what this album is missing is anything even remotely resembling a memorable chorus. I've listened to this album almost ten times since receiving it two weeks ago. Not one song has remained in my head after the last listen.

bfields wrote:We haven't had the chance for many reviews, but this made me laugh:

Jaded in Chicago said:

"After they played their last song, somebody kept yelling "one more" until they played one more. The band worked their way through an Uncle Tupelo cover, but the bass player didn't know it, so he went to the bar and got a drink."

How do you spell professionalism? B-E-E-R

I did that in Portland, Oregon playing drums for (x) who used to be known as (y), but I have only been in them since they've been called (x). Someone shouted for one of (y) band's songs. Everyone was drunk and said 'OK!'. I protested I didn't know it. Band decide to play it sans-drums anyway, and I, mildy peeved, went to the bar. For some reason I remember I ordered a Sierra Nevada. I can't remember how to do long division, but I can remember the beer I ordered at one of dozens of shows five years ago on the other side of the world because I was, briefly, surplus to requirements. Hey ho.

bfields wrote:I can assure you that the circumstances and emotions felt were, and continue to be, quite similar. Excepting for the fact that the bass player never played in Uncle Tupelo. The song was Whiskey Bottle, by the way.
Quite appropriate.

IFIHADAHIFI - “Ones and Zeroes” CD/ 41:00
Oh great, just what I always wanted, Arty Noise meanderings, knob dwiddling & a never ender of tweaking & distorted jerkiness. Bloke singing could very well be wired up via tin can & string. Must have been in the Scouts. Listen in wonder at the trippy rhythm’s & repetitive electronic beats. Isn’t it incredible what they can do with loops & samples these days. No, really, quite amazing. My arse! This CD gives me the shits. A big fat Zero. The good news of course is that IHAVEAHIFI & plenty of decent music to play on it, which I need to do right now. Cleanse my tubes of these bad vibrations.

Combining the groove-happy rhythms of The Makeup, the scream-sung lyrics of D.C. post-punk, and all kinds of stripped-down indie-noise influences, IfIHadAHifi sift through a tuneless, mildly engaging pile of shattered forms and find only their own boring reflections. All the elements would seem to be in place: propulsive drumming, ragged chunks of guitar, great studio production, and blatant Fugazi rip-offs in nearly every song. But the utter lack of melody prohibits careful or passionate listening. I imagine these guys rule in concert and would probably be perfect for a disco-punk triple bill. But I'll be damned if anything on No More Music leaves much of an impression. The vocals are mutilated enough to sound distanced and ironic, but not enough to convey any sense of experimentalism. Molested keyboards wash in and out without purpose or meaning, and the assorted tasty sound effects never seem more than a trendy (but very well done) garnish. "Watch You Disintegrate" is pretty good, but takes too much from Brainiac to be an accomplishment in its own right. I also sense an early Sebadoh/mid-'90s tape loop obsession, but it never comes to fruition. And, as is fairly standard these days, crappy '80s influences weigh heavily on the vocals. And I'm not just talking about Devo, cause everyone rips them off with abandon. I'm talking about the skinny-tie, pale-as-a-ghost, can't-sing-to-save-your-life influences. It sucked then and it sucks now. So where does that leave us? Nowhere, really. I was tempted to give this album a better review because it's really not that bad. Then again, it's really not that good.