Nox Boys – Nox Boys

By the way, which one’s er, Nox? All of ‘em, actually: Bob Nox, Zack Nox, Sam Nox and Zach Nox (Powers, Keim, Berman and Stadtlander, respectively). Three of ‘em aren’t even out of high school – Powers is the lone legal drinker – but, as a fearsome four-headed rock ‘n’ roll collective, they’ve blitzed the Pittsburgh garage scene and won the approval of torchbearers The Cynics in the process. That band’s label Get Hip summarily shipped ’em off to Detroit to record with Jim Diamond and the rest is… in your hands right about now if you have any brains.

Lord, set me on a train that’ll keep a-rolling and let me know when we get to the 99th floor. From the low-end grind and searing slide-guit of opening salvo “Desperate Girl” and the primal bloozy sneer of “Military School” (wherein Zack doesn’t exactly, uh, celebrate the educational nuances therein), to the never-trust-anyone-over-30 manifesto “Mr. No One” and nightmarish minor-chord anthem “Save Me” (both tunes psychedelic epics at that), Nox Boys doesn’t let up for one bleedin’ minute. Point of fact, about nine months ago, Get Hips/Cynics mainman Gregg Kostelich was on the phone line with yours truly fairly howling the Nox Boys’ praises, and I’m here to tell ya he ain’t no schmoe: these kids (and their veteran partner) are the R.F.D. (Real Effin’ Deal), whether you’re talking straight up Nuggets raveups, turbocharged Stones/Kinks R&B swagger or Black Lips-styled supah-skronk. If this is the sound and style of contemporary American teenagertude, popular music ca. 2014 would appear to be in safe hands. Nox on!

Nox Boys
Nox Boys
[Get Hip]