Okay, so if you know me (and chances are, if you’re reading this, you do), then you know that I do not buy CDs any more. They are passé, blasé, and relics from the past. MP3s and associated formats have completely revolutionized everything we know about the music industry, turning it on its ear. When given the choice I will usually buy my music from the iTMS rather than pirate it because the sound quality is so much better. I will buy from the iTMS because a) I work for Apple and enjoy supporting them, b) it’s cheaper than buying a CD, and c) the first thing I’ll do if I buy a CD is rip it and lose the CD. However, there are times where the iTMS just doesn’t have the music I want. They’ve been getting a helluvalot better about it, and so I haven’t really ever run into a case where I wanted an album or song so badly that I had to go out and buy it until today.

My friend Cory from high school gave me two songs by NUFAN way back when. Somehow I never listened to them carefully or at all until about two weeks ago, when I discovered that one of them was almost the best song I’ve ever heard. Since then I’ve gone and pirated quite a few of their songs since the iTMS didn’t have ’em. The sound quality sucks (pirated, remember?) but the sheer musicianship of the band destroyed my brain. Today I couldn’t help myself and I went out to Borders and bought “More Betterness!” and “Hard Rock Bottom”. I went out. And I bought two CDs. Two. If this tells you anything, it should tell you that this band is worth at least listening to. Furthermore it was at the highway-robbery price of $14 each for a combined total of $30, fully half of the amount of the money currently alloted to my name. But I had to because I needed the songs in high quality.

I’ve listened to most of “Hard Rock Bottom” so far and it has thus far been worth much more than that. Every song kicks ass. Most albums you buy take time to grow on you. The first listen you think “Eh.” Second listen you’re like “Cool.” Third listen you’re all “Hell yeah!” But this album rocks all over the block on the first time through, and I’m expecting the other one to do the same. These people are my new favorite band and if I was a chick I’d probably start buying their posters and sighing dreamily about their lead singer, who I’m sure I would think is hot.

If you’re into punk rock, and I know you are, you’ll like them. Their lyrics are ever so slightly emo, and their new sound isn’t as hardcore as old-school punk rawk (their old sound is quite hard). It has a melodic melancholy quality that shocks my mind. I have it on good authority that their drummer is unsanely good, and as I listen more I cannot believe how awesome he is. They do this weird thing where a lot of their songs don’t have choruses. The riff and tempo change like they’re doing a chorus but the words never repeat. It’s good, and I think you all know where to go from here.

This entry was posted on Friday, October 15th, 2004 at 1:56 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.