New Zealand Pop

The phenomenon of New Zealand Pop comes out of the Post-Punk movement of the late '70s and early '80s. As artists drew inspiration from the jagged chords and energy of Punk, they also sought to import Psychedelic and Garage styles into the mix. Much like the Factory and Creation labels in the United Kingdom (independent labels that coined a local sound by selective focus on local acts), New Zealand's seminal Flying Nun label was able to create its own influential and identifiable mark. Flying Nun artists the Tall Dwarfs experimented with lo-fi production and alternating acoustic and electric styles amidst a myriad of percussive elements -- none of them drums. Labelmates the Clean put the focus on jangling chords and sharp, fractured lyrical blasts. Founding members Chris Knox and David Kilgour have been involved with an assortment of other musical projects. New Zealand artists Toy Love, the Bats and the Chills belong to an incestuous family tree with many players in common. Throughout the '80s, this community's jangling, off- kilter sound and grassroots eye laid the blueprint for both indie labels and indie rock in the '90s.