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Product Description
Album Description
NO AGE the name alone suggests multiple meanings and possible interpretations--timeless, ageless, anonymous, free from restriction, something positive from something negative... a profound strength in its simplicity. Likewise, the Los Angeles duo consisting of drummer/vocalist Dean Spunt and guitarist Randy Randall is many things at once even as it embraces its minimalism. No Age issued a slew of singles on a variety of indie labels in 2007, resulting in the tellingly cohesive compendium, Weirdo Rippers on Fat Cat Records later that year. That widely heralded release inspired such mainstream press as The New Yorker and the L.A. Times to feature the band's ties to the underground scene surrounding the Los Angeles all-ages club The Smell.
Recorded by Pete Lyman at Infrasonic Sound in Los Angeles from October to December of 2007, Nouns, the band's Sub Pop debut, is succinctly all-encompassing, from the faux-simplicity of the title to the beautiful distortion of its sound, to the packaging that includes a 68-page full-color book packed with photos and art pieces. The record opens with a symphony of noise (both Dean and Randy use samples alongside their main instruments) and sometimes creeps, sometimes smashes through a sonic headlock befitting Daydream Nation-era Sonic Youth, Kiwi pop, My Bloody Valentine, and experimental noise. "No Age is a band," says Dean. "Bands should be fun and exciting and they should push all the buttons at the same time. They should make you feel like you are going to explode and make you utterly confused and inspired at the same time." And sometimes they do.
Recorded by Pete Lyman at Infrasonic Sound in Los Angeles from October to December of 2007, Nouns, the band's Sub Pop debut, is succinctly all-encompassing, from the faux-simplicity of the title to the beautiful distortion of its sound, to the packaging that includes a 68-page full-color book packed with photos and art pieces. The record opens with a symphony of noise (both Dean and Randy use samples alongside their main instruments) and sometimes creeps, sometimes smashes through a sonic headlock befitting Daydream Nation-era Sonic Youth, Kiwi pop, My Bloody Valentine, and experimental noise. "No Age is a band," says Dean. "Bands should be fun and exciting and they should push all the buttons at the same time. They should make you feel like you are going to explode and make you utterly confused and inspired at the same time." And sometimes they do.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Full-on, frantic charm.,
By
This review is from: NOUNS (Audio CD)
Only today did I find out that No Age were a two-piece. Sadly enough the reason for this was because I had a sudden urge to make one of the songs off of 'Nouns' my myspace profile song - in order to spread the word I guess. Because now that I find out No Age are just a two piece (even though a little more careful listening would have worked this out), they mean so much more. And 'Nouns' is so much more of an achievement.
The melodic drone/noise that lifted itself so proudly from debut 'Weirdo Rippers' has found its way once more on the follow-up. With 'Weirdo Rippers', the artwork was taken of the studio in which it was recorded in, No Age were just a band releasing a debut record. But now they're fitting into their new clothes and discovering that the world is their oyster, they just need to go in the right direction. 'Nouns' is mature and confident - sometimes you think you're hearing Razorlight (see the beginning of 'Eraser') but that shouldn't phase you. A lot of 'Nouns' is naturally very lo-fi. Prior to a thrasing cry of angst and frustration from the pair of Randall and Spunt, you could be forgiven for mistaking the first few seconds of 'Teen Creeps' for a home demo from one of those school bands you were forced to witness before your mates band entered the stage and played just as poor a set. But then, as mentioned before, it kicks off, and when the noise becomes beautiful, you know you've found the right set of mind to be listening to No Age. The record is produced in a way that you can stay satisfied at what you're hearing, not too uncomfortable. 'Sleeper Hold', if it were adjusted in any other way, could just be unbearably repetitive but instead you find yourself nodding in unison to the flawless rhythm section. Strictly speaking it's all a bit of a mess, no song follows up another with perfection -but variety is the very essence of this record. What you hear are 12 punky short-spanning juggernauts passing you by before you can pay them your utmost attention - you don't notice the finer details of the piece until about five listens, but 'Nouns' is fortunately, a very easy record to come back to instantly because you can always tell there's more to unfold.. Since their early EP days, what's always been interesting about No Age is their sound is confined and thought about so much more than what's clearly suggested on record, the two-piece don't just sound like a two-piece and that is very clever indeed. A sound so big can only emerge from a passionate duo and 'Nouns' is the most passionate, blood, sweat and tears and all sounding record of the year so far. It's like this years 'Mirrored' - at first you can't tell whether you should be enjoying it, but your instinct tells you to go on and find your comfort zone. Once you get it, it's quite special. It's actually unbelievably difficult to talk about No Age. Their sound is original, incomparable almost to anything else - the highlight of the record 'Things I Did When I Was Dead' could be classed similar to a mellow, heartfelt version of Liars. Other than that, there's nothing else to compare any moment to. Essentially that's what makes this band so enticing, for me anyway. If you're in the right mood for 'Nouns', you know you're going to have a special half-an-hour of listening time.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
3.2 out of 5 stars (12 customer reviews) 19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Pop Dressed Up With Noise,
By billy - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: NOUNS (Audio CD)
For what it aims to do, mainly dressing up short and poppy songs with punk rock energy, noise, and ambient elements, Nouns succeeds mightily. It's a short and energetic burst that is over before you know it. At worst, it provides an opportunity to simply rock out, at its best it's beautiful, chaotic, and energetic all at the same time.
I first saw No Age open up for Liars, and I enjoyed them but wasn't blown away by them. I liked their energy and their ambient interludes, but they struck me as kind of simple. Their short songs seemed unfinished. I also tend to view two piece bands as a bit of a gimmick after I've heard The White Stripes and Death From Above 1979 over and over again. So I wasn't really prepared to enjoy this album as much as I did. It took a couple of listens, but after I fully digested the hooks and dug through some of the noise this album really opened up. The album kicks off with Miner, an uptempo number that sets Nouns off in typical thrashing style. It's a quick, straight forward song with buried vocals. It's got a very hooky guitar riff and nice energy. Teen Creeps is another highlight with an absolutely soaring chorus. My favorite song on the album is Sleeper Hold. It manages to sound epic at less than 3 minutes. Their are also ambient interludes scattered throughout the album that add atmosphere and also provide a respite from the more energetic songs. A lot of music labeled as "indie" has a tendency to lack any backbone, and No Age doesn't have that problem. It harkens back to a time when independent bands actually rocked. No Age is treading on similar ground as Husker Du, Sonic Youth, and Dinosaur Jr.-noisy but ultimately catchy bands. It's not as good as those artists best work, but it's a fun and enjoyable album. Nouns is one of my favorite releases of 2008. If you're a fan of Sonic Youth, Husker Du, or Dinosaur Jr, chances are you'll enjoy this band, or if you're just tired winsome and limp indie rock, then check out this album. No Age also gets point for the packaging, which comes with a book full of photos. It's nice to see a band make an effort in that department for a change. 7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
warm happy ambience.,
By Fake Mcname "snack attack" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: NOUNS (Audio CD)
I would recommend this CD to someone who isn't looking for instant satisfaction out of an album but something that grows on you with more listens. I think the out come is more enjoyable if you have to work for it. I had the same experience with weirdo rippers.
This album has a warm, fuzzy, and happy ambience. Its filled with cryptic lyrics and naive sounding vocals. The distorted noise that seems initially to be an annoyance will eventually move into the background and the melodies will start to surface. I'm not a critic but I love music and this satisfies my fix. It never sounds too familiar. I love listening to music that isn't completely predictable and this would be that. Listen to Teen Creeps. 1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Better Than Their Debut,
By Mark Abrahamsen - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: NOUNS (Audio CD)
I have no idea what makes this such a low rated record, Nouns is an excellent record. It's loud, noisy indie punk rock, and that's exactly how I like it. Definately among the best releases of 2008.
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