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The second song, "Double Nothing", billed as a "song probably about a girl", rocks with the intensity of both loss and the recognition of growth. "Monks Don't Tell Lies", the second new track on the EP, is the band's road song, complete with traffic sounds and Pappalardo's appropriately preoccupied-sounding low-toned vocals. Herein, the road is transformed into a surprisingly spiritual locale, ripe with possibility, illustrating what the band calls the "Mike Watt metaphor of van-as-vessel": "He reads my palm, proclaims me king, drops to his knees, averts his eyes, I stay calm, and say a joke, and he says to me: 'monks don't tell lies'". Shawn Reynolds's background vocals complete the harmony needed to transcend the everyday mundane experiences of life as represented by the road into a series of memorable and beautiful occurrences. "The BMX Song", from Basement Make-Out Party, is the rare instrumental that rocks, with a swoon-worthy beat that makes it incredibly hard for this listener to sit still. "Scarecrow Waltz" slows the pace down, expressed from the point of view of one who can "no longer discern life's subtle shades". Filled with touching, if a bit simplistic, lyrics, it takes a slow yet determined gait, while the music hypnotizes the listener into empathy with the melancholy tone of the track. The EP's final song, "The Saviour Made Me Do It", is a rocker complemented by powerful yet subdued guitars and is complete with the hilariously pathetic sounds of a televangelist's pleas for more money for his ministry. Very sarcastic and tongue-in-cheek without losing authenticity or credibility, it is the most memorable track on the EP. As an EP, this one fits together and works quite well. However, the lyrics could use a bit of punching up. Even so, these songs are beautiful seemingly without intending to be, the vocals are powerful and intense and the band can rock and elucidate without seeming either crass or that they are trying too hard. This is most definitely a band to watch—one that can combine indie rock sensibilities with the talent and wit needed to build a steady fan base and achieve sincere success. Pick up this EP, it's worth it. Miranda Hale, January 2002, JunkMedia.org They had me at “hello.” Their version of “hello,” anyway. I opened the envelope with No-Shadow Kick’s EP in it, and out fell a lovely, snowflake-covered holiday card with perfect script that read, “Happy God-Damned Winter.” Inside, they offer helpful instructions on how to classify their music: “Holiday, some sort of indy rock, and/or local, if we happen to live near you.” I played the first song, “In The Snow,” three times straight. I really liked this morose ode to crap hanging in windows, dead trees with limbs hacked off and hung on the doors, and accident-causing black ice. This is the perfect song to play next year while you’re slamming Bacardi by the Yule log, waiting for Christmas to be over. I would pay an enormous amount of money to see NSYNC spring this one on their unsuspecting fans at their next holiday concert: Merry
Christmas to all and to all a good night, For all their dark humor, No-Shadow Kick does take their music seriously. The word that kept popping up in my notes was “creative.” One track in particular, “Monks Don’t Tell Lies,” is an intriguing, groove-intensive, mind-expanding, surrealistic walk across a sonic desert, complete with trippy visions and paranoid vibes. I like the image of a priest doing a palm reading. The bitter, dark “Scarecrow Waltz” also stood out for its hollowed-out vocal recording and lyrics such as: My
head is caving, my colors fading, I especially like the way the vocal was recorded on this song. The microphone stays on during music solos, catching the singers breathing, swallowing, coughing. The mood is immediate and real. No-Shadow Kick is a band that will try anything, using the studio as a musical playground. There’s a lovely trumpet solo on “In The Snow,” accompanied by a fake glockenspiel. (No, I don’t know either. I’m just reading the notes.) I strongly recommend this music, especially if you’ve been listening to the same kinds of artists for a while and need to sandblast the slate clean. If you like the promo CD, No-Shadow Kick also has the full-length Basement Make-Out Party CD available at their web site. By
Jennifer Layton, indie-music.com
No-Shadow Kick are an unsigned pop-rock band from Massachusetts. Surprisingly, given the general track record of unsigned pop-rock bands (whether they're from Massachusetts or Fiji), No-Shadow Kick are quite good -- their songs, especially the newer material, are intelligent, hummable and undeniably enjoyable. Their only problem, really, is anonymity; the Billboard charts notwithstanding, the world is full of pop-rock bands that play intelligent, hummable and undeniably enjoyable music, and our culture has scrunched them all into a massive, dense gestalt. The few acts that reach the top of the pile are often disappointed to find that their major-label deal results in an inept or nonexistent marketing push, public indifference and an eternity in one-hit-wonderland -- which, in all fairness, is still far better than bands like No-Shadow Kick ever do. It's not fair, but it's the way the world works. Which brings us to Promo EP. This holiday offering is apparently half new tracks, and half material culled from 1999's Basement Make-Out Party. Although the odds are against you having heard (of) Basement Make-Out Party, the distinction is important, as the new songs blow the older ones out of the water. There's nothing wrong with "BMX Song", "Scarecrow Waltz" or "The Saviour Made Me Do It", other than their busy, slightly dated, funk-derived sound and the general bulkiness of "Saviour"'s central conceit, but the simplicity and clarity of the holiday-themed "In the Snow" beats them all. "In the Snow" is just plain gorgeous -- a jangly, melodic, beautifully simple indie rock song with a hint of shoegazer fuzz. Guest vocalist Elizabeth Street adds a much-needed female contrast to the chorus, interacting wonderfully with the crystal-clear guitar melody; I hope the band can use her more in future. The surprises don't end there, either; there's a lovely horn and (I think) music box interlude that introduces the looped beat that guides the song to its finish. There's more fun to come: "Double Nothing" is a more riff-intensive song, rich with indie-rock dischord and Britpop-style harmony. "Monks Don't Tell Lies" debuts a stripped-down version of the band's quirkier work, pairing chorused vocals and whining guitars with a canned beat, unleashing thunderous live drumming and processed vocals during its chorus. Like "In the Snow", these songs work well because they're not as busy as the other tunes -- the production is clean, the variety high. My advice to No-Shadow Kick: burn "In the Snow", "Double Nothing" and "Monks Don't Tell Lies" to a new CD and send that to labels. There's enough variation and skill on display in that fourteen minutes to get you a deal -- if that's what you want. - George Zahora, Splendid E-Zine If you're looking for music to chase away the winter blues (so what if it's April) then No-Shadow Kick's Promo EP may be just what you're looking for to put a smile on your chapped lips. This trio of power poppers from Northampton, MA serves up smart, solid, and ever so sarcastic indie rock. The first three tracks are the latest from the band. They cash in on the winter motif with “In The Snow,” a poppy little tune full of one liners and word play aimed at the Yuletide. Sure it's an easy target, but nonetheless the song will keep you chuckling and acquaint you with the band's tongue-in-cheek nature. The second track, “Double Nothing,” is the highlight of these half dozen songs. A lovesick indie rock song, it's full of contemplative angst over the oft-lost gamble that is love. The rhythm section keeps the track punching along on cruise control as guitar drifts through like a breeze. This track is perfect for that mix tape made especially for those long, post break-up drives to clear the head. The last of the new songs is “Monks Don't Tell Lies,” a slightly dubbish ditty relating a moment of Zen clarity come upon during the chaos of a broken down tour van. The remainder of the promo EP is made up of tracks originally released on their debut full length Basement Make-Out Party. “BMX Song,” “Scarecrow Waltz,” and “The Saviour Made Me Do It” continue to exemplify No-Shadow Kick's pension for bouncing from sound to sound. Stylistic A.D.D. aside, this EP helps to showcase No-Shadow Kick as a band that one hopes will continue to grow and continue to produce music that strikes a balance between talent and humour. - John Lefler, Performer Mag April 2002 No-Shadow
Kick - 6-song CD HHH
AMG EXPERT REVIEW: No-Shadow Kick's Basement Make-Out Party does a good job of showcasing the band's chops, sense of humor, and musical influences, but none of these elements really jell into a cohesive album. Their stripped-down sound and the album's slightly rough-around-the-edges production values are appealing, however, on tracks as varied as the quasi-emo of "Daft"; the jazzy, math rock-influenced "Sat Through Tues. in July"; and the pretty Beck- and Pavement-inflected "Scarecrow Waltz." Quirky songs like the lounge singer parody "I'll Love You in the End" add even more eclecticism to Basement Make-Out Party, but what the band really needs is more focus and consistency in their sound, not less. Still, No-Shadow Kick displays enough ideas and ability on this album to make their future efforts worth anticipating. — Heather Phares, All-Music Guide With a skewed version of blues and Funk, No-Shadow Kick reside somewhere between the realm of die-hard Classic Rock enthusiasts and tongue-deep-in-cheek Indie nutcases. Either way, their mixture of heavy guitar riffs, funky basslines, weird keyboard sounds and vocal wailing should keep many a music fan happy.
This is somewhat of a mixed bag, kind of like Haribo Star Mix; they are all good, just in different ways. It’s difficult to review an album that is so seemingly random, but soon it becomes evident that the order of the day is predominantly funk. Although the feel of the songs changes they are all held together by a great rhythm section, throwing about influences ranging from Captain Beefheart to what is apparently the soundtrack to a low grade erotic movie (‘Three in the Afternoon’ being a prime example of this). The range of sounds throughout the album is pretty varied but if you have a love of 70s funk, psych and low-fi indie, this may well be the band for you, I suppose I can hear echoes of Eels or Beck…..but that isn’t really any sort of guide as to what No-Shadow Kick sound like. Overall it stands as a very confusing, yet enthralling listening experience, quite odd. Drew
Millward, TASTY
FANZINE
- Duke Aaron, Il Duce, VMAG, FEB 2000 Dear VMAG, While normally I find your magazine to be an excellent source of information with regards to local culture and political issues, I find myself compelled to object in most strenuous terms to an item I read in your February issue. Specifically, I am referring to Duke "Il Duce" Aaron's ill-conceived review of Basement Makeout Party, the debut album by local band (and alleged animal-abusers) No-Shadow Kick: I have never been witness to a more vicious affront to reason. What exactly is Mr. Aaron trying to say when he writes that "this disc stands on its own in every sense of the phrase" or when he describes the CD as having "a great raw and primitive sound quality that the listener can actually hear and distinguish"? What kind of rubes does he take us for? Does he think that we don't have ears? And does "Il Duce" honestly expect us to believe that "Basement Make-Out Party has more than enough groove to spare"? Is this some jejune attempt at neo-fascist doublespeak? How DARE he try to tell his readers how much groove is "more than enough"! Perhaps Mr. Aaron's most egregious offense is when he refers to bassist Tom as "solid, forceful, and a powerhouse". Assuming for a moment that he actually believes the excrement that he so effortlessly belches forth, I think it's safe to say that Duke Aaron lacks a sense of social responsibility commensurate with any notion of "journalistic integrity". Perhaps he does not care that as a result of his statement, said bass-player has been accosting strangers in downtown Northampton with shouts of "Who's the powerhouse? Yeah, that's right: I'M the powerhouse!"--but I, for one, would hold Mr. Aaron responsible for the consequences of his actions.
However, there IS one kernel of truth in Mr. Aaron's review; it is
when he describes the vocals as "seedy". In fact, if there
exists a more shifty-eyed and unscrupulous assortment of uncouth misanthropes
than the members of this band, I have yet to meet them. I have seen
the future of music in the valley, and brother, let me tell you: it
is NOT the No-Shadow Kick. My only consolation is that they will be
revealed for the sham that they are when they play the Hadley Pub
on March 11th.
-
Nick Casino, Musician's Trade Journal
- John MacLeod, Music Revue Magazine, May 2000, (the "Mariah Carey" issue)
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Northampton-based
No-Shadow Kick has enticed me into their dirty cellar of a CD with
Basement Make-Out Party. There are fourteen cuts (plus
the now inevitable secret bonus track) here and most were recorded
in various Valley basements (with three exceptions recorded in Valley
bedrooms). Everything was then mastered at the Monkeyhouse by
none other than local fave Zeke Fiddler. The resulting effect
is a great raw and primitive sound quality that the listener can actually
hear and distinguish.
Basement Make-out Party has an experimental
feel about it. The impression is that No Shadow Kick
is a young band exploring sounds, moods, styling and recording techniques
("recorded mostly in basements"). Throughout the
CD it seems the bassist carries the songs with a perpetual groove
while the drums, percussion, piano and guitar often create the eclectic,
oddity of Haverhill MA's No Shadow Kick. Not without
humor, I'll Love You in the End, is a great send up of the
lounge piano singer. The potential is there. Unfortunately,
the recording is weak and suffers from poor production. 
This is the kind of record that you
would assume was made after smoking about a trash bag full of dope.
That may be why I couldn't grab all the subtle nuances here,
and probably why the purpose of this album was lost on me.
The band brings new meaning to the word sparse, with loose musical
arrangements comprising most of the album, and trippy vocals interjected
from time to time. There are moments of clarity, and some nice bass
work strewn throughout, but often little to tie it together.