14. What You Heard – The Checks
As a kiwi living in the UK, every now and then I get care packages from home. The odd packet of milk bottle lollies, toffee pops, back issues of the The Listener and decent coffee (still largely absent here in England). And sometimes I get music.
Recently, I was sent a CD with a single on by The Checks. It’s a revisionist approach to the Stones / Who by people who are far too young to remember. And there’s no shortage of bands around that take that approach. But these guys are really good — and starting to get some attention.
The NME, for what it’s worth, says:
“Ed lays claim to having hips made out of elastic and kecks so tight he’s happy to sacrifice his fertility in the name of rock’n’roll.”
So… bendy and tightly clothed, then. Sometimes watching the video can be more instructive.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSWsy-FCZpw
There is a great deal of talk about a New Zealand music “renaissance” over the past 6 or 7 years, and while this is a problematic term (don’t get me started — I’m writing an article for an academic journal about this at the moment), it is quite a useful idea.
As part of NZ On Air‘s Phase 5 scheme, there was a CD and feature in a recent Music Week issue. From an export perspective, most kiwi bands — at least from the rock sphere — seem far more focused on the UK market than the US.
Meanwhile, back home, there is more goodwill towards localism in music. There is more local music on mainstream media. The local music business, by any of its main indicators, is more economically viable than ever before.
Of course, there are darker sides to this and critiques that can be made, but mostly we’re all ‘Go kiwi, it’s your birthday…’
And sometimes, the music is just good.
The Checks recorded their album in London late last year. Should be out sooner rather than later. Meanwhile, enjoy.
