Studio 52 Spotlight: Notches
What Studio 52 Says: New Hampshire has birthed a fair amount of illustrious rock bands recently, but none seem as fine as proto-grunge trio Notches. Riding the wave of their Almost Ruined Everything LP, released via Salinas Records last August, Notches have been busy hauling their prowess around New England, and especially to us Bay Staters.
Almost Ruined Everything toes the line between emo, pop punk, and vintage grunge à la Sonic Youth and Dinosaur Jr. On the surface, it’s a love letter to these bands but in actuality it feels much more like a new riff on an old tradition. We quite enjoy the way the album is structured- zig-zagging between poppy punk melodies and sludgy anthems. Our favorite moment is when the acoustic fourth track “At a Medium Pace” quickly ends on a sharp electric riff that cascades briskly into the following “Perfectly.” This was an album that was written by the group for the group. It integrates a slew of influences into a mass of talent that results in one damn fine record.
Next week, Notches joins former Featured Band Kal Marks for the latter’s latest EP release show. If we could pick any two bands that should share a stage, it’d be these two juggernauts. Joining them are SEED and Brooklyn’s own Bethlehem Steel this Wednesday night (September 25) at O’Briens Pub in Allston.
— Andrew Maroney, Studio 52
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Listen: Notches on Bandcamp —
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Watch: Notches on YouTube —
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Attend: Notches on play O’Brien’s Pub on Wednesday (September 25) —
For all the recent Studio 52 Featured Artist pages, tap here.