Flying Nun Records / Dunedin Sound

GravitySlips · 04-26-2010, 04:09 PM

it's funny looking back on my post here... Flying Nun is my favourite label nowadays, every single band I've heard on it I absolutely love. It's inspiring that so many amazing bands came from a relatively small place like NZ

The Clean are just excellent, a band who always put me in a good mood when I listen to them. Their anthology is packed to the brim with quality tunes.

The Verlaines are interesting; I didn't care for them much at first, but now I'd probably say they're in my top 20 bands ever! Their songs are brilliantly structured, and the lyrics are amazing. The first 3 albums... up there with the best album runs I've heard from a band.

The 3Ds ... hadn't heard of them till my pal gave me their album Venus Trails, but it blew me away! How the hell are this band not as well known as Yo La Tengo, Pavement, GBV etc? They're an amazing mix of noisy garage rock songs and beautiful jangly pop songs, Venus Trails in particular is absolutely DYNAMITE from start to finish.

The Bats - another one that I was indifferent too upon first listen but now ADORE. They aren't as varied as the rest, but they write some of the best jangly indie pop songs you'll hear.

The Chills - So far they're my least favourite, but still I really like them. Pink Frost has to be up there with the best songs ever.

The Jean Paul Sartre Experience - wasn't keen on the name, but by god they're another amazing band. Has that trademark jangly style, but it's a lot more sparse and dreamy ... they're quite strange really, I really like them. A lot!

The Gordons - nothing like any of the other bands. Sounds like Sonic Youth if they were fronted by New Zealand's equivalent to Mark E Smith. It's f'ucking amazing, the guitars are otherworldly. I think Sonic Youth musta derived some influence from them

I'm checking out Straitjacket Fits, High Dependency Unit, This Kind of Punishment, Able Tasmans, The Great Unwashed etc over the next weeks. Not since I was getting into SST years back have I been so enthusiastic about a record label.

Sneer · 04-21-2014, 11:58 AM

I've been really loving the whole Christchurch thing recently. Gordons, Bailter Space, The Pin Group/Roy Montgomery, Scorched Earth Policy, Terminals, The Chills, The Clean... Could go on and on. Such a fertile musical environment - and very influential too.

An essential Flying Nun compilation:

GravitySlips · 04-24-2014, 11:30 AM

That compilation is great, Sneer.
All those groups you mention rule.
Have you heard the Victor Dimisich Band? Related to Scorched Earth Policy by some members (same singer) - Siltbreeze just reissued a retrospective of sorts, well worth checking out. Siltbreeze have been doing some great work in that regard, quite a few brilliant NZ releases on the label the past few years.

Dadamah are another - Roy Montgomery and Peter Stapleton - can't go wrong! This Is Not A Dream is one of my favourite NZ records. Anything Montgomery touches tends to be gold, but that's my favourite work of his.

04-26-2010, 04:09 PM	#11 (permalink)
GravitySlips Music Addict Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 1,578	it's funny looking back on my post here... Flying Nun is my favourite label nowadays, every single band I've heard on it I absolutely love. It's inspiring that so many amazing bands came from a relatively small place like NZ The Clean are just excellent, a band who always put me in a good mood when I listen to them. Their anthology is packed to the brim with quality tunes. The Verlaines are interesting; I didn't care for them much at first, but now I'd probably say they're in my top 20 bands ever! Their songs are brilliantly structured, and the lyrics are amazing. The first 3 albums... up there with the best album runs I've heard from a band. The 3Ds ... hadn't heard of them till my pal gave me their album Venus Trails, but it blew me away! How the hell are this band not as well known as Yo La Tengo, Pavement, GBV etc? They're an amazing mix of noisy garage rock songs and beautiful jangly pop songs, Venus Trails in particular is absolutely DYNAMITE from start to finish. The Bats - another one that I was indifferent too upon first listen but now ADORE. They aren't as varied as the rest, but they write some of the best jangly indie pop songs you'll hear. The Chills - So far they're my least favourite, but still I really like them. Pink Frost has to be up there with the best songs ever. The Jean Paul Sartre Experience - wasn't keen on the name, but by god they're another amazing band. Has that trademark jangly style, but it's a lot more sparse and dreamy ... they're quite strange really, I really like them. A lot! The Gordons - nothing like any of the other bands. Sounds like Sonic Youth if they were fronted by New Zealand's equivalent to Mark E Smith. It's f'ucking amazing, the guitars are otherworldly. I think Sonic Youth musta derived some influence from them I'm checking out Straitjacket Fits, High Dependency Unit, This Kind of Punishment, Able Tasmans, The Great Unwashed etc over the next weeks. Not since I was getting into SST years back have I been so enthusiastic about a record label. Last edited by GravitySlips; 04-24-2014 at 11:32 AM.

04-21-2014, 11:58 AM	#12 (permalink)
Sneer Let it drip Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 5,430	I've been really loving the whole Christchurch thing recently. Gordons, Bailter Space, The Pin Group/Roy Montgomery, Scorched Earth Policy, Terminals, The Chills, The Clean... Could go on and on. Such a fertile musical environment - and very influential too. An essential Flying Nun compilation: __________________ LastFM Sneer's Emporium of Sound Fright Team radio show

04-24-2014, 11:30 AM	#13 (permalink)
GravitySlips Music Addict Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 1,578	That compilation is great, Sneer. All those groups you mention rule. Have you heard the Victor Dimisich Band? Related to Scorched Earth Policy by some members (same singer) - Siltbreeze just reissued a retrospective of sorts, well worth checking out. Siltbreeze have been doing some great work in that regard, quite a few brilliant NZ releases on the label the past few years. Dadamah are another - Roy Montgomery and Peter Stapleton - can't go wrong! This Is Not A Dream is one of my favourite NZ records. Anything Montgomery touches tends to be gold, but that's my favourite work of his.