V/A - Xpressway Pile-Up

Xpressway Records was a short lived New Zealand music label that lasted a few years in the late 80's and dissolved after releasing 23 records on its catalog. I'd like to call them Flying Nun's twisted little sister though, they nurtured and established the more experimental NZ acts of the late 80's, whose influence over independent music over the 90's cannot be understated. Here's a compilation of whacked out tunes compiled after Xpressway disintegrated.

Chronicles the best of the short lived Xpressway label from NZ. Despite having only 23 releases to its catalog, Xpressway lived to be immensely influential to the local scene and housed the more experimental acts in its roster; and as such that is what you get on this compilation. Ranging from aural assaults to mumbled drones, from gloomy introspective balladry to exercises in improvisation and noise, it features some of New Zealand's best musicians (Peter Jefferies, Dead C, The Terminals, Plagal Grind, Alastair Galbraith and the like) and is fairly essential for anyone reaping the rewards of the NZ music scene and looking to dig a bit deeper.


you and me, walking on the wire

Flying Nun Records - 25th Anniversary Boxset

Ever heard of Flying Nun Records? Probably one of the best record labels on the planet. Want proof? Here's their 25th Anniversary Boxset. 

The only reason I probably don't listen to this as often as I should is that every song is literally one highlight after another; there's way too much good music here to be absorbed in a single sitting. That of course is my problem and not the boxset's. Yes, the best and most consistent music scene of the 80's/90's was set in a small city called Christchurch, far away in New Zealand, and Flying Nun records was its breeding ground, nurturing and establishing (albeit locally) some of the most fiercely experimental and wacked out independent music of its time, which as of 2007 have been handpicked and compiled to perfection. Somehow, something like this should be too good to be true, but the fact that this exists and goes somewhat overlooked in regular independent music revisionism further acknowledges that this is one of the cruelest jokes in music history. Equal parts garage, equal parts jangle, all with the pop sensibility of Apollo - this is a slice of Olympus in itself (or 4 slices, if you're technical and all). To every artist involved here and to Flying Nun records themselves - may your cups runneth over mates. You guys are heroes. 


disc 1
disc 2
disc 3
disc 4