eMusic Review 0

eMusic Contributor

Mike McGonigal is editorial director for YETI publishing and the author of three little music books. He lives in Portland, OR, where he spends his time assembli...more »

11.17.08

A charming burst of silly simplicity and precise sloppiness from pop-punk-loving smart alecks

2008 | Label: What's Your Rupture?

The Nodzzz 'debut is a happy work of postmodern pop-punk that goes by at a blurred pace. There are just 10 songs, and the whole album clocks in at less than 16 minutes. You don't have to be a mathlete to know that this is short, but that doesn't mean it's not essential. The Nodzzz's debut combines the silliness of the Angry Samoans and a bit of the absurdist piss-taking of the Urinals with a love for '60s garage rock. Like their East Coast compatriots, Cause Co-Motion!, these dudes seem to be smarty-pants who understand that silly simplicity executed with precise sloppiness is one of the greatest things you can do in rock music. The tunes are multi-tracked, and there's more going on that you might expect. It's not a fidelity exercise; there are backing vocals and acoustic guitars, and everything. There's even some whistling! Every song deserves repeated plays.

Sorry to not be as negative...

..as some folks like to be about this kind of ramshackle garage-pop, but despite the fact that's it's not terribly original, there's some great moments and melodies on this. "You could go to every campus in the United States and find a band that sounds exactly like these guys." Who has the time and who cares? They sound just fine by me and I'm paying, like 3.00 bucks for it?!? I'll live. I like plenty of ambitious rock and roll, but sometimes I just want it fast, fun and catchy. This does it in spades.

really?

This is only going to add to the claims that all it takes to become an e-music pick is to be an e-music only release. You could go to every campus in the United States and find a band that sounds exactly like these guys. There is nothing special about this music even as you compare them to other DIY, primitivist bands. Had any one of these songs been on a Shrimper or My Pal God tape casette back in the day, you'd be eagerly awaiting that 1:39 to get by to get to a true minimalist masterpiece.