Hot Water Music
Never Ender
No Idea
I’ve always liked hometown heroes Hot Water Music, the first time I ever saw them, at a sparsely-attended free show on the Gainesville downtown plaza stage, I wrote up the show for Ink 19 and predicted “big things” (or words to that effect) for them. They seem to be genuine nice guys, put on great shows, and have gotten the popularity their work ethic deserves.
If you like HWM, you’ll like the new album on No Idea, the label that put Gainesville on the map. Although by now everyone probably has heard them or at least has an idea of what they sound like, for the uninitiated this is oldschool emo, with semi-metally guitars and hoarse shouty vocals, often in call-and-response. Still somewhat poppy, despite the lack of a rhyme scheme and despite the more hard-edged elements of their music. And a great rhythm section.
This album includes a full-length second disc of demos, if you buy from the band on tour or direct from No Idea ($12 ppd). Although frankly, after a full-length, by the time you get to the end of the second disc, the songs start blending together and just sounding like some guys shouting at each other. There I go again, complaining about too much of a good thing.
No Idea Records, PO Box 14636, Gainesville, FL 32604-4636, http://www.noidearecords.com
