You don't have to pretend to like Leftover Crack anymore because we have our very own radicalized Weezer - it's No Jersey!!
Welcome to Recommendations, Not Reviews, a new series where I occasionally write longform articles about local music I’m hyped on. It’s not a review, it’s a recommendation!
FFO: Fountains of Wayne, Weezer, Pup, blink-182
When I was growing up, you couldn’t learn political theory from pop music. Sure, you had Rage Against The Machine and System of a Down talking about real shit on the radio. Hell, even The Chicks had something to say during the second Bush administration. But as a well-off suburban kid, I wasn’t really given a lesson on political theory through these artists. I soon started getting exposure to radical beliefs through some of the brainer punk acts, but a lot of time the music wasn’t palatable for me. It wasn’t “safe” and it took some growing on me.
I think a band like No Jersey (it’s not New Jersey, it’s NoOo Jersey, get it?) walks this line well on their new record Mondo Cool. It’s power pop by people who’ve studied political theory. If you’re into 00’s alternative radio stuff like Weezer, Fountains of Wayne, or even blink and Green Day, you now have a band in your own back yard pulling from those influences - complete with guitarmonies, and Schlessinger-esque pop culture references - but also have substantial things to say about the world. It’s “Stacy’s Mom” for leftists.
No need to harp more on their pop and politics, though. This is genuinely fun music to listen to and as cliche as it is to say, there’s a little bit for everyone. Their songs are built with parts that will make you say “fuck yeah, this rocks,” as well as make you laugh in a “smh” kind of way. It’s awesome. The easter eggs for people like me abound - real ones will hear the homage riffs to “Buddy Holly” in “Mexican Coke” and “Dumpweed” in “How To Make It In America,” which itself references a cult HBO show in the title and the lyrics.
Some more specifics for the curious but unconverted: the album is front loaded with catchy pop punk-y tunes that remind me of Pup (“They said I could be whatever I want to be,
“SO I BECAME NOTHING” would go great on The Dream Is Over) which I will now be screaming along to whenever I see them, and the last three songs make me want to cry. The long songs on this album don’t feel long, and whenever I start the album, I feel the pull to finish it. Also, “Wawa” is a banger.
See for yourself - listen to Mondo Cool by No Jersey now on bandNada.
