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No Age, 'Nouns'

L.A. duo fuses punk, rock and electronica into something new and amazing

By Scott Thill

Special to Metromix
May 5, 2008

Critic's Rating:

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Backstory: "We wanted the feeling that No Age always existed, to be that thing you'd already seen forever," the band's guitarist Randy Randall told Magnet magazine in 2007. Mission accomplished, with one major wrinkle: No Age still sounds refreshingly new. Made up of Randall and vocalist/drummer Dean Spunt, the Los Angeles-based duo—whose band is merely one incarnation of their artistic, cinematic and community ambitions—has crafted a stunning sophomore effort that sounds like it's been burning a hole in your basement for decades.

Why you should care: No Age is fiercely devoted to its local scene in L.A., as their evocative picture book in "Nouns" illustrates nicely. But it won't be long until they boast fierce devotees of their own: if the songs on "Nouns" are any indication of things to come, No Age may end up becoming a household name due to its new-millennium fusion of punk, atmospherics, noise, rock and electronic music.

Verdict: It’s hard to find a disappointing track on "Nouns." "Teen Creeps" is a flawless mess of distortion and pop riffage. "Miner" is a maelstrom of My Bloody Valentine-meets-Fugazi beauty and the loud-quiet-loud stomp of "Cappo" is unrelentingly addictive. Stark instrumentals like "Keechie" and "Impossible Bouquet" are evocative and hypnotic. "Sleeper Hold" is the sweetest, lovelorn song you'll ever hear sneak out from behind a wall of squealing feedback. Even the indulgent electronica of "Things I Did When I Was Dead" unfurls into a cinematic climax. You can tell No Age is made up of two true-school skateboarders: they rarely miss a step.

X-Factor: The ear-shattering duo makes a habit of performing at unique locations. They've played alongside the L.A. River, in libraries and even at a vegan grocery store.