No Joy | Lunar Phobia

Listen to a new fuzzed-out song from No Joy called “Lunar Phobia” from the band’s second LP, “Wait to Pleasure”, out April 23 via Mexican Summer. It’s a pretty track, with layering more akin to a song like “Maggie Says I Love You” than the more rowdy upbeat thrashing of “Junior”. Follow the band at their official website. – David D. Robbins Jr.

No Joy | Junior

Sweet noise-smiths No Joy have a new EP, “Negaverse”, coming out June 19 via Mexican Summer. They’ve posted a first single, “Junior”, over at the label’s soundcloud page and at the band’s official bandcamp page. Read archived Their Bated Breath posts about No Joy here. – David D. Robbins Jr

NO JOY | Maggie Says I Love You (Video)

I hear No Joy and it makes me think back to the days of Lush. Pretty female lead vocals are bleached-out with rich textures and melodies. “Maggie Says I Love You” is no different. Watch and listen to the video above. You can purchase their newest release “Ghost Blonde” at Mexican Summer. – David D. Robbins Jr.

GHOST BLONDE | No Joy

OF HEAVEN AND EARTH: There are a lot of bands out there now that like to summon the name of My Bloody Valentine. More often than not, it just means that the group plays through noise, distortion, guitar feedback, delay units and gauzy vocals. No Joy‘s music is like that, with a lean toward Sonic Youth and Lush, with female lead vocals bleached-out by a range of fuzz, pop melodies and grunged-up shoegaze. It’s pretty and melodic. It’s rough and ugly. The female-led group have recorded a new 10-song record, “Ghost Blonde”, which can be purchased in CD or vinyl format at Mexican Summer. A good example of their sound can be heard in the video for “Hawaii” below. The song is ominous, dark, and brooding. The video looks like some Midwest farm-kids engaging in a backwoods cult ritual. But in truth, it’s more an exercise in freedom and feeling open to the world, nature, youth, pleasure and finding joy in the bloodrush of a naked run and skin on skin. Lushness and instinct are beautiful concepts, which carry into the song title of the second track on the record, “Heedless”. The album is a headlong skydive, where the fall is exhilarating and feels like forever. “Ghost Blonde” is visceral, raw, obscuring, and ultimately real. Much like the two-word album title, No Joy’s music carries with it a connection to things both exacting and ethereal. – David D. Robbins Jr.

No Joy “Heedless”