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If you're already familiar with this band, give yourself 3 points. If you're not, take a few seconds to scan the rest of this review and then make a mad dash for the nearest indie record store to pick up this CD (don't forget to put on a pair of trousers first, never mind if they're clean or not). Way back in the good old 1970's, Notekillers moved from Philadelphia to New York City and proceeded to lay waste to the competition in all the legendary venues (CBGB, Maxwell's, etc.), recording very little, and actually only releasing a solitary 7" before putting the project to bed. 30-some years later--thanks to the band's number one fan, Thurston Moore, whose own musical journeys over the past 30 years owe more than just a little to our subject here--Notekillers are back, and with a vengeance. Musically, this psychotic trio take the simplest of objects--just guitar, bass, and drums... no vocals, no filler--and make 99% of your record collection seem hopelessly weak and unnecessary, without even thinking about it. Track down their earlier stuff (a few years ago, our man Thurston oversaw the release of a fantastic collection of demos, live recordings, and a tasty remastering of the aforementioned 7" from way-back-when) while you're at it. Reference points, if you need `em: Sonic Youth (duh), the Chuck Dukowski Sextet, pretty much anything ever released on the greatest label of all time (that'd be SST Records, kids), and so on. This is music with balls and teeth and fire in its heart, and I guarantee it beats the crap out of whatever you're listening to right now.

This is aural sandpaper: Notekillers take thorny riffs, raw distortion, and rip the air to shreds.

There is a lot of feedback and almost atonal soloing, but this works due to the writing. No mater how abrasive the textures or far out flying the solos, the chunky architecture of the chords is always ample to keep you encapsulated in this churning blender of noise.

You can find this type of music in many corners, from 1990s bands like Shudder To Think--check out Pony Express Record--to the avant-jazz Last Exit. Notekillers are not doing anything new, but they take the riskiest of sounds and make those sounds well