And you know it's alright

Well, I would never have foreseen the Bats having three songs up here on the 'blague. But then, serendipity has always been a big part of the project. This is a driving, feedbacky one from the excellent benefit album for Chris Knox, released in the wake of his tragic stroke. As much as I never believe it when songs tell me "it's alright," I kinda gotta go with them here.

The Bats - Just Do It

Cloudless

A couple days of no clouds in the sky puts me right in a mind to crave jangly New Zealand pop. Especially when the feel is totally at odds with the lyrics. Case in point — this breezy little number about a murderer contemplating the dead body in the river and his comeuppance is going to go down. Ah, summer is surely in the air. And then it rains...

The Bats - Jetsam

Music by airports

To the extent that I'm ever "educating" my dear listeners, I realize that there's always someone who knows more about x band/scene/period. That's cool. In many ways, I actually prefer breadth to depth. That said, here's a tune I'm pretty confident you haven't heard, generously introduced to me by a friend with impeccable first-hand knowledge of the underlayers of Kiwi pop.

The Airports - The Song About Walking Around Town Thinking To Myself What A Wonderful Life I'm Living

See me ride into the sun

Eighth-note piano pounding. It's in my head almost all the time these days. I wanna hear it coming from headphones and from my own fingers when I sit down at the keys. Sometimes I like it stately and steady, like John Cale. Sometimes I like it all frantic, like on this one. Workin' it. And speaking of work, happy Labor Day. Back Tuesday.

Tall Dwarfs - Starry Eyed & Wooly Brained

Into leather

It's been a dizzying workweek, and I'm bouncing on my toes until I can get out of town. Which brings the mind quite easily to driving songs and/or pop gems. And you can usually count on the the Chills to deliver on both. It's their second appearance on these pages, and there are some days I want to listen to no one else. Perhaps the least kinky song to mention leather garments, this one is a heavenly pop hit by any other name.

The Chills - I Love My Leather Jacket

You might run into the sun

It's the dragging days of August. But I've got a very busy week lined up. Anyone else? Here's one to kick us all into action.

The Clean - Diamond Shine

Nun takes flight again

I'm gonna extend Flynn's musical stopover in New Zealand one more day. Though they don't usually get mentioned in the same breath as the classic Flying Nun roster, Straitjacket Fits were indeed quite awesome. I love everything about this song. The tense string trills building up to swirling psych-pop verses and then launching into a brilliant soaring chorus. Then around again. Nice ebb and flow. When they sing 'she rides the wind,' I think I can see what that looks like.

Straitjacket Fits - She Speeds

Flying and jangling, part II

Another band named after a flying animal. Another jangly guitar song. This one is a little more somber, and good for beefing up your vintage indie bona fides. If there had been a video, it surely would've had regular rotation on 120 Minutes. Two consecutive songs that sound like R.E.M. Hmm. I wonder if this is my brain's way of telling me to put some of their stuff up here already.

The Bats - Mastery

Flying nun, dying one

Yeah yeah, New Zealand is totally happening. Which is great because now a decent chunk of the American population can distinguish between a Kiwi and an Australian accent. Still, I sorta wish Brett and Jemaine—or at least Peter Jackson—would point the kids in the direction of Flying Nun. Here's an absolute classic from the label's early '80s heyday - a beautiful and haunting song that could really do without the little perky intro. Get past that and think of how you'd feel if you killed the one you love and have no idea why. The darkness makes the pop all the sweeter.

The Chills - Pink Frost