{"id":832,"date":"2015-08-20T23:46:31","date_gmt":"2015-08-20T23:46:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.otago.ac.nz\/thehockenblog\/?p=832"},"modified":"2016-10-27T01:37:04","modified_gmt":"2016-10-27T01:37:04","slug":"the-dunedin-sound","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.otago.ac.nz\/thehockenblog\/the-dunedin-sound\/","title":{"rendered":"The Dunedin Sound?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Post by Amanda Mills, Liaison Librarian – Music and Audio-Visual<\/p>\n

\"Dunedin<\/a><\/p>\n

The Dunedin Sound is a phrase used widely to describe a particular sound in independent music (most often on the Flying Nun label) that emerged from Dunedin in the 1980s. Currently, there are a number of people who claim ownership of the phrase \u2018Dunedin Sound\u2019, but it is commonly attributed to The Clean\u2019s guitarist, David Kilgour, who uttered it in an interview. The phrase is contentious: many people deny there was ever such a thing as the \u2018Dunedin Sound\u2019, while others are adamant it existed. However, it is a convenient term to use when describing local bands from that era, in particular The Chills, The Clean, The Verlaines, The Bats, Look Blue Go Purple, and Sneaky Feelings \u2013 all bands that used (to a greater or lesser degree) an underlying\u00a0 drone, or a jangly guitar in their sound. Dr. Graeme Downes (guitarist, vocalist and songwriter with The Verlaines) argues that there is a \u2018Dunedin Sound\u2019, found in the songs themselves, within structural and compositional commonalities. Other factors fit too: isolation, the weather, and finding that their diverse inspirations all filtered through a similar mindset. The right time, and, crucially, the right place.<\/p>\n

It has been argued the \u2018Dunedin Sound\u2019 began with The Clean\u2019s Boodle Boodle Boodle <\/em>EP (which was very popular, selling over 10,000 copies, and attaining the no. 4 place in the charts), and then continued with The Chills, the Stones, The Verlaines, and Sneaky Feelings<\/em> (a.k.a The Dunedin Double<\/em>), which is still a benchmark for local independent music – compilations such as Wellington\u2019s Four Stars<\/em>, and last year\u2019s Fishrider Records compilation Temporary <\/em>were heavily compared to it.<\/p>\n

\"Dunedin<\/a><\/p>\n

The Hocken\u2019s collections are rich in material from this music sub-genre, spread throughout our different collections \u2013 Posters and Ephemera include treasures such as one-off gig posters, such as these by the Magick Heads and Look Blue Go Purple, and invites to parties where the bands played; Garage, Hahaha<\/em>, and Kahoutek<\/em> zines all feature in-depth interviews with the musicians. Within the archives, a copy of Martin Phillipps\u2019 recent oral history with Helen Frizzell resides, and the Xpressway papers are a mine of information about releases and careers of local musicians signed to the label (many formerly on Flying Nun). The accompanying Xpressway cassette collection was transferred to the published music collections, and these tapes include rare, and early, live recordings of bands and solo artists. There is research too – theses by Craig Robertson and Sian O\u2019Gorman provide information on the bands and the music, as well as the creative scenes surrounding the musicians. Our publications hold books on New Zealand music that include the local scenes and profile the artists, and our music clippings files cover not only \u2018Dunedin Sound\u2019 bands and artists, but also the wider Dunedin music scenes and genres. The recorded music collection is richest in terms of the core of the \u2019Dunedin Sound\u2019 \u2013 the actual recordings. We hold some of the hardest-to-find music releases because we collected them at the time of release, and, thus, have a collection deep in content. While not 100% comprehensive, original recordings and reissues are constantly being added to the collection \u2013 many new items purchased recently have been reissues. In addition, as part of the Audioculture function held at here on May 14th<\/sup> this year, we were generously gifted the original design for the initial Flying Nun logo (a one-eyed cherub holding an LP), a significant addition.<\/p>\n

\"Dunedin<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Music is subjective: here are my 10 favourite \u2018Dunedin Sound\u2019 recordings in the Hocken\u2019s music collections, between 1981 and 1996. How many of these do you know?<\/p>\n