.

Flying Nun records was a small label located in Christchurch, New Zealand. It's another post-punk label that was formed in these years. Their main intention was to record the original local music of Christchurch, but soon the label rose to national prominence by championing the emerging music od Dunedin, the second-largest city in the South of New Zealand. Flying Nun tried to make their music popular in Europe by the release of two compilations 'Tuatara' in 1985 and 'In Love With These Times' in 1990. While listening to those compilations again I decided to make a little series out of it because there was a lot of stuff on it that still didn't lost his charm over the years.

Hope you'll enjoy this little series and come with me to New Zealand:

The Chills are a guitar and keyboard rock band based in Dunedin and formed by Martin Phillips. Their sound reminds me on early Joy Division and Simple Minds. Anyway this song would be great when it would have got more airplay. So it's just a gem. I love this bass-line with them guitar licks and them more spoken that sung words.

The Chills - Pink Frost

Another Dunedin based band are Sneaky Feelings. Named by Elvis Costello's song they did a very fine mixture with jangle guitars and harmonies that sounds similar to The Byrds.

Sneaky Feelings - Throwing Stones
Sneaky Feelings - Trouble With Kay
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