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Post by einzack on Dec 11, 2016 5:45:31 GMT 1
Growing up in New Zealand I had heard of Flying Nun, but I really missed the boat, and I think I was probably about 5-10 years too late to join the bandwagon while it was going gang busters. Also, while I was a teenager and into my 20's, local music suffered from the fact that I thought in inferior to what came from overseas. How could we, in little old NZ compete with those from loftier climes. Anyways, I've never really jumped onto that local NZ music bangwagon much since then (with Die! Die! Die! and HDU being the only exceptions really), but I must say that recently, after getting out Roger Sheperds book about how he started up Flying Nun from the library, I've got really interested in the whole history which I knew very very little about.
So what recommendations to people have to delve into this whole world which is so close, yet to far? I live 30mins outside Dunedin for fucks sake. What I've found myself listening to so far is The Clean's anthology - some cracking tunes on there, and also, The Gordons are blowing my mind at present. I'm conscious of not jumping in too deep and drowning in the stuff - I take a while I appreciate records fully, so I want this to be a slow process, but I'm keen on any recommendations if anyones got some.
I thought I'd post here cause I know that some people on here are fans of the output from my home country, so thought why not get some learnered advice. Thanks.
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Post by rob strong on Dec 11, 2016 10:15:19 GMT 1
Man, you're in for a treat. The FN catalogue has been providing me with deep joy for 25+ years.
You can't go wrong with a good trawl through The Clean back catalogue for starters. You know what to expect from Anthology, but there's gold all over the place. The new Merge reissue of Getaway, with the bonus disc compiling two tour CDs, is great. The early 90s albums are all worth a listen, although some of them (Unknown Country in particular) were never issued outside NZ and can be pretty expensive on vinyl, if that's what you wanted.
I'm a big fan of The Chills. Their output is more towards the pop end of the spectrum than much of the FN back catalogue, but Martin Phillipps is a genius songwriter. Plenty of places to start, including the Silver Bullets album from last year, which is as good as their 80s/90s output.
You should check out Bailter Space (heavy shoegaze with added repetition), they were fantastic the only time I've seen them live, which was about 20 years ago. Personal favourite album - Robot World - but there's not a bad one.
More later, off to take eldest son to football.
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Post by einzack on Dec 12, 2016 0:14:18 GMT 1
Rob, Excellent recommendations there, thanks a lot. I've heard a bit of The Chills before, but wasn't really taken with their stuff (albeit many years ago), but I'll have a look for some stuff after I've delved into The Clean a bit more and also The Gordons and Bailterspace. I'm usually not much of a fan of best-ofs or anthologies - whatever ya wanna call them, but it seems to be working well for me now as a taster. I haven't finished reading the book yet, so who knows what else might come out of it. Have you read it yourself Rob? If not, sounds like it might be a good read for you. But from the half I've read so far, being familiar with the places mentioned certainly helps a lot, especially in the first third or so of the book. But maybe only since I'm not as familiar with the characters/bands/people in the book, whereas you'll come into it from the other wise. Anyways, really enjoying the book so far.
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Post by einzack on Jan 26, 2017 20:34:44 GMT 1
Well I've moved onto The Chills and liking what I'm hearing a lot. Headed to the library last week and came back with the BBC Sessions, the new Kaleidoscope World reissue and the Best-Of, so devouring those. Some really lovely stuff there. Also been listening to The Verlaines for a few weeks now and really liking that as well. Juvenilia is the only cd I've got at the moment, but I find myself listening to it a lot.
Haven't done Bailterspace yet, but I got a cd out of the library (goddam I love libraries!) so will get to that in time.
..
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Post by einzack on Oct 3, 2017 8:35:45 GMT 1
The NZ music awards were held in Dunedin last week because The Clean were inducted into the hall of fame and they would only accept the award if it was held in Dunedin blah blah blah. Anyways, as a pre-cursor, Radio NZ, which is the government-funded radio station in these parts hosted the event and presented what they called "Dunedin: A Magical Musical Tour" before the awards began. It was an interesting document to listen too. Slightly chaotic, but a good listen, and something which presented the sights and sounds of Dunedin, especially as it must have been back in the early 1980's quite well. I live here now, but didn't back then, and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to it. Seeing as I know there are fans of the Dunedin-sound in these parts, thought I would post the link. You can download the 80min show as a mp3 file right at the top....
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Post by rob strong on Oct 7, 2017 20:58:51 GMT 1
Thanks Isaac. Strange coincidence, I was listening to that Dunedin doc this afternoon.
My most recent discovery from the FN back catalogue is Bird Nest Roys, who released one album on FN in 1987, but whose entire back catalogue was handily reissued by Captured Tracks on a single CD in 2013. Similar surging feeling to The Clean but marginally less close to complete collapse at any moment.
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Post by einzack on Oct 9, 2017 8:21:42 GMT 1
Rob, so how'd you know about it all the way on the other side of the world? Great that it's got such wide reach!
Bird Nest Roys aye? never heard of them I must say. I'll give 'em a listen.
My current favs are The Verlaines. Really enjoying their early stuff, along with The Clean and The Chills. And looking forward to seeing Martin Phillips live next month when he opens for Aldous Harding. Should be a ripper show. Also been a bit of media coverage about the documentary about Martin Phillips that's being made at the moment. "Being made" might be overstating it a little as it's very funding dependent apparently, but hopefully they can keep it going as it looks and sounds like a ripper.
fantastic pop:
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Post by rob strong on Oct 9, 2017 19:01:19 GMT 1
Some great stuff in The Verlaines back catalogue.
Dunedin doc - I was checking the Radio NZ website for archived live sets from FN acts (there's part of a Chills show from 2016 and part of Verlaines show from 2013 on there at the moment) and my search caught that doc.
Hopefully the crowdfunding for The Chills doc will make its target, certainly a tale worth telling there. Martin Phillipps has been dealt a pretty crappy life hand at times. Some of it self-inflicted, of course.
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Post by einzack on Nov 29, 2017 7:44:01 GMT 1
Currently sitting waiting for Martin Phillips to begin playing a live solo set. Shouldn't be forgotten that Aldous Harding is following Martin, but I'm as excited to see the opener as the main act tonight. I'll be sure to comment after the show....
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Post by nzguitararmy on Dec 13, 2017 16:57:20 GMT 1
Plenty of good Flying Nun stuff. Try and find a copy of the Dunedin Double EP - I believe it's been re-released. Unbelievably good. And the Sneaky Feelings 1st album, Send You. There's an excellent series on the "Classic" FN EPs at Radio New Zealand www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/extendedplay/library. There were other episodes not in the library. I have at least three of them - 2 on the Dunedin Double EP and Snapper. Oh yes, listen to Snapper if you can find them too.
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Post by nzguitararmy on Dec 13, 2017 17:10:03 GMT 1
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Post by einzack on Aug 18, 2018 6:48:44 GMT 1
So Bailterspace are playing here in September. Should I go see them? I did listen to a bit of their stuff on my journey, but it was all older stuff. Give 'em a crack? Will they be loud with lots of feedback? If so, I'm there.
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Post by rob strong on Aug 19, 2018 13:59:02 GMT 1
So Bailterspace are playing here in September. Should I go see them? I did listen to a bit of their stuff on my journey, but it was all older stuff. Give 'em a crack? Will they be loud with lots of feedback? If so, I'm there. You're an idiot if you don't. Im my opinion.
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Post by einzack on May 4, 2019 5:58:55 GMT 1
Well I didn't go to the Bailterspace gig, so guess I am an idiot. Makes sense cause that's what my wife says all the time. But I did go see The Chills documentary this afternoon. Very good it was too I must say. I found it pretty sad overall. Very interesting and confronting and for someone who only became a fan relatively recently I felt it gave me a good appreciation of what it would have been like to have been a fan from way back. For someone who's been a fan for ages, it probably would be pretty frustrating as a tale of what-ifs. I assume you'll be seeing this rob strong when it gets to the UK?
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Post by rob strong on May 4, 2019 13:32:10 GMT 1
Thanks for the notes on the film. I contributed to the Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign. Looking forward to seeing it.
As a long-term fan - yes, agree wholeheatedly - Martin has had some terrible luck over the years, but he's been his own worst enemy at times too.
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Post by einzack on May 4, 2019 23:34:36 GMT 1
They had a list of Kickstarter contributors at the end of the credits, and I looked out for your name as I thought you might be in there. I didn't spot you, but they were going pretty quick. What do you get for contributing? Do you get a copy of it etc? Just curious.
The "own worst enemy" thing comes through pretty strongly throughout the film...
The man can write some damn good songs...
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Post by rob strong on May 5, 2019 22:52:38 GMT 1
They had a list of Kickstarter contributors at the end of the credits, and I looked out for your name as I thought you might be in there. I didn't spot you, but they were going pretty quick. What do you get for contributing? Do you get a copy of it etc? Just curious. I think I went for the film download option. Not sure when this will happen. The last email said it would be after the film had done with its NZ screenings.
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