King Loser

King Loser defied pigeonholing during their illustrious and colorful career. From surf rock instrumentals to psychedelic rock, the indie band's wildly dynamic sound ran the gamut. Guitarist Chris Heazlewood and keyboardist/bassist Celia Mancini led the New Zealand group, as guitarist Sean O'Reilly and the drummer known only as Tribal Thunder rounded out the quartet. Their albums on Flying Nun Records showcased a dizzying mix of sounds and beats. Starting with 1995's Sonic Super Free Hi-Fi on Turbulence Records (later re-released by Flying Nun), the band called on New Zealand luminaries like Peter Jefferies to round out their sound. You Cannot Kill What Does Not Live was released in early 1996, and with the help of American college radio, 1997's Caul of the Outlaw found the band new fans who embraced the album's forward-thinking and irregular sound. Both efforts were released on Flying Nun, a label that staunchly supported the band's colorful sound. ~ Stephen Cramer