Excuse 17 were a three-piece punk band from Olympia, Washington that were around from 1993 to 1995. They released a split with the excellent Lync (which I don't have the individual release for) and two full-lengths albums, the second of which was released via Kill Rock Stars. Influenced by the emerging riot grrrl movement spearheaded by bands like Bikini Kill, Bratmobile, and Heavens To Betsy, featuring prominent members of it including Becca Albee (guitar/vocals), Carrie Brownstein (guitar/vocals), and C.J. Phillips (drummer). Though a commendable band in their own right (Such Friends Are Dangerous is a fantastic album, seriously listen to "Watchmaker"), part of their legacy is as a partial prototype for Sleater-Kinney, which Brownstein formed along with Heavens To Betsy's guitarist/vocalist Corin Tucker initially as a side project, which then shortly thereafter became their main focus following the dissolution of their respective bands. You can hear the DNA in both bands, with Brownstein's sharp, energetic, and winding guitar chops present here and Tucker's soaring, gut-wrenching vocals and punchy playing style there, which is now making me realize I should just do both bands at once, because they're both solid, integral parts of the riot grrrl scene in their own right, regardless of their later affiliation with the undeniably monumental Sleater-Kinney. Enjoy.
No Trend were a noise rock/post-punk band from Ashton, Maryland that were around from 1982 to 1988. The first incarnation of the band was a four-piece, comprised of members who came into the band with a punk/hardcore background. Despite this, they were intentionally antagonistic towards the DC scene they existed in the periphery of, wanting to eschew the subculture that had grown out of it. They set out to make music that they wanted to make, with no creed or agenda, and it shows. For their early material, Flipper and Saccharine Trust are often cited as loose comparisons, though No Trend really did occupy a space of their own. Teen Love was their debut, a 7" they self-released (as they would for the majority of their material). This was followed up by a full-length, Too Many Humans. These are the best introductions to the band, as they immediately throw you into the misanthropic, nihilistic world they created. Through driving bass lines, pummelling drums, and trebly feedback-laden guitars, vocalist Jeff Mentges delivered shrieks, screams, and the occasional spoken word. It makes for an impactful listen, and highly recommended to anyone looking for raw, unbridled negativity.
Following these early years, the band experienced a line-up overhaul, with Mentges being the only original member left for by their second album. 1985's A Dozen Dead Roses was a major shift from the overt, noisy and hardcore-adjacent sound they were founded on. Though there are still flashes of that, they expanded their sonic palette to include elements of funk and jazz, while keeping the bass as the driving force behind these songs. Instrumentally, their palette is widened to include synths and saxophones, and the guitars are laden with chorus, taking on a more traditional lead role with a litany of classic rock-esque solos. A handful of tracks were also done as collabs with Lydia Lunch, which were also released on a separate EP. Overall, I absolutely love this album, as much as their early work, because it maintains that desperate, pessimistic aggression while exploring a new, genuinely unique avenue.
By 1986, the band had now rounded out as 12-piece to include strings, horns, and synths as mainstays of their sound. They continued on this wave of hybrid experimentation into their next full-length, with more layers of instrumentation and a cleaner sound. This record was put out by Touch And Go, their first to not be self-released. It was followed by another album slated to be released in 1989, but was shelved until 2001. More, as it became, completed their full heel-turn into deconstructionist jazz-funk, with their cleanest sound to date, but too Beefheartian avant-garde to ever come close to a traditional rock outfit.
No Trend were a one-of-a-kind band with an equally intriguing legacy. There's a few great articles that came out around the reissue of Too Many Humans / Teen Love, which I suggest checking from Bandcamp, The Washington Post and Tidal for more information. If you're new to this band, the aforementioned reissue is probably your best bet for a starting point. Enjoy.
