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Record Reviews1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 | 0-9| A| B| C| D| E| F| G| H| I| J| K| L| M | | N| O| P| Q| R| S| T| U| V| W| X| Y| Z| < Prev Section | Next Section >  RSS Feed
NOT ON TOUR:
All This Time: LP
Is it wrong to judge a record for sounding too clean? Too polished? I wonder about this a lot. There’s a certain point where it’s hard to accept something that sounds so fiercely played yet gives itself away to being pristine and vacuum sealed onto a record. Not On Tour deliver a serving of melodic hardcore and pop punk on this digestible LP. The musicianship of the band is without doubt; each member pulls their weight in directions that showed how much they added to the band’s sound. The major drawback of this record is its overly slick production, backed by music that feels like it’s more raw than the delivery. Not a bad album, but one that has its problems. –Bryan Static
–Bryan Static (Diner Junkie, dinerjunkie.com)
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NOT SORRY:
Moving On: 7” EP
Sharpied Xs on hands? Check. Thrashy beats ‘n’ “crew” shouts punctuating the songs? Check. “Mosh” parts? Check. True, the songs are blissfully devoid of high-hatin’ finger-waving lyrics, but otherwise they sound like your average above-average straight edge band.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Lifeline)
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NOT VERY GOOD:
Forget Me Hot: 7" EP
Since this record included one of those cool yellow Fisher Price record-hole-fillers (Attention: jargon-free zone!), I wanted to like it. But, in the end it’s just pretty generic power pop. If this were a cereal, it’d be Kix. Basic stuff here! And, upon viewing their website, I’d like to say the following: band-based message boards are lame! A great band is supposed to make you want to scream along until you’re hoarse, dance till you collapse from exhaustion, or just sit in your room and wallow in your own pathetic existence. A great band is NOT supposed to inspire you to write on a message board! What is this world coming to?
–Maddy (Not It)
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NOT YET!:
It’s a Small World, Alcohol: Cassette
Just when I am about to write off modern punk rock, releases like this one find their way into my hands thus restoring my faith in the musical form. Not Yet! seems to be the brainchild of YouTube sensation Jose Anything. Given the chance to flesh out his songs within a band format really takes his material to a higher level. Thematically, the songs are of the “young, drunk, and in love” variety but don’t come off as cheesy or schmaltzy. Containing only four songs, this tape left me wanting more. In fact, this tape is clearly one of the best things I’ve heard this year. I am looking forward to hearing more from Not Yet!
–Garrett Barnwell (John Wilkes Booth)
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NOTA:
Live At The Crystal Pistol: LP
On a personal level, NOTA are the most important band ever. Growing up in Oklahoma, where these guys hailed from, it proved that you could be in a punk and accomplish something, despite the rednecks and religious assholes that surrounded you. These guys were my piece of sanity in that fucked up time. They made it easier to deal with getting beer gutted assholes in Camaros throwing shit at you and calling you “faggot” as they sped by, or when the jocks would death threat you over the phone. And the classic, “Get a hair cut!” despite having a shaven head. Anyway, this is the vinyl edition of the long out of print classic tape from 1983, not to mention some stuff that never saw the light of day outside of live shows, such as “Carolina,” Apathy,” and “Dumb Shit.” As well as “Nightstick Justice” and “Riot Kids,” which are taken from a practice recording. The recording quality is pretty damn good and captures their raw and urgent attack well. A seamless blending of hardcore punk with street punk and the ‘77 sound, not to mention political and social commentary as well as personal vision. Nearly 20 years later and this band still strikes a chord within.
–Matt Average (Prank)
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NOTHING:
Double Dose of Negativity: LP
Speedy and tightly wound hardcore from the Berlin outfit. I get the sense they schooled themselves on the 1988-1995 era of straight edge, as there are some similarities here. But they are definitely grounded in the modern times, as the energy is genuine. There’s also a slight hard rock angle to their sound as well, much like the Victims (Sweden). The songs have a nice way of being able to have a catchy rhythm and still have the speedy thing happening. The title track really stands apart from the rest on here with a middle part that slows down; the guitar comes in providing some mood and the vocals talk more than shout. Then you have some ragers like “Nothing’s Alright,” “Living Under Lies,” and “Everything Is Wrong.” All of them that have this urgency through time changes and the ability to put a little more on the table than shouting and racing through the song. Even the song “Old” does a great job of capturing that shitty feeling of trying to find your way and place in something that starts to feel alien to you from all the changes over the years. Believe me, I know, and can relate.
–Matt Average (Refuse, refuserecords.prv.pl / refuserecords@gmail.com)
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NOTHING:
Self-titled: LP
Y’know, I wanted to be like, “Oh great, another band of hardcore dudes (Nothing features members of the now-defunct Philly band Horror Show) who decided to take a crack at shoegaze. Borrring.” But, fact is, I’m a huge sucker for this shit. Maybe there’s an underlying aggression to the punks-turned-gazers version of this genre, but Anne, Whirr, and now Nothing have found very comfy homes on my turntable. There’s not a whole lot of innovation going on here—think a drearier Jesus And Mary Chain or even a darker, de-popped Wild Nothing—but what they do, they do darn well.
–Todd Taylor (A389)
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NOTHING ERROR:
I Am Here to Break Your Heart: CD
Although the title sounds too much like that Wilco song, this one man band project from Doug Hill is pretty solid. I just figured out who this sounds like-Everclear. I don’t like Everclear at all, and this guy is like some evil clone. The only difference that I can see is that Everclear probably would not put a picture of a naked woman on the cover. “Control” and “200 Dollars” could even be played on the radio. Don’t ask me where though.
–Sean Koepenick (Mental)
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NOTHING FAMOUS:
self-titled: CD
Mall-punk for the masses! Vocals pulled way forward, drums are lost, super-simple riffs, super forgettable band.
–Megan Pants (Cheapskate)
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NOTHING IS OVER:
Negative Fucking Energy: 7”
Everything about this screams ‘90s violence worship. It’s a like a modern day stoner, East Coast version of Spazz. Dirty power violence played by weirdo punk dudes who obviously don’t take a whole lot seriously.
–Ian Wise (Sit And Spin)
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NOTHINGS, THE:
Lovely: CD
Funny, I always these guys were some sort of trash rock band. This sounds like the Heartbreakers by way of Cock Sparrer. Not what I expected, but a keeper nonetheless, even if it does have Steve Jones on it.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Galaxy, 17048 Baltar St., Van Nuys, CA 91406)
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NOTHINGS, THE:
Lovely: CD
Funny, I always these guys were some sort of trash rock band. This sounds like the Heartbreakers by way of Cock Sparrer. Not what I expected, but a keeper nonetheless, even if it does have Steve Jones on it.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Galaxy)
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NOTHINGSGOTNOPOWER / TODI STRONGHANDS:
Who Will Tell the Story of Us?: Cassette
A split between two acoustic artists. One can write, the other can sing. The one who writes doesn’t sing great, but he has his moments and vice versa. I propose that they form a super duo and add a drummer and they’ll have something going for them. Contains a very interesting cover of that song the rat from Charlotte’s Web sings at after the fair closes. Bryan Static
–Guest Contributor (Sharpie Fumes Collective)
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NOTHINGTON:
One for the Road: 7”EP
First listen: Man, I love me some Leatherface. Put the burlap over the bunny, smash it with a hammer, then sing with that shoved down your esophagus. Second listen: Whiskey Sunday or Saint Catherines? Third listen: Although I love Frankie Stubbs of Leatherface, and Davey Tiltwheel, who did the cover art for Dog Disco, I think people largely discount that record because that cover thows ‘em. Fourth listen: Like Leatherface, there’s something to be said about giving the songs some mileage. Let ‘em pour into you like dots in the highway, so they’re this collective blur that condense a long trip into an eye blink. Nothington show their depth slowly. Fifth listen: Hey, this is really good stuff on its own: earnest, hard-earned, and honest. A keeper.
–Todd Taylor (Left Off The Dial)
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NOTHINGTON:
Self-titled: CD
Although this description may seem a little blah, or predictable, the band’s not. Mix in the gruffness, the layers upon layers texture of Leatherface and add Against Me!s country-echoed ability to make anthems out of everyday life. Nothington’s one of those bands that didn’t strike me suddenly. It’s like how with a sweating beer bottle, you can peel the label off if you pick at it slowly, instead of trying to rip it off right at the start and not get the whole thing. Nothington’s got a little patience, a little reflection to work at a goal. As a band, I find them slowly creeping in, and since nothing’s missing musically, they set up shop, and this CDs been getting plenty of spins. The duets with Emily Whitehurst are especially good. Nice work.
–Todd Taylor (BYO)
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NOTHINGTON:
Borrowed Time: CD
I saw Nothington so many times around the release of their first album All In. Part of it might have had to do with working as an intern at their label at the time, BYO, but I also really liked the band. Then they released a second full length and got kind of quiet. I honestly thought that they had possibly broken up, so I was pleasantly surprised, though a bit wary, to see that they had some new releases on Red Scare. My concern turned out to be completely unfounded because they sound just as strong, if not stronger, than before. They’re still doing gruff-voiced punk rock with a tinge of Americana flavoring in their sound, but, if anything, they sound more assured than before. The opener, “Captive Audience,” really sets the pace for the rest of the album. “Hopeless,” with its slow build, is quite the jam, and probably my favorite. There is not really a duff track on here, as even the tracks where second vocalist Chris takes lead sound more forceful than before. I’m glad to know they haven’t watered themselves down like former scene-mates, the Gaslight Anthem. Well, hello, Nothington; it seems like you’re back.
–Adrian Salas (Red Scare)
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NOTHINGTON:
More Than Obvious: 7”
I am probably not the person for the job to review this record as I am not a fan of the band. But since we are going on my personal opinion, I’m going to have to say that it’s more than obvious that this record sucks.
–Corinne (Red Scare)
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NOTION:
The Peak:: CD
Argh! I’ve been stuck on writing this review for so long because I’m having a hard time thinking of good ways to write bad things.So I’ve settled on this: adequate, slightly Southern-influenced rock’n’roll perfect for your local douchebag bar. Another in a long line of bands that prove that just because you can make an album doesn’t mean you should.
–Kurt Morris (Notionrocks.com)
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NOUN:
Holy Hell: LP
Noun is the mostly-solo side project of Screaming Females guitarist/vocalist Marissa Paternoster. I’ve been a big fan of Screaming Females over the years, but I’m not really sure what to make of Noun. Marissa sings in all of these songs and plays guitar, piano, and any other instruments not credited to the list of guest musicians in the liner notes. From the first track, “BlackLand,” and throughout the album, we hear Paternoster exploring her vocal range to good effect. She’s clearly a talented vocalist beyond being the eponymous screaming female in her main band. As an album though, Holy Hell is a bit all over the place. There are tracks that sound like they could easily have been Screaming Females singles, or tracks—like the aforementioned “BlackLand,” and “Call Earth”—which sound like something else entirely. The songs that don’t sound like Screaming Females were the tracks that most interested me on this, mainly the tracks where Marissa plays piano and sings. There was a very cabaret feel to these songs that I was into. While I was a bit more intrigued by the songs that didn’t sound like Paternoster’s main band, overall this didn’t move me the same way Screaming Females does.
–Paul J. Comeau (Don Giovanni)
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NOUN:
Self-titled: 7”
Apparently, I’m a little out of the loop on this band. This is Screaming Females frontperson Marissa Paternoster’s solo project and they have two full lengths that I have never heard. If I were to take a stab at giving this a genre tag, I’d go with stoner space pop, but even that doesn’t quite cover it. It’s reverby, guitar-driven rock of some variety, but the definitions become vague and blurred as this record keeps spinning. It is definitely a noun of some sort. Huh. Clever name. Usually, the problem with these records is how lost the songs seems to get, but Noun is smarter than that. The trail is rocky and rough, but any distractions to the journey are brief and concise. I recommend this record. Save this one for a night with the stars.
–Bryan Static (Don Giovanni, dongiovannirecords.com)
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NOVADRIVER:
Void: CD
This is heavy on the Hawkwind tip, maybe with a little touch of mid-’70s Sabbath thrown in for good measure. Dude, pass the bong, stoner rock lives!
–Jimmy Alvarado (Small Stone)
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NOVADRIVER:
Void: CD
This is heavy on the Hawkwind tip, maybe with a little touch of mid-'70s Sabbath thrown in for good measure. Dude, pass the bong, stoner rock lives!
–Jimmy Alvarado (Small Stone)
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NOVEMBER:
The Knowing: CD
Heavy metal prom ballads for suicidal Dungeons and Dragons geeks.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Dark Symphonies)
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NOVEMBER TRIALS:
Cover Your Tracks: CD
The recording is horrible but the music isn’t. The band sounds like a premature Cursive. They still need to develop into something more than a third rate knockoff. They need their own sound and the lyrics need some kind of psychedelic drug to make them more interesting. But if they got their shit together, who knows? The second track, “Dance Dance Revolution,” is better than the first. The drums sound like cardboard boxes. With all that shit said, it’s not horrible, they just need work. I wonder how old they are and how long it took to record this record. My guess is between seventeen and twenty years old, three months.
–Guest Contributor (no address)
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NOVEMBER'S DOOM:
The Knowing: CD
Heavy metal prom ballads for suicidal Dungeons and Dragons geeks.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Dark Symphonies, Box 457, Billerica, MA 01821)
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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 | 0-9| A| B| C| D| E| F| G| H| I| J| K| L| M | | N| O| P| Q| R| S| T| U| V| W| X| Y| Z| < Prev Section | Next Section > | |
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