THE BAND: Naomi Punk
THE ALBUM: Television Man
THE LABEL: Captured Tracks
Three-piece, Naomi Punk have made their way from Issaquah to Olympia to (where-else) Brooklyn, out of which they just released their latest LP, Television Man off Captured Tracks. Since their arrival onto the rather visible label (home of Demarco), the band has engaged in an interesting struggle to preserve their underground, DIY ethos (just check their website and you’ll understand). Front-person Travis Coster is quite vocal about this conflict – stating in a recent interview, “There are 17-year-old kids coming up to me asking me how to get signed to Captured Tracks, and I’m like, “Dude, the last thing you need for playing punk music is getting signed to a record label when you’re 17 years old.” The band makes conceited effort to keep things "real," which comes through in their unrefined, rather caustic music.
“Television Man”
As a bass player, I can’t help but wince when listening to the bands who lack them… With that out of the way, if there's a band that can put bass players out of work for good, I would certainly venture to name Naomi Punk.
“Television Man,” the album’s title track, is (so far) the song that intrigues my ears most. It begins with an initial build-up: the snare pounds on beats 2 and 4 while the guitars alternate same-note slams on the rest of the counts – a simple, effective hook that’s completely thrown right when it’s fully established. The tune transitions into the very reason why it caught my ear in the first place – the rhythm play.
The majority of the track is built upon an uncountable drumbeat – a porous, repeated pattern full of accentuated negative space over which jagged, nimble guitar work overlays. The added (or dropped) beats throughout the form put your ears on edge and though this makes for potential to dismiss the tune as self-indulgent “math” punk, the effect is stimulating and not dismissive, compounded by the chorus, which pulls you back with heavy, synchronized drum/vocal/guitar parts. Front-person, Travis Coster’s vocal brings propulsion via his sneering tenor qualities akin to No Age- the lyrics, however, were practically indecipherable. Didn’t bother me.
We've still got some copies in the shop so come check 'em out!
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