The Transistors LP Release - Short Wave - ON VINYL!
I promised myself (and everyone else) that I wouldn't turn this into a music blog, but The Transistors' debut LP deserves it's own wee post. As a bit of a back story I'm slightly obsessive about music, and vinyl in particular.
I've spent the year collecting Australian indie vinyl, and doing my bit for the economy in the same way that Aussies took K-Rudd's handout and came to Queenstown to ski. This is mainly thanks to the wonderful Scotti at Missing Link... if you're ever in Melbourne stop by and say hi!
The reason for the predominance of Aussie music in my collection is that I only buy vinyl, and Australia is producing wax at an impressive rate. Thanks to the longstanding Corduroy Records and the musicians who have worked there (like Guy Blackman from Chapter Music and members of Eddy Current Supression Ring, current garage rock wunderkids) and sold at a stunning range of truly independent outlets, Melbourne in particular has it going on at the moment. To see how vibrant the scene is check Mess And Noise...
In NZ things have been a bit slower, and apart from the ridiculous prices early Flying Nun releases have been going for on Tard Me, most releases have been on overseas labels - The early Dead C reissues on Jagjaguwar, Bachelorette on Drag City and heck, even The Mint Chicks album was released on vinyl by a Spanish label not Flying Nun. If you like post-rock (whatever that may be) then Midium Records have flown the flag for vinyl, and An Emerald City (who are playing with the Buzzcocks and Veils in Christchurch THIS WEEK) have released their debut on wax too. But it's few and far between and generally quite costly...
But maybe the tide is turning with the Clean's fab new album on vinyl through the mighty Arch Hill, and local punk-pop trio The Transistors debut album Shortwave on limited green vinyl.
The Transistors describe the album as "11 songs, 21 minutes, 12 inches, 45 rpm!" and that sounds pretty good to me. Back in the day Hat and myself were blown away by the group at RDU's RoundUp band comp and voted them through, and although RoundUp was won by The Klap (now Von Klap) that year from memory, The Transistors stuck in my head as one to watch out for.
So it's great to see the lads as the Chart featured artist of the month, and see them create a real buzz with their album launch - playing 5 gigs in one day culminating in a show on Cosmic Corner's roof (cue U2 reference, see video below) which was stopped by noise control (now that's punk rock) proving once again that the powers that be in Christchurch will do anything to ensure that there is no reason to ever come to the city. Sigh.
Hey I know what will cheer me up... green vinyl! Go on, buy local and keep it green...
