Powerful Cincinnati trio A.M. Nice is finally hosting a hometown release concert in honor of its excellent self-titled debut EP, which was first made available late last year. The seven-track effort is available at amnice.bandcamp.com, where you can purchase a download or order the 12-inch vinyl or CD version from area label Phratry Records (the physical versions include a download code). Or you can buy copies of the EP at the free release show this Friday at The Comet (4579 Hamilton Ave., Northside, cometbar.com). Fellow Cincinnati bands Kid Stardust and The Angel Shale also perform at the 9 p.m. event.
A.M. Nice is fronted by singer/guitarist Adam Nice and fueled by the invigorating rhythm section of Nick Hill (bass) and George Marshall Jenkins IV (drums). The trio is capable of conjuring a potent cyclone of sound and energy, something it does straight away on the hyper and forceful opener “Self Mediate,” a neck-snapping, high-speed whirl.
But A.M. Nice isn’t just a “crank the volume and stomp on the gas pedal” type of band. Among the throttling energy of “Self Mediate,” Nice slices away on power-jangle guitar like Paul Weller did in the early days of The Jam, while the impassioned melodic punch of the chorus hook is probably where the label came up with the Joe Jackson comparison in its “Recommended If You Like” section of the EP’s one-sheet.
The bluster comes and goes throughout the EP, with the band showing the kind of intense Punk dynamics that Fugazi made famous. Hill and Marshall Jenkins IV add greatly to the songs’ vacillating arrangements, playing not only with unflappable precision but also a perceptive intuitiveness.
The track “Dust and Ash” is one of the more compelling tracks on the EP, showcasing a more spacious approach that draws the listeners’ ears in a little closer, as Nice’s guitar builds from the sparse bursts of the verses to an engagingly rhythmic riff that drives the song into the more robust choruses. Elsewhere, the punchy “4H” slashes with slanted guitar and erupts with the fervor of a high-octane Ted Leo and the Pharmacists song, while “Balance” rumbles with a primal, wild-eyed frenzy.
With this first release, A.M. Nice showcases a deceptively volcanic sound that, while perfectly suited for an entertainingly frantic and frenzied live show, is far more creatively constructed and musically intricate than one might notice upon first exposure. The EP finds a perfect spot between muscular urgency and imaginative craftiness.
More Local Notes
• Originally scheduled for late last year, a musical tribute to Kevin Donahue, late singer for Garage Rock favorites The Pariahs, is now set for this Saturday at The Comet (4579 Hamilton Ave., Northside, cometbar.com). The free event will feature a mish-mash of musicians from The Pariahs’ lineups over the years, with singers like J. Dorsey, Victor Valentino, Andy Jody, Nelson Slater and others handling Donahue’s vocal parts throughout the night. Showtime is 10 p.m. Some old Pariahs recordings are currently being excavated and cleaned up for possible release, the proceeds from which would go to having a gravestone placed at Donahue’s burial site. The Go Fund Me page for those wishing to donate to the cause is at gofundme.com/c3cg4s.
• Many musicians have thrown their support behind Bernie Sanders to become our next president, including everyone from Thurston Moore and Greg Dulli to Jeff Tweedy and Graham Nash. Many musicians from Greater Cincinnati are also Sanders supporters, and this Saturday, over 40 of them will perform at Southgate House Revival (111 E. Sixth St., Newport, southgatehouse.com) for the “Bernin Down the House” concert. The event begins at 4 p.m. and features artists like Lemon Sky, Jess Lamb & the Factory, Noah Smith, Zebras in Public, Comprador, The Z.G.s, The Crick Gypsies, SS-20, Margaret Darling and many others. The show is free with an donation to the Sanders campaign (from your own smartphone or provided laptops). There will be an express line for those who preregistered at berniesanders.com.
CONTACT MIKE BREEN: [email protected]
