"It's kinda like No Wave, but Not."

I've been addicted to the Rong/DFA compilation Not Wave for the last week or so and now I bring it to you. Don't worry, the first hit is free.

Rong has the following comment:

"Rong music has compiled a (somewhat) new take on the early 80's underground of New York City's No Wave sound. We've even coined our own name for the new sub genre - "Not Wave." For those of you asking, what the hell does that mean? Well, have a listen and hear for yourself! But, if ever cornered by some vinyl maniac at the local disco, our knee jerk response will be, "It's kinda like No Wave, but Not." I guess you could say our thoughts on the matter for making any type of compilation are, "every-thing's been done already, so why not start off with something old and work towards a mutated version of itself." Make sense everybody? Nahh... were just foolin with that last uptight quote, what a bunch of horse *bleep* huh? Sounds like something you'd read in a magazine." Rong Music

Behind the tongue-in-cheekery, genuine highlights include Welcome Stranger (nom de plume of Rub N Tug's Thomas Bullock) bleeding bass all over Smoke Machine and Freshro's update (or is it backdate?) of Spoon's I Turn My Camera On. James Chance again proves he is relevant thirty years later, earning a spot on his second major comp in a year after appearing as James White and the Blacks on the third installment of the excellent Disco Not Disco. But Chance and the Contortions stop the dance and drop the go-go bells of Contort Yourself, to instead cook up a nasty blues line that mainlines somewhere between Jimi Hendrix and Robbie Krieger on King Heroin.

Notwave is a great first offering from Rong/DFA, and with the talent in both of those stables, it certainly will not be the last.

Listen to Smoke Machine (zshare) by Welcome Stranger

Listen to I Turn My Camera On (zshare) by Freshro

Listen to I Turn My Camera On (zshare) by Spoon

Listen to King Heroin (zshare) by James Chance & the Contortions