Last night, The Foundry hosted HowAboutNo’s CD release show for their new record, 8 Surefire Ways to Stay Irrelevant. HowAboutNo performed with Cleveland’s Two Hand Fools and Chicago’s Top Shelf Lickers. Two Hand Fools started off the night with their seamless transitions and seasoned stage presence. Be sure to check out their recent cover of “Paper Thin Walls” by Modest Mouse below. Next up was Chicago punk rockers Top Shelf Lickers. Their energizing set included erratic dancing, spiky blue hair, and a cover of Lorde’s hit “Royals.” Check out our recent interview with frontman Neil Turk here and stream their catchy EP, Heart Beats Brain! below.
“We are currently listening to….all sorts of stuff, I don’t think anyone in the band listens to the same stuff. To name a few bands I’d say the Menzingers, Butch Walker, My Morning Jacket, NOFX, Ace of Base, Led Zeppelin and the Grateful Dead. We all come from different musical backgrounds and genres but when we are together we play high energy rock and roll with a heavy punk influence.” – Neil of Top Shelf Lickers
Lastly, Cleveland’s melodic punk rock band HowAboutNo performed a lengthy, sweaty set. It featured various covers, old songs, and new material from 8 Surefire Ways to Stay Irrelevant. My favorite track is titled “If You’re Gonna Be the Worst, Be the Best at It” because of its persistent drum presence and vocal harmonies. Leading up to the show, the band released a few tracks on Bandcamp that you can stream below. Learn more about HowAboutNo and their new release from our recent interview with the band here.
“One thing we want you to remember while listening to our music is….We came to this kind of music from a place of energy and youth — and it remained. Bands like Operation Ivy, Green Day, The Descendants, No Use for a Name… they still drive and excite us. So we create music from that lasting enthusiasm for those bands and genres. We hope to have a hook as much as we have a snare or snarl. And in that regard, we don’t grow up or out of this genre.” – HowAboutNo
– Victoria
Kryptonite Music Magazine 