#pop lib

2/1/21.

Pop Lib is one of my favorite blogs.  Ian Henderson, who runs Fishrider Records (Dunedin), focuses on New Zealand and Australia, but every now and then expands past both.  A few days ago, he posted about The Dupont Circles, a Washington, D.C. band that has been around since the late 80s. 

My initial reaction to a few songs was that they belonged on Captured Tracks’ excellent Strum & Thrum compilation.  But there is also an undeniable 1960s psych/garage feel (The Creation).  Finally, they do an outstanding cover of Television Personalities “How I Learned To Love The Bomb” (along with “Sputnik” and  “Tick Tock” there is a Cold War/nuclear vibe on this record).

Sometime the vocals remind me of The Pastels - slightly off-key but somehow still amazing.

I ran across this on Pop Lib’s celebration of Piano Day (apparently this is March 30th).  I was immediately intrigued by the similarities to Ed Askew, Elvis Costello, David Bowie (imagine his vocals on some of these piano songs) and of course Neil Hannon of The Divine Comedy.  Pop Lib also mentioned the piano crooner John Grant.  I’d never heard of him so I gave it a listen, and, hey, solid comparison!

“Across The Door Sill” was released in 2016 by Occultation Records (home of The Granite Shore), but to me this sounds straight out of the 1970s.  These songs are all on the long side, but just beautiful.  I can imagine that a current band like Busman’s Holiday would enjoy this record.  I personally would start with “Preservation” or “Pigs ‘n’ Pies”.

12/8/23.

After a long break, Ian Henderson (Dunedin, Fishrider Records) is posting again. His "Pop Lib" has been a go-to site for albums from Australia and New Zealand. His label has been a go-to label for years. And his brother, George Henderson (The Puddle) has been a go-to musician for years.

He posted about Senica the other day. Senica is a band that checks a lot of boxes for me. Christchurch, New Zealand - check. Melted Ice Cream (label), check. The aforementioned Pop Lib stamp of approval - check. The sweet guitar sounds that recall The Jean-Paul Sarte Experience - check.

10/3/20.

I learned about Na Noise through the Pop Lib blog.  Ian Henderson’s blog is actually a part of my daily life.  I check it as regularly as I check the mail (probably more so).

I don’t like everything on his blog, but I love the diversity of sounds (mostly New Zealand) he exposes me to.  Na Noise...wow...where do I start.

Is this goth or pop?  Is this influenced by Snapper, Electrelane or Joy Division?

Frankly, that’s the best thing about music.  Na Noise is clearly a sum of their parts.  If you like Zombierella, or Franky Flowers you will want to warm up to the sounds of Na Noise.

5/21/20.

Ian Henderson (Pop Lib) just posted about The New Existentialists (George Henderson from The Puddle, The And Band).  This wasn’t the release he posted about, but “Mysteries of the Worm b/w Elton John” has a physical release and is just outstanding in its own right.  It definitely has a New Zealand (”Mysteries of the Worm”) feel to it, while also sounding a bit like 1990s indie rock (”Elton John”).

4/30/20.

I consider myself a Flying Nun junkie.  Just do a search of “Flying Nun” and see how many references pop up.  Through all of that I’d only barely heard of The Subliminals.  That changed last night when I checked out Ian Henderson’s excellent Pop Lib.  He is getting ready to kick off his 30 Days of New Zealand Music.  The Subliminals were his “pre-game” post.

United State is truly one of the great New Zealand/Flying Nun albums.  Made in 2000 it is referential without being derivative.  Simon MacLaren admitted as much when he said,

“I started listening to Krautrock and identifying with certain rhythms and beats than perhaps with chords and lyrics, and I had this sense that what I called the rogue beat, or Krautrock beat, or motorik, I felt this continuum through Flying Nun and the Clean, and Snapper definitely, and saw Bailter Space quite a bit, I was aware of the Skeptics, the Bats used the motorik beat even.“  (this quote came from an interview on Under The Radar)

So, all of those influences and some others (Jean-Paul Sartre Experience, The 3D’s and Yo La Tengo to name a few) can be heard here and there.  United State is a varied listen from start to finish.  While you can’t get a physical copy on Bandcamp, there are copies (CD only) available on Discogs. 

2/11/20.

I found this on the ever-reliable Pop Lib.  They mention how “Peach” sounds like it could be an early Teenage Fanclub song.  I whole-heartedley agree.  But there are even more songs on here that sound like early Catholic Education era Fannies.  Take “Mirror Song”....

But this release nods much more towards shoegaze - Dust Devils, My Bloody Valentine or the more recent Pia Fraus.

10/9/18.

I’ve always been a rule-follower.  So, I sometimes get tripped up by my own Bandcamp rules.  And every once in a while, I feel the need to bend my own rules so I can post about a band without a physical release.

So, here I am posting a great song by New Zealand’s legendary Able Tasman’s (”Fault in the Frog” from “Somebody Ate My Planet”, but also on this Flying Nun compilation).  You can get a physical copy of the amazing compilation at Discogs...but it will cost you.

And while i absolutely love Able Tasmans, I was drawn back to them by a comparison I read on Pop Lib.  This blog profiled Tidal Rave (Wellington, New Zealand) the other day.  They mentioned Able Tasmans, and Even As We Speak when discussing Tidal Wave’s new single “FOMO”.  The only other band I would mention is The Renderers.