The Noble Gases - "Whitewash" 7"

The Noble Gases – “Whitewash” 7”

Paintcan Chandelier Records, 1999

Acquired: Half Price Books, Used, 2010

Price: $1

For a buck, I’m almost always willing to take a chance on something if it looks even remotely cool. Sometimes things work out and the record is a hidden gem, but even if the tracks are shoddy, repetitive post-punk that sounds like it was recorded in a closet it’s hard to regret taking a flyer on a record that costs less than a bottle of Coke. To the Noble Gases’ credit, the b-side “Father’s Day,” is totally fucking weird. It’s not good weird, but it beats the trudging a-side by a mile. I also can’t knock the record sounding like garbage too much because in 1999 they were probably just recording into a four-track (note: records sounding like garbage is often an artistic choice, and while I’m sure these guys are making the most of their dour recording circumstances and hiding behind the “sounds like shit but that’s the point” method, at the end of the day this is just an ugly sounding 7”). I am assuming the band is from Austin based on the address for the record label and a mention in the Austin Chronicle when the group’s name was subjected to a quick Google search. I should also note that the band’s name is printed in Comic Sans on the label, which may have led to an unfair dismissal of the band outright.

The Noble Gases NO CAN HAS WEB PRESENCE, as this was released in the years before myspace and selfies. Hence, I can't find an example of their music.