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The Chills

There was a time, many moons ago, when I would only listen to bands off New Zealand’s Flying Nun label. Yup, I would strap myself into a comfy chair, put my headphones on and, armed with a chunk of chocolate coated Peanut Slab and a can of L&P, soak up album after album of wonderfully self-indulgent low-fi melancholy. There was real coarseness about the sound that characterised many of the acts on their roster; a guarded mix of wide-eyed escapism and world-weariness that permeated the melodic changes and added a depth to the music that was lacking in many of their big budgeted major label contemporaries. At the head of the queue was Martin Phillips and his motley (revolving) band, The Chills. Their songs were pure Dunedin — lush but subdued, expansive in parts yet tightly leashed in others. It was dark yet joyous, sober yet unhinged, a wash of contradictions yet an earful of something disarmingly, frighteningly pure.

Listen to The Chills song, Satin Doll.

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Check out our sister site, My Secret Playlist, where our favorite musicians and DJs write about the music that's inspiring them right now.
Looking for the perfect gift? Check out the goodies in the Lost At E Minor online store or for a curated range, try this selection of cool presents.

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YOU'RE SAYING (1)

Lisa Pitman said | 2 August, 2007

Hey! thanks for sharing – that was lovely! Will go in search of some more now…

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I’m a big fan of Fernanda Cohen’s work. The Brooklyn-based illustrator — and sometime Lost At E Minor contributor — has just completed a new series called War of Words which has received two silver medals from the Society of Illustrators of NY and LA, and will be featured in HOW International Design in March. Read more


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