New From NZ: Perfect Hair Forever, Astro Children, Carb On Carb

Enjoy free downloads of noisy one- and two-person pop straight out of New Zealand.

– The last time we checked in with Perfect Hair Forever, Auckland’s one-man noise-punk factory had released PUKER. Now comes VOID, another free download and limited CDR via Sydney label Crystal Magic. They’re still overblown, piss-and-vinegar, angry-teen anthems, this time with titles like ‘D.I.S.E.A.S.E.’, ‘1-800-EAT-SHIT’ and ‘Porno Nails’. Screamed into the computer when the parents are out of the house, the 10 songs are quickie blasts of modern frustration doled out in harsh pixelation. Cue cheap drum machines, obscure media samples, whiney choruses and fuzzed guitar hooks. It’s a cathartic release with spittle a-flyin’.

– While Millie Lovelock’s work in Trick Mammoth tends towards sweet indie pop, her other band Astro Children is decidedly more experimental and out-there. The Dunedin duo with drummer Isaac Hickey still flirts with pop, but strands it in remote places and warps it into strange shapes. They’ve just released their free-download debut album Proteus through Auckland label Muzai. It was recorded and mixed by Lovelock’s Trick Mammoth bandmate Adrian Ng. Despite an intentional evolution in sound underscored by the album title, Proteus still knows how to be quaintly garage-y on tracks like ‘Eden’ and the punkier single ‘Nora Barnacle’. But the spacey bits are worth wading through too.

– Auckland duo Carb on Carb released a free standalone single before their happening-as-we-speak tour of China and Singapore. ‘Eden Terrors’ reconfirms James Stuteley and Nicole Gaffney’s penchant for ropey ’90s-style indie rock, as introduced on last year’s No Body Perfect EP. Yet it’s considerably poppier than previous tunes, which suits that lo-fi guitar jangle down to the ground. Now we just need a proper album from these two.

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