Sophomore album set for Sept. release
Memphis post-punk combo have witnessed a steady build in their career since the release of their debut for
in late 2014. The success of “We Are Nots” — which was critically hailed in the U.S., was licensed in the U.K. by Heavenly Recordings and garnered BBC play — has seen the local art-school-rooted rockers emerge as one of the city’s new musical torchbearers.
On Sept. 9, NOTS will offer up their sophomore effort for Goner, “Cosmetic.” Recorded in the Bluff City with engineers
and the disc finds the band — singer/guitarist synth player
bassist and drummer
— in stellar and strident form.
The band debuted the first track off the album late last month with the seven-minute epic “Entertain Me.” Hoffman described the track as “drawing influences from experimental no wave, postpunk, and psychedelic music … (taking) its cues from the edges of genres, where one begins to blend into another, and nothing is easily classified.”
“The lyrics reflect the cyclical, distorted nature of the song, addressing different facets of the grotesque horror show going on in American politics and how they are portrayed — the rise of Trump, the reality-TVlike nature of American news, the almost-forced compliance of the viewer, and the for-profitconstructed right, of the viewer, the consumer, to require constant entertainment in order to participate and to live.”
A preview of the entire album confirms the balance of the disc follows suit with a selection of musically and lyricallychallenging numbers with a decided election-year edge.
They’ll also perform at the Acid Kat Festival in St. Louis on Saturday, before getting a slot at Chicago’s Riot Fest in September.
GONERFEST IS A GO
In related news, NOTS will be among the bands performing at this fall. Goner Records has confirmed its concert extravaganza will run from Sept. 29 to Oct. 2 at multiple venues around the city. The event — which draws several hundred out-of-town and international fans and bands — is staged by the Cooper Young-based record label and retail store.
Goner has confirmed the bulk of the bands (though more are expected to be added in the coming weeks), and the roster is shaping up as one of the more intriguing in recent years. Familiar headline names include Dead Moon’s the original lineup of Memphis garagers
and California punk combo
They’ll be joined by a contingent of festival perennials like and , and a crew of acts from Australia and New Zealand, including and
Festival passes are available now for $75. To buy or to view the full lineup, go to goner-records.com/gonerfest.
SNOWGLOBE RETURNS
One of Memphis’ signature bands from the early and middle ‘00s is back with a new album. Bluff City indie rockers
will release their self-titled sixth full length Friday, via Super Sonic Sounds Records. The group will mark the release with a reunion performance that night at the Levitt Shell The group — featuring multi-instrumentalists and drummer guitarist bassist and trumpet player — has been on a kind of extended hiatus, with its members working in other bands or on other projects.
However, they’ve been chipping away at a new album, the group’s first since 2010’s “Little More Lived In.” The forthcoming disc was recorded at in Crosstown by and and produced by Vest and Postlethwaite. The disc is available for pre-order at supersonicsoundsrecords. com.
SUMMER SOUNDS AT STAX
The free weekly summer music series at the
comes to a close Tuesday in Stax’s Studio A, from 2 to 4 p.m., with a performance by the folk collective
Admission to the Stax Museum and the concerts is free each Tuesday to all Shelby County residents with a valid ID. Visit staxusuem.com.