Chris Heazlewood - Hellmouth 666 (1991)

This I think was the last release on Xpressway and may even be the reason the label was halted. There is a sound to twisted music-it's a sound that is bent, wild, and wrecked and it's usually the work of a deranged and comically brilliant amalgam of musicians. Flipper had it early on, but the band who epitomized that "sensibility" was New Zealand's Axemen. Ironically, bands who practice such unrestrained mania fused with such a sparkling sense of humor are often seemingly fit with an aggressive desire to be taken deadly seriously. I've seen exchanges in the NZ monthly Rip It Up whose The Axemen fought tooth and nail with those who challenged their "seriousness," all the while releasing gloriously biting and deranged bits of mind shatter. I have to assume that was all part of the fun. Heazlewood seems almost too angry and selfconsciously hip at times to carry this muse, but early solo projects like Hellmouth 666 are very much in Axernen's territory. Robert Cardy (one of the mighty Axemnen) even wrote the one cover song here. Unlike The Axemen, though, Heazlewood's style is much denser, with guitars drenched in a thick and fuzzy overdrive. Heazlewood's songs don't always have the shambolic humor of the Axemen, but songs like "Who's Dead-essentially a dialogue of "you're dead" "No you're dead"-is a scream. I'd call Hellmouth 666 winning, I'd call it. what's the word I'm looking for? Oh yeah.. . supergood!

chw

Loves Ugly Children - Showered in Gold (1997)

RipItUp described Showered In Gold as, “a feast of furies, where heavenly melodies inhabit massive power-chord driven songs which alternately drift like enormous abandoned spaceships or rock like fission-powered missiles.” As for the album title? “Showered in Gold can mean showered in praise, pissed on from a great height or it could be a reference to a sexual act”.

sgl

Loves Ugly Children - Cakehole (1995)

On January 20, the day after supporting Ministry at The Powerstation in Auckland, the group played the 1995 Big Day Out (they returned in 1996). Then it was back to Christchurch and Dunedin.  They went to Dunedin in April 1995 to record debut album Cakehole in Fish Street Studios with Tex Houston. “It’s a punk rock record,” Maclaren would later say. “I’m getting my attitudes from reality, from having a normal life. Having some punk rock element to our music is keeping our feet on the ground, staying down to earth.” “Cakehole was all personal politics, which was the kind of music I was listening to at the time, records that were naked, but honest. It was quite a difficult album to tour because it would put me into black moods doing the gigs.”

lch

Loves Ugly Children - Cold Water Surf (1994)

 t In the early to mid 1990s, Christchurch was a city flush with guitar-driven groups marshalled on record by the short-lived Flat City Records and more comprehensively by Failsafe Records. Despite the flurry of live activity and some enduring recordings, few of the active groups transcended their spirited beginnings. Fiery trio Loves Ugly Children, comprising Simon Maclaren (guitar, vocals), Angela “Floss” Leslie (bass, vocals) and Jason Young (drums, vocals), were the most prominent and enduring group on the rising scene. In 1994 Loves Ugly Children, having already established themselves as one of Christchurch’s biggest drawing groups (the Avalanche release party on April 26, 1993 attracted over 1,000 fans), signed to Flying Nun Records. Their first release for their new label was the Cold Water Surf CD EP from which ‘Senseless’ was extracted for a single and a video made.

cws

Dribbling Darts - Present Perfect (1993)

New Zealand folk-pop group Dribbling Darts was founded in 1989 by former Sneaky Feelings vocalist/guitarist Matthew Bannister, and was originally completed by ex-Remarkables bassist Alan Gregg and violinist Alice Bulmer. Originally dubbed the Dribbling Darts of Love, the trio debuted in 1991 with the EP Shoot; by the time of the follow-up EP, Florid Dabblers Voting, drummer Richard Foulkes, Jr. had been recruited, and was later replaced briefly by ex-Sneaky Feelings drummer Martin Durrant. The Dribbling Darts were silent for the next two years as Bannister and Bulmer focused on raising their child, but finally resurfaced in 1993 with the single "Hey Judith," quickly followed by the full-length Present Perfect.

dpl

Various ‎- Rip Shit Or Bust (1983)

A fine little 12inch from Kiwi territory with six guns on it, released via Ripper Records. A small selection of songs that have already been released as singles and today are rare and expensive. The Instigators track stands a bit out here: perfect driving mid-tempo punk with female vocals and saxophone (this is more in the background) and good lyrics, rulez like hell. Overall a great little compilation which brings 15 minutes of joy!

rsb

Various - New Zealand 7'' EP (1987)

This litte treasure came out on Out Of Order Records and five bands gave themselves the honor to show the world that even in far away New Zealand Punkrock was and is present.

nzp

Various - Killed By Death #15. New Zealand Rare Punk 77-82 (2018)

Another installment in the legendary series, this time centered in the obscure and extremely interesting early New Zealand punk rock scene. On offer are 13 tracks of pure KBD mayhem by kiwi luminaries such as Suburban Reptiles, Scavengers, Toy Love, Spelling Mistakes and many more. No hippie shit, no disco, just pure punk rock bliss. Enjoy!

dbk

Various ‎- Death Pays All Debts (1988)

This is one of the best compilation tapes of 80’s NZ Punk that was ever released, such great songs.

dpv

Various - Capital Kaos (1984)

Capitol Kaos is a live recording of the infamous Golden Showers one day punk festival held at the Newtown Community Hall on Easter weekend of 1983. Released in 1984 on local label Jayrem Records the compilation captures 12 bands from New Zealand's second wave of punk rock playing in the grim, nihilistic atmosphere of the Muldoon governments 8th year in power. With LP artwork that features a collage of punks fighting a street battle against police in front of the New Zealand government's Beehive the imagery draws on the still very raw memory of the 1981 Springbok Tour and the widespread civil disorder that accompanied it. The 'Capitol' scene at this time seems both ripped apart and re-energised by the violent boot boy gangs that had sprung up in the working class suburbs of Wellington. From the Terrace Terrorways, to the Wainui and Newlands Skins, drugs and a love of violence had wiped the floor clean of the first generation of punk's playful anarchy. In their place bands like First Fifteen, Flesh D-Vice, Aftershock had emerged dripping with a hate for mainstream society and the New Zealand police force that took pleasure in cracking heads to maintain conformity, whether it be at a protest or a punk gig. This connection between the context and the live recordings on Capitol Kaos is what makes it such a great 'time capsule' of New Zealand at such a traumatic period in its modern history. Recorded by John Void, lead singer of 'anti-tour' band RIOT 111, Capitol Kaos presents the grey depressive psychopathic New Zealand of 1983 we are encouraged to forget in favour of nostalgia spiked beer adverts and TV soaps.

vck

Mainline - A Christchurch Compilation (1999)

Here's a nifty little compilation from 1999. There's some real oddities in here. Fabulously imaginative sonic noise soundscapes which immediately bury themselves in the frontal lobes. Losta other goodies. Definitely worthy of a listen & a catalogue number for your NZ oddities collection.

mcc

K4 – Immunity (1985)

Musically K4 started to evolve quite quickly from the early sound of post punk to experimenting in electronic atmospheric darkness. Formed during 1983 the band originally consisted of Hugh Thomson (Drums) and Peter Denniston (Bass). Stephen Bolton (Guitar) and Ray Albon (vocals) and Helen Goudge. K4 played right through the end of 1983 to their last gig around 1985.

kmt

S.P.U.D. - Gnaw (1991)

The second and final album from this noisy New Zealand underground group saw them produced in a much cleaner fashion than on their debut. Giving their lurching Birthday Party-like sound a magnified sheen resulted in a sound akin to early Jesus Lizard; none of their energy and invention was lost in the graduation to high production values -- quite a feat for a post-punk noise group. The quintet builds a complex architecture of noise guitar textures over a propulsive rhythm section, providing dramatic tension to the instrumental arrangements, and giving vocalist Glen Campbell space enough to exercise one of the most unique vocal instruments. On "Recliner," the chaos of Sonic Youth circa EVOL meets speed metal precision; "Creep" is the most turgid riff the Melvins must wish they had written. Typical of Flying Nun groups, they seem to exist ten years ahead of their time. With this album they may have scored few fans outside of their home country, but among them are Sonic Youth and Steve Albini, both institutions who have cited this album as a noise rock classic of the highest caliber.

sgn