My favorite local disc of 2009 actually came out in late November 2008. But that’s not the most annoying thing about Nodzzz‘s self-titled mini-LP. Rather, it’s that you can’t put any of the tracks on a mix-CD, since it’s only available on 12-inch vinyl.
But with songs as great as “Controlled Karaoke,” “I Can’t Wait,” and “In the City (Contact High),” Nodzzz can be forgiven. Besides, when was the last time a band sounded like so many other bands while still seeming totally new? Slanted and Enchanted, maybe. I hear the Knack, the Gizmos, early Joe Jackson, “Part Time Punks,” punk-era Modern Lovers, the Human Beinz’s “Nobody but Me,” and maybe even a little Dead Milkmen (although they’d probably hate that). The whole disc is snotty, catchy, and ridiculously fun — and over before you can shout “woo hoo!”
Dan Strachota is the booker for the Rickshaw Stop and a freelance journalist.
