Sunday, November 23, 2008

The Album You Missed: 11 Days

(The Album You Missed is a recurring feature which describes a great album from the past that well, you might have missed and should probably go out and listen to. Seriously, just even download it on-line, it will take you 6 minutes.)

So I have a lot of music. I have always been a fan of music, obsessing over different genres and bands as fads came and went. I worked at a college radio station for the better part of 5 years and lets just say we looked at "borrowing" the music fairly liberally. Before my computer KO'd on me I had somewhere above 15k songs on it, now I host a modest but diverse 6k to go along with my 600-700 albums stacked in the living room. I like to throw the itunes on shuffle and see where it takes me some days and it makes me nostalgic. When these moments happen, well it is time to blog about them. TAYM will dig into my collection on a whenever I feel like it basis and give you the scoop on something I, in my egotistical opinion think you need to know.

The first artist for this topic you've never heard of it. Literally. Like thats the band. Never Heard Of It, or NHOI are California pop-punkers who have been kicking around the docs for the better part of two decades I think, I don't have any facts to back that up, but it feels right. NHOI are truly some of the veterans of the pop punk genre and honestly, Fall Out Boy, Yellowcard, Simple Sucks Plan.. err Simple Plan would not be in existence without the trench work dug by this gang. 11 Days was released in 2004 on Unmotivated Records. Ironically named enough, Unmotivated Records is run by NHOI as they are a powerhouse of a DIY band.

11 Days is laced with the kind of pop and lyrics that really get you through a bad day, stubbed toe, apocalypse, whatever. When Hard Headed hits on track two, you just start singing along by the second round of the chorus, because it is that simple to pick up. Yea, none of these lyrics or hooks are going to rock your world and make you spit on Hendrix's grave, but sometimes baby, toe tappin just has to happen. Where else are you going to find a band who can spew out the lyrics "Shes been acting like a dick and I've been a bitch" while smiling and humming? 11 Days will give you 11 tracks, nearly all of them topping out at the punk standard of 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Stick around after the last song for one of the best bonus tracks ever recorded. EVER. Think Arnold the Governator doing a rap with Danny Devito, for serious. Highlights on the album are Hard Headed, Walkin' Alone, Dead Awake and Satisfied.

Score: 3 out of 5 "I'd be embarrassed if a hot chick pulled up next to my car and heard me listening to this but I know all the lyrics anyway."

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