BREAKING SOUNDS: Nots 'We Are Nots' debut LP

posted Friday Nov 14th, 2014

Memphis' newest crop of bands is doing a great job at filling the void left by the last generation of ruthless brigadiers of underground noise, and the debut LP from Nots fits in squarely with such a righteous pedigree. Kicking off with "Insect Eyes" it almost instantly recalls the insidious synth snarl of the primitive Lost Sounds groundwork, yet it's got an impenetrable snottiness that modernizes and methodically places Nots into a post-Reatard world, where their gusto and casually-slurred vocal style can breathe on their own, causing ripples of instant gratification. On their debut LP, Nots create an incredible collection of songs, erratic guitars criss-cross over a wiggly wall of synth gurgles, upon which they nail down an atypical Wipers-cum-Bratmobile style that's truly their own, and hard to beat. Everyone always gives too much credit to the Bikini Kill side of the coin, so it's refreshing to hear the other side take hold so well vocally here, and taken in context with the bizarre sound effects radiating out of the left and right channels, it's embedding a whole new texture to each and every blasting track, all while it savagely peels the paint from the walls.

The band consists of Alexandra Eastburn along with Madison Farmer of Coasting (and more recently, Toxie), and Natalie Hoffman of Moving Finger, as well as Charlotte Watson, a current member of the Manateees, as well as a previously unheralded Memphis band called Bake Sale (they were 'Top of the Slop' in 2010), who had a handful of incredible pop demos about four years back that sadly never materialized. In essence, if you needed any other reason, this debut LP from Nots will undoubtedly knock you back with a pedigreed intensity a long time coming. With two ripping singles under their belt and a tour rolling through the Midwest this month, you'll need to grab all the goods direct from Goner Records right HERE, stream "Decadence" below, and don't miss them tonight in Minneapolis at the delightfully-named SHITBISCUIT and along their other upcoming dates:

FRI 11/14 - Minneapolis, MN @ ShitBiscuit w/ Solid Attitude, Claps
SAT 11/15 - Madison, WI @ Turkey Fest w/ The Hussy, Digital Leather
SUN 11/16 - Milwaukee, WI @ Circle A w/ Olives
MON 11/17 - Chicago, IL @ Bric-A-Brac (in-store, FREE)
MON 11/17 - Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle w/ Dream Police, Honey
TUE 11/18 - Indianapolis, IN @ Kismet w/ Raw McCartney
WED 11/19 - Detroit, MI @ Painted Lady (Timmy's Taco Night) w/ Feelings
THU 11/20 - Cleveland, OH @ Now That's Class w/ Obnox, Kill the Hippies
FRI 11/21 - Brooklyn, NY @ tBA
SAT 11-22 - New Brunswick, NJ @ NoWhere House w/ Meltaways, Pebbles (message us for the address)
SUN 11/23 - Jersey City, NJ - WFMU ON THE AIR
SUN 11/23 - Brooklyn, NY @ Palisades w/ Degreaser, Ballroom, Cyanide Tooth
MON 11/24 - Brooklyn, NY @ Baby's All Right (DJ SET & Allie's Birthday!)
TUE 11/25 - Philadelphia, PA @ Bourbon & Branch w/ Abandos, Blowdryer
WED 11/26 - Baltimore, MD @ Windup Space w/ Gotobeds, Boy Spit, Leggy, Trunkweed
FRI 11/28 - Atlanta, GA @ 529 w/ Zoners, Slugga
SAT 11/29 - Oxford, MS @ Cats Purring Dude Ranch w/ Nervs, Tangles
MON 12/1 - Memphis, TN @ Murphy's w/ Blind Shake, The Sheiks