Flying Nun Records: Chocolate Fish for Indie Rockers
Every time I hear the Shins, I'm reminded of New Zealand's Flying Nun records.
One of the world's hallowed indies, Flying Nun is home to a number of NZ chartbusters. A modest dose of selected FN recordings have been licensed for the US and Europe over the years. A couple of acts received major label distribution, but few toured the States extensively. So, fanzine-reading, import-buying, obsessive, lo-fi geeks were pretty much the target market here. But the winds of change are shifting in the Tasman Sea, as a new generation of jangling and plaintive weirdrockers expose their roots.
If you are into the aforementioned Albuquerquians, or Death Cab, or Panda Bear, or somesuch indie candy, you may already be in love with the Flying Nun catalog. Or would consider going out with it. Just as friends.
The Clean got the ball rolling in 1981, quickly followed by Tall Dwarfs, the Bats, the Verlaines, the Chills and a bunch of other Kiwi acts that start with "the." All of them good, and many of them great--the Chills being one of the finest bands to arise in the last 25 years, outta anywhere.
Please enjoy embedded URL.
The Clean - "Tally Ho!"
The Verlaines- "Anniversary"
Sneaky Feelings - "Husband House"
The Chills - "I Love My Leather Jacket"
The Bats - "North By North"
Tall Dwarfs - "Wings"
The 3Ds - "Outer Space"
Bailter Space - "Splat"
And here's Stephen Malkmus interpreting the Verlaines' classic "Death and the Maiden."
Recent Flying Nunnery: the Mint Chicks, the Shocking Pinks
There's a documentary floating out there about the history of the label. If you made it this far, you may want to visit Hi Fever, which has collected the whole lot.
-- Patrick
KristiC on January 13, 2009 at 02:28 PM
God, I loved the Chills. Thanks for posting all this great stuff!
Patrick Whalen on January 07, 2009 at 05:58 PM
I still have my autographed CD from one of those Knox tours! Grateful for occasions with the Bats, Chills, Clean, and Bailter Space, as well. What about the Alpaca Brothers? Never left the isle, I imagine, sadly.
Alan Wiley on January 07, 2009 at 12:04 PM
The Bats' "Afternoon In Bed" has been mixtape fodder for me for the last 15 years. I never get tired of all of those fantastic Kiwi FN bands. I even had the pleasure of seeing Chris Knox play a solo show in Chicago several years back. It was great!