PT100: Various Artists - Powertool Records Retrospective (Double CD Album) 2008 Powertool Records

Disc 1: 1.Joed Out - Sweetest Friend 2.The Puddle - You Are A Animal 3.Mikael H. - Sometimes Loneliness 4.Vorn - Tired Car Parts 5.One Man Bannister - How To Beg 6.Momzer - Henry M. 7.Sandra Bell - Wonderland 8. Surf Friends - Life With You 9.Factory Kids - You Gotta Rain 10.Gina Rocco - Housepainters Are Falling 11.Infinite Flying Kick - Mr Sad Robot 12.Dragstrip - Death / Mountain 13.Brother Love - Oncoming Storm (Melanie) 14.Feyodor - The Intoxicating Entrapment Of Emotional Attachment 15.Poison Arrow - Compromise City 16.Mixture - Sweet Girlfriend 17.Greg Franco - Guarantees 18.Ward 4 - Mile 19.Enshrine - You Left Your Mark On Me 20.The Temporary Thing - Violet

Disc 2: 1.Bilders - Rosko 2.Lost Universe - Pizza & Cheap Wine 3.Jetty - Purakunui 4.Sparrow - This Is How It's Done 5.Venture Electric - Heather Nova Vs. Johnny Cash 6.Bridget Martin - Mandy 7.The Weather - Everything Is Real 8.The Shrugs - Half Fish Half Man 9.Secretboyfriend - Beenstung 10.Fats White - 2u 11.Azalia Snail - Scenescape 12.Rimu - Mobile Noise 13.Friendstealer - Chocolate Bears 14.Federales - Country Life 15.Famous Famous - Nothing I Need 16.Robert Scott - Calculator 17.Bored Gordon - Seaside Suicide 18.AJ Sharma - Singledome 19.Dead Souls - One More Little Death 20.Mark Airlie - Kia Kaha Anaru

CITY LIFE COOK STRAIT NEWS: New Zealandrecord labels are the spine holding the whole damn scene together. Without them we'd probably be limited in the amount of great, hard-working bands we could see, and instead be reliant on an endless stream of coporate moronic from the United States, Britain and Australia.They survive on a shoestring budget, usually one man operating out of his bedroom and, unlike labels in the UK,for example, don't have private PR companies doing all the marketing and promotion for them. This is why it is so great to be granted a copy of Powertool Records' double retrospective to celebrate 100 releasesin almost a decadeof its existence. This twin-disk extravaganza features familiar(ish) names like Robert Scott, Wellington artist Vorn, Surf Friends, The Puddle and Bilders, but many of the 40 tracks are by acts that may have had one or two singles and then then disappeared. A word of warning: while the name indicates some sort of hardcoremetal output, Powertool's roster is predominately by indie pop, alt rock and what might be described as the Dunedin Sound. Recently, I caught up with owner Andrew Maitai and asked how he got by in such challenging times for record labels. "Dogged determination, ignorance... sometimes stupidity. I've never been motivated by money so I give 100 per cent all the time. Powertool comes first, my needs are irrelevent. I have a variety of part-time casual jobs and do a bit of wheeling and dealing to get by. It ain't east but somehow, Im still here. Maitai was the drummer for Joed Out which kicks off the retrospective. He began the label as a vehicle for his band, and Feyodor, who had links with Joed Out, but when other actswere signed, the ball began to roll pretty fast. Someone in Germany heard these sounds and soon Thomas Keitsch was providing an outlet for the records throughout Europe. But more importantly, he has provided the advice and encouragement that has kept Maitai motivated. I can only imagine the amount of work he has to undertake, and the level of patience and hard work needed to deal with so many people, who have their own ideas and mannerisms. "I don't have a lot of time for people with large egos" he says. "It is amazing that in this modern world of sophisticated technology, human beings still struggle to communicate well. I have learned alot about people and it's important to work with people you get on well with. For me, it's people with the right attitude, who are totally committed and willing to do whatever it takes to succeed. Powertool has plenty of activity lined up for the next few months including an Azalia Snail national tour, a push to get Surf Friends known beyond Kaitaia and a Bulletholes 4 compilation for the autumn. Craig Stephen.