No Age: Nouns

I'm on a Tumblr-to-Blogger roll, so here's a bit I recently wrote to accompany a picture of the band No Age, a brilliant noise rock band named after an SST compilation. I mean, that automatically makes them cool, but they've got the tunes to back it up.

From Tumblr:

No Age.

Soundtrack to senior year. When I first heard them, I think Weirdo Rippers had just come out. I thought the sound(noise)scapes on that album were pretty cool, but it wasn’t until they harnessed that energy with the reins of melody on Nouns that I fell in love with them.

Maybe that makes me a noise-punk poser or something; I don’t care. I think in terms of overall quality, those two albums are pretty comparable, but Nouns had the stronger standout tracks. It’s the difference between “Everybody’s Down” and “Brain Burner.” Sure, the former’s a great thrash track, but the latter is one of the most brilliant album closers I’ve ever heard.

I’m not so much a fan of their newer stuff. Did they “sell out,” as the purists claim? Probably not. It’s probably just because I’m not a very good indie kid anymore; rather, I’ve found that I’m more at home in the 80s and early 90s alternative scene. Then again, that may be why I keep coming back (or forward) to No Age: for those glimmers of the DIY punk ethic and lo-fi fuzzy melodies that permeated the music of old.

So, in short, I'm not as in love with No Age anymore (no reflection of the quality of their tunes, my music tastes have just changed), but Nouns is still one of my favorites. The band expertly walks that frayed metaphorical tightrope between melody and noise, smoothing out the static-y edges while still maintaining a sense of aural chaos. Fuzzy pop tunes like "Teen Creeps" and "Eraser" will please any fan of a good ol' melody, while fans of the first album's experimental noise have the droning "Things I Did When I Was Dead" and "Impossible Bouquet," among others. But in my opinion, the best tracks are the brilliant punk tunes "Sleeper Hold" and "Brain Burner" (particularly the latter), quick bursts of distortion and energy that are enough to knock you off your feet.

Or at least to knock you on your feet and en route to the record store. Seriously, this is a cool album to own in its physical form. The packaging was nominated for a Grammy (yes, they have Grammys for that) and includes tons of cool photographs and artwork. Candid shots, crowd shots, and one sweet cassette collection.

Check it out.

1. Miner
2. Eraser
3. Teen Creeps
4. Things I Did When I Was Dead
5. Cappo
6. Keechie
7. Sleeper Hold
8. Errand Boy
9. Here Should Be My Home
10. Impossible Bouquet
11. Ripped Knees
12. Brain Burner

What's That Buz-zine sound?

I always think that I never have time/inspiration to write on this blog, but then I spend countless hours scrolling Tumblr and banging out my musical thoughts through reblogs of artist images.

So now, realizing that some of my best writing comes in the form of stream-of-consciousness rants that nobody will ever see, I've decided to update this blog (which, coincidentally, nobody will ever see) with stuff from the bands that I've been digging and writing up on Tumblr.

First up, a pair of songs from Buzzcocks and Magazine. What's the connection between these two bands?

From the pages of my Tumblr blog:

Howard Devoto left the Buzzcocks in 1977 to form Magazine, a pioneering post-punk band that, while short-lived, had immeasurable influence on the direction that music would take once all the young dudes took the safety pins out of their faces.

I still have a hard time deciding whether I like Buzzcocks or Magazine more. I know that they’re both crazy amazing bands and ranking crazy amazing bands is lame and it doesn’t matter and I should just shut up and enjoy the music because they’re wonderful.

But I can’t help it.

I enjoy ranking bands. And TV shows. And pizza chains.

(Domino’s, Pizza Hut, Little Caesar’s, by the way. Crazy bread.)

I used to be scared of Caesar, but I digress.

The only thing that I have managed to decisively declare about the two bands regards a Devoto-penned riff that made appearances in songs by both bands: Buzzcocks’ “Lipstick” and Magazine’s “Shot by Both Sides.” While “Lipstick” is a excellent, buzzing little pop song, the Magazine song has a dark complexity (not to mention, a killer solo) that tips the scales in their favor.

Advantage Magazine.

Above: A 1976 picture of the Buzzcocks, with Devoto (left).

Was I right?

Probably not.

 Decide for Yourself