This exclusive 7' with it's customized cover and extremely limited press of 50 copies was waiting for me when
I got home last night.
Automatic Cars has all the parts required for building a great song. From the opening bass line to the spiraling guitar sound to Tracy's hypnotic voice.
The A side instantly reminded me of some of the great Indie Rock of the 90's. Even drawing comparisons to early
Sonic Youth.
Side B's 'Slumber' inspires just what the title suggests.
Slowing things down with its soothing Indie Dream Pop
leanings that are both sweet and addictive. If you get the chance to get this exclusive cover version. I highly recommend it. If not, make sure to get the alternate cover from Negative Fun or download it from Positive No's bandcamp.
I really love what Richmond's Positive No is creating.
Each song leaves me craving for more. Luckily, Positive No seem prepared to deliver.
One can't help but get excited about what Negative Fun is doing with it's Singles Club.
It brings to mind what S.O.L. (Singles Only Label) was doing in the 90's with many diverse acts such as Bob Mould, Earth Pig and Moby. One can only wish them luck as they continue to release this level of quality and diversity. James Damion
Formed in the winter of 2011. Richmond Virginia's Positive No blend elements of 90's indie rock, dream pop and shoegaze to create a warm and summery sound that's granted the bands debut EP "Via Florum" a permanent place on my turntable. As the momentum builds and the talk of a follow up to their promising debut begin to surface, I reached out to Tracy and Kenny to writing, recording and all the things that make being in a band so rewarding. Here's what they had to say. James Damion
Kenny Close - Guitar / Andre Phillips - Bass / Willis Thompson - Drums
Tracy Keets Wilson - Vocals
James: How did Positive No come to be? Were you all friends before deciding to work on music together?
Kenny: There were a few events in 2011 that stand out: finally figuring out digital recording, a craigslist bass, and watching a peer band our age play one of their early shows. All of these moments happened within a month or two of each other and led to feeling like writing songs again might be a fun project.
In the very beginning, it was me and an old band member working on coast to coast demos and politely asking Tracy to agree to sing on the songs once they were done. After the first two songs were finished, Tracy and I gave writing music together a whirl which has turned into a pretty great creative team. When we posted the demos online the response was encouraging enough to try to form a live band and give playing out a go. We knew Willis from our circle of friends and while we have had a few different bass players, Andre (our most recent bass player) had been a fan of the band and we met him from coming out to shows throughout 2013.
James: Tracy, can you tell me about the process of writing songs with the band.
If I'm correct, this is the first time you've worked in a group setting since Dahlia Seed.
Tracy: You are correct, this is the first time I have been in a serious band since Dahlia Deed in the mid '90s. The songwriting process has really metamorphosed since 2011.
Kenny was the primary songwriter to begin with but over the last two years, the two of us write the outline of the song (on bass/ guitar) and then we bring it to practice where we teach it to our drummer and bass player. From that point the whole band adds their creative magic touches. We alter the parts as we play it live together, and the final version takes shape after a few weeks of practicing it together. After 25 years of songwriting I genuinely still cannot comfortably play an instrument and sing the way I do at the same time. I wish I owned that skill but I still don't. I am in an unusual position where I can write a song but ultimately it has to go through several filters of other band members making it their own before it becomes a Positive No song. Once the music is relatively settled, I begin deciding on what words, themes, emotions, the song gives me and from there, I build lyrics and vocal melodies. I am jealous of singers who can hum melodies before they have words but for me, I typically need words before I decide on timing and vocal melodies.
James: The music you've created over the last (almost) twenty years has had a profound effect on me as both (for lack of better words) a music nerd and to get super personal, a human being. The thing is, a lot of that came from pain and loss. With Positive No I feel as if you've come to a crossroads of sorts. There's a sense of joy and celebration in these songs. Does that reflect on your personal life or is it more akin to the creative process within a group dynamic.
Tracy: It is difficult to write this reply on the heels of being told less than twelve hours ago that an old friend passed away (Jeff from the Jeff Humphrey Trio). My heart aches today for the loss of a talented, sweet man that so many of my friends will deeply miss.
I have spent the bulk of my adult life coping with panic / anxiety stemming from my childhood as well as an unusually heavy amount of loss in my family over the span of twenty years. It was only recently that I truly felt most of the trauma and grief from loss was behind me. I still have my good days and bad days but within the bigger picture, I am a much more grounded, happy, person now. Life is unpredictable but at least now I am not trying to cope with those curveballs on top of feeling emotionally broken. It took decades of hard work to reach this place (and then three more years for my body to recover from being hit by a car) but with the help of an amazing partner like Kenny, tremendous friends who have become my family, and a very supportive creative community here in Richmond,
I am surrounded by encouragement and love.
Without giving too much away, the songs for our upcoming record have their uplifting moments but the darkness is still very much there. The difference is that now, I have a healthier balance of the light and dark in my life. It doesn't get more Positive No than that.
James: Though I'm sure it was not intentional, the name Positive No makes me think of some random HXC band from the 80's that might be on the bill with Negative Approach and SSD. What does the name represent for you?
Tracy: Funny James, I had never thought about the classic hardcore stereotypical name but maybe subconsciously that is why these words appealed to me. While Kenny and I were in the early stages of writing songs and not even a band yet, we were watching a documentary on the American designers Charles & Ray Eames. There is a moment in the film that shows Ray's office filled with things of inspiration to her. One item particular really resonated with me. She had written a note to herself and pinned it up on the wall. It said
"The positive no". I can't say definitively what it meant to her but I love this idea of staying firm in your decisions but doing so in a manner that you are communicating it in a polite way. The words positive no flashed up on the TV screen and we all agreed at that moment how it read like a great name for a band. (On a side note, we watched this documentary with ex Dahlia Seed / Dunebuggy member Jon who happened to be visiting us during the holidays in 2011. )
James: You recorded
"Via Florum" with the legendary J. Robbins at Magpie Cage studios. I can think of a couple of dozen reasons to want to record with him.
What specifically influenced you to seek him out?
Kenny: Tracy had recorded some Ringfinger vocals with J. and spoke very highly of the experience. Everyone seemed receptive to working with him and it was a pretty natural decision which tends to be a good sign when it comes to music. We all were fans of J.’s music and when we started talking about records he worked on it just felt silly not to go with him.
James: How involved was he in the recording? Is there an element to his approach that stands out?
Kenny: J. lent a lot of support in providing expertise of his studio and what he felt were the best ways to get certain sounds out of it that I imagine he felt were a good fit for our band. He certainly expressed his opinions when asked or when he felt the need to do so.
Overall, he was pretty hands off and let us come in, work as quickly and efficiently as we could so we could get a quality recording in an affordable fashion.
The things that stick out most with the experience is that J. came across as authentic and clearly a lover of music. We've all worked with engineers who don't seem to care about the music they are recording and his attitude was the exact opposite. The environment was very relaxed which was really important for us during the time we were in the studio as we were still such a new band.
James: Have you been writing new material since the EP's release? Is there potential for another record in the near future?
Tracy: We are in the process of writing new songs right now. We have 5 completed songs with three more in various stages of completion. We would like to finish writing a new full length by the end of this Summer and record them in either the Fall or Winter.
It is expensive to record and self release an album so who knows when we will actually be able to afford all of this. The silver lining is we don’t feel pressured to rush out a new record so we are taking our time to write songs we are really excited about.
James: I was really hoping to make it down to Richmond for the bands first show. Unfortunately, I didn't have it in me to drive down on my own. Can you tell me how those first shows went and what it felt like performing as a band?
Kenny: The first hand full of shows were probably like most...a few moments of grace, a few disasters, and trying to keep the nerves in tact. They were all near sold out crowds ( this had nothing to do with us and everything to do with playing with bands like
The Babies and Beach Fossils) which didn't necessarily ease us into it, but forced the band to get used to playing in front of people again and the magic that is connected with the experience. We are a live band, I think you get a better sense of us and our music when you see it in person and can watch the intensity of the group, especially Tracy and Willis.
James: You also played a show with Static is a City? What was it it like sharing the stage with an old band mate? How long had it been since you'd seen Chris?
Tracy: It was a great to play Static is a City's first show. Chris was the first to respect me musically enough to ask me to play in a band with him back in the early '90s. Honestly, I am not sure I would be playing music today without my introduction to him. Needless to say, sharing a stage with a mentor and old friend is a huge deal for me. Chris lives one state South of Virginia but we only see each other about every other year. I have fewer friends than ever still making music in their adult lives so it is extra special when our lives intersect and we have the opportunity to share a stage together. I can't think Chris Defusco of Negative Fun records for putting that show in Raleigh together for us. Positive No Official Bandcamp Downloads Facebook More Fun Little Black Cloud Records
Dreamy uplifting pop that reminds me of a lot of the great acts that sprung up in the early 90's and at times, even
April March. Richmond's Positive No allow the tongue to release the term "Indie Pop" without ever having the urge to bit it. Tracy's voice is a pure slice of heaven.
Warm, summery and downright positive. Hinting at a sense of hope and optimism that lifts the spirits. Each of Positive No's five tracks invite themselves in. Perfectly melding dreamy pop with elements of shoe gaze. For those familiar with
Tracy Keats Wilson.
Positive No is more akin to what she produced with Dunebuggy than her work with her work with Dahlia Seed and as Ringfinger. Though recorded just as the arctic apocalypse began to roll in. Positive No is about as warm and summery as they come. Recorded by the legendary J Robbins at his Baltimore studio Magpie Cage. Isn't is cool when one of your favorite records of the year comes just as it seems to be coming to an end? James Damion
Since starting the blog a few years back, Dave and I have savored each and every release from the VA's Grave Mistake Records label/distro. Bands such as Deep Sleep, Big Eyes, Government Warning,
The Shirks and
Sectarian Violence went from complete unknowns
(at least to us) to earning permanent residence on our turntables. The labels consistency and penchant for releasing some of, if not the best Hardcore and Punk out there.
Richmond, VA's Barge add to that lineage on their debut EP "No Gain" with eight songs of blistering Hardcore. If you love raw, fast and uncompromising Hardcore this EP is right up your alley. Eight songs delivered in just under nine minutes. It's no frills, no bullshit style reminded me a lot of early eighties Hardcore and particularly Infest. Though each of the eight tracks here were quite impressive. It was "Plague Me", the records last track that really had me shitting my pants. The breaks on this one had me running for cover. With this kind of raw intensity it will be interesting to see where Barge take things in the future. Better wear a diaper kids. James Damion Grave Mistake Records Get it Here
Richmond's Break Away surely won't win any points for originality on their debut.
The bands 1989 straight edge gear, prominently placed X's, Youth Crew lyrics might win them points on a
Youth of Today tribute tour. Taking their name from the legendary Straight Ahead's sole EP might win them extra points if it were for the simple fact that another straight edge band recorded under the name Breakaway in 1990. That said, they might just knock that beer out of your hand while schooling you on the hazards of ink poisoning caused by routinely X'd out hands.
On "For Life" the band Break Away school us on the ills of drinking and substance abuse while lamenting about how hard it is to cope on this long, straight path we call Hardcore.
It's fast, furious and if you stick around long enough, the band will grant us all a mosh part or two. Thanks Ace, your vocals and swell lyrics really changed my life. (Sorry, but this record really is funny as hell.)
Luckily for us they treat us to a long "Thanks List" on the lyric sheet which luckily, doesn't leave out the Wu Tang Clan. Thanks for the laugh. Available on clear vinyl with a big red X in the middle. Just in case you forgot they were Straight Edge. James Damion
Richmond's Down To Nothing have been a favorite of mine since first hearing their album 'The Most' on Revelation Records in 2007. The band has always struck me as somewhat of a blueprint for the what I love most about Hardcore. The band is heavy but doesn't tend to get too Metal or venture into the tough guy elements that often plague the music. The band has always incorporated a big guitar sound featuring lots of breakdowns and positive, uplifting lyrics. The band has this natural aura about them that always feels natural and unforced. It's as if they've found a niche they feel comfortable in and they don't feel a lot of pressure to stray far from what works for them.
This is Down To Nothing's first release on Reaper Records, with previous offerings coming on Thorp and the aforementioned Revelation Records. The four songs featured on
'All My Sons' will satisfy any fan of the band or Hardcore in general. Although it's always good to see a band grow and change from record to record. It's also refreshing to find one that delivers consistently excellent music without straying too far from it's original direction and message. James Damion
