KNOX, CHRIS
SEIZURE (FLYING NUN REC)
Where does one start with Chris Knox? Musician, artist, cartoonist, director and much more, he is the godfather of alternative New Zealand music.
A true renaissance bloke from down under. While, Seizure, originally released in 1988, is certainly not the start for Chris Knox it is often considered his first 'proper' solo album.
Though in fairness there is nothing proper about it, exploring the surreal, the political, the satirical and sometimes simply the crazy, all of which would never been seen on the hit parade.
Yet, musically they should have been, packed with brilliantly skewered hooks and humorously scathing lyrics, Seizure is a lo-fi mix of punk, indie rock and pop that works perfectly.
With it's DIY recording, wit and melody, Seizure highlights why Knox is considered one of New Zealand's finest songwriters.
From fronting early NZ punk band The Enemy to Toy Love and then the Tall Dwarfs through to helping launch Flying Nun Records recording the likes of The Clean, the Dunedin Double and more.
It's also near impossible to fit his bio into this space. And, his influence has reached out well beyond these shores inspiring generations of musicians - no better shown than on the benefit album (Stroke: Songs of Chris Knox) released as a fundraiser following his stroke in 2009, which featured the likes of Bill Callahan, Yo La Tengo, Lou Barlow, Stephin Merritt and many more.
From the simple pop of "The Face of Fashion", through to the driving force of "Wanna!!" and the strangely uplifting brood of "My Dumb Luck" - all that without even mentioning "Not Given Lightly" , the love song to end all love songs - Seizure, despite our dislike of the word, is a legendary release in the Flying Nun catalogue.