Gymkahna Girls

What a game Australia vs Croatia was tonight. Nailbiting tension, goalkeeping howlers, desperation, farcical refereeing, more nailbiting tension, and plenty more comedy refereeing (from England's only representative on the pitch!) all wrapped up in constant end-to-end action. That was bloody great that was. The World Cup started for real right there.



Since we're celebrating the dark side of the earth, it would be a good time to say 'g'day' to a band introduced to me by Jen, my ears to the ground in New Zealand

Now I was a little sceptical at first, since music in New Zealand was actually stopped by the Government in 1987, when Vanilla Ice was number one. That quirk of fate has led to 'Ice Ice Baby', and number two single at the time, Salt 'n' Pepa's 'Push It' to be played on rotation ever since in every pub and club on the islands, in the mistaken belief that they are still 'top of the pops'.

Under these testing circumstances it's quite remarkable then that Jen's Auckland Idols are actually...... bloody marvellous.

Giddy up yerself!


Hell yeah, this first track is a real romper stomper of a party , despite or in fact because of the vocoder-heavy vocals. Cher's not gonna spoil our fun!! Yeah it makes me want to breakout, jump into a space invader and blow the shizzle out of some asteroids. All while shimmying from side to side dance dance revolution style. Powerpill!

NORTH SHORE PONY CLUB - COMPUTER GAMES

The single is accompanied by a rather marvellous video - which I think you should watch and enjoy. It looks like it cost very many dollars (although it might well have been done on the cheap).





As if that wasn't enough, the band sent me another gangbuster* song, and it'd be rude of me not to post that up also. This one dispenses with the vocoders, and is a hot piece of Disco Punk with the emphasis on the Disco rather than the Punk. I could imagine Optimo getting in a sweat over this.

NORTH SHORE PONY CLUB - THE SEQUEL

I believe some of the samples are from 'Grease' in case you start scratching your head and racking your brains as I did.




Now if there's one thing you can call me it's predictable. So it's time for the other pre-teen Groucho. But this is not just for the convenience of having a similar name, oh no, for Lahndan Taaahn's New Young Pony Club are probably the band i've enjoyed most this year that i've not yet mentioned here. Shit i love these guys. Like THIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIS much.



The band have released 3 singles thus far - the first two coming out on Tirk Records - also home to Maurice Fulton (as Syclops) and headphonesex heroes Fujiya & Miyagi.

2004's debut single is essentially an electroey version of Kelis' 'Milkshake'. But being from London rather than LA the milkshake has frozen into an icier concoction.

NEW YOUNG PONY CLUB - ICE CREAM

If this recent b-side is anything to go by, the band seem to be perfecting their art. Since the debut single the band have acquired, well, a band! And this sounds a bit less 'machine' than Ice Cream. It still sounds like it would be best accompanied by dry ice and strobes though.

NEW YOUNG PONY CLUB - GET DANCEY

I'm tired & I gotta go to bed. Just download these ya crazy fools.