 Thee Oh Nos - home.earthlink.net/~punko
Thee Oh Nos (released 2005)
Ski Mask Records - home.earthlink.net/~punko
Catchy, groove-laced, proto punk, sixties garage rock...there are just so many different ways to describe the latest release from Thee Oh Nos! The Tempe, Arizona quartet, dressing in ski masks and whatever happened to be the hot forty years ago this week, play a kick ass creation of fun garage rock. It's part comedy, part poppy, part retro and all raucous bawdy rock n roll in its purest form. With only seven tracks on the disc, the band covers only the important stuff... Beer, girls and their own theme song! The very first track is an introduction about who the band is and what you can expect from them, sounds a bit like The Hives, but much much cooler and aggressive. Just from that track alone I start hearing a connection to the Dwarves. Maybe subconciously it's the ski masks, but whatever...the band brings the Dwarves kind of attitude to their music. With tracks like "Dumb Deaf And Blind", a classic tune about a chick with all the above ailments, and the guy who loves her, hilarity ensues. Further in the disc comes "Kiss Of The Hops" a lovely homage to drinking some freakin' beer, with the first line lifted right out of a Reverend Horton Heat song. I gotta respect a band that respects the Rev. Wrapping the disc up, the band offers another juicy jam about themselves with "Oh No Man", are they into themselves or what?! Anyway, the last song may be all about the band, but it sounds like a straight lift of the tune "I Want Candy". You can't possibly get enough of these guys, the harmonica, moog organ, the wayback inspired guitar solos and simple buck effective drum beats; the combination is more than what you need to be hooked. It's as though old UK pop rock has invaded Tempe, you know the kind that would be on Laugh-In or Ed Sullivan (most of you probably have no idea what I am talking about). All in all, Thee Oh Nos have got a great disc here, even if there are only seven tunes, and all but one run under two and a half mintues. For anyone in the retro/proto-punk mood, Thee Oh Nos will not let you down with their belligerent style of sixties garage rock. -MG |
