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bubblesandgutz · 25 days

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Every Record I Own - Day 814: Nomeansno You Kill Me

Nomeansno's debut album was a tightly coiled amalgam of art punk and jazz fusion, but it didn't wield the power of their later records. Between 1982's Mama and their 1985 EP You Kill Me, the band would expand beyond the sibling rhythm section of Rob and John Wright to include guitarist / vocalist Andy Kerr. The addition of guitar added the layer of grit and distortion that had been missing from earlier Nomeansno records, and the band fully embraced that newfound abrasion with an EP that demonstrated their full sonic menace while also establishing their stylistic and aesthetic stamp.

The EP opens with "Body Bag," a long-form, tension-baiting, quiet-loud-quiet rocker that harkens back to the bass-and-drum interplay of Mama, but adds jagged spikes of guitar in the chorus, giving the song an amplified sense of resolve and potency. From there the band launches into "Stop It," arguably the band's first foray into a sonic territory that could be deemed "hardcore." Set against a rock shuffle, the band sneers and spits its way through a Black Flag-style rage anthem. It's here that we get the first taste of Rob Wright's burgeoning distorted bass tone. With the gain knob cranked for maximum crunch, you can hear Rob dig into the strings to the point where they growl with aggression.

Side 2 opens with "Some Bodies," a song that harnesses the band's newfound vitriol with their signature off-kilter rhythmic configurations. There weren't a lot of punk bands playing with polyrhythms back in the 1985, but for Nomeansno it almost seemed second nature. There's even a riff in the song that is eerily similar to the main riff in Botch's "Vietmam."

This EP and a few of the other Nomeansno records in my collection were given to me by a college friend the year after I graduated. He was a year or two younger than me, and he had a radio show at our campus station KUPS (90.1 FM, if you happen to find yourself in the North End of Tacoma). I was a Nomeansno fan only so far as I owned the Jello Biafra collab album and a cassette copy of The Day Everything Became Nothing / Small Parts Isolated And Destroyed, but I was excited by the gift. This means I wouldn't have heard You Kill Me (or Sex Mad or Wrong, but we'll get to those at a later date) until at least 2001. But there are more than a few little musical moments across those records that parallel parts of my own songs. There's the aforementioned "Vietmam" riff, which we would have written right around the time this EP came into my collection. But there's the "womb / tomb" rhyme in "Body Bag" that I'd also used in Botch's "I Wanna Be A Sex Symbol On My Own Terms" at least two years prior. There's another inadvertent parallel to a Botch song on Sex Mad's "Self Pity," but we'll discuss that later. And a bunch of Nomeansno-isms would later appear in These Arms Are Snakes material, like the descending chromatic guitar solo in "Body Bag" being deliberately swiped for the pitch-shifted bass solo in These Arms Are Snakes' "Mescaline Eyes" (sorry, Andy).

I won't lie, Nomeansno's aesthetics sometimes leave a lot to be desired. I don't love the cartoony album cover. But Nomeansno rubbed off on me in other ways. There are moments across their records that seem a little silly, especially given their musically and lyrically heavy moments. But that irreverent and sardonic twist contained its own kind of malice---taking something child-like or frivolous and setting against something dire and dripping with existential dread somehow gave Nomeansno an added layer of human dimension. They could be theatrical, but they weren't cosplaying as total misanthropes. The humor almost made the serious material even heavier. The band also had a fascination with human sexuality and confronting sexual mores (see: the band's name, "Some Bodies," "Body Bag," etc.) that would continue to pop up in their music. And you could see the parallels in Botch's often absurd and/or salacious song titles (see again: "I Wanna Be A Sex Symbol On My Own Terms," "Frequency Ass Bandit," "Saint Matthew Returns To The Womb").

I wouldn't have cited Nomeansno as a primary influence back in 2001, but I already appeared to be walking a parallel path, and I would deliberately tread into their territories in the following years.

#nomeansno #everyrecordiown

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nightheartcomics · 5 months

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Lyrics to a NoMeansNo song and the great John Ritter as “Ted” from a Buffy ep. 🤘🖤

#nomeansno band #buffy the vampire slayer

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borderlinemusicc · 2 years

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RECENZIJA: MOCHIPET Combat

Od ove će godine i američko tržište iskusiti čari CD-a zaštićenih od kopiranja: Europljani, to dakako, već trpe par godina, a rabota se, kao i obično, odvija na račun ljubitelja glazbe. Navodna zaštita, sastavljena od maštovitog uništavanja prostora na CD-u zapravo je već probijena i samo još rijetki misle kako je njihov korporativni proizvod zaštićen. No, kompanije koje izdaju glazbu teško se mogu pomiriti s idejom kako kupci više nisu spremni odvajati povelike iznose u ionako nerealno visokoj cijeni CD-a, a još se manje mogu nadati kako copyright pojam neće u zlatno SoulSeek doba doživjeti značajne izmjene. Nazivati to file sharing revolucijom već je pomalo otrcano: onaj najsvježiji dio tog perioda upravo se događa i osim same razmjene glazbenih datoteka, sada je imperativ te iste datoteke i trajno promijenti. Možda koristiti kao materijal za nastanak posve novih, ili se tek našaliti sa srednjestrujaškim veličinama pokazujući im srednji prst umjesto tradicionalnih zvjezdica kakve viđamo u opremi novinskih glazbenih recenzija.

Mochipet, pravim imenom David Wang, još je u rodnome Tajvanu izvodio kojekakve preinake glazbe koju voli slušati, a ovih dana čak i radi na konstrukciji računalnog programa koji će automatski, kako kaže, «pretvarati lošu glazbu u slušljivu i dobru». Na svojoj matičnoj etiketi Btrendy, već je izdao utjecajni album «Randbient Works 2002», gdje je definirao svoj osobni žanr kao «polka electronic death country», te u klasičnoj mash up maniri, karakterističnoj za drill'n'bass zloće, spojio upravo spomenute krajnosti, ali i ne samo njih.

Pravac je duhovito i kraće kršten u illbient, a kolega u zločinu Kid 606, upravo se potrudio objaviti i najnoviji Mochipetov anti-copyright uradak simboličnoga naslova «Combat». Da bi stvar dobila miris još ilegalnije radnje, «Combat» je recentno objavila Kidova kuća Violent Turd, zapravo ogranak opet njegove i daleko poznatije Tigerbeat6. Violent Turd, specijaliziran upravo za nevine pošalice sa mainstream glazbenom industrijom, ima navodno sjedište na Novome Zelandu, zapravo nepostojeću adresu koja bi trebala barem malo usporiti korporativne tužbe. Kao svojevrsni prethodnik Mochipeta, Kid 606 svoj je svjetonazor već definirao kultnim albumom «The Action Packed Mentallist Brings You The Fucking Jams» gdje je Missy Elliot kompjuterskim manipuliranjem natjerao da pjeva «please, copy me», dopušajući joj čak i da kao popratni bend koristi A-ha, a kao back-vokale Kylie Minogue.

I što novoga u tome žanru donosi Mochipet? Prije svega, jasnoću i kratkoću, možda ne i nužno poželjnu stvar jer 12 zvučnih okršaja traje svega 30-tak minuta, no to i jest sasvim ubičajena stvar na illbient sceni. Uvodna «Mochi vs. SoulSeek» naznačuje duhovno mjesto nastanka ideje, dok ostatak kompozicija na albumu, donosi čak i prizvuk konceptualanosti u imenima, ali i odabiru strana u dinamičnim, breakbeat borbama žanrova i stilova. Tako će se u datoj ideji sukobiti «Yes vs. NoMeansNo», «They Might Be Giants vs. Lyrical Giants» ili «ThunderCats vs. The Stray Cats» dok pravi vrhunac slijedi u ultimativno komičnoj «Aphex Twin vs. Thompson Twins» koja započinje blues parodijom Richardovog hita «Come To Daddy», a završava drill'n'bass bombardiranjem refrena «Doctor! Doctor! Can't You See I'm Burning?». No i ovaj danak nečemu što se smatra dobrim ukusom, a na pločama Mochipeta sistematski i namjerno izumire, još je upečatljiviji u završnom trojcu naslovljenom «Neil Diamond vs. King Diamond vs. The Lion King». Jasno je dakako, što se tu događa, a ono što nakon preslušavanja cjelovitog «Combat» albuma iznenađuje jest da bi dobar dio materijala zadovoljio i tehnički visok standard uvijek živahne bootleg filozofije, u kojoj je sadržajno, nažalost, još uvijek zadnji domet mašte i kreativnosti objavljivanje dosadnih house remixeva The White Stripes ili The Rapture.

Vrijeme u kojemu će IDM i laptop junaci poput Mochipeta, dovoljno pametni da se nazovu prema azijskom kolaču od riže, te spomenutu, razigranu ideju prenesu u stvarnu glazbu, u kojoj miješanje žanrova podrazumijeva i intelektualni stav, nadajmo se, ipak dolazi. Ono što bi bolesno gramziva korporativna industrija glazbe trebala iz svega shvatiti, jest da cut'n'paste dekonstruiranjem njihovih zlatnih koka, ciljna publika više nije ista, niti se radi o uzimanju kolača kojeg bi copyrightom inače dobili. Ovo je nova glazba u kojoj je neka druga već objavljena glazba zapravo tretirana kao instrument, a ne kao stilska varijacija melodijske formule. Kako Mochipet, ali i Kid 606 još uvijek nisu završili na sudu, možda je diskretni znak da netko spomenute zahvate i shvaća, no nikad se u potpunosti ne mogu predvidjeti mistični putevi glazbene industrije, pa stoga, zgrabite sve te «Combat» primjerke dok se još uvijek može. Od Mochipeta pak, nestrpljivo čekamo obećani komad softwarea koji «popravlja» lošu glazbu – zamislite samo što bi takav plug in učinio od hrvatske scene.

Željko Luketić

(emitrirano 27.02.2004., Radio 101, emisija Antena)

#RECENZIJA #EKSPERIMENTALNA GLAZBA #ELEKTRONSKA GLAZBA #RADIO

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forgottenbones · 3 years

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I got tired, tired of waiting Tired of waiting, waiting for the news Tired of waiting for things to improve Tired of waiting, waiting for your letter Tired of waiting for things to get better I got tired, tired, tired of waiting Tired of waiting, waiting for the phone Tired of waiting, here all alone Tired of waiting for something new Tired of waiting for you I got tired, tired, tired of waiting I got tired of waiting, waiting in line Tired of waiting for my clothes to dry Tired of waiting for his show to begin Tired of waiting for my ship to come in Tired of waiting, waiting for the bus Tired of waiting for my shoes to get fixed Tired of waiting, waiting for my cheque Tired of waiting for a change in the weather Tired of waiting for the water to boil Tired of waiting for the paint to dry Tired of waiting, waiting for a sign Tired of waiting for my big break Tired of waiting for the dam to break Tired of waiting for the bomb to drop Tired of waiting and waiting and waiting I got tired of waiting for the end

I got tired of waiting because I found out There's only a fine line between Biding one's time and wasting one's time Do you know what I mean? I got tired of waiting that's all

#nomeansno #music #lyrics

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poetessbeccaposts-blog · 7 years

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A piece from my book "Dancing Through the Flames," which is available worldwide on Amazon. Artwork by the amazing Sandra de la Cruz (@_drasan_ on IG).

#poetess becca #rebecca bardelli #dancingthroughtheflames #poetry #nomeansno #no means no #poetry books #literature #poem #poems #spilled poetry #quote #quotes #quoteoftheday #milk and honey #heartbreak #lyrics #feelings

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feelin-woozy · 3 years

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∞

put a "∞" in my ask box and I'll shuffle my music player and give you my favorite lyric from the song that comes up

Rag 'N Bones by Nomeansno "If I could choose to believe or not to believe, you know I would choose not to but I can't choose not to, no bloody way." Tbh I didn't even know I had this song saved so I sat there like??

#ask #answered #hong

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ratabethchase · 5 years

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21 questions tag

Tagged by @razzledazzle-lanceylance and @just-a-space-gay

Rules; answer 21 questions and tag 21 people you want to get to know better (lmao most of my mutuals have been tagged already

Nickname; my family calls me cinty, and a small portion of j dizzle’s discord calls me jizzinta

Star sign; Virgo

Height; like 160cm

Last movie i watched; infinity war

Last google search; dodie monster lyrics

Favourite musician; dodie

Songs stuck in my head; Monster by Dodie (can you tell), Cars and Telephones by arcade fire

Other blogs; @gregandsteveandstuandmarkandleightonandchadand (idk why its not letting me link it)

Do i get asks; not that much but they are almost always from my sister @readingisthenewcool or from j dizzles discord sever

Number of blogs following; 1037

Amount of sleep; since im not going to school at the moment ive generally been getting about 10 hours but usually its around 6 hours

Lucky number; i dont have one my i like 123 and 247

What am i wearing; a fucking cute as jumpsuit

Dream job; either an actress or a singer

Dream trip; idk but somewhere like italy or something

Favourite food; cake, specifically mud cake from woolworths

Play any instruments; ukulele, guitar, piano, triangle

Languages; english, a bit of auslan and a bit of italian

Favourite songs; TOO MANY TO COUNT, she by dodie, monster by dodie, La devotee by p!tad, cars and telephones by arcade fire, party tattoos by dodie, just, dodie in general, crush by tessa violet, girls/girls/boys by p!atd, dead! by mcr, cancer by mcr, migraine by top, the entire soundtrack of the guy who didnt like musicals, rags and bones by nomeansno, queen in general, + so many more that i cant think of rn

Random fact; i wrote a song about how shit voltron season eight is (subtle self promo i know)

describe your aesthetics; cant say i can think of them

the only person im going to tag is @readingisthenewcool because shes the only one i can think of that probably hasnt been tagged by any of my mutuals yet but if you want to do it just say i tagged you

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doomedandstoned · 5 years

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The Horned God Dish Out Riffs Fit For A Barbarian!

~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~

I'm a comic book fan and I'll confess that I was not familiar with Sláine, a character-turned-universe originated by Pat Eamon Mills (who also had a hand in Judge Dredd). I guess the closest thing I can relate to Sláine, first published by the Brit weekly 2000 AD, is that ubiquitous savage Conan the Barbarian. The series, which launched in 1983, is built upon Celtic myths and ancient folk tales, with artists like Simon Davis, Massimo Belardinelli, Mike McMahon, Glenn Gabry, and Simon Bisley contributing their hand to the evolution of its distinctive style.

While brand new terrain for me, a band called THE HORNED GOD is making Sláine a whole lot easier to get into. From, they really bring the whole saga alive in their new album, 'Volume: 1' (2018). With tracks like "Exiled," "Battle For The North," "Hymn of Slough Feg," and "Fodder Flax Fire and Frigg," it's impossible not to become invested in the storyline. Interestingly, the band actually commissioned legendary Simon Bisley (the featured artist of 1983's 'Sláine: The Horned God') to create art for the album cover. I have to say, it looks absolutely killer.

The wild stoner metal trio, based out of Albuquerque, sounds like they just might be descendants from a polygamous marriage between Monster Magnet, Gypsyhawk, and Kyuss. I audited the record sans interruption and it was a trip, baby, let me tell you! My adrenaline was flowing steadily from start to finish. I'd venture to guess this will not be music you'll be able to listen to sitting down. I mean, you can try but be forewarned: your body will want to move! This is conquering music, after all, whether it's taking on mercenaries with your Brainbiter or moving boxes around to organize your messy garage (with or without the benefit of warp spasm). Volume: 1 will BTFO of any and all who stand before its mighty riffs and rapacious rhythms!

If you get a chance to see Dominic (guitar, vox), Robson (bass), and Tim (drums) do their thing live, don't miss it! Like GWAR, The Horned God are known to dress in costume -- not always, but on special occasions. This adds a bit of intrigue to every show, as fans wonder, "Will they or won't they?" According to Brad Frye from Red Mesa (whose label will be publishing The Horned God's debut), these guys are the real deal. "This is one of the top heavy bands in Albuquerque," he tells Doomed & Stoned. "There aren't a lot of stoner, doom, desert, or psychedelic bands here, apart from Black Maria, Red Mesa, Prey for Kali, and The Horned God." Apparently, they boys cover "a sick version" of "Supa Scoopa and the Mighty Scoop" by Kyuss at their live shows, as well. My fascination continues to build!

The Horned God releases Volume: 1 on Desert Records one week from now, on Friday, December 14th. This includes a limited edition vinyl release. You can pre-order this wild spin right here.

Today, Doomed & Stoned is giving you your first listen to "Battle for the North." Asked for comment, The Horned God explained:

“Sláine was given a magical cauldron for outwitting the dark gods. Returning to Murias, and his tribe, after being exiled, and taking the throne left by his cousin Ragall, Sláine and his people fed from the cauldron, finding inspiration and strength, defeating Slough Feg, Balor of the Evil Eye and a horde of Fomorians in a Battle for the North!”

Give ear...

Volume: 1 by The Horned God

Some Buzz

The Horned God is a Cosplay band, based on the comic book masterpiece by Pat Mills, and Simon Bisley, Sláine: The Horned God.

Comic book writer Pat Mills brought the character of Sláine mac Roth, a Celtic barbarian warrior king who along with his axe Brainbiter and his ability to warp spasm in order to defend his people against the dark druid Slough Feg, to life in 1983 in his graphic novel series titled Sláine. In 1989 Pat Mills collaborated with illustrator Simon Bisley and published the three book series Sláine: The Horned God. In this series Sláine goes on a quest to collect four artifacts that once united will enable him to become high king and lead his people into battle in the hopes of saving them from Slough Feg and his army.

In 2012, the next adaptation of the story began in Albuquerque New Mexico when three friends took their love of the story and combined it with their passion of music and created the three piece cosplay stoner rock or as they call it, "Ancient Celtic inspired stoner rock, legends and lore, of love and war!" -- a musical interruption appropriately named, The Horned God.

The Horned God consist of three members, Dominic on vocals and guitar, Robson on bass and Tim on drums. This one of a kind dynamic three piece bring the story of Sláine to life with lyrical dialog and narratives ripped from the pages of the book accompanied by full costume and projected comic book cells throughout the entire performance.

Volume: 1 by The Horned God

The Horned God has harvested the souls of countless unknowing humans and sacrificed them to the dark gods of Cythrawl. They will continue to harvest souls on their quest to make music for the sake of making music and to have fun while expressing themselves musically. They would like to play some regional comic conventions and then ultimately play larger conventions, especially the San Diego comic convention.

The Horned God attribute their musical influences to bands such as Kyuss, Fu Manchu, Dozer, Mark Lanegan and a little touch of Nomeansno. You can hear these influences in their music as well as classic rock gods in their own right, Black Sabbath.

The Horned God is three seasoned, talented musicians who just want to make amazing music and have fun doing it. They bring to the local scene not just a show but an experience unlike all others with the musical talent to back it. The saga continues for Sláine and The Horned God!

Follow The Band

Get Their Music

#D&S Debuts #The Horned God #Albuquerque #New Mexico #stoner rock #heavy metal #Desert Records #D&S Reviews #Doomed & Stoned

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hamiltonstreetrailway · 4 years

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NOMEANSNO

I hope if anyone reads this that they are safe ! This pandemic has really begun to spread it seems and Hamilton is no exception it's bad here as well . Over the last couple days I've been working on a assignment for one of my music courses. We have to choose a band and make a case for them to be inducted into the rock n roll hall of fame. The band I chose was Canadian punk band NOMEANSNO . The band has a ton of history attached to it which I'm not going to get into however what I did want to get into is their hit album WRONG. Wrong is the feeling you get when you're running from something that's scary or the feeling you get when you're looking over the side of a cliff . The feeling that at any moment things could get incredibly intense . And through out the album that is what you're served . The album opens with the track "it's catching up" you're confronted with the intense stomping of slow drums and base in a commanding rythm that's quickly followed by a methodical riff comparable to the sirens of a police car chasing your vehicle down the highway biting at your heels never letting up always wanting one thing , Your immediate attention . This is quickly followed by some evil vocals that go perfectly with the instrumentation being performed screaming " ITS CATCHING UP IM FUCKED!" . And what ever the band is talking about you feel it. This feeling that you can't shake and these rushing vocals really punch this emotion through with lyrics like " HOW DO YOU HIDE FROM SOMETHING YOU HAVE FOUND ?" As well as " YOU CANT IGNORE IT YOU CANT TALK IT AWAY YOU CANT DRINK IT AWAY YOU CANT FUCK IT AWAY" things start to ramp up as the drum starts to gain speed and traction through out the track followed by some amazing guitar sections that only add to the intense atmosphere the band has already created off the bat . Now every song on this album is honestly a hit and unique but I want to jump forward a few tracks to " Tired of waiting" which you guessed it is about being tired of waiting . On this song the band just expresses how you can't leave things to fix themselves or get sorted out with lines like " tired of waiting for something new tired of waiting for you " . This track as well presents a insane tempo that makes you feel like you should be on some kind of stimulant with your eyes darting back n forth while tapping your fingers at the same pace previously mentioned. Now let's jump forward again to what I think is the boldest highlight on this album . Two tracks one called " Two lips , two lungs and one tounge" The second named "Rags n bones" . Two lips bursts into flames with this hot rush of power chords and harmonised vocals screaming " HE KEPT TRYING HE KEPT TRYING BUT HE COULDNT FIND OUT WHY HE COULDNT STOP CRYING" before coming to a screeching halt for a single string solo that repeats itself a few times before igniting again into the previous chord progression that established this tire fire of a song ( I mean that in the best of ways ) . At the end of Two lips we are greeted with what may possibly be the most catchy guitar riff I have ever heard in my entire life chased with the lyrics " HUNKER DOWN YALL YEEEHHAAAWWWWE" being screamed no different than the way you just read it in your head . This entire album from start to finish is a fast paced punk album with catchy riffs memorable lyrics and a fist full of attitude that is sure to make you tap your foot and bang your head. Links to the bands band camp will be below if anyone reads this !

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let-the-music-move-you · 7 years

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lyrics from punk bandssss like black flag, nomeansno, anti-flag, dead kennedys, dropkick murphys, flogging molly, suicidal tendencies, social distortion , off!, bad religion, minor threat, reagan youth

haha okay ill try my best to have some more versatility in genres and bands! ill write some of these down, thank you!

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bubblesandgutz · 24 days

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Every Record I Own - Day 815: Nomeansno Sex Mad

My first introduction to Nomeansno was hearing Sex Mad's "Dad" on a punk rock radio show on Oahu's Radio Free Hawaii station sometime around 1991 or 1992. The song's straightforward fury and harrowing depiction of domestic abuse carried the musical power and lyrical urgency that was like a drug to my young teenage mind. But I wouldn't actually hear the rest of Sex Mad until my college buddy dropped this LP on my doorstep a decade later.

The first two tracks off Sex Mad---the title track and the aforementioned "Dad"---sound like classic early North American hardcore. But that one-two-punch opening sequence was a Trojan Horse. By track three we have "Obsessed," a twisted and puzzling instrumental song that's like a punk version of Rush's "YYZ" (side note: I wouldn't actually hear Rush until sometime around 1997, and I distinctly remember thinking "this sounds like an arena rock version of Nomeansno"). Then there's the a cappella shout-fest "No Fgcnuik." These aren't exactly the kinds of departures that your average liberty-spiked punk wants to hear. Side one wraps up with "Love Thang" and "Dead Bob," both of which deconstruct hardcore's rage with syncopated rhythms, jarring shifts in song structures, and a general musical aptitude that one could only imagine both intrigued and puzzled the punks back in 1986.

Things get even weirder (and WAY cooler) on Side 2. "Self Pity" is the kind of protracted, exploratory, slow-build jam that completely avoids the three-chord, top-speed formula of hardcore. Instead, a low, menacing bass riff and nimble drum pattern drive the song, with brief explosions of guitar hinting at some inevitable climax. We keep getting teased with a big pay-off, and there are a few moments of thrashy release, but you get the overall sense that the ultimate moment is just on the horizon. And then it arrives, and it's not some big mosh part or circle pit anthem. It's guitarist Andy Kerr sending a signal through some sort of delay effect and tweaking the knobs into a swirling storm of chaos. Thirteen years later, Botch would do something similar on "Transitions From Persona To Object" without ever having heard "Self Pity."

Side 2 continues on in its strange journey with "Long Days." This is another track that almost owes more to prog rock than punk. Rob Wright plays a dexterous bass line on an infinite loop while John Wright keeps teasing us with various fragmented drum patterns. Rob sings a mournful melody on top of all of it. Andy appears to have not shown up to the studio that day. There are a few moments where John finally locks into a four-on-the-floor drumbeat and it's completely gratifying, but the overall intention of the song seems to be all about depriving the audience of what they want.

That vibe continues on "Metronome." Another looping bass line. Another song where John spends more time hinting at a beat rather than playing the full kit. Andy is back from his coffee break to provide vocals, but when the song actually lays into the bass riff it's so satisfying that the band apparently decided to leave guitar out of the mix entirely. There's hardly any guitar on Side 2 until the closer "Revenge," where Rob ditches the bass. We get angular guitar riffs for the verses and triumphant chords for the chorus. It's big and epic, but hardly the kind of straightforward blitzkrieg that kicked off the album.

The punks must have been completely perplexed, but maybe the punks were actually bored by the old formulas at that point. After all, Sex Mad gave Nomeansno their first hint of success. The band got signed to Alternative Tentacles, providing massive exposure across North America, and the band was invited on their first tour of Europe, where they would close out the decade as one of the top drawing punk acts on the continent---just behind Fugazi and Bad Religion. By 1986, the first batch of North American hardcore bands were dying out or crossing over into metal territories. Up in British Columbia, Nomeansno were charting a path that would now qualify as "post-hardcore," taking the urgency and DIY spirit of hardcore but expanding its parameters with a broader emotional spectrum and a larger arsenal of musical influences under their belt.

#everyrecordiown #nomeansno

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crowcawcus-blog · 6 years

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Interview with Rob Crow, circa 2012

Crow says you need to be “a real music nerd” to appreciate Devfits: Devo in the style of the Misfits and vice-versa. When I hear he's playing a benefit for UCSD's Ché Café, I jump at the chance to witness this spectacle.

After scuttling about like any good roadie, setting up his equipment, Crow steps into a corner and wrestles on a suit constructed of duct tape, a creepy skin-toned mask, and thick geeky glasses while a film clip of his five-year-old son instructs the audience to buy lots of merch and tell everyone how well the show went, "even when it sucks."

He bursts out onto stage and takes hold of the mic, which is hopelessly tangled around its stand. After belting out his first lines, he brandished the offending machinery and commands, “Please undo this thing from here.” I grab it and unravel it awkwardly, nearly spearing him in the process. He nevertheless tells me, “Thank you very much,” and forges on.

I'm charmed by his manners, but moments later my opinion shifts when he charges his way through the audience, trailing the mic wire behind him heedlessly. Me and two other spectators barely squirm our way out of a firm trussing-up, and I twist my shoulder in the process.

Yet his performance is hauntingly beautiful, especially his rendition of the Misfits song “Hatebreeders.” (Devfits (Rob Crow) @ The Che Cafe on 01.07.12) The herd of UCSD students seems mostly bemused. Near the end of the set Crow tells us that he’s “been coming to the Ché since way before you were all born, and that's not hyperbole."

Crow steps back into the corner and removes the duct tape suit. I watch him chat with a few fans, and after they help him pack up and he's at liberty, I approach. He greets me with a handshake and another thank-you for detangling his mic. His sweet demeanor makes it easy to screw up the courage to ask if he'd consider an interview.

"Sure!" he agrees. "You know I do 'em all the time, for my podcast. Can it wait a few minutes, though?"

I assure him I'm not going to interrogate him tonight, that I meant to schedule for another time. He looks relieved, pulls some rolled-up t-shirts out of his bag and spreads them out on the merch table, scribbling in Sharpie that they’re available for at least a $10 donation to the Ché. Again I am impressed by his gentility.

I email to ask if I might pick his brain at his "Super Amazing Happy Funtime Night" at Bar Eleven. The poster for the event intrigues me; someone pasted his torso onto a horse's body. He looks natural as a centaur. "Sure!" comes the scarily succinct reply again. I hope the whole interview won't go this way of brevity.

I sip a Monkey Paw Sweet Georgia Brown Ale while he painstakingly plots the trajectory of his projector. Then he upends a bag of 99-cent store toys: 20-piece puzzles, bubble wands, foam airplanes, barrels o' monkeys, and paint-by-numbers on all the bartops and booths. I grab bubbles. Then, again, he retreats to the corner and pulls on... a gorilla suit. Only then does he visibly relax, stationing himself in between the turntable and the bar. The smirking bartender, Justin Bess, hands Crow a beer. I start with what I hope is an innocuous question: why the gorilla suit? 

“’cause I hate thinking about what to wear,” he states matter-of-factly. I blink, at a loss. He adds that often he wears it around the house and forgets to remove it between home and the recording studio.

He downs a draught, then pauses and looks at his cell phone. “My Words are piling up,” he laughs, showing the screen with a long list of Words With Friends requests.

He busies himself in switching vinyl – so far I've heard King Crimson, Metamatics, Nomeansno, The Locust, Dead Ghosts, Electric Light Orchestra, and Neil Young. Does he remember the first album he bought?

"The soundtrack to Over the Edge, a phenomenal movie," he answers immediately. "It's the truest movie about the seventies I've ever seen. Cameron Crowe called it the greatest soundtrack ever. And I spent a lot of money on The Ramones and Cheap Trick."

A glance at the stream of videos on one screen informs me that "Your Masonic friend thinks very highly of you! You should be proud!"

"Where do you find this shit?" slips out of my mouth before I think about it. He chuckles: "I delve."

I inquire as to when he realized his voice is such a beautiful instrument.

“When I was a kid, I always thought I was gonna be a guitar player. The first band I was in [Heavy Vegetable], we didn’t know who would sing, so we’d take turns. I remember we’d go into the bathroom, which we thought would have an awesome reverb effect – which it didn’t -- and sing into this machine, and there was this giant boa constrictor living in the bathtub –"

I can’t help but interrupt. A boa constrictor?

“Yup," he affirms without elaboration, and rattles on: "And I’m standing over the toilet, all wrapped in this snake, with a drink in one hand and a mike in the other, trying to sing this dumb song – everyone liked it. And I thought, ‘Oh, okay.’”

He notes, in fact, that he likes his singing voice but despises his speaking voice as “super-annoying.” I respond that his speaking voice is very pleasing and radio-friendly on his podcast.

“That’s super-edited,” he replies. I shoot him a doubtful look. “Well, I’m being hyperbolic,” he admits.

A Western saloon-fight with dogs as cowboys starts up on the screen, and I remember that Crow said in an interview with popmatters.com (Contrary Opinions) that he does not like dogs.

In the same interview he says he dislikes the Beatles, confessing that “It’s also just really fun to tell people that you hate the Beatles and watch them flip out.” I wonder, therefore, if he’s merely being "hyperbolic" to be provocative. I mean, who doesn’t like dogs unless mauled when young? Does he really hate dogs?

“Ummm, nah," he says vaguely, distracted by a stubborn wrapper on a velvet paint-by-numbers set. "Well, it just depends,” he hems.

He seems disinclined to explain what makes a dog odious or not, so I switch gears. On the cover of his newest solo album, He Thinks He’s People, one of his signature illustrations shows a stick-figure in the doghouse under a starry sky with two feeding bowls labeled “calzones” and “Speedway Stout.” Is Speedway Stout his favorite local brew? “Pretty much. But it’s not something I could drink twenty of in a night.”

I ask, does he get his calzones from Etna’s?

“Noooo, no Etna’s,” he intones firmly. “Luigi’s. Not Pizzeria Luigi’s, who does have the best pizza in San Diego, but Luigi’s At the Beach, in Mission Beach… I’m from New Jersey; I know my calzones. Every year my family and Pushead’s meet to go there.” My eyebrows shoot up, and he pauses to gauge my reaction. “You know who that is?”

I nod. Pushead is a fixture in the heavy metal and punk scene. I best know him for his grotesquely gorgeous Metallica album art which features skulls, twisted body parts, and lots of fire and ooze and gore, beautifully rendered, a stark contract to Crow’s signature stick-figure art.

I mention off-hand that the San Diego Reader called his cover art 'crass.' His eyes flash and his heretofore soft voice increases an octave. “You know, I’ve never NOT been misquoted in those two magazines [the Reader and the San Diego City Beat]."

The white stick figure upon a black background is Pinback’s little unassuming avatar. After a show at the Belly Up I had watched Crow dutifully draw dozens of the unique pictures on tickets, stolen set-lists, and whatever else fans brought up to him. I ask him now, why a stick figure?

“Early in Pinback’s career, we wanted to do everything ourselves,” including album art. He pauses, meditatively, then surges on: “I feel the stick figure represents the Everyman, with all its foibles or alienation or loneliness… it means a lot to me in its sameness. It’s zeroing in on the darkest parts of mortality."

I in no way expected such a profound, introspective reply, and before I feel I’ve grasped it, he continues: “I think art’s pure escapism. It shouldn’t be the purpose of art to really express joy. I mean, through art one should know what true happiness is; but once you know the real states – this whole life-deathy thing we’re in – it becomes this mobius strip…” He trails off and laughs shortly.

“I’ve been in a mid-life crisis since I was 18… manaically depressed. I don’t want to call it a perpetual e-motion-al machine, because that’s just horrible –“ I stop him to demur, because I love wordplay. He shakes his head and continues:

“But to not be able to enjoy the best parts of life because it’s all worthless… worthless!... there’s no hindsight in death – even wasting your time feeling shitty about it is just a waste of the time you have left but you STILL don’t feel great – it’s endless feedback.”

I think of the song “Scalped” from his album. Crow’s plaintive, prophetic voice cants, “I suggest you don’t waste your time... /Don’t kneel to the alter.” When I first read this line, I thought “alter” as opposed to “altar” was merely a [sic] in his handwritten lyrics, but now I think he punned on purpose, implying one shouldn’t live in a constant off/on, binary state. When happy, be happy: don’t dwell upon sadness, or impending mortality. And conversely, if sad, then address it and embrace it, as Crow does with his music.

Then again, maybe he’s just a weak speller. But given his penchant for Words With Friends, that’s improbable.

Does he mind that his solo album wrapper boasts a sticker declaring it "The new album by one-half of Pinback!"? He blinks; it's news to him.

"Does it?... No, I don't mind. What I DO mind is when they call me the Pinback 'Frontman.' It's 100% a collaboration." [with Zach Smith] I ask if he attended Torrey Pines with Smith.

"Errrrr, I got kicked out of all the schools in Oceanside," he states somberly.

Crow's buddy Tony Gidlund, who has listened to my questions with half-lidded and somewhat suspicious eyes, mutters something to Crow, who notes they might not make it. I look at him quizzically. “In-N-Out," Crow explains. "We always try to hit it before they close.” I ask him what he gets, because every late-night fast-food aficionado I know ritualizes what they order, especially after a solid drinking bout of the sort he put in tonight. “Grilled cheese with onions” is the reply.

“Are you vegetarian?” I venture. “Yup! I used to be vegan, but I couldn’t keep it up – It’s awesome, though. I recommend it.”

“But I love eggs,” I frown, “and besides, the chickens GIVE us the eggs, don’t they?"

He looks thoughtfully at his beer and says, “You’re very close to a Woody Allen monologue right now.”

He seems wont to self-effacing mannerisms. His 2007 solo album Living Well features a song called “I Hate You, Rob Crow." He flips off his own reflection in a recent video, “Sophistructure” (a perfect slice of his hypnotic mesh of visual and sonic). And he introduces his podcast, "Rob Crow's Incongruous Show," by styling himself "San Diego's Foremost Overrated Indie-rock Manchild!"

Meaning to explore this theme of self-flagellation, I instead blurt that I think he’s brilliant. Incredulous, he leans over asks me to repeat myself, then utters a short ironic bark of disbelief. “What?! Look at me! I’m in a monkey suit playing with dinosaurs!”

When I mention this to my pub-mate on the right, she nods sagely and says, “He doesn’t revel in himself. He’s an artist but not... pretentious. He’s a creative genius. I mean—“ she breaks off and gestures at one of the screens, currently occupied by a band of skeletal warriors from Jason and the Argonauts who, eerily, are shimmying to the death metal music in perfect time.

As he's packing up, he mentions that today was technically his one day off. "I should've spent it with my mother," he says, mostly to himself. I ask him how his wife feels about his late-night solo projects, and he says that as long as her vampire shows have recorded correctly, she is content.

I ask him if he liked having the last name ‘Crow’ growing up. “No, I didn’t enjoy it especially.” I tell him I really like crows, and instead of giving me the odd look most normal folks do, he says, “The other day there were 43 crows in my yard.” He counted them? “Yup. But when I went to get the camera and they flew away.” Typical Crow behavior.

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futilism-blog · 7 years

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MUSIC CONSUMPTION PT IV

it goes it goes it goes on. still plodding through trying to find intelligent things to say about the music i’m listening to. lately it’s been a lot of older stuff. but most of them are reissues so that counts, basically.

rixe - bapteme du feu: what can i say. this is just expertly done street punk with one of the best guitar tones i've ever heard. twoish minute blasts of oi that make me punch my steering wheel along with the drums. fuck yea.

cocteau twins - heaven or las vegas: holy shit. as i said or at least i thought i said, these reviews ain't contemporaneous. this is all the music i listened to in 2017 that made me feel a way period. and WHAT A WAY THIS WAGES. the title track is so breath-stoppingly beautiful that i did that thing where everything around you stops. i think i was on a walk and just stopped in place and looked at the big ass sky and thought, "this. this is a moment. praise the lil baby jesus." i've never heard a guitar sound like that before, and probably never will again. phenom. i feel like a fucking moron for not "getting" this sooner.

tools you can trust - working and shopping COMP: i love following hausfrau records on IG. follow them. they posted a pic of this record, a comp on BFE recs, and i immediately dug how the album art looked like a fucked up owner's manual. true enough, this band was two manchester dudes playing busy post punk supplemented with power tools and hammers and shit clangin and bangin the whole time. is 'literally industrial' a genre already? because i dig the shit out of this. most songs feel like they're spazzing through as fast as they can. vokes with a lot of range that always sound mean and breathless making this a cagey, dark, amazing listen. listen to this shit.

s-21 - year zero: do you like pissed off music?? do you like riffs??? do you like really good drumming?????? do you hate punk music? are you a good person? got to see this phillie band play recently and their show was THE SHIT. and this record is THE SHIT. captures the intensity and amazing energy of this band perfectly. buy this. a great record to blast in the car in a tumultuous and confusing time (all times).

vietnam - 12" s/t: another incredible hausfrau recs rec (and as i learned ANOTHER reissue from BFE records!). this was a mega obscure NZ post punk band that REALLY LIKED joy division but ended up being REALLY BETTER than joy division. "broken doll" is one of the best songs i've heard in my entire life. the dude in this has vokes more reminiscent of iono...mission of burma? throaty kiwi but on key but in that post punk style we all know and love that interpol ruined. aside from strange dark moods present on "china tonight" and the almost SLINT-ness of “victory” (but not in the nomeansnoness of nomeansno’s “victory”), some of these feels like Flying Nun too. insanely good guitar work to boot. all too short 5 song record and some demos. desperately wish they had done more. buy this.

why - moh lhean: seems to be panned on RYM by a bunch of dudes with 4.5/5 ratings for sunny day real estate, bark pyschosis, radiohead, and animal collective. maybe i'm being too hard on KIDS THESE DAYS GEEZ or maybe this is just hitting how i've been feeling lately but the molasses slow sad ass shit on this? i'm lappin it up like corn syrup. SAD ass shit corn syrup. i just feel like why? is paying attention to the songwriting again. the beginning of "the water" hits me the same way the best massive attack songs do. i guess if mumps, etc was supposedly a rekindling of his lyricism and rapping this is exploring the same territory eskimo snow dived into. iono man. i get a real sea change vibe from this, and THAT album's a top 5er for me. so i vote this one... 8 buckets of popcorn out of 10.

heart attack man - the manson family: i'm a little close to this record personally for me to judge it fairly. but i'll try. HAM really knocked it out of the park with this one. we're past the tight micro jams from the demo, and refining the sound going on in the acid rain EP. sure, there's points of reference in pop music history we can point to, but that's true of like, everything except jandek. maybe even jandek. JANDEK. but i'm trying to say that this just sounds like heart attack man at this point. the break ups in rhythm, chord progressions, and song structure blah blah blah you know the fucking drill. what really makes this cohesive is the lyrical content of each song. ostracization. alienation. when a friendship hits a brick wall you weren't anticipating but everyone else saw coming a mile away, you gotta process that shit. this record's a meditation on not only that, but where the fuck our place is in the world. "surrounded by morons" provides that elaboration well. a record i've spent a lot of time with, and will spend a lot of time with, in the time with, to come, up.

roobydocks - reliant robin: i fucking love this record. just good ass fast punk. awesome awesome drumming and riffs. drums and riffs and sub-minute songs. what else do i need to say about this.

siouxsie and the banshees - juju: my favorite thing i've heard all year. one of those rare albums where i'm bewildered when it's finished because i was so drawn into the atmosphere and songwriting. arresting vocals, TRIBAL DRUMS, and guitar work like a rabbit hole. "monitor" opens with the guitar tone i've been trying to get for the last my entire life and does my FAVORITE THING A SONG CAN DO when the initial guitar part makes you think the song's going one way, only to go a completely different way when the rest of the band kicks in. intentional or not, i flipped when i heard that shit. "night shift" has a weird cumbersome surfy feel to it and i've been just listening to that over and over again when i'm driving at night or working late. "into the light" is so propulsive and desperate and beautiful that's about the most intelligent description i can come up with. that guitar riff dude. i don't know why i slept on this band for so long. probably because idiot. each stage of this band has had something i admire about it. both drummers, the period with robert smith later on, all has something of value. but juju is not only their best moment, but easily one of the best records i've ever heard.

#music i like and music i liked #music #2017 listenings

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