Flying Nun Ruled
From the early '80s on, a label showcasing the burgeoning punk-inspired scene in Christchurch, New Zealand, essentially pointed the way for any band that was part of the nascent indie rock movement. The Clean, The Bats and The Chills among many, many others nailed The Velvets' cross-up of D.I.Y. aesthetics and perfect pop hooks, wrapped it up in tight little songs with often-killer guitars, then put perfectly recorded drums in both ears. Awesome. As far as indie labels go, Flying Nun was one of the very most important. In the '80s, the fact was: if it was on Flying Nun, there was a good chance it ruled. The below playlist may be a little heavy on The Clean but that's OK because, well, it's The Clean. You really can't have too much good Clean.