No Age
Weirdo Rippers
2007 | Fatcat Records
If you were in L.A. recently and missed one of No Age performances,
that's too bad- they're really good. However, they've just put out Weirdo Rippers,
which is pretty close to what they sound like live. No Age do not
completely settle on one style here. The songs picked off of the five
EPs (all vinyl releases, all different labels) from this past year
dabble in lush, hypnotic static, in indie pop melody and in garage
beats. They are a fine product out of Los Angeles.
Weirdo Rippers starts out with shimmery static guitar on "Every Artist Needs a
Tragedy" and turns the listener on their head as they cut in with
fuzzed out vocals and thumping drums in a definable rhythm. The next
track "Boy Void" is an example of their punk/garage beats that get your
heart racing, but then just as quickly they ease you back down into "I
Wanna Sleep". This up and down plummeting of tempos in songs feels
exact, like they know what you need next.
I hate that people
will pass off No Age as "noise", when really, many of the songs have
that swirling, melodic style ("Neck Escaper") found in more
"shoe-gazer" type bands (or even bands like Spaceman 3). They do get
loud though; hitting frenetic beats so wild you wonder if hearts will
explode- like in the back to back punch of "My Life's Alright Without
You" and "Everybody's Down". That's also their appeal; they do both so
well it seems effortless listening to them. What I also admire is how
well they emulate their sound both on record and live. I always have
high esteem for those bands who can do this, because I've found that
there are those well-weathered bands out there can't always compete
with their recorded sounds. So, again I have the dilemma of trying to
pick a few songs to listen to- let me just recommend you listen to the
whole album.
-Elana Rintala
(Looking for something similar? Try these bands: Japanther, Spaceman 3, and Deerhunter.)
Hilly Kristal, the founder of legendary New York punk club CBGB,
died yesterday due to complications from lung cancer. He was 75 years
old. Kristal founded the club in 1973, primarily to showcase bluegrass
and country artists. But it quickly became a breeding ground for
experimental rock and punk music (Blondie, the Talking Heads,
Television, Patti Smith, the Ramones…).
Kristal was born in
Manhattan in 1932. Soon after his family relocated to Hightstown, New
Jersey and he began to study music at a young age. He eventually
entered the Settlement Music School in Philadelphia then moved to New
York, spending the '50s and '60s performing in various bands.
According
to Billboard.com, a private memorial will be held first, with a public
tribute to follow at a date to be announced. Rest in peace.
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