Popstrangers

Yet another representative of the diversity in New Zealand’s burgeoning music scene, Popstrangers are definitely worth getting to know. A far cry from the bright synth anthems of The Naked and Famous, the grungy trio’s EP Happy Accidents sucks the serotonin straight out of your brain with murky rock that calls up Seattle of the ’80s and ’90s.

Like Pac Nor legends Wipers and, yes, Nirvana too, these Auckland boys like their jams dark and dissonant, yet melodic and memorable. But, thankfully, it’s not all blurry American bludgeoning either. The band can get quite loud but even their fattest bullroarers feature the articulate bass lines and musical perversity of British post-punk bands like Wire and Gang of Four. They take everything all the great aforementioned bands gave us and then give us twice as much of it twice as loud. What more can you ask for in this day and age?

Happy Accidents has made Popstrangers the toast of alternative radio in New Zealand, taken them to CMJ in the US, and gotten them signed to legendary NZ label Flying Nun. Their debut full-length is due out early next year, but they’ve released the single “What Else Could They Do?” to give us an inkling of where things are headed. It’s hooky and haunting, kind of like Radiohead or a toothier Yuck. Based on this data, the debut will be bigger, louder — and more nuanced. Can’t wait to meet it. - MTV IGGY

Purveyors of almost oceanic walls of sound, over the course of two EPs and a split 7" record with collapsing cities, Auckland three-piece Popstrangers (shorthand for Popular Strangers), have carved out the niche for themselves as purveyors of fuzzy, upfront psychedelia of genuine quality.

Having all played instruments (and it vocalist/guitarists Joel Flygers case, sung) for more than a minute, Flyger and his band-mates Adam Page (Bass) and Jimmy Mac (Drums) came together a couple of years ago through mutual friends. With backgrounds playing in no-name bands in Hamilton and Auckland, after a few false starts and subtle line up changes, things got rocking; as flyger describes it, "(After) Four months of jamming and practices (Popstrangers had) an ok 20-30 minute set." Once out of the practice room and onto the stage, the ball started rolling quickly for the three, leading to their present catalogue of releases, dates around New Zealand and Australia and, most recently, and appearance at the Rhythm and Vines festival.

For a band that have only been active for a couple of years they've done and bit, and done it well, as their most recent EP - 2010's Happy Accidents - Shows. In terms of how they've done the damage, Page is happy to explain. "Our major major motivation is probably that we enjoy making music and hanging out with each other," he enthuses.

As a result. As a result, Page and others take what he illuminates as, (hard) work without much of a pay off money wise, (and) a lot of (time spent) waiting around." In their stride, making art for the sake of art and good times with the bros as primary bond.

Informed by a divergent listening palette, the craft precise, catchy songs, drenched in fuzzy drone, psychedelic tones, and straight up punchy musicianship. In the process catching the ears of Shoot the Freak Records (Home of HDU), their engaging music and perfectly matched art direction (care of Phillip Rosieur) presents a perfectly formed vessel, steering straight ahead through a sea of sound, punctuated by crashing waves of noise, melody and formless beatific form. - Rip It Up Magazine

Noisy shoegaze collides with angry post-punk in Popstrangers’ songs. They released their second EP, Happy Accidents, in November on Shoot The Freak, and its five distorted pop songs instantly stand out. There’s a real menacing quality to the slacker vocals, drilling rhythm section and rusty guitars. Avenue sounds like a classic Flying Nun track in some regards, all pent-up aggression and hooky choruses dropping off to a sweetly serene bridge. - Einstein Music Journal

Popstrangers released an EP about a year ago to the delight of alternate radio and fans who had seen them on extensive live bouts. ‘Take it to the Grave’ and ‘1000’ (particularly) possessed thoughtful song construction, aggressive nonchalance and, in the Right Hot Right Now stakes, a style marrying English post punkers and Flying Nun noise core artists closer to home. On Happy Accidents Popstrangers have taken the accessible, enthusiastic niche they carved on the aforementioned, removed the pop parameters for an ultimately more satisfying listen – if you bear with it. Good things take time, you know.

With their first EP so eloquently constructed, it seems a somewhat bizarre move to release another rather than a full-length album but alas, here we are. Happy Accidents comes replete with the cornerstones that cemented their self-titled debut. Droning guitars underpin the effeminate vocal of Joel Flyger, who it would seem is simultaneously concerned with matters of the heart and getting on in this crazy Generation Y world. Which is not a bad thing. Rather it’s where the charm of Popstrangers lie – a juxtaposition between sonic jaggedness and lyrical connectedness sets up an engaging deal, and for this Happy Accidents should be commended. The title track and ‘Their, there’ take ‘1000’ further by marrying emotive exhaustion with sonic experimentation. Where the first EP felt a bit like a new band checking the boxes of their heroes, Happy Accidents sounds like them stepping out of the box altogether and penning tracks that are both disengaging and completely arresting.

Enlisting Dale Cotton for mastering duties is commendable too. In less capable hands Happy Accidents could have easily been white noise, the melodies and choruses lost in an onslaught of reverb and minor notation. Instead the balance is perfect – when Flyger wants to pronounce an epiphany, his lyrics resonate on top of and through everything else, where he’s trailing off with an unfinished thought they carefully fall into the folds of more important instrumentations – one can almost feel the points that Popstrangers mean to hammer home, those they care less about and the intricate relationship between the two.

It’s difficult to take anything more away from an EP than track-by-track deconstruction and vague idea of where a band are headed, and it would have been nice to see Popstrangers hone their talents for a full length album. However, at least Happy Accidents is progression enough to get excited about an album-proper down the line. - Undertheradar.co.nz

Sticking to this inadvertent, totally accidental New Zealand music theme, we turn our lights to Popstrangers, a three piece who are making major waves over in Auckland. Since the release of their debut self-titled EP last year, they have supported the likes of Peaches, Crocodiles and Die! Die! Die!, also having garnered a slot on the Big Day Out lineup.

Not bad, you say? Well, yes, we'd agree. But a lot of tosh gets good grades, don't they? Yes.

SO we decided to cast this "talking to myself and answering my own questions" chutzpah aside, bypass their early stuff (which has a swirling indie rock tempo that nonetheless delves into the darker shades of the rock realm) and have a crack at a couple of cuts from their upcoming EP Happy Accidents. It is my pleasure to state that the trio have gotten louder over the past 12 months, whilst retaining a pitch-perfect sense of mid-90s slacker indie angst. The vocals remind me so much of one of Australia's greatest underrated acts of the 1990s, Gaslight Radio - and that alone gets them the thumbs up! And then the second half of 'Avenue' comes across as an early ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead track, and our thumbs exploded!

Over all, what Popstrangers are able to convey is a tight level of songwriting that many bands toss aside for some scrambled airwaves - and whilst noise is always welcomed, its embraced when done with a clear objective and a high degree of coherence. Whilst there isnt a release date for anywhere other than in their home country, Im sure it wont be long before Popstrangers come knocking at our doors... - Sonic Masala

Word of mouth can be a powerful tool. As a new band you can play one show here, another there, and if your friends’ mouths are big enough soon enough your crew of faithfuls will just grow bigger and more much rowdier. Provided, of course, that the Sunday/Monday hangover gossip sessions your friends divulge in all produce glowing praise for your performances. In which case, if they are, you’re doing something well and you may as well stick with what you’ve got going on. Which is exactly what Auckland-based New Zealand trio Popstrangers have done.

Their self-titled EP released just last week has captured the essence of what they’re all about, echoing the vigour of their live set meticulously to the point. Their raw and frantic energy comes from drummer Elliot Rawson’s convulsive banging while singer Joel Flyger’s contradictive soft voice floats over the top of both Elliot and bassist Adam Page. Their EP introduces new listeners and reacquaints the faithful with their erratic sound that transports you to the grimy underground club scene on a Saturday night, where the girls are dressed in black with red lips, smoking and surveying the scene of chaos in front of them as the boys in skinny jeans and ripped t-shirts jump around and crash into each other.

Have no doubt in mind, these guys are growing band and like most new ones will surely focus on polishing their skills as both musicians and writers. But as a faithful and regular member of the Sunday/Monday gossip session I introduce to you, dear reader, the Popstrangers. May grow on you as a band to watch for

- aw music - Canada

Step 1- get a small group of friends around (2 or 3) and eat a bag of pineapple lumps together in one sitting then, spin around and around with your arms out-stretched increasing speed at a steady pace. Take note of the giddy feeling of euphoria.
Step 2 - drink enough gin (alone) to that point where you start to remember some past love that ended with a transgression with a combined sense of melancholy and remorse. Continue to drink till you start uttering self-chastizations. Take note of the dizzy feeling of self-loathing.
Step 3 - Combine both the giddy and dizzy feelings obtained above and place them on an EP released by the very much up and coming Auckland three-piece Popstrangers. It's amazing - Cheese on Toast (cheeseontoast.co.nz)

Popstrangers
Self-Released
August 2009
With a recent EP release, and their single ‘1000’ becoming a bFm favourite, local band Popstrangers are gaining a large amount of attention in the Auckland underground scene. Not only are the band able to attract listeners with their warped pop choruses, but they also incorporate the ‘strange’ component of their name, making for fascinating listening.
‘Kill the Voice’ sets the tone for the EP with its speedy guitar riffs and psychedelic Doors influence – the pulsating bass, constantly crashing cymbals and wailing guitar melody being the major highlights. Next up is ‘Humidity’, where the ‘strange’ in their sound really emerges. A pulsating Gordons-esque post punk bassline injects a frenzied energy into proceedings.
During the entire EP, the only certainty is lead singer Joel Flygers’ wailing vocals. ‘Painted Colours’ is the most psychedelic song of the album, with guitar work reminiscent of fellow bFm favourites the Coshercot Honeys (recently renamed Brainslaves), especially with its shoegazy refrain: “I heard it through the walls but they were painted colours.”
Lead singer Joel Flyger’s whimsy vocals are often overpowered by the band’s harsh guitar riffs and post punk rhythm section, and improvement could be made by making the vocals more prominent. It is no surprise that the moment that his voice is at the forefront in the refrain in ‘Take it to the grave’, one of the catchiest sections of the release.
The band saves the best for last with ‘1000’. The dirty throbbing post punk rhythm section and crunching mechanic guitars open the song in a glorious mess. Order is momentarily resumed with a throbbing bassline intermitting the haunting chorus where Flyger wails “Tell me where it hurts, Neisa.”
The Popstrangers show immense potential, especially during their frantic post punk instrumental moments. Occasionally the wailing vocals become repetitive and extra emphasis is required to make each song stand out individually. That being said, the band’s ability to drastically change the direction of most songs from ‘strange’ to ‘pop’ make them one to not only look out for, but also worth venturing out to hear in the flesh. - Craccum magazine

This month is the turn of rookies Popstrangers, with Painted Colours, and relative stalwarts Collapsing Cities with their comeback hit Tazers.

Popstrangers take to the stage first, commanding more attention that is usually afforded by a Cassette crowd. Their tight set has received a fair amount of attention since they appeared a mere six months ago. As an Auckland concert-goer, one gets used to seeing a band start out in their career a bit shit, then slowly improve over time; so to see a group appear so together straight off the bat is definitely exciting!



- Real Groove Magazine