Before "Flight of the Conchords" debuted on HBO, New Zealand was known to many as that place where they filmed the Lord of the Rings. Apparently, there's a whole country down there, and that country has a music scene.
TheCollege Music Journal teamed with NZ On Air to promote the Phase Five series, which exposes aspiring kiwirockers in a rotating showcase. The Phase Five sampler CD will ship for free with the August 20th CMJ New Music Report; you can also get your hands on it by emailing CMJ.
Or, you can just cut to the chase and check out the bands online (short, totally subjective reviews below):
The Brunettes
Flirtyindie-pop with low-fi electronica tendencies. Trendy male/femaleshouting and whispering. Sporadic transcendent harmonies. Probablythe most interesting on this list, especially when the beats kick in (but avoid "Obligatory Road Song").
The Checks (myspace)
Bluesy, melodic, foot-stomping classic rock. Might be good live.
Connan and the Mockasins (myspace)
Off-kilter, occasionally-shambolic psychedelic lennon-rock with squeakyvocals, the right sort of enthusiastic guitar stylings, and a stand-upbass. Fun.
Liam Finn (myspace)
Mellow, innovative instrumentation. Mature, refreshing chord progressions. Introspective vox. Reverb. Annoying flash-based website.
Steriogram (myspace)
Nice bouncy basslines, but the singer ruins it for me once again.
(image from nasa.gov)
