This band is being described as punk funk. When I think of punk funk I think of Rick James but I know these guys don't sound like that.

What are they like? Is their cd worth buying?

get their album "louden up now" ASAP. you will NOT be disappointed.

you'll find there are several !!! fans on here.

Anxiety said:

And I don't really see the punk element in Rick James. Prince maybe from about '80-'82.

GangstaFam said:

yeah, i don't think he sounds very punk either but that's what he used to call his music, along with funk n' roll, which is probably a little closer to the truth.

Anxiety said:

Cool, i'm gonna check it out and how about Out Hud? Are they better than !!! ?

dancerella said:

That's the term people used to describe Red Hot Chili Peppers and Fishbone.

dancerella said:

I don't know, but I doubt it. !!! is ass-kickingly fantastic!!!

dancerella said:

they're pretty damn good. i don't know if i'd say they're BETTER than !!!, but they're pretty close. the latest out hud album and the latest !!! compliment each other really well.

sextonseven said:

yeah - i'd call !!! and out hud more no-wave than funk-punk or funk'n'roll.

what's the difference?

good examples of 'no wave' style that hit the mainstream is talking heads and blondie...there's a bit of punk in it, a bit of artsiness, a bit of funk and disco...whereas with the chili peppers and fishbone, there's more of a west coast/ska/funkadelic kinda vibe.

!!! definitely has an NYC no-wave sensibility.

Anxiety said:

When people say no-wave, I always remember "Cavern" by Liquid Liquid. Outhud opened for them here in NYC two years ago.

Anxiety said:

Yeah. Good assessment. Throw a bit of dance rock and electro in there too for good measure.

There are even elements of old school rap and techno to their sound. It's a delicious cocktail.

GangstaFam said:

Wow, i'm loving the description you guys are giving. I'm going to listen to some samples now and then i'll write back and tl you what i think of the both.

sextonseven said:

When I hear the term no wave I think of Liquid Liquid and Esg! Do you like them? They rock!

Anxiety said:

Ok, i've heard some samples of Out Hud and it's pretty good. definitely interesting. Is the singers voice a bit weird though?

dancerella said:

out hud's vocals kinda remind me of tom tom club.

dancerella said:

yes! both are very cool.

Anxiety said:

Any idea when ESG will coem out with a new cd? They take forever to put stuff out.

By the way, if you think Out Hud sound a bit like Tom Tom Club then I definitely have to pick it up. Love TT Club! Someone told me Out Hud also sound a bit like Jamiroquai. Is that true? I really don't like him.

dancerella said:

i don't hear jamiroquai. i think they sound like TTC and a bit like new order.

Anxiety said:

that's always a good thing.

GangstaFam said:

i'm gonna make sure you hear some out hud next week.

Anxiety said:

You've got yourself a deal.

I love !!! but only know Louden Up Now. Here's my review:

!!!- Louden Up Now
4.5 stars

My familiarity with !!! is rather serendipitous. After hearing them mentioned in the same breath as other fun dance/rock acts, I stumbled across their album. Complete with a brightly colorful album cover and an intriguing name, I caved. Rarely has a fairly "blind" buy been so rewarding.

Louden Up Now is above all else a wickedly fun, warped album. Whereas most of the new breed of dance-oriented rock focuses more on rock, !!! up the ante in the dance department. Undulating synth lines, intricate rhythms and all sorts of jangly percussion defy the listener to resist the urge to dance. Despite its obvious influences, !!! manages to forge a distinct sonic identity throughout the course of the album. The result is a cohesive work of unbridled fun and energy worthy of the band's name.

From the suggestive, elastic synth of the opener "When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Karazee" taken squarely out of the Digital Underground handbook, the stage is set for some delectable grooves. Is it punk? Is it funk? As the album progresses, the desire to put a finger on exactly what it is pales to the desire to turn it up.

The next track, "Pardon My Freedom," is exemplary of the album's style. Filled with acrimonious attacks at the President and a rather comically repeated diatribe of "I don't give a fuck about that motherfuckin' shit," it is clear that the lyrics are simply a backdrop to the relentless assault of funk.

Further swearing tantrums and political jibes are taken with tongue planted firmly in cheek. "Shit, Scheisse, Merde" and "Me And Guiliani Down By the Schoolyard" are so filled to the brim with musical wizardry that even the most ardent detractors of the songs' political stance will be helpless to resist their charm.

The latter stands as the album's crown jewel, a 9-minute amalgam of sounds and movements that simply transcends comparison. Opening with a popping synth line and a deep P-Funk style bass, !!! weave through the song with startling deftness. As the groove builds, the band then launches into an anthemic, beautiful guitar segment that would hold its weight next to any U2 opus as the lead singer extols the virtues of- what else- dancing! After such a high, the only way to close the song is... a maliciously funky guitar riff that would make even Prince proud? In the world of Louden Up Now, truly anything is possible.

!!! is not out to make a grand statement. As chronicled in Louden Up Now, the band's aim is much more altruistic. They simply want to inject the world of music with a fun party record.

Now everybody cut, and shake that butt!

i bought all the CD singles that were released in support of "louden up now", but i don't have their previous album or their split-ep with out hud...i plan on getting all that stuff sometime in the future, but "louden up now" is so good, i just can't imagine anything they've done previous to it being any better. there's a really good !!! song on the ladytron "softcore jukebox" (i think that's what it's called) compilation CD - it's called "feel good hit of the fall" and it's just as funky as anything on their latest album. in fact...i need to check my liner notes...is that song ON 'louden up now'?

Anxiety said:

That's not on Louden Up Now, but it does sound tasty. I have the "Giuliani" single but can't find "Hello? Is This Thing On" or "Pardon My Freedom". Do they have nice B-sides?

Moonbeam said:

i don't remember if i have all three singles - i know i have at least two - i'll have to dig into my music (or let you guys dig when ya come out to visit!)...the 'hello?' single is nice cuz it has some good remixes. to be honest, the b-sides aren't the greatest recordings known to man, but if you like !!!, they're fun and good to have in your collection. i'll say this - they made it fun to buy CD singles again.

Anxiety said:

That song is on their first album. It's kinda the forerunner song, like "Giuliani" on the new one. You guys should definitely get the first album. It's very !!!-ish.

Moonbeam said:

It wasn't that blind of a buy. I'd been playing it for you all weekend.

This is why I need to buy a computer. I always miss threads like these because I'm not on the org like I used to be.

Anyways, !!! (pronounced chk-chk-chk) is an awesome new band. They're labelled "Punk-Funk" because, supposedly, they have the raw energy of Punk and mix it with the danceable grooves of Funk. I don't really see that too much if you ask me. Their productions are a lil' too slick and House-y, IMO. But you can clearly see that they're influenced by better examples of Punk-Funk like Liquid Liquid, Gang of Four, The Pop Group, etc. They also wear their left-wing politics on their sleeve like many of those old school Punk-Funk bands as well.

I saw them live at the Siren Music Festival a couple of years ago and it was awesome. They're not a bad live act. In fact, I think they sound better live than on record because they have more of an organic feel.






"Like I give a fuck, like I give a shit about that fucker....."

NWF said:

"You can tell the president to suck my fuckin' dick!"
[Edited 4/29/05 13:36pm]