After two strong EPs Dancing To A Rhythm and Si! (Yes) Si! (Yes) Si! (Yes) that attempted to get people dancing in the pit, rather than punching each other (which, granted, is fun too), Edmontons the Wolfnote bring the full-on rock party with their first full-length, This Is The Getdown, and first for fledging label Black Box. While always demonstrating the building blocks of excellence (catchy sound, palpable rock swagger, punk pedigree, atypical metal moments, an undercurrent of vaguely political dissent), the Wolfnote have assembled them with Lego-like interlocking precision with This Is The Getdown, coming closer to establishing a sound, if not style, all their own. The touchstones still appear, as comparisons to greats such as the Refused, the (International) Noise Conspiracy, the Blood Brothers, At The Drive-In, and even Botch, Ink & Dagger and Jesus Lizard are not totally without merit, but standout tracks like "Oh No, Your Nose, "Suicido Adolecente and "Kiss vs. the Chubby Kid Army show the Wolfnote at their sing/shout-along, get thee ass up best. Theres also an increased use of keyboards on Getdown that broadens the range of sound while not detracting from the natural rock band aesthetic the Note are hitting on. With This Is The Getdown, the notoriously arms-crossed underground will be hard-pressed not to move when the Wolfnote hits the stage.
Does the Wolfnote have a mandate? Having a message is important. We try to destroy everything glamorous about being in a band, because its something anyone can do. Part of the Wolfnote is a manifesto that deals with the ideas of people actively pursuing their own lives. A lot of the lyrics deal with people who have taken their lives in the direction they want while not letting the rules and conventions of society govern them. One of the themes on the new record is using a party metaphor for life. The adventures that people have at parties are rarely planned. Unplanned experiences are the building blocks of people growing.
The aggression and swagger the Note has always possessed are even more prevalent, what led to this? Weve always attempted to place a feel of immediacy and urgency in the music but when we started to write the new songs, we wanted to write songs that would fit in with classic party albums like Kisss Alive, MC5s Kick Out The Jams and the entire AC/DC catalogue. The balance is achieved by not trying to wedge a catchy rock part between two aggressive parts; the balance just happens. If its sassy and catchy with the perfect amount of "oomph, then its probably right.
(Black Box)Does the Wolfnote have a mandate? Having a message is important. We try to destroy everything glamorous about being in a band, because its something anyone can do. Part of the Wolfnote is a manifesto that deals with the ideas of people actively pursuing their own lives. A lot of the lyrics deal with people who have taken their lives in the direction they want while not letting the rules and conventions of society govern them. One of the themes on the new record is using a party metaphor for life. The adventures that people have at parties are rarely planned. Unplanned experiences are the building blocks of people growing.
The aggression and swagger the Note has always possessed are even more prevalent, what led to this? Weve always attempted to place a feel of immediacy and urgency in the music but when we started to write the new songs, we wanted to write songs that would fit in with classic party albums like Kisss Alive, MC5s Kick Out The Jams and the entire AC/DC catalogue. The balance is achieved by not trying to wedge a catchy rock part between two aggressive parts; the balance just happens. If its sassy and catchy with the perfect amount of "oomph, then its probably right.
