i agree and disagree.

there have been instances where i've heard a kiwi song, and just cringed because the accent was so obvious and ugly sounding, so i understand what you mean. on the other hand, take a band like Marystaple for example. they make no attempts to americanise their accents (that i have noticed), but yet their music still sounds fucking awesome, and doesnt induce any cringing whatsoever. in fact, i find it very cool and musically honest for bands to sing with their natural accents attached.

however, i don't really mind when bands try to drop their nz accents a little, depending on what the phrase is and how bad it sounds in kiwi. :P but theres a difference between toning the accent down, and changing it to sound american.

i just can't stand the rubicon line in bruce where he says "or stu". it sounds so fake and stupid, it comes like theyre trying to be something theyre not.

anyway, stop picking on me jimi! :)

jimi, i have to agree with you buddy......the new zealand accent is almost ugly when sung...

now im not saying that our accent makes the bands bad, just that if you sit there and try to sing an american song in our accent - its pretty hard actually - it makes the song sound ugly.....

but it seems to work for numerous nz bands - maybe they write their songs with the accent in mind - so it will mould with it.....;)

hey cheers man, will be in the player as soon as is received.

i was expecting to be hammered for that toogood comment, it was hastily written (twice haha) but i'm not saying he sings in a totally american accent.

two examples i can think of is in you again 'well its aal so simple' when true blue kiwi would be 'well uts all so sumpul', and in pacifier 'come ahn lets take a look outside' when true blue would be 'come ohn' etc.

i dunno, im just saying that its not only rubicon with traces of it.

ok, ok...... i'd have to meet ya to explain, we aren't on the same wavelength

(jimi trying to escape with a semblance of cred)

yeah, twice. my ears were sorta collapsing though. earplugs were forgotten in the mad rush to get to the concerts and the music became one big blur (but still fuckin cool).

horses for courses andoru. there are times that us blunt accenters would sound totally out of place in certain kinds of music. i stand by my point that it's fucking hard to sing nzerish.

anyway, i actually think accent is worth fuck all when it comes to vocals - who cares what nationality you sound like as long as you are singing well (and as long as its not a blatant, whiny american accent like 'stu' from rubicon).

if you heard my band you would hate it, i'll warn you already. so don't ever listen to us..... don't even give us a try. you will not like it.

wow - interesting...... thanks for that mate.

you are just one big surprise... blindspott??? fuck, never thought i'd hear that coming from you :P

peace

judge the music, not the hype, agreed

but blindspott have almost as much hype as the feelers?

yack weell wee lasie tat werr ya wrron

Sorry lemonde, but we dunedinites or xpats in my case don't "put on" that accent it is the way we talk.....when i moved north i was oftern asked what part of the old country i was from.......and i do think my burr explains all the extra r's i put into my words

and that probably takes us full circle back to the topic at hand....because I am more than likely a wee bit older than you my accent has not had the influence of out side media, I have a feeling that is wont be too long until in New Zealand if not internationally we will lose accents and become very generic in our way of speaking/singing
And it is a shame.........if I'm not careful I could go into a major rant about economic colonization .........but I can't cos I have to drive down to Mickey Dees to get my lunch bagel

ohhhh please tell me your age AKA.

I often wondered where that "dunedin sound" accent came from too, when nobody I knew in Dunedin, young or old talked that way. Listen to the verlained Death and the Maiden. Not quite kiwi, not quite brit. somewhere in between.

As for singing in "American accents", since when are you required to sing with your own accent? Show me where that rule is written. It's such a lame criticism, come up with something better.

look, i just think the world is fucking americanised enough already, the last thing we need is kiwi bands singing in american accents.

im sorry my critisism is "lame".
if everyone was nice and accepting about everything, there would be nothing to talk about. i'm just making conversation / starting a discussion.

i think its annoying and i wish i hadnt started it.

prozaco, it's a good topic. it's sparked some interesting debate from both sides. And excellent phonetic spelling of the kiwi ucksunt.

Well i have a tin ear i have just pulled a few of my old 33&1/3 and buggered if i can hear an accent,
// Shit, this is starting to take a nasty turn.... i did not think so i thought we were 2 dunedinites kidding round..........with a name like lemonde i know you are not a teen

And this is a great topic

Well hell Aka....
this is why god gave us audio instead of text for a voice....communication is far more difficult by the mode of keys....
misinterpretations, misunderstandings, misdemeanors...
Bloody sensitive southislanders ;-)

or just dont have the words "or stu" in your song.

most of the time its not anger, just sarcasm. its a pity you cant hear sarcasm over the computer though....

oh wait, i mean

"better? :D"

fuck it. if an english accent is good enough for people then a kiwi one is good enough for me.