** Edition of 300 copies ** Teen-X-Ray’s Spirits Dogroll is a whirlwind of jagged guitars, tape loops, and irreverent vocals, channeling the chaotic creativity that defines the New Zealand DIY scene. The album is a celebration of raw energy and unfiltered expression, with each track careening from one idea to the next in a blur of noise and melody. The lo-fi production and spontaneous arrangements give the record an immediacy that is both exhilarating and endearing. Teen-X-Ray revels in the absurd, using humor and unpredictability as tools for sonic exploration. The result is an album that is as fun as it is challenging, inviting listeners to let go of expectations and embrace the unexpected.
Pressed in a limited edition, Spirits Dogroll is a must-have for fans of outsider punk, noise, and experimental pop. It stands as a testament to the enduring vitality of the New Zealand underground and the limitless possibilities of DIY creativity.
As Stefan "Smetal" Neville recalls: "Glen Frenzy asked me to join his new 'rock n roll' band Teen-X-Ray at a ska concert at the Hillcrest Tavern in Hamilton in 1993. He had probably already recorded most of the first cassette The Ballad Of Vince Neil using the karaoke sound on sound function of his flat-mates stereo. Then and now I would do anything Glen asked of me so I've been in X-Ray ever since."
Glen also recruited Dusk, his girlfriend's German Shepard who howled when she heard sirens. She would bite and claw at Casio keyboards. She didn't share her dogroll. Teen-X-Ray recorded their music on cassette decks, performed on top of kitchen tables and released many tapes on the Plop, M60 and Stabbies And The Rocket labels. Glen and Dusk got a reel-to-reel tape machine, moved to Upper Hutt, making noise long into the night. Dusk got into Neil Young and killing mice while Glen got into home brewing beer and computers. Stefan Neville moved to Dunedin but Upper Hutt became his favorite holiday destination and each visit would result in new albums. Upper Hutt is known for its pig hunting and for producing New Zealand's first hip hop group. Spirits Dogroll was compiled from recordings from 1994-1996. Teen-X-Ray is still active today.
