Lil' Chief Records
Lil' Chief Records is a label that prides itself for releasing a consistent scope of "orchestrated pop music."
We at Lil' Chief Records are aware of the inherent inconsistencies in the pop marketplace and realize that the consumer must be confident they can rely on a company's guarantee of quality. Therefore, we are very careful in our sourcing and selection of pop music. Consequently all Lil' Chief products are guaranteed 100% pure pop. They contain no other additives or artificial sweeteners.
We take real pride in the quality of our produce and hand pick the best pop music while our trained staff handle it with expert care. All our pop music conforms to strict guidelines laid down by Wilson Quality Control Company (WQCC), an independent company with accredited pop laboratories situated throughout New Zealand, North America and The United Kingdom.
Lil' Chief Records was formed in 2001, although its first release was not until October 2002, with the Brunettes debut album Holding Hands, Feeding Ducks.
The name "Lil' Chief Records" came from the Brunettes front man and label co-founder, Jonathan Bree, and gives kudos to the Beach Boys record label, Brother Records (whose logo features a native American Indian riding horseback), and the Archie comic book character Lil Jinx. Jonathan formed the label with Scott Mannion, who also contributed his engineering knowledge to the recording of Holding Hands. The pair had a mutual respect for each other's music and shared a number of major influences.
Lil' Chief Records is based in a broken down old house in Sandringham, Auckland. Its kitchen doubles as practice room and sometime performance venue. Jonathan's dark and windowless bedroom is where all most of the recording takes place.
Official Site
Artists
Alec began his musical career in 1977 as the guitarist in 'The Enemy' who shocked audiences with their upfront punk rock. Alec provided the grating riffs, while fellow Enemy Chris... More
Cool Rainbows is the new project by Djeisan Suskov, who used to front Trees Climbing Trees and Nova Echo and who also happens to be a bit of a genius... More
When you are putting together a recording on your own there's no feedback or dialogue to influence creative decisions. More
Little Pictures consists of Johanna (Yo-hun-a) Freeman and Mark Turner. More
Pie Warmer was named after Ed Cake's medication that he described
as being like,"...a pie warmer; my brain's not too hot, not too cold."
Meet Pikachunes - Jazz student turned bedroom producer Miles McDougall (Tiger Tones) and Lil' Chief's newest signing. More
Princess Chelsea is a female composer and bedroom recording artist More
The Brunettes play teen-melodrama pop songs More
A group from Wellington, who produce witty, punchy guitar-based pop tunes. More
Don't be fooled by their sweet exterior, the Gladeyes will creep under your skin and haunt you with nightmares of lost-loves. More
How long have you been collecting music? More
The Reduction Agents are an oddity in today's world of pop music: they play catchy songs but without resorting to clichéd lyrics and repetitive musical structures. More
California-born (and New Zealand citizen) McPhun took childhood trips to New Zealand and finally made Auckland home in 2003. More
Tokey Tones from Lil Chief Records. Tracks from 2 album set: Caterpillar & Butterfly. Project of Scot Mannion and Li-Ming Hu. More
Releases
Butterfly tends to be upbeat, poppy, and full. More
The concept behind Caterpillar is more laid-back, organic, reflective, and less produced. More
Christopher is an album about starting over, but not necessarily moving forward. It's a breakup album, but as one listen will tell you, not necessarily a sad one. More
Christopher is an album about starting over, but not necessarily moving forward. It's a breakup album, but as one listen will tell you, not necessarily a sad one. More
Somewhat of an anomaly on the Lil' Golden Book album - Princess Chelsea ditches the synths and cinematic orchestration and instead dishes up a catchy 60s style pop duet reminiscent... More
The follow up to 2004's Open Sesame was recorded in June 2005 with overdub sessions spread throughout the rest of the year. More
Downtown Puff is the long-awaited release of former Bressa Creeting Cake member, Edmund Cake. More
Fight Softly is the new studio album by NZ's pop masters The Ruby Suns. More
Fight Softly is the second solo album for Sub Pop by NZ's own indie popsters The Ruby Suns and this is the vinyl version! More
Glory Glory is Wet Wings debut album and together they (Lucy and Darian) layer harmonies barbed with deadly hooks
over skittish guitar, ghostly keyboard lines, and atmospheric samples.
With a huge back catalogue of demos created over years of jamming and lo-fi experimenting Voom's second album Hello, Are You There? is to be released in New Zealand this... More
The Brunette's debut album released in 2002 More
Princess Chelsea's second single taken from her forthcoming album, Lil' Golden Book. More
The Kingfisher Call Me single is from the forthcoming Ruby Suns album Christopher, which will be out at the end of January 2013. More
The new look Ruby Suns are back with this six track EP out through Lil' Chief, recorded at Sackville St in Grey Lynn, Auckland. More
You lucky beggars! It's Princess Chelsea's debut album, Lil' Golden Book and she wants you to take this treasure home, curl up under the covers and get lost in a... More
Mars Loves Venus was the second album from New Zealand's favourite bubblegum pop band released in New Zealand on June 28th, 2004. More
The Brunette's 2004 second album is finally available on vinyl...and in a limited edition colour too! More
Eleven gems from New Zealand's lil' chief records. More
Bob Cardy brought together a number of musicians to play on this album and all of them are past or present members of Shaft More
Owl + Owl is the simply gorgeous result of a pair of self-confessed nerds obsessed with pop culture and technology. More
The Brunettes have a meticulous craft in the studio. Writing pop songs, that most fickle of forms, requires a precision that comes naturally to the band, and their records ring... More
Pikachunes debut album. More
In their debut album, Psychosis Of Love, Jade and Gwen express, confess, and attempt to explain those things that in our own lives are often difficult to make sense of,... More
The latest release from the Lil' Chief empire. More
The Ruby Suns present their second full-length album. More
Shadows Explode is the new album from the female Auckland duo The Gladeyes, released via Lil Chief Records, it's
the follow up to Psychosis Of Love, the duo's acclaimed 2009...
There's a story behind every Nudie Suits song. Like maybe it's not such a good idea to take a new girlfriend that you're still trying to impress to an annual... More
Southern Summer Sun is the first single from the forthcoming debut album Whale Rocket by Cool Rainbows. More
Structure & Cosmetics, is The Brunettes' third full length album. More
Summer Feeling follows on from The Everson's EP released in 2011. It is the Wellington based band's debut album; witty, punchy guitar-based pop tunes. More
The second album from The Nudie Suits More
THIS ITEM IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT
This six track EP, released in March 2003, followed up the good work done on Holding Hands, Fedding Ducks.
More
The Dance Reduction Agents is a collection of rock songs in a classic vein. More
The debut release from The Eversons. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Tim Shann. Artwork by Isobel Rose Cairns. More
Ed Cake defines The Fearsome Feeling as love. More
Alec Bathgate draws on the last forty years of popular music in his latest release, The Indifferent Velvet Void. Sixties fuzz guitar and vocal melodies lie alongside thumping Casiotone rhythms... More
Whale Rocket has the depth of sound that you would expect from someone who has grown up in a studio (Revolver). He took as a part inspiration some of the... More
Hard on the heels of their stateside tour with The Shins comes the latest release from The Brunettes. More
