There’s a certain and obvious playfulness that lingers from song to song on A Cuppa Tea and A Lie Down, a lack of self-seriousness—this only works in their favor, testing the limits of what makes a cohesive structure that somewhat resembles a pop song. Many of the most prominent kiwi rock and alternative bands have been signed to Flying Nun at some stage in their careers. The noisy library of New Zealand music Almost makes you want to go to New Zealand to witness if the land is as off kilter as most of the recordings on Flying Nun. The phrase “Dunedin sound” wasn’t coined until the mid-’80s, when sloppy New Zealand DJs and journalists shoved a wild and thriving artistic community into a box—as we typically do with things that are new or perplexing, us fools—loosely relating a dozen or more bands because they all featured guitars as a main instrument, something every “guitar rock” band has had in common with one another. Everything about Hellzapoppin is supremely different from any Flying Nun band, and David Mitchell and David Saunders’ guitar work sounded playful, constantly attacking each other with twin-guitar attacks and tantrums. 3Ds came a decade too late, though their sound is timeless, still sounding innovative in 2018. Please review our complete Privacy Policy for more information. Mushroom purchased the balance of the shares from Shepherd around that time. Flying Nun moved into the full-length album market in 1982 with the Ego Gratification Album by Chris Knox and Beatin Hearts by Builders (recorded 1982, Auckland). Tasmans even attempt a punk song with “Tom Song,” but instead they hopscotch back and forth between groovy, bouncing piano rolls and lockjaw D-beats. Oh yeah, and David Kilgour was a member for a while, too. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Flying Nun and the myth of isolation. Daddy’s Highway is that rare, definitive moment in time where everything aligns, escaping them the moment the studio sessions concluded. The label was formed in the wake of a flurry of new post-punk-inspired labels forming in New Zealand in the early 1980s, in particular Propeller Records in Auckland. Their 1982 follow up and final studio album under the same name—they later reformed as Bailter Space and signed to Matador—Volume 2, was self-released. The Clean’s jangle, Look Blue Go Purple’s patient, soft-rock approach—these are all very much apparent in Kaleidoscope World, and it’s a steadily joyful 58 minutes of eccentric guitar rock. Yet, Kaleidoscope World is another one of those albums—or compilations—that heavily depends on each individual track. In 1990 Festival Records bought a fifty percent stake in Flying Nun, and then in 2000 merged with Mushroom Records, bringing Flying Nun into the Festival-Mushroom Records family of companies. What these DJs and journalists were really talking about was Flying Nun Records. It was weak, facile and treasonous. This site tracks activity, used for customised advertising across several services (ActiveCampaign). Then owned by Warner Music, after their purchase of Festival Mushroom. No wave and post punk are taking over the proto-indie crowds. Though the common recording methods of Flying Nun’s most prominent bands bordered lo-fi, the production of Daddy’s Highway is surprisingly clean, the vocal melodies much easier to follow than that of the Clean or the Chills. No 2. Flying Nun: Getting Older - the 1990s And Beyond can be found here. Where The Clean, The Bats and Look Blue Go Purple had all, in one way or another, built up a reputation for breezy, gentle “rock” music, the Dead C picked up where The Gordons left off in 1981—creating something entirely arcane, immersed in their own fits of noise and redefining guitar rock in the process. The label was formed in the wake of a flurry of new post-punk-inspired labels forming in New Zealand in the early 1980s, in particular Propeller Records in Auckland. The Bats were at the top of their game when they released Daddy’s Highway, and they were never able to recapture that magic again. If you don't think that you've © 2020 Treble Media. But it’s the sparse, acoustic closers “I Can See” and “Gem” that truly showcase Kilgour’s ability to craft euphoric love songs. Though the wait for Vehicle was obnoxiously prolonged, it was ultimately worth it, as it proved to a be a living historical document of indie rock’s earliest roots. Your email address will not be published. Every now and then you meet a person who has a 'silent middle' pure as you like, let us just say Flying Nun have a silent middle. We specialise in finding the highest quality products regardless of format or genre. Their hilariously titled debut studio album, A Cuppa Tea and A Lie Down, finds Able Tasmans tinkering with lively piano arrangements, lushly layered organs, and twangy acoustic guitars. Before The Dead C mutated into an utterly terrifying collective of free noise and drone rock, the Dunedin trio was discovering and experimenting with what would later become the sound they’re best known for: flat out disturbed noise-rock, traditional song structures long in the rearview mirror.