robert thefamilyghost wrote:

benmichell wrote:what bands from new zealand besides the clean & the gordons/bailter space are any good?

The Dead C!!!

That was my first reaction.

I saw High Dependency Unit open for Shellac one time. HDU is from New Zealand. I thought HDU was great.

Sorry for digging this one up but I searched, saw the 50/50 standing and voted NOT CRAP.

Midnight Oil, like Helmet, are a band whose merits I've had to defend against friends who can't (or won't let themselves) hear music as music and so judge some musicians through a haze of defensive attitudes, which process is inimical to any true criticism.
They are the attitudes of the lifelong adolescent and as a 30-year old man I am not prepared to entertain them in myself.

Without imputing such defensive attitudes to members of this forum I have to wonder if everyone who has voted and posted on this poll has listened past the dated 1980’s studio trickery to the arrangements and components of the music itself.

Midnight Oil’s music judged on musical criteria is, I believe, not crap. Rhythm, harmony and melody are all attended to competently and consistently.

They are, however, a good choice for a C/NC poll.

Angry_Dragon wrote:... New Zealand had/has betters bands that make/made better music.

Of course.

I was a big fan of "Red Sails in the Sunset". If I recall, "Jimmy Sharman's Boxers" was a one of my favorites.

It has been a long time.

I need to see if I still agree with this statement.

I can't say I've had the urge to replenish my once nearly complete stores of Midnight Oil CDs. But I have to second and third the assertion that they were a fantastic live band. I've never seen such a tireless and frenetic (in a good way) frontman as Garrett. It was exhausting just to watch him, but he never slowed down.

Decidedly NOT CRAP.

Ugly motherfuckers though.

Rhythm, harmony and melody are all attended to competently and consistently.

Surely there has to be something more to a band than just being competent players?

Apart from the politics, which make them almost bearable. MO are crap of the highest order. They are a perfect example of rubbish Aussie music.

B_M_L wrote:

Rhythm, harmony and melody are all attended to competently and consistently.

Surely there has to be something more to a band than just being competent players?

Apart from the politics, which make them almost bearable. MO are pre crap of the highest order. They are a perfect example of rubbish Aussie music.

Good grief yes, not far removed from Jimmy Barnes or Jon Farnham. Aussie-pub rock with it's heart in the right place.

They are a perfect example of rubbish Aussie music.

I just want to make it clear that I'm not saying anything stoopid like "all Aussie music is rubbish". Just that M.O. is definitley within a tradition of crap Aus' bands. Not too dissimilar to a breed of crap NZ bands... The Dudes, The Exponents, The Mockers etc.

i like the political aspect of their music. i think that it is important for socially environmentally conscious people to be involved in rock and roll and use it as a medium to say more than ohh baby you really turn me on.

come on man, the dudes!
drink your self more bliss, forget about the last one come on get another