Opossom, The Mint Chicks, Unknown Mortal Orchestra – The Brothers Nielson
This was supposed to be a small pickle-article featuring OPOSSOM but somehow this went beyond my control. I guess it had to do with all the mind-scabbling psychedelic weirdness I had to go through writing this. Watch out – you’ll get: three bands in one article! Two brothers in three bands! A golden Buddha with laser beam eyes! Spaghetti, Ufos and leopard skin underwear!
Opossom
To start at the beginning and the end of it: OPOSSOM is singer Kody Nielson with bassist Michael Logie and the big New Zealand singer-songwriter popstar and multi-instrumentalist Bic Runga doing psycho-experimental pop music. I guess it would be an interesting story of it’s own how a pop star like Bic Runga morphes into a psycho-acid monster in this band…. Watch their clip to “Getaway tonight” – some kind of re-telling of the movie “2001 – Space Odyssey” (of course only of the psychedelic “Odyssey”-part of the movie). Ladies and gentlemen, we are floating in space.
The video to their “Blue Meanies” is even better – a surreal hunt through a forest with fantastical creatures. And watch out for the golden Buddha, as promised. I love when the video morphes into the animated part at around 1.30 minutes.
Click to download “Blue Meanies” here:
The third and latest video of their soon to be re-released album “Electric Hawaii” on Fire Records is “Fly”, a nice trashy 50s sci fi homage. “UFO!” “Evidence!” Glowing pyramids! “No battery!” Incredible drumming, btw.
The Mint Chicks
OPOSSOM singer Kody Nielsons first band was the incredible MINT CHICKS, together with his brother Ruban. The band existed from around 2001 to 2010 and released several albums – listen to their fantastic last EP “Bad Buzz” from 2010 here or even buy it.
This is the Spaghetti Western video to “Bad Buzz” of these “trouble gum art punks” – and yes, it’s trashy and full of bad acting like all the OPOSSOM stuff. That’s the fun in it!
Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Brother Rubans band after the disbanding of the MINT CHICKS is the UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA who released a fantastic album last year – even more psychopop between Auck- and Portland, where the brothers Nielson are dual residenced. To complete their incestuous band swopping: brother Opossom Kody is now on drums. Enjoy their latest video to “I’ll come back 4 U”, just released a few days ago:
www.themintchicks.com
www.opossommusic.com
unknownmortalorchestra.com
actually that mint chicks vid you posted isn’t the offical video for that song, that was one of the entries in a competition to have your video as the official video. That one didn’t win the contest, stoopid video. Hopefully they get in trouble for changing the title to HD OFFICIAL.