Tall Dwarfs Slide

The Chills’ Heavenly Pop Hit

At first listen, The Chills were like nothing else when they burst out of the relatively cloistered confines of the Dunedin student set way back in the early 1980s. Only, in retrospect, they were kinda like so much of the rest of the Flying Nun roster: lo-fi, wearily melodic, understated, and joyously brash in their use of lush vocal harmonies and ringing guitar licks. It was simply divine. And the first time I heard this song, Heavenly Pop Hit, I thought it was exactly that: the most decadent single imaginable. Some twenty years later, it still sounds fresh. [Click here to listen to Heavenly Pop Hit]

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

A collection of classic Flying Nun music videos

My favourite record label, the New Zealand-based Flying Nun — home to seminal acts such as The Chills, The Bats, The Clean, and The Verlaines — has been reinvigorated recently with the return of the label’s founder, Roger Shepherd, to steer the reigns and return this wonderful low-fi cottage industry back to its rightful glory. To mark the occasion, NZ On Screen has launched a collection of classic Flying Nun music videos, curated by Shepherd, including this frightfully progressive effort (it was made in 1981) from that doyen of Kiwi indie-pop, Chris Knox.

The Chills’ Pink Frost

The Chills were the first band I ever saw. Well, actually, they were the first band I never saw, despite my best intentions. I was fifteen at the time, and my friend got word that the seminal Flying Nun act, who hailed from the deepest, darkest trenches of Dunedin, New Zealand, were to play a show that night at the now long gone Max’s in Petersham, Sydney. We had to go. It was The Chills, the very symbol of low-fi sullen rebellion, with their ruddy cheeks and out of tune guitars. So we whacked handfulls of gel in our hair and resolved to sneak our way past the doorman. Only my friend arrived at the venue a little earlier than me (his Dad was clearly a better driver than mine) and promptly sauntered into the venue, while I was turned away for ‘obviously being a minor’. Dammit! They were probably better on record anyway.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Pop Bottles

Anna Utopia Giordano has created these Popbottles for an art exhibtion as a way to raise ‘social awareness on topics such as alcohol abuse by teens, alcohol abuse by pregnant women, the disinterest of some parents towards their children (abandoned for days between toys and video games), [and] how far marketers can go to gain the attention of their younger customers’. Oh, ok. We just think they look kinda cool. Read more

How the Internet’s biggest sites looked at launch

How the times have changed! Check out these awesome screenshots of how some of our favourite websites looked at the very moment they launched back in the day, then be grateful for the savvy workings of digital designers. Mind you, I think the New York Times back then kinda looked easier to read. Read more

Hire a professional dumper to end your relationship

Marketing executive Jonathan Kiekbush has a pretty interesting night job: he breaks up people’s relationships. That’s right, for a small set fee (£5 plus expenses), he’s a professional dumper. Trivial fact: most of his clients are men. Not surprisingly, as our friends at Oddity Central have noted, he’s single himself.