I spent this time last year (including Thanksgiving) traveling the South Island of New Zealand, aka Aotearoa, The Land of the Long White Cloud. It was a magical journey with many smiles, surprises and tears, but I will never forget the unique landscape and scenery of a country so untouched and unspoiled by the onslaught of life. To commemorate the year anniversary of being there, I thought I would introduce you guys to some of the sweetest island tunes you probably haven’t heard.

About three years ago I found out one of my best friends was going to study abroad in New Zealand for a year. I started saving for my eventual trip to visit her and also, had my ears on alert for anything New Zealand related. I was listening to NPR on a drive to work one morning, and I heard a music clip promoting Sound of the World, a compilation of current music from all ends of earth collected by World Music DJ, Charlie Gillett. The excerpt was “Midnight Marauders” by DJ Fitchie & Joe Dukie and was described as, “what plays in New Zealand clubs at four in the morning.” I bought that Sound of the World CD online that day. I was not disappointed when I heard Midnight Marauders in its entirety. It left me wanting more so I did some research and discovered DJ Fitchie & Joe Dukie are apart of a group called Fat Freddy’s Drop. I found their album, Based on a True Story online and ordered this too (mind you this was the latter part of 2005).

From the first moment I heard the keys soon followed by the horns and the gradual progression of a full sound enrapturing me, I knew I had stumbled upon something great. I was hypnotized by the Freddy voodoo, bewitched in their spellbinding jams. How they were not popular in America and not being played in our clubs, I didn’t know, but it made me even more giddy, to feel like I had a priceless gem in my pocket. I still feel this way and I have been apprehensive about sharing them because their sound has become so personal and almost spiritual to me that I feel playing it out on the radio or becoming mainstream would detract from the organic composition and unique collective. But that’s how I get about my music. I don’t think you can even find their album on any music shelves in the U.S.

If you’re not into slow burning roots/dub/soul/jazz/reggae/jam bands, then Fat Freddy’s Drop may not be for you, but if you are cruising in your car and need the perfect tunes, having a dance party in your living room or just in a mellow mood, seek no more!

The seven-piece band comes from the country’s capital, Wellington. Primarily known for their live gigs, Fat Freddy’s Drop was a NZ underground club favorite before they hit the charts.

The band is composed of 7 guys (tidbits taken from their website, and photos not in order of descriptions):

Joe Dukie- AKA Dallas Tamaira- Awarded Best Vocalist at the b-Net NZ Music Awards 2005, Joe Dukie credits Bill Withers, D'Angelo and his mum as inspiration. The stage name/alter ego is drawn from his father Joe, also a singer, and grandfather who was a musician nicknamed Dukie after Duke Ellington.
Tony Chang-AKA Toby Laing –leads the horn section on trumpet and flugel-horn*
Fulla Flash- AKA Warryn Maxwell –tenor and alto sax. Flash has gone undercover in 2007 focusing on whanau (family) and a new psychedelic blues band, Little Bushman. Scott Towers is the sub stepping up the plate on sax duties for Freddy's live shows*
Jetlag Johnson- AKA Tehimana Kerr –electric and acoustic guitar
Dobie Blaze- AKA Iain Gordon –analog keyboard
DJ Fitchie- AKA Mu or Chris Faiumu - Fat Freddy's leader and technician armed with an Akai MPC sampler. He was awarded Best Producer and Most Outstanding Musician at the b-Net NZ Music Awards 2005 and Best Producer at the b-Nets in 2003.
Ho Pepa- AKA Joe Lindsay –on trombone, tuba and smooth dance moves. Hopepa scored Male Fox at the b-Net NZ Music Awards 2006. *

*All Freddy's horn players are graduates of Wellington Jazz School

Wikipedia says their name is a reference to a piece of blotter art that was circulating in the NZ dance scene in the late 90's. However, an article on their website reference’s Joe Dukie’s cartoon sketches (seen on the cover of B.O.A.T.S and throughout their website..and above) alluding a connection to Fat Freddy's Cat, a character from US cult comic strip The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers.

Somehow they have fallen out of the all knowing Rolling Stone's radar. I’m surprised, really, with these guys sweeping the 2005 New Zealand Music Awards (they took the award for every nomination: Best Group, Best Album, Best New Zealand Roots Group and the Peoples Choice Award). By the end of the year they were awarded the Worldwide Album of the Year Award, as voted for by over 20,000 listeners of Gilles Peterson’s BBC Radio 1 'Worldwide' show. For the 2006 NZMA they won The People's Choice Award, the Highest Selling NZ Album (for Based On A True Story) and Best Music Video for the single “Wandering Eye”. (I personally don’t think the video was anything spectacular). It ended up being the most-played song ever on New Zealand radio.

Their first major release was recorded at a jam session in a Wellington nightclub. Live at the Matterhorn consists of four tracks between 12-22 minutes plus of dub jamming. They released their first studio album Based on A True Story in mid-2005. It went gold the next day! It stayed number one on New Zealand charts for sometime. It was released by the band's own label The Drop - despite attempts from major labels to sign them.

If you listen to B.O.A.T.S. in its entirety and you read my blog, then you will know what my favorite track is. I must say that I put this album (with 2 years being left to the unknown world of music) on my Top Five Albums of this Decade. Maybe it is the attractive lead singer, Dallas with his soothing sublime voice, and his comely Maori features or maybe it is because I have yet to hear anything of this caliber in the States.

Unfortunately, they haven’t come out with a new album for two years and I am patiently waiting for new tunes (they work on Island Time, what can I say?). B.O.A.T.S. is timeless in nature and I will be astounded if they manage to top it.

While in New Zealand, I wanted nothing more than to hear Fat Freddy’s live or at least be played somewhere. One late night in Queenstown at the World Bar I requested FFD and the DJ chose “Roady.” By God if that wasn’t one of the most fulfilling moments, I don’t know what was (maybe drinking water fresh from the melting snow of a waterfall or finally getting to Milford Sound {you have no idea}). I danced that entire song. It was funny, it seemed the tourists didn’t know the music either. Regardless, it made for my most memorable night out (of all 3 of them…not too many cities to truly party in). We walked the streets till after the sun came up…

On their 2007 Fantastic Voyages Summer Tour they played at the Glastonbury Festival where they were the second ever band to represent Aotearoa/NZ at the Vale of Avalon. Unfortunately, they weren’t touring when I was in New Zealand. I had a friend see them live and she said it was disappointing, but I still have faith…gotta see them with my own eyes!

These bush boys love their home and draw from its pristine nature. Their label The Drop and Fitchie’s studio are located on the beach. The homegrown jams take you right to Middle Earth where everything is unlike the rest of the world under the Land of the Long White Cloud. I assure you they’ll bring out the skank in you and you will be repeating the kiwis after you listen saying “sweet as.”

http://www.fatfreddysdrop.com/