Sound orgy, noise, music, post-everything, are words that equal the debut album “Extra Wow” by Portland band Nice Nice. It’s different from most work I hear in this genre if one exists, and a giant sound for duo Jason Buehler and Mark Shirazi. The very first sound you hear when you hit play is a drone type of noise with a monk-like humming harmony that just keeps going and makes you stay to see where the song “Set and Setting” is going. Surprisingly it builds but doesn’t explode, but kind of stays the same which made me feel safe for some reason.
This album is loud and something I would listen to in my car when I feel very much in a “fuck you world” or “fuck you (insert person I am angry at here)” kind of mood. Not because it’s angry music, but because of all its energy. It’s an album you listen to from start to finish with one song going into the next with out you even realizing it’s a new song. It’s a never ending weave of colorful sounds. However each song does grab your attention. “A Way We Glow” grabbed me as I really like the percussion intro. It made me feel like my whole body was tingling. I would love to see them perform the song “See Waves” to see exactly what’s going on in this song because it made my fucking head explode. It’s chaotic and all over the place just like my thoughts and me in general. Love this song! “A Vibration” has some pretty singing on it very psychedelic reverb type of stuff and it’s catchy. Some songs have lyrics and some don’t. I think that’s great as it seems like these guys really are just doing what they want. They don’t owe us fucking anything, right?
There is something strange about this album and that is that I felt uncomfortable when it stopped. I needed to play it again like listening to low T.V. static or something. I am also a strange person though so that’s not anything unusual. “Extra Wow” sounds like a bunch of arcade games if arcade games were made of wax and you left them out in the sun to melt into one giant game just like I used to do with crayons to create one beautiful giant crayon.
Listening to this album did make me curious to see this duo live. I am left wondering if they put on a great live show or all sampling with nothing really to experience on stage. I’m going to assume the song “Double Head” could be a real crowd pleaser. Guess I’ll find out June 10th when Nice Nice plays at the Troubadour.
Random thoughts by: Roxanne Hilburn
Artist: Nice Nice
Album: “Extra Wow”
Label: Warp Records
Release Date: April 6, 2010
Nice Nice Tour Dates
May 19 2010 Holocene Portland, Oregon
May 21 2010 Badlander Missoula, Montana
May 23 2010 HI DIVE Denver, Colorado
May 24 2010 Replay Lounge Lawrence, KS
May 25 2010 Firebird St Louis, MO
May 26 2010 Northside Tavern Cincinnati, OH
May 27 2010 Garfield Artworks Pittsburgh, PA
May 28 2010 Le Poison Rouge NewYork, NY
May 29 2010 Middle East Cambridge, MA
May 30 2010 Johnny Brenda’s Philadelphia, PA
May 31 2010 Rock and Roll Hotel Washington, DC
Jun 1 2010 Grog Shop Cleveland, OH
Jun 2 2010 Turner Hall Ballroom Milwaukee, WI
Jun 3 2010 Turf Club Minneapolis, MN
Jun 6 2010 Mississippi Studios Portland, OR
Jun 8 2010 The Independent San Francisco, CA
Jun 10 2010 Troubadour West Hollywood, CA
