Knives At Noon are one of those rare finds - a radiant gemstone among the piles of musical garbage that litter the bustling streets of the inter-web. They reside in the depths of Dunedin churning out what they call 'Doom Pop' - an ever so slightly darker interpretation of conventional pop with an indie / post-rock twist. They inevitably draw comparisons with fellow South Island dance-punk maestro's Bang Bang Eche!, with their synth heavy riffs, infectious melodies and white-boy aggression.
Their latest single 'Violins & Violence' off the forthcoming debut EP Glitter Guts is a hooky dance track driven by a 4-to-the-floor beat, raw lo-fi guitars, burping synth and tongue-twisting vocals. And despite my failure to adequately encapsulate the song in words, it is one of the best New Zealand releases I've heard in a good wee while... The breakdown towards the end is undeniably 'Doom Pop'!
Keep an eye on these guys, they opened for Vampire Weekend a few months back and are slowly stamping their mark on the NZ music scene... I foresee a prosperous future for these Dunedin doom-poppers!
Glitter Guts, the debut EP from 'Knives At Noon' is due out in September.