No Lives – “Violent Side”
Live Fast, Die Fast was TNB’s favorite New York hardcore for several years, a few years back. They’re also the band that inspired us to add New York to the area we covered, originally it was only the New England states.
So when Marc, the drummer from that now defunct band, hit me up- I promised to give his new band a listen.
And once his check cleared, only then was I truly inspired to write about them.
It seems they originally formed just to play a few covers, “realized they really sucked at covers, so they decided to write a few tunes instead.”
And I’m very glad that this Long Island band, No Lives, did. They play more in the melodic/punk style than hardcore. They, also, have a solid, bashing rhythm section, a guitarist who knows how to bring the energy and a vocalist who sings so well, he adds a bit of the classic rock vibe to the band.
Me, I got nothing to bring to the table. I might even knock a few teacups, off.
But these guys have an impressive debut with a lot of great, heartfelt, emotional tunes played with a lot of energy, passion and guts.
And with no further ado, lets bring it on!
(Can you? Will you? Feel my-) “Violent Side,” starts with a- bursting with energy, Ramones like guitar and some low, intense vocals that remind me of Rob Zombie. The chorus leaps in with some crashing drums and a drawn out- “Oh, yeah!” That somehow, brings to mind, “Butcher Baby” by The Plasmatics. Then in the bridge, a complete change of tone pops in, with a great passage recalling The Jam. With all these great bands mentioned, I don’t want to imply that this song is derivative. In fact, this is a unique sounding song and a great one, at that.
“Goodbye Rosie, wooh-oh-oh,” so starts out “Rosie,” with only a guitar backing the Joey Ramone like croon. But soon, after a pause, the whole band kicks in at triple speed and the strong, melodic vocals are matched with full-blown, punk adrenalin. The song appears to be about someone not with us anymore and is emotional without being maudlin. And there’s a wild, psychedelic guitar in here to boot! The singer, John, has a great clear, perfectly pitched voice and this is another great, melodic punk song.
A new wave kind of beat with a trebly bass leads off “The Way I Am,” but once the guitar and vocals burst in, the mood gets considerably more aggressive. “If you don’t like what I’m doing, I say, don’t follow me man…I won’t apologize in just the way I am, I’m gonna live my life just the way I am.” And those last lines I can relate to in my current life. “And if you don’t like who I’m loving? I say- go fuck yourself, man.” And I say if you can’t accept me for who I really am, that’s your problem, not mine. This is a groovin’, grindin’ kind of song with tons of energy and feeling and kicks ass, muchly.
“Simple Song” is a cover of a song by the band Avail. I have no idea who they are, (though I hear a Husker Du influence), as they are more a nineties band and Andy and I dropped out of the punk scene in that decade. (Though we became deeply engrossed in the electronic dance scene at the time.) LOL if you believe that! So I’ve never heard the original but it sure sounds like a great, driving punk song with churning, hard hitting rhythms and emotional, questioning vocals. “Did I trip myself up again? Did I see more than you did” And I can relate to the lines, “I don’t know where I’m going and I don’t know if I care.” But this song is simply, a great ending to a great new band’s first batch of songs.
“No Lives” probably refers to the nihilistic, punk like joke, “No Lives Matter,” referencing the “All Lives Matter” put forth by some Americans.
But if you have trouble with the term, “Black Lives Matter,” where in America their lives have never meant as much as whites-
Then you have a problem with me.
And if you have a problem with women or the LGBT crew fighting for equal rights and say, “Well, everyone deserves rights! Why are they special?”
Then you have a problem with me. And I ask you, respectively, not to read my words, anymore. “I say don’t follow me, man.”
But I will encourage everyone to check out No Lives, a great new, New York, traditional melodic/punk band.
To me their name suggests such common and absurd phrases as, “Why don’t you get a life?” (You obviously, have one). “Don’t you have anything better to do with your life?”
Well, it seems- I don’t! But when I get to listen to such great, new bands as No Lives-
You won’t see me complaining.
(Slimedog)
