For anyone over in Europe, good news! The Bats are headed your way this summer: puschen.net/artists/the-...

Includes a review of Craig Robertson’s Chris Knox biography Not Given Lightly by @steelydass.bsky.social so go get it and then order the book. Out this month in North America.

It seems Jim Wilson has unfortunately recently passed away. In doing research for my book. Jim was one of those characters that was instrumental to making so much happen with music in '80s NZ, especially Christchurch. From booking the Gladstone to helping bands with tours/marketing. He did so much.

A definitive new biography about Chris Knox is set to be published in North America next month via Auckland University Press. I am stepping up to help with press and promotion in North America. So, if you are a writer, reviewer, podcaster, record/book buyer, whatever, get in touch.

A definitive new biography about Chris Knox is set to be published in North America next month via Auckland University Press. I am stepping up to help with press and promotion in North America. So, if you are a writer, reviewer, podcaster, record/book buyer, whatever, get in touch.

Chris Knox discography deep dive on Bandcamp today: daily.bandcamp.com/lists/chris-...

my annual year-end mix, 103 mp3s i've known & loved, 7 hours of music ready for shuffling & affronting darkness. drive.google.com/file/d/1GyQz...

Oof, this is very sad news indeed about Brent McLachlan. A cornerstone of two knock out groups, Brent’s fingerprints are also over so many important releases as an engineer & producer:The Skeptics, Terminals, Snapper, The Bats on and on it goes. A fantastic drummer and engineer who gifted us so much

Lot of people in the music and screen communities hurting now at the news that Ant Nevison has died. Ant was a member of the Headless Chickens, co-founder of Incubator recording studio and a respected film soundie, and one of the most decent, good-natured and friendly people you could hope to meet.

There's also this excellent chapter by @needlesandplastic.bsky.social which looks at the group's early history thespinoff.co.nz/books/21-11-...

Marie & the Atom Pt 2 of my blog on Flying Nun multitrack tapes, analyzing two songs by the amazing MATA, recorded by Terry Moore for their second EP "Spit it out" in 1985. What does the tape tell us? Have a read & listen to samples of the original multitrack audio. natlib.govt.nz/blog/posts/f...

Here's a nice surprise - Peter Jefferies has just released a new four song 7" EP called "Duit on Tuesday" that tackles the catalogue of Harry Nilsson. almosthalloweentimerecords.bandcamp.com/album/duit-o...

I've resisted posting about the Jays, because who cares what I think. But the day after the most devastating loss i've ever witnessed, I feel the need. No team brought Canada together like the 2025 Blue Jays. Today sucks but this season was all you could ask for from sports. Baseball is the best.

Got word from a friend that Bryn Driver of the band 8 Living Legs passed away recently at the age of 66. 8 Living Legs appeared on the live Flying Nun compilation The Last Rumba and the split EP 'Emigration' paired with fellow Auckland band Flak in 1984. www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_pT...

Another John Peel estate auction came and went this week. One lot of note was his copy of Fall In A Hole, the legendary live album released on Flying Nun that fundamentally changed the label, both crippling it in the short term and helping to propel it to new ears around the world in the long term.

Testing driving the new archival release on Flying Acorn (Flying Nut???)… 🧐

I said I'd write a few words about Craig Robertson's much-anticipated Chris Knox bio, which I love. These are personal reflections on what will likely be the definitive history of a man who changed indie/alt music globally opdiner.substack.com/p/cause-when... #aotearoa @audioculturenz.bsky.social

Found out in the wild: my favorite rock ‘n’ roll book. @peoplesbooktakoma.com #FlyingNun

A new Bilders record is on the horizon, packed with new material and a couple never-released vintage Bilders tunes with the Stu Page and Greig Bainbridge lineup. carbon-records.bandcamp.com/album/neverl...

Here are some free Hardware retrospective downloads. RIYL UK-post punk, Messthetics, Pere Ubu, the Fall, Wire, Pigbag etc. Buy LPs here: dirtyknobby.bigcartel.com hardware79.bandcamp.com/yum xewk-xf6h h8st-ja9v 4n42-k2y9 qwpw-6hnz gh9c-kj56 y424-gk2y yplj-b94f t6s6-w9ja 2yh2-ct9b ated-x26x

I made the list, though maybe not in glowing terms.

Big auction from the John Peel collection ended today. I had dreams of bidding on two copies of The Chills' Kaleidoscope World comp, but bidding got out of my comfort zone. Here's the test pressing that was up for grabs. Interesting notes from Peel, where 'Satin Doll' is the only track with 3 stars.

Excited to have nabbed these Sun City Girls gig posters from a random poster sale on marketplace. One on the right is likely from 1990, left 1991.

New LP from The Bats arriving in October via Flying Nun. New video is up on the pre-order page too. www.flyingnun.co.nz/products/the...

This one has been in the works for a while and it’s so great to see that it’ll be published soon. Craig Robertson’s biography of Chris Knox. NZ pub date is October but I believe North America will be a few months after that. aucklanduniversitypress.co.nz/chris-knox/

Worlds are colliding for me folks. This has to mean something.

New Eddy Current Suppression Ring! News you can believe in. 🙌 eddycurrentsuppressionring.bandcamp.com/album/shapes...

Wonderful story in today's ODT about the very generous donation by the family of Martin Phillipps of some of his books, records and more to ReStore, Dunedin www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin...

Sly Stone is someone to be treasured and celebrated, an absolute king composer and lyricist. A sad day. pitchfork.com/news/sly-sto...

Nice little run down on Aussie post-punk tradition on Bandcamp today: daily.bandcamp.com/lists/austra...

The vintage band t-shirt market is peak side hustle absurdity for me. That said, there's been a few pop up recently where if money was no object I'd have to consider hammering that 'buy it now' button.

Shock late night news per the official Pere Ubu page on FB that David Thomas has passed on.

RIP David Thomas aka (in the early days) Crocus Behemoth: those first four Pere Ubu singles were stunning in 1975-1977 (post punk before punk) leading up the The Modern Dance and Dub Housing. Born 1953, I salute you fellow Snake

Grab yourself a free download of our Hardware retrospective. RIYL UK post-punk, Messthetics comps, Pigbag, etc. LP available from our Big Cartel site. 6h8s-km56 kcnc-g62y kpde-3k4f z949-ckja nysu-c89b 5kqx-xr6x bzgs-jdzq w2ks-ydyz pvye-bh26 8bkg-wjwk hardware79.bandcamp.com/yum

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!

Bailterspace have posted a new live four-track EP of live radio recordings done in London in 1993. Based on the track list and recording, i'm guessing this is their Peel session that aired in February 93, but recorded in December 92. Need to double check. bailterspace.bandcamp.com/album/bailte...

New music from The Bats to start your April! thebats.bandcamp.com/track/loline...

Some of the rarest NZ fanzines to come up for sale in some while are at World of Echo. Alley Oop, Stamp, Side On are all great, plus this issue of @rubbasoul.bsky.social’s Garage: worldofechomusic.com/collections/...

Sun Ra's metallic headdress?!? youtu.be/LGfNMttI1Sw?...

A Flying Nun gem originally released in 1987, All Fall Down's 'My Brand New Wallpaper Coat' is being reissued today by @thokeitapes.bsky.social alongside a ton of unreleased live recordings. I've been waiting for this one for a while. Go get it! thokeitapes.bandcamp.com/album/all-fa...

A few people on here have brought my attention to the Aadam Jacobs archive of Chicago gig tapes that has appeared recently, and it's a real treasure trove. A few Kiwi nuggets to highlight include two Tall Dwarfs recordings from 2005: archive.org/details/tall...

Way back in the day, the songs my mate Phil Moore wrote for Goblin Mix often seemed like the work of an older soul. Decades of life lived later, he's back with a new song – and a great video by his bro Andy. www.youtube.com/watch?v=5902...

Flying Nun has just announced a new release of the 3Ds Peel Sessions on vinyl alongside a CD release of their Peel Session/JJJ Session. This will be killer: www.flyingnun.co.nz/collections/...

Last call for Xmas orders. Follow and DM for details.

When did Discogs start censoring album artwork!?

An amazing, massively detailed history of the New Zealand / Flying Nun music history and discography during that amazing 1980s era. Chills, Bats, Gordons, Clean, Tasmans, Verlaine's, Hamish, Knox, LBGP, and so many more. Highly recommended #NewZealandMusic #FlyingNunRecords #MusicBook #Dunedin

A shameless holiday sales pitch, but i've been on strike with my day job for over three weeks so I have time and dwindling cash. I will be in the US next week so anyone interested in the NZ special edition of Needles and Plastic for a holiday gift please DM me. $55 postage paid. DM for details.

Carolina Soul has an excellent collection up for auction on eBay at the moment that includes a lot of NZ nuggets. One that stands out is the rarely seen second Gordons LP. I imagine it’ll go for a pretty penny. www.ebay.ca/itm/20513131...

Just announced - The Chills ‘Spring Board: The Early Unrecorded Songs’. What looks to be an amazing farewell from Martin Phillipps and co. thechillsmusic.bandcamp.com/album/spring...