OurStage Best of OurStage Volume 1	NZ On Air Phase Five NZ Music: a Kiwi for the World

Scouting report: This match-up features two promotional comps randomly grabbed from Jackie’s CMJ goodie bag. This would seem like an exercise in futility, no? Ah, but last year's featured an iTunes download comprising of over 100 songs, a few of which wormed their way into permanent rotation in the Roman / Carstensen household, so i can tell you first hand, it’s worth a shot.

The cover of the first (Best of OurStage Volume 1) is festooned with the bold, provocative headline “YOU’VE BEEN SAVED FROM MEDIOCRE MUSIC”, placed strategically alongside a comely lass experiencing some sort of rock rapture. How could i not review something so pompous? I’m too lazy / busy to really research what OurStage.com’s whole operation is, but i sense there’s some “let the fans decide” angle at work. How readily we forget just how complicit “the fans” are in this whole mediocre-music scenario in the first place. That is, until we recognize that phenomena by its alternate phrasing: market research.

Squaring off against this disc is CMJ Presents Phase Five NZ Music: a Kiwi for the World, a comp presented by NZ On Air, a New Zealand music advocacy group. The slapped-together cover art, featuring a cartoon bird (a kiwi, presumably) holding a guitar, confidently strutting toward a clip-art swatch of the top of the Chrysler Building, bodes weirdly well. Or, at least it doesn’t promise something that it can’t deliver. Plus, after today, i’ll be able to name 11 more bands from New Zealand than i could this morning, which is to say, 11.

First up: Best of OurStage Volume 1

1. Venus to Vertigo / “Wonderfool” (3.34) | STRIKE to this Indie / Alt artist, 0-1
2. I Know Sean / “SB” (5.12) | This hip-hop track contains the sound bite “Here comes the pitch … game over!” Inauspicious. It’s also about 2 minutes 2 long. | FOULED OFF, quickly 0-2
3. American Babies / “Invite Your Friends” (3.42) | Aaaaaand we’re back to the white-people music. | FOULED OFF, count holds 0-2
4. Plushgun / “Just Impolite” (3.53) | STRIKE 3, out

Calling this salvation from “mediocre music” is akin to how East Germany once called themselves a Democratic Republic. For whatever the hell that just was, no runs, no hits, sixteen unheard artists remain unheard.

Next up: CMJ Presents Phase Five NZ Music: a Kiwi for the World

1. Cut Off Your Hands / “Still Fond” (3.07) | Wow, this is like a Jam LP being played at 45. | HIT, one on
2. The Mint Chicks / “Walking Off a Cliff Again” (2.15) | So, does everyone in New Zealand drink, like 2 pots of coffee before going into the studio? More excellent hyper pop. | DOUBLE, runners at 2nd and 3rd
3. The Brunettes / “Her Hairagami Set” (4.37) | Beautiful, creepy new-wave influenced tune. | THREE-RUN HOMER
4. Liam Finn / “Second Chance” (4.53) | Pleasant, but a victim of a suddenly astronomical standard. | STRIKE, 0-1
5. SJD / “I Wrote This Song For You” (3.16) | BALL, 1-1
6. Minuit / “Fuji” (3.39) | We’ve hit the “electro-clash” portion of the show. | STRIKE, 1-2
7. Pluto / “French Grave” (4.06) | Turns out Kiwi front men can sound forced too. Catchy, though. | BALL, 2-2
8. Hollie Smith / “Philosophy” (5.36) | FOULED OFF, count holds 2-2
9. The Phoenix Foundation / “Bright Grey” (4.07) | BALL, full count
10. Connan & the Mockasins / “Sneaky Sneaky Dogfriend” (3.56) | Garage-indie as demented as the title suggests. The trombone solo puts it over the wall. | SOLO HOME RUN
11. Chris Knox & the Nothing / “Cordeoline” (2.21) | STRIKE, inning over

Well, “front-loaded” is an apt description for the disc, but the country’s great-band to general-population ratio is off the charts. Take that, Canada. For Kiwi With a Guitar, 4 runs on 4 hits, none left on.

It’s not too late to sample some of New Zealand’s finest at the fest, too, including some acts at The Delancey tonight, and a day show at the Puck building tomorrow. Hell, i’d stay up until 2am to catch Connan & the Mockasins, how about you? And best of all, my faith in comps coming through occasionally has once again been rewarded. Your final today, New Zealand 4, America 0.

Stay tuned for more Indie Rock Baseball.