As always I have a long queue of stuff to get up here “time permitting” (the key phrase here). Work has been way too busy this Summer. Plus, we essentially get 12 weeks of good weather where I live so gotta make the most of it with the kids and the Mrs. So time in colder months that might be spent sittin inside in front of the computer is understandably substituted by “enjoying the great outdoors” in the Summer.
NO NO’s “WHO SHOT THE PRESIDENT?” 4-SONG 7″EP
(SAN DIEGO, CA- MUTATION PRODUCTIONS, 1981)
The No No’s remain a mystery band to me- searching the names on the labels,namely Engineer Mike Clark and Producers David Nestor aka David Slash and his lady (presumably) Linda Slash didn’t turn up much for me. I assume all copies are sleeveless as well.
Anyway, here’s a mystery band- searching the interwebs on The No No’s turns up next to zilch. Somehow the Collector Scum site knows that the band was from San Diego (but how?). The early 80’s San Diego-area scene turned out some nice memorable records- we all know the great stuff on the area’s Radioactive label (Xterminators, Injections and Executives, all fine discs) as well as some other stuff (off the top of my head, the Tokyos’ 10″, that first Battalion of Saints record and the Standbys). The Penetrators turned out some good songs, and of course the Cardiac Kidz squeezed out one superb track with “Get Out”.
And now that I’ve heard it I can add this No No’s EP to that list of good records from there. It sounds kind of like “new wave punk” to me at some parts, meaning that it’s nothing over the top and frothing mad but rather has quirky new wave-ish vocals which border on sounding goofy. But guitar skronk on the title track is good, at one point the gunka-gunka sound reminds me of similiar strumming on The Rivals’ Future Rights.
The title track is my favorite tune out of the four but thankfully the other three songs are no slouches. I was pleasantly surprised, as I knew this was a 4-song EP before I heard it but I worried that it might be the old “one good song and three bad songs”. But it’s not, and three out of the four songs are catchy and pretty driving stuff. They almost lose me on the last track, “Call It Doom’s Day”, with this weird middle part that makes me grimace. But the rest of the song makes up for the weird interlude.
Listening to the EP as a whole, I wonder- and speculate- if The No No’s might have been a more traditional rock band who morphed into a punk band ‘cuz I hear rock influences here and there ‘specially with the guitar playing and the cowbell(!) that pops up a few times. But at a tolerable level to me, of course, or this record would have been filed away and not posted here.
/files/98398-90993/02_Hot_Love.mp3″>Hot Love.mp3
/files/98398-90993/04_Call_It_Dooms_Day.mp3″>Call It Dooms Day.mp3
Thanks to blog commenter Brad C. for providing these rips! I have been wanting to hear this entire EP for quite a while!