Archive
The Mums of Dunedin Help Me Define Mumcore
Posted 8:51pm Sunday 2nd May 2021 by Asia Martusia King
You’re eight years old in the back seat of mum’s station wagon. She’s taking you to touch rugby practice and lovingly chain smoking in the front because it’s still legal in the early 2000s. “BUSTER, BUSTER, BUSTER,” you yell at your Nintendog. Buster can’t Read more...
Horoscope
Posted 7:55pm Sunday 2nd May 2021 by Critic
Aquarius Jan 20 - Feb 18 People might not always be there for you, but gear will be. Dunedin band to listen to: Straightjacket Fits Pisces Feb 19 - Mar 20 Time to put your head into your books instead of giving it. Dunedin band to listen to: Juno Read more...
Local Produce: André Theis, Putting the Stud in Studio
Posted 7:50pm Sunday 2nd May 2021 by Sean Gourley
André Theis is a local producer, working from a studio in his North Dunedin basement. He spends his days recording, mixing and mastering full-time with an ever expanding list of local artists. André started the studio as a Uni student, first making music out of his flat bedroom. Read more...
What MicroGenre Are You?
Posted 7:43pm Sunday 2nd May 2021 by Sophia Carter Peters
1 - What Radio station do you most identify with? a. I’m more of a podcast person b. ZM or The Read more...
Every Eurovision Entry, Ranked
Posted 7:36pm Sunday 2nd May 2021 by Fox Meyer
39 countries submitted a music video. Critic has never paid attention to Eurovision, but now that Australia is involved for some fucking reason, we had to. We ranked all the videos ahead of the 22 May finale across three categories: Head-boppiness, performance on-screen, and general vibe. Then we Read more...
Mosh Etiquette 101
Posted 6:47pm Sunday 2nd May 2021 by Rutene Rickard
While moshes can seem like animalistic anarchy, there is a crucial code of conduct that keeps all participants safe in their gnarly sonic and sweaty adventures. Moshing, which started up during the ‘80s with the rise of punk and hardcore, is now a widespread concert activity. The original Read more...
The History of the Dunedin Sound: A nostalgic look back on the birth of the Dunedin music scene
Posted 6:42pm Sunday 2nd May 2021 by Annabelle Vaughan
The Dunedin Sound is one of New Zealand’s best known music scenes. The cold, dreary and quirky city that we call home has produced some of New Zealand's most notable songwriters and musicians. Much of their work still influences Dunedin musicians today, and is responsible for our unique Read more...
The Rise of Dunedin’s Drum and Bass
Posted 6:36pm Sunday 2nd May 2021 by Runze Liu
Drum and Bass music is a major part of Dunedin life. It is the soundtrack to the Otago experience. But what will its future be? Critic sat down with some of Dunedin’s very own DJs to uncover the evolution of DnB. Bando is a bedroom DJ, a hobbyist who practises at home but doesn’t Read more...
How to Avoid Killing Your Herbs: When, Where, How, and What to Grow
Posted 9:06pm Monday 26th April 2021 by Elliot Weir
If you expected another article about growing weed, you will be sorely disappointed. This is all about literal herbs. When? Herbs don’t benefit from space heaters and alcohol blankets, so planting at the right time is the key to making sure your herbs survive the winter. Right now is Read more...
What Dunedin Street Litter Are You?
Posted 6:34pm Monday 26th April 2021 by Fox Meyer
A single sock. Ciggie butts. The natural landscape of Dunedin is rich with treasures. They say “you are what you eat,” but also “you are what you throw away.” Bins overflowing with torn black rubbish bags. Noodles, spilled like entrails from a corpse. Bits of rubber and Read more...
Pussy Galore: A Conversation with Cat Rescue Dunedin
Posted 6:00pm Monday 26th April 2021 by Erin Gourley
You might think you love pussy, but Cat Rescue Dunedin love pussy more than you. Critic sat down with Amber Coste, President of CatS (Cat Rescue Dunedin Student Association) and committee member of Cat Rescue Dunedin Charitable Trust, to talk about cats and how students can get involved with the new Read more...
University Courses If They Were Animal Crossing Villagers
Posted 5:45pm Monday 26th April 2021 by Oscar Paul
Nintendo’s Animal Crossing the perfect escape tool from the cruel reality of Covid, Uni stress, depression, the housing market and the loss of Harlene. It’s also a genuinely fun game to play. Each game hosts cute wee villagers, which are anthropomorphic animals. For you commerce students Read more...
A Critical Analysis: Why I Hate Barbie in My Scene Barbie Jammin’ In Jamaica (2004)
Posted 5:32pm Monday 26th April 2021 by Asia Martusia King
Barbie’s a feminist icon. She’s an astrophysicist. A business executive. A police officer. George Washington, somehow. A paratrooper (“United States Marine Corps Sergeant Barbie”, 1991). She’s also a toxic backstabbing manipulator with a victim Read more...
The Guide to being the Ultimate Fresher: the tips and tricks for getting through uni
Posted 3:52pm Monday 26th April 2021 by Annabelle Vaughan
This guide here goes out to all my freshers who have just begun their journey at the University of Otago. I get it, you’re probably feeling nervous, excited, and slightly panicked about the prospect of spending the next few years of your life in this freezing cold, chlamydia infested hole at Read more...
Local Produce: Night Lunch
Posted 3:45pm Monday 26th April 2021 by Sean Gourley
Night Lunch are a Dunedin duo of Liams made famous by the smash hit music video for their song House Full of Shit. The band features the uniquely minimalist combo of Liam Hoffman on drums and Liam Clune on a home-made instrument called a diddly bow. Hoffman has finished Uni but Clune has come back Read more...
Renters United: Fighting for a Fair Deal for Renters
Posted 3:26pm Monday 26th April 2021 by Elliot Weir
Abusive landlords, privacy breaches, and runaway rent prices are the bread to the butter that is Renters United. The only thing worse than landlords are the structural conditions that created them. Look, I get it, not everyone wants to own their own house at whatever point they’re at in Read more...
Local Produce: Scott Tisdall Is Making Potatoes Instafamous
Posted 1:20am Monday 19th April 2021 by Sean Gourley
Scott Tisdall is an Otago student who moonlights growing moonlight potatoes on his family farm. Using Instagram as a platform, he is gradually expanding his operation to bring locally grown potatoes to the tables of starving students. Last season, he gave 33% of his profits to the cancer society. We Read more...
The Breatha Diet: a vape a day keeps the doctor away
Posted 12:59am Monday 19th April 2021 by Annabelle Vaughan
There is quite possibly no creature as great, and as wild, as the Otago breatha. They can often be seen vaping, drinking, and sending pesky “you up x” texts at ungodly hours. How do breathas maintain such a lifestyle? What on earth could they possibly be fuelling their bodies Read more...
OPINION: Make Dunedin More Walkable
Posted 12:51am Monday 19th April 2021 by Elliot Weir
Dunedin was largely planned out by settlers that were probably way too deep on Scotch and Irn-Bru. In that state, they thought that a street with a 35% incline would be a funny meme. They literally tried to superimpose Edinburgh onto the Otago landscape, stubbornly ignoring all of the hills that Read more...
A Review of Lee Vandervis’s Book
Posted 12:38am Monday 19th April 2021 by Sophia Carter Peters
DCC Councillor Lee Vandervis has recently released a “book” (his words). The full title is The Hitch-hikers Guide to the Mayoralty Part 1: Invaluable for understanding the DCC and reading between the lines of local print-media monopoly. The title is only a fraction of this truly bizarre Read more...

