Bands to watch in 2014: NO doubt about NO

[Update 2025: About a dozen years ago I encountered a band out of Echo Park, Los Angeles, that went by the name of NO. They had a very cool sound and the way I met them was also cool: my boss at the time was related to the lead singer. That meant I got to see them up close on several ocassions, including a fantastic concert on the roof of hotel in Las Vegas. They later changed their name to Black English, and they are still around. You can find them via a Facebook page. This post is from 2014 and slightly amended.]

If you have not yet heard the music of NO, an indie band out of Echo Park, please give them a listen. This is a good track to start with: Leave the door wide open

Of course, I realize musical recommendations from old guy may not be compelling, but this is an old guy who loves good music, an old guy who once endured three days outdoors in cold English rain to catch artists like Santana, Led Zeppelin, Frank Zappa, Pink Floyd, Jefferson Airplane, and Fairport Convention, in a single weekend (Bath Festival of Blues and Progressive Music, 1970).

Check out one of NO's songs presented as video game footage: There's a glow

And here' a photo I snapped as NO were performing "There's a glow" on the rooftop of the Rio in Las Vegas last summer (DefCon 2013).

The significance of the setting, high above the Vegas strip, comes partly from the opening of the song that goes:

There's a glow up over the city the city.
There's a glow up over us all.

The other aspect of significance, apart from the amazing view and the electrified atmosphere of the up-close performance, is that the band is playing at a party thrown by my employer, ESET.

And I have to admit this was not my first time seeing the band live. They played an ESET party in 2012 as well. None of which would matter if the band was just okay. But in fact they are awesome when they play live, managing to create a huge sound without it becoming noise, and often generating powerful emotional tension by restraining that big sound until just the right moment.

Here's a good sample of NO playing live along with an interview.

In February of 2014 the band releases its first LP, with 7 new tracks on top of the 6 you can hear live on the website. Stay tuned to their site for fresh tour dates and try to catch them live. You won't be disappointed.