Trash

Here's a couple of albums from this esoteric New Zealand quartet. Featuring members from other quality underground Kiwi bands such as The Dead C, The Verlaines, The Alpaca brothers, this band is considerably under rated, and due for a renaissance.

The first album, for yr consideration, is Gritt and Butts (album cover pictured left.) Its cover art is a good indication of what lies inside, smeary impressionistic lo-fi guitar sturm and drang, it would be fitting to call it a collection of great Sonic Youth outtakes, if not for the fact that the SY were obviously ripping this sound to begin with. Buzzing guitar scree, and absolutely PUMMELING drumming takes this release to the next level. Embracing all the strengths of intimate lo-fi gems, it is warm and fuzzy, intimate and non-commercial. Not striving to impress, nor to exceed, more like express, and what becomes apparent, through all the hiss, is the strong songwriting sensibility, a shiny poppiness beneath the murk, as is appropriate for its Dunedin genesis. Full of post-Velvets dirge and pigfucker thump, assimilating all that is great of underground rock of the last 2 decades, particularly of a hypnotic, 2 chord variety.

Mihiwaka was their third LP, and is decidely more polished. Still experimental, occasionally sprawling, but the guitars spark and spit in glorious hi-fi, clean and clear and sharp and menacing. Glider to Sam, the second track, is a truly great song. Impress somebody on yr next obscure mixtape. I don't know this album as well, mainly having heard Gritt and Butts and (Not) Gate, their second album. Picked both of them up at the Reckless Records in Chicago for 3 bucks a piece, and proceeded to have my head blown wide open, becoming a fanatical devotee of New Zealand noise rock. Listen to these two, and you'll see why.

Trash were:

Bruce Blucher (the Alpaca Brothers, Cyclops, Pointy Little Stick)
Paul Cahill (the Alpaca Brothers)
Robbie Yeats (the Renderers, Dead C, the Verlaines)
Andre Richardson (Doramaar, Cyclops)

If anyone has (Not) Gate, i can't find it anywhere, having spaced my cd copy during my chaotic 20s. Fans of Dead C, and The Verlaines, take note, rejoice! Also This Kind of Punishment, and generally the whole underground NZ/Xpressway thing.

Gritt and Butts

Mihiwaka