‘Flowers For The Blind’ by Death & The Maiden

Day 24 of the song-a-day-May NZ Music Month Madness comes from Dunedin’s hypnotic trance-pop alchemists Death & The Maiden. Those of you who have been paying attention this year will complain “you posted that song on 28 March” which is true. But here it is again; a great song deserves a second post.

The other reason for posting this song is that Death & The Maiden play at Chick’s Hotel, Port Chalmers near Dunedin tonight, along with no-longer-called-Brown-anymore (posted a few days ago) and David Kilgour & The Heavy Eights, who require no introduction round these parts.

‘Apostate’ by Ha The Unclear

Ha The Unclear (formerly known as Brown)

Day 20 of the song-a-day-May NZ Music Month madness is ‘Apostate’ from Dunedin’s disconsolate philosophy quartet Ha The Unclear.

Who the unclear? Dunedinites will know them better as Brown. Plain, everyday, impossible to Google Brown. So, Ha The Unclear is their new name henceforth. The story they tell on their Bandcamp page is:

“Ha the Unclear initially formed in Dunedin in 2010. They quickly released a string of bedroom recordings under the moniker Brown and completed several life-shortening national tours.”

There’s a storytelling charm in all their songs as Michael Cathro ponders many imponderables in a colourfully accented and instantly recognisable vocal style. There’s a fine tradition of this kind local accent storytelling across the Tasman in Australia from the likes of Boomgates and Scott & Charlene’s Wedding. I reckon its about time we embraced our inner Kiwiness here too.

UPDATED 23 May 2014: Ha The Unclear have just released a new single, “Secret Lives of Furniture”. Quite simply the best song sung by a coffee table you will ever hear.