“Yellow House” by Jim Nothing

The name’s Nothing. Jim Nothing. I like my secret alt-pop agents under-stated, DIY, and a bit rough-hewn around the edges. I like them even more when they arrive with a new album out of nowhere after several years of, well, nothing, and floor you with strange, unexpected new sounds. In this case, lo-fi, DIY, cassette release Jim Nothing has simultaneously fulfilled, exceeded, and confounded early promise. Collaborating with an avante-garde violinist/vocalist Anita Clark (Motte) is an unexpected turn for a shambling jangling fuzzy guitar pop Nothing. On the strength of the two initial songs released ahead of Jim Nothing’s “In The Marigolds” album in September, it’s a glorious combination. Here’s “Yellow House”:

It’s been 7 years since the initial run of 2 cassette EPs and a split cassette EP with Wurld Series. Since then Nothing’s alter-ego James Sullivan has been busy in all manner of bands, including drummer for Salad Boys. This time round the ubiquitous Brian Feary is drumming, while also recording, mixing, mastering “In The Marigolds”. Feary is the heart & soul of Christchurch’s underground DIY scene and Melted Ice Cream Records, a 21st century Chris Knox if you like, without the jandals and shorts.

But it’s the pairing of melodic string instrument talents with violinist and vocalist Anita Clark (her own extraordinary sound explorations under the name Motte) that gives these two initial songs (and presumably the whole album) an unexpected melodic richness and sonic balance. Clark’s violin parts on “Yellow House” evoke the dark drone spirit The Velvet Underground’s John Cale in the verse, and the melodic flight of The Go-Between’s Amanda Brown in the chorus.

The album is released on vinyl – a white and black option – and will have a European release too via Meritorio Records in Madrid, Spain. It was an instant “Buy Now” for me on the strength of these two tracks. Can’t wait to get lost in the marigolds with Jim Nothing in a few months when this is fully released.

“Tunnel Vision” by Brian Tamaki and the Kool-Aid Kids

Melted Ice Cream is a record label from Christchurch. A pretty cool one (ha!). The City, on the east coast of the South Island, five hours drive north of Dunedin, was shaken apart by a series of earthquakes in 2010/2011 and much of the city centre was demolished in the aftermath. But from the rubble grows resistant weeds of underground music. “Sickest Smashes from Arson City: Legacy Edition” is a compilation celebrating those musical weeds. Here’s the first track – “Tunnel Vision”

It’s a fitting first track for the compilation album because (a) it’s a wonderfully great song, and (b) the ‘Brian Tamaki’ of the band’s name is a religious cult leader and bigot who infamously claimed the Christchurch earthquakes of 2010/2011 were ‘God’ punishing Christchurch for sins, including supporting same-sex marriage. Jerk.

It’s a great compilation, heavy on the scrappy melodic punk and bite, with a bit of experimental weirdness folded in towards to end.  Very Christchurch.

Here’s the Melted Ice Cream blurb: “Now that it’s sufficiently obsolete, MIC have decided to revive this antiquated music format, in the most proper way possible: buy this 20 track, NZ-Pressed CD and receive a 12-page booklet with extensive liner notes including bios and photos of each band, a map of Christchurch musical places, a network map of Christchurch band members featured on the compilation, extensive credits and a foreword lovingly written by Hannah Herchenbach. This is intended to be a document and keepsake of the 2018 Christchurch indie music scene. “

In the words of BTATKAK on their Fakebook page – “its a fucking banger, go buy the cd…”

“Under The Bed” by Salad Boys

Christchurch guitar trio Salad Boys released their second album “This Is Glue” in January. Here’s “Under The Bed” from it:

Salad Boys is led by guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Joe Sampson, once of noisey Christchurch trio T54. Salad Boys is the more reflective side of Sampson’s considerable guitar-playing and songwriting talent, though the album still packs plenty of over-driven riff-rock (check the opening “Blown” Up” and then “Psych Slasher” for high-octane thrills).

Anyone raised on a steady diet of chips, beer and guitar bands over recent decades will recognise the compass points locating their sound. Much has been made of their local influences from that cold damp city 5 hours drive south of their quake-munted Christchurch home. But as much as you can maybe hear a bit of The Clean/ Great Unwashed in the strum and jangle I’d be inclined to pick another Dunedin band Bored Games as a better local touchstone when the amps are cranked here.

But even that is still a red herring I reckon. The varied guitar styles and noisy pop hooks comprising much of “This Is Glue” is actually much more in the style of North American bad boys like The Replacements and their ilk. As a result they sound more like they belong among the current crop of fine Australian guitar bands (The Stevens, Twerps, Woollen Kits et al.) who also seem to have assimilated that same perfect odd-combo of ’80s kiwi drone jangle and more polished North American guitar pop.

Either way, this is a cracking album with a fine balance between visceral riff rock and delicate reflective folk pop (refer “Going Down Slow” towards the end of the album). Recommended to track down in its vinyl LP format too.