This month is NZ Music Month – here’s my top five local albums for what it’s worth.
5. Bailter Space – Robot World. All I had to do when I was at Uni was stand in one spot (well, a few, technically) while all sorts of marvelous bands played at the Student Union and the Hilly for not a lot of dosh. All I had to do was wear band T-shirts and Doc Martins. And sometimes a cardigan. Bailter Space were farkin cool, though – no band I ever saw was louder. You could have sworn there were more than three of them.
4. 3D’s – Swathy Songs for Swabs / Fish Tails. The 3D’s are another big live fav. These two EPs win over their albums for me, just ‘cos they’re pretty raw and reminded me of the live shows. Nothing makes any sense on these EPs. In a good way.
3. Phoenix Foundation – Pegasus. My number one NZ band that’s still going. Pegasus is a local Pet Sounds I reckon, there’s a lot of heart to these songs, and they sound like they’re having loads of fun, which I love. I really get into the first PF album and Luke Buda and Sam Scott’s solo albums too.
2. Straightjacket Fits – Melt. We had a party in the last year of Uni, and some dickhead stole my Stone Roses, Crooked Rain, and Melt LPs. The others I’ve replaced but NO-ONE’s got Melt on vinyl these days. Not when it’s one of the most epic, grand and huge albums ever. I still want revenge.
1. Bressa Creeting Cake – Bressa Creeting Cake. A FUCK of an album. An Early Microscope, Rocky Mountain, Palm Singing are all brilliant tunes, but there’s not a trace of filler here – this is one of the most dense albums I’ve ever heard. There’s a lot of Goldenhorse’s sweetness here combined with the most thoughtfully random lyrics around. Highly, highly recommended.