No Trend

No Trend
Background information
Origin Ashton, Maryland, United States
Genres Jazz rock, no wave, post-hardcore, noise rock
Years active 1982–1988
Labels No Trend, Touch and Go, Blast First Petite, Teen Beat
Past members Dean Evangelista
Eric Leifert
Jeff Mentges (Vocals)
Greg Miller
Brian Nelson
Buck Parr
James Peachey
Frank Price (Guitar)
Jack Anderson
Michael Salkind (Drums)
Bob Strasser (Bass)

No Trend was an American noise rock and hardcore punk group from Ashton, Maryland, formed in 1982. They were considered anti-hardcore, with the members, especially guitarist and lyricist Frank Price and dancing boy Thomas Heaphy, vehement about their abhorrence towards the punk youth subculture. The band was known for their confrontational stage performances, which normally involved aggressively baiting their punk audience.[1] They were influenced by Cyndi Lauper and Fleetwood Mac's rare demos and freestyles.

They released three full-length albums, two released independently and one issued through Touch and Go Records. A fourth album that was recorded in 1987 but never released was finally issued as More in 2001.

History

No Trend formed in 1982 in Ashton, Maryland and consisted of Jeff Mentges (vocals), Bob Strasser (bass), Frank Price (guitar), and Michael Salkind (drums). The band formed as a reaction against the growing punk rock movement of the time. Their early period has been described as "dark" and "nihilistic". They independently released their debut extended play, the Teen Love EP, in 1983 on 7" vinyl format. It was reissued a year later on 12" vinyl, this time including extra tracks. The same year, the quintet released their first full-length studio album, titled Too Many Humans, which met moderate success within the American underground music scene.

After the release of Too Many Humans, Price, Salkind, and Strasser all left the group, leaving Mentges as the only member of the group. Mentges would later get other musicians to join the band, and the newly reformed No Trend would go back in studio to record their second record, A Dozen Dead Roses, which was released in 1985. This record featured a significant change in sound when compared to the cold, noisy tone found on previous releases. The record featured vocalist Lydia Lunch contributing to multiple songs. The songs that featured Lunch were released previously on the 10" extended play Heart of Darkness through her label Widowspeak Productions. She also issued a No Trend compilation album in 1986, titled When Death Won't Solve Your Problems, through the same label.[2]

The band would later be signed to Touch and Go Records and would release their third album, Tritonian Nash-Vegas Polyester Complex, through them in 1986. A fourth album was recorded in 1987, but after they showed the label the record, Touch and Go refused to release it, deeming that it was "too weird" to release. They were unable to find a label to release the album, effectively putting an end to the band.[3] The album would remain unreleased until Morphious Archives, a label that specializes in releasing obscure records, gained the rights to release the album. It was finally issued in 2001 as More.

Founding member and original No Trend guitarist Frank Price committed suicide in 1989, which brought shock to both members and fans of the band.[4][5] A compilation of unreleased studio tracks was released through TeenBeat Records in 1995.[6]

Musical Style

The band originally started out as a noise rock outfit, with critics comparing their sound to hardcore punk and industrial music. As shown on Teen Love and, to a greater extent, Too Many Humans, the band's music typically revolved around Bob Strasser's repetitive basslines. Michael Salkind's drums were quick-paced, and Frank Price's guitar riffs were mostly composed of guitar feedback. Their sound quickly changed with A Dozen Dead Roses, which focused much more on jazz rock, funk music, and, to a lesser extent, experimental rock. Tritonian Nash-Vegas Polyester Complex dug deeper into the musical stylings of A Dozen Dead Roses, and More included major classic rock influences.

Members

Timeline

Discography

Studio albums
Compilations
EPs

External links

References

  1. ↑ Andersen, Mark; Jenkins, Mark (2009). Dance of Days: Two Decades of Punk in the Nation's Capital. Akashic Books. p. 126. Retrieved June 21, 2013.
  2. ↑ McCaleb, Ian (2007). "No Trend". Trouser Press. Retrieved June 21, 2013.
  3. ↑ Little, Michael H. (April 25, 2013). "Ugly Dwarf: The Story of No Trend". thevinyldistrict.com. Retrieved June 21, 2013.
  4. ↑ Mamone, Jordan N. (January 15, 2002). "No Trend Didn't Just Go Against the Grain, They Shoved It in the Faces of the Pretentious Hardcore Fans". New York Post. Retrieved June 21, 2013.
  5. ↑ Sunderman, Zack. "No Trend". TeenBeat Records. Retrieved June 21, 2013.
  6. ↑ Beaujon, Andrew (April 2004). "Essential Hardcore". 20 (4). Spin: 50. Retrieved June 21, 2013.
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