If in the world of classic New Zealand underground rock the Chills’ earnest pop represents the north pole and the Dead C’s corrosive noise is the south, then the Axemen are the molten center of the earth—their shambling, stylistically promiscuous, and occasionally tuneful postpunk is like a bad case of planetary heartburn. In band histories they claim they formed for political reasons, but the recorded evidence suggests that they just wanted to get up everyone’s noses. Their apex—or nadir, depending on your point of view—came in 1992, when they appeared on a children’s TV show in drag and plugged a record called Peter Wang Pud. Siltbreeze has reissued two early Axemen albums this year (a third is still forthcoming), and now guitarist Little Stevie McCabe and drummer Stu Kawowski are undertaking their first American tour. They’ve also got a new split seven-inch with Times New Viking, available only at shows, on which the two bands cover each other’s songs. Cave side project Bitchin’ Bajas opens. The Axemen also headline a show at 9:30 PM tonight at Rueben’s Palace. —Bill Meye