Young Marble Giants were a Welsh post-punk band formed in Cardiff, Wales, in 1978. Their music was based around the vocals of Alison Statton along with the minimalist instrumentation of brothers Philip and Stuart Moxham. Their early sound was a sharp contrast with the more aggressive punk rock that dominated the underground at the time. Young Marble Giants released just one studio album, Colossal Youth, in 1980. They also released two EPs and recorded a John Peel session.
Flying Nun Records is a New Zealand independent record label formed in Christchurch in 1981 by music store manager Roger Shepherd. Described by The Guardian as "one of the world's great independent labels", Flying Nun is notable for bringing global attention to the Dunedin sound, a cultural and musical movement in early 1980s Dunedin, which gave rise to modern indie rock.
Shihad are a rock band formed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1988. The band consists of founders Tom Larkin, Phil Knight and Jon Toogood, who were joined by Karl Kippenberger in 1991. The band were known as Pacifier between 2002 and 2004.
The Dunedin sound was a musical and cultural movement and a genre of indie pop and alternative rock, created and pioneered in Dunedin, Otago, in the early 1980s. The Dunedin sound is considered to have been a key factor in the origination of indie rock as a genre. The scene was closely associated with Flying Nun Records, an independent label which has become one of the world's most renowned.
The Mutton Birds were a New Zealand rock music group formed in Auckland in 1991 by Ross Burge, David Long and Don McGlashan, with Alan Gregg joining a year later. Four of their albums reached the top 10 on the New Zealand Albums Chart, The Mutton Birds (1992), Salty (1994), Envy of Angels (1996) and Rain, Steam and Speed (1999). They had a number-one hit with "The Heater" (1994), while their two other top 10 singles were a cover of "Nature" by the Fourmyula (1992), and an original, "Anchor Me" (1994). From 1996 to 2000 the group were based in England; they returned to New Zealand and then disbanded in 2002.
Jan Hellriegel is a singer/songwriter based in Auckland, New Zealand.
Rock music in New Zealand, also known as Kiwi rock music and New Zealand rock music, rose to prominence first in 1955 with Johnny Cooper's cover version of Bill Haley's hit song "Rock Around the Clock". This was followed by Johnny Devlin, sometimes nicknamed New Zealand's Elvis Presley, and his cover of "Lawdy Miss Clawdy". The 1960s saw Max Merritt and the Meteors and Ray Columbus & the Invaders achieve success. In the 1970s and early 1980s the innovative Split Enz had success internationally as well as nationally, with member Neil Finn later continuing with Crowded House. Other influential bands in the 1970s were Th' Dudes, Dragon and Hello Sailor. The early 1980s saw the development of the indie rock "Dunedin sound", typified by Dunedin bands such as The Clean, Straitjacket Fits and The Chills, recorded by the Flying Nun record label of Christchurch. New Zealand's foremost hard rock band Shihad started their long career in 1988. Since 2018 this title is now undoubtedly held by New Zealand Māori metal band Alien Weaponry who have achieved huge success in Europe and the USA.
Shayne P. Carter is a New Zealand musician best known for leading Straitjacket Fits from 1986 to 1994, and as the only permanent member of Dimmer (1995–2012).
The Feelers is a New Zealand pop rock band formed in the early 1990s in Christchurch by James Reid (singer/guitarist) and Hamish Gee (drums/guitar).
Straitjacket Fits formed in Dunedin, New Zealand in 1986 and were a prominent band in the Flying Nun label's second wave of the Dunedin sound.
Elemeno P is a New Zealand rock band. The band's first album, Love & Disrespect was released on 4 July 2003, and reached number one on the RIANZ albums chart. Their second album, Trouble in Paradise was released on 24 November 2005 and includes the singles "11:57", "Burn", "One Left Standing", and "You Are". Their third album, Elemeno P was released on 26 May 2008.
Flight of the Conchords is a New Zealand musical comedy duo formed in Wellington in 1998. The band consists of multi-instrumentalists Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement. Beginning as a popular live comedy act in the early 2000s, the duo's comedy and music became the basis of the self-titled BBC radio series (2005) and, subsequently, the HBO American television series (2007–2009). Most recently, they released the HBO comedy special Live in London in 2018. The special was concurrently released by Sub Pop as their fifth album.
The 3Ds were a New Zealand noise pop band based from Dunedin, together from 1988 to 1997. They recorded three albums and several EPs, the best known of which is The Venus Trail (1993). They achieved commercial and critical success worldwide in the period between 1992 and 1995.
The Phoenix Foundation is a New Zealand indie rock band formed in Wellington in 1997.
The Rabble are a New Zealand punk band from Auckland, New Zealand, with a street punk aesthetic that was formed by brothers Charles Hill-Hayr and Rupert Hill-Hayr in the 2000 while still attending Orewa College. Their official Myspace page went live on 29 February 2004. They collaborated with Mark Unseen of Boston band The Unseen to create the song and video for "This World is Dead" from their album The Battle's Almost Over. The Rabble went on tour in the UK and Europe from August 2009 to January 2010, as well as writing and recording for their next album. They recorded at York Street Studios in Auckland early in 2008, and the bass and guitars were tracked at Number 8 Wire recording studio, by Chazz Rabble.
Last Exit to Garageland is the debut album of New Zealand band Garageland, released in June 1996 on Flying Nun Records. The album was reissued in the UK on Discordant Records and in the US on Foodchain Records in September 1997. In 2003, Foodchain issued a newer release which included bonus tracks.
Die! Die! Die! is a three-piece New Zealand noise pop/punk/post-punk band. Formed in late 2003, they have released seven albums, all backed with extensive international touring. A number of different bassists have played alongside permanent members Andrew Wilson and Michael Prain (drums). Lachlan Anderson is currently in his second stint with the band.
Villainy is an alternative rock band from Auckland, New Zealand. Formed in 2010 the band consists of James Dylan, Neill Fraser, Dave Johnston and Thom Watts.
The Naked and Famous are a New Zealand indie electronic band from Auckland, formed in 2007. The band currently consists of Alisa Xayalith and Thom Powers.
L.A.B. III is the third studio album by New Zealand band L.A.B., released in December 2019. Featuring the singles "Personify" and "In the Air". "In the Air" was a breakthrough hit for the band, becoming the top single of 2020 in New Zealand.
