Die! Die! Die!

Originally hailing from Dunedin, New Zealand, and based in that indie hotbed (the heart of the Kiwi pop scene since the early days of Flying Nun Records in the '80s), Die! Die! Die! are an abrasive noise pop trio with hardcore punk roots, as befits their rather antisocial name. However, while singer and guitarist Andrew Wilson's ranting vocal style and dissonant, slashing guitar parts sound directly inspired by Big Black (whose leader, Steve Albini, recorded their self-titled debut) and the New York no wave bands of the late '70s, the ultra-tight rhythm section of bassist Lachlan Anderson (who replaced original bassist Henry Oliver) and drummer Michael Prain comes from the danceable neo-funk tradition of Gang of Four and A Certain Ratio. The aforementioned debut album, Die! Die! Die!, was released in New Zealand in the fall of 2006, followed shortly thereafter by a four-track EP of all new material, Locust Weeks. Die! Die! Die! was released on the SAF label in the United States in early 2007.