The Verlaines

All Music Guide:

The literate and dramatic New Zealand guitar pop band the Verlaines formed in 1981; led by singer/guitarist Graeme Downes, the group's original roster also included guitarist Craig Easton, keyboardist Anita Pillai, bassist Philip Higham, and drummer Greg Kerr. Both Easton and Pillai quickly exited, and the Verlaines remained a three-piece for the remainder of the decade. The early lineup remained in a constant state of flux, however, and of the original group, only Downes and Kerr remained by the time of their debut on the 1982 Dunedin Double compilation EP, recorded with bassist Jane Dodd. Drummer Alan Haig then replaced Kerr for the 1983 single "Death and the Maiden," for many fans the archetypal Verlaines song; the lineup was finally cemented with the substitution of Haig for drummer Robbie Yeats, who first appeared on the 1984 EP 10 O'Clock in the Afternoon.

The Verlaines' full-length debut, 1985's Hallelujah All the Way Home, was originally submitted as part of a composition project for Downes' honors-level music class; he received an "A" grade for the record, which bore the heavy influence of his classical background in its exacting compositions, as well as its orchestral and brass flourishes. After the 1986 "Doomsday" single, the Verlaines resurfaced a year later with the excellent Bird Dog LP. A long layoff followed as Downes pursued his PhD, and the group -- with new bassist Mike Stoodley -- did not appear again until the 1990 album Some Disenchanted Evening. Yeats departed soon after, and was ultimately replaced by drummer Gregg Cairns. After recording 1991's Ready to Fly, the Verlaines swelled to a four-piece with the addition of second guitarist Paul Winders; after Cairns quit, new drummer Darren Stedman was enlisted in time for 1993's Way Out Where. Although Downes soon accepted a teaching position at the Auckland Institute of Technology, it was assumed that the Verlaines would continue with business as usual.

Wikipedia:

The Verlaines are a rock band from Dunedin, New Zealand. Formed in 1981 by Graeme Downes, Craig Easton, Anita Pillai, Phillip Higham and Greg Kerr, the band went through multiple line-ups before going on an extended hiatus after their 1997 album Over The Moon. In 2003 a career retrospective, You're Just Too Obscure For Me, was released.

The band were named after French poet Paul Verlaine - not, as is occasionally suggested, Tom Verlaine, who also took his stage name from the poet.

The Verlaines were noted for their angular, "difficult" song structures, wordy and downbeat lyrics, unusual subject matter all contained in often frantic up-tempo playing. The Verlaines were led by songwriter and vocalist/guitarist Graeme Downes although many other New Zealand musicians played guitar, bass, drums and brass instruments during the different stages of the band.

In 1993, the band contributed the track "Heavy 33" to the AIDS-Benefit Album No Alternative, and in 1995, the song "Some Fantasy" to the AIDS benefit album Red Hot + Bothered, both produced by the Red Hot Organization.

Their signature songs included "Death and the Maiden", "C.D. Jimmy Jazz & Me", "Bird-dog" and "Ballad of Harry Noryb".

The band's recorded debut was on the seminal Dunedin Double EP, which was released by Flying Nun Records and was the debut of several bands who would go on to be central to the mythology of the Dunedin Sound.

Downes is an academic at the University of Otago, teaching contemporary music and with research interests in Mahler and Shostakovich. He has released one solo album, Hammers and Anvils, which came out on Matador Records in 2001.

The Verlaines' fansite reported on February 11, 2007 that a new album was being produced. On 10 December 2007, this new album Pot Boiler was released on Flying Nun.

In 2009, the Verlaines released another new album, Corporate Moronic, through Dunedin Music.