Is there a second coming of New Zealand indie? Was there ever an end to the first? Its hard to say. While so many great bands are no more (Sneaky Feelings, The Go-Betweens, The Mutton Birds, we salute you), the majority of the Flying Nun crew are still going strong, give or take a hiatus here or there.

If its not a resurrection then theres at the very least a renewed interest in the idiosyncratic pop that characterised the countrys 80s output. Its influence is everywhere, from Antipodean bands that grew up on their parents Flying Nun records to kindred spirits from further afield.

Already this week, weve turned ourselves inside out looking for plaudits strong enough to describe Aucklands The Beths. But while we were focused on the North Island, something special was creeping up from the South. That something is Jim Nothing, the alter ego of Christchu