Meneguar- I Was Born At Night (2005)

In my opinion, Meneguar was one of the most unsung bands of the last decade. While not necessarily a devotee, I listen to my fair share of indie rock and I've never heard another band that played said style of music with such unbridled passion. I'm not talking about in a live setting, unfortunately I never had the pleasure of seeing a Meneguar show. I'm talking about on tape. To me a show will always be the preferred way to experience music and albums should strive to capture the electricity that makes seeing music live so exciting. That is exactly why I consider I Was Born At Night to be a masterpiece, it sounds like the band was having just as much fun tracking these songs as they did when playing them live. This EP was initially released by Magic Bullet and was one of the label's early forays into music outside of the extreme. It's odd to think that if I weren't a fan of Majority Rule and Texbook Traitors I never would have heard this band.

Trying to encapsulate Meneguar in a paragraph or two is a pretty daunting task. I think that's due to the fact that they manage to remind me of the best aspects of a number of bands while not actually sounding anything like those bands. Take Weezer for instance. The Blue Album is littered with wonderful sing-along choruses. Menegar take it a step further. The chorus to every single song on this album demands that you sing-along. Give it two listens and try your hardest not to, I dare you. Their rhythm section pounds like Weezer did every now and again, but really that's where the comparison ends. The energy and enthusiasm with which they play reminds me of pop punk in the vein of The Ramones or Dillinger Four and the plentiful booty shakin' bass lines are reminiscent of the latter in particular. However, Meneguar isn't a pop punk band. I hear the Chuck Berry influenced garage rock of Hot Snakes. I can spot the dancy indie beat of Q and Not U. I hear the echoes of jangly guitar-driven indie rock bands from the 90's like Jawbox. While that last one might be the best overall comparison, the hammer is still pretty fucking far from the nail's head.

Whatever they sounded like, I was always nonplussed as to why Meneguar never attained the status of a band like Minus The Bear, who, while Menegar were producing two of the best indie rock releases of the decade, were beginning a backslide that sent them down into the mire with a million other terrible indie bands (there was a brief pause with Planet of Ice). Please come back Meneguar, I miss you.

Try it
(Listen to it LOUD)

Buy it:

Physical (LP)

Digital

Screaming Females- Castle Talk (2010)

In anticipation of the new Screaming Females album which drops Tuesday (and hasn't leaked yet, goddamn it) NSMYR! is providing a primer for those of you who may be unaware the bands charms. Screaming Females are an indie punk trio from New Brunswick, New Jersey. Admittedly I was a little late to the party, not having actually heard them until last year when I happened upon Castle Talk, but that first listen was a revelation. Have you ever been a few tracks into an initial listen and you just know that you're hearing one of your new favorite albums? That's what this album was like for me.

I hate to focus in on one individual in a band when describing them to someone who might not be familiar, but guitarist/vocalist Melissa Paternoster is undoubtedly the centerpiece of the Screaming Females. Simply put, she shreds. Her playing exudes an effortlessness and nonchalance, the riffs and solos just seem to well up at the tips of her fingers until they can't be contained any longer and finally burst forth. Her fluid, stream-of-conscious style reminds me of two of my favorite guitarists ever, Jimi Hendrix and J. Mascis, the latter being the more apt comparison stylistically. Her voice is tremendous. Powerful and finding a near perfect balance between the brashness of Kathleen Hanna and swagger of Carrie Brownstein.  

I think everybody should give this a listen, but fans of Dinosaur Jr., Hüsker Dü and Sleater-Kinney should especially take note.

Try it.

Buy it:

Physical (CD + LP)

Digital

The Men- Open Your Heart (2012)

Oh snap! The Men have a new record out! A mere 10 months after their Leave Home LP which garnered heaps of praise, The Men are back. With this band one should never assume anything. They've shown themselves equally adept at everything from droney sludge to shoegaze to Stooges style proto-punk to black metal (albeit briefly), so I had no idea what to expect with this album. While still showcasing The Men's ability to wear many hats genere-wise, Open Your Heart manages to sound more cohesive than either of their previous full lengths. There are a few exceptions, but this album mostly features straight ahead rockers which are more accessible than much of their previous material.

When looking for comparisons, Open Your Heart brings to mind a veritable who's who of loud, guitar-driven rock bands including The Stooges, MC5, Dinosaur Jr. and Sonic Youth. I'll make a  few less obvious additions to that list from the punk rock and indie realms with Scared of Chaka and the criminally underrated Meneguar. Also, the first time I put this record on I thought it started out with a cover of "Suspect Device" by Stiff Little Fingers, because man, the first riff on "Turn It Around" isn't paying homage, it's straight lifted. Come to think of it "Cube" sounds remarkably similar to "Slip It In" by Black Flag as well.

Anyway, I've always thought The Men were at their best when writing driving rock tunes and apparently they can read my mind, since they've just put out an album full of 'em. Well done boys.

Try it. 

Buy it:

LP & CD 

Digital