“Art meets punk” pretty much sums up the core of Weirdo Rippers, the debut by lo-fi drum/guitar duo No Age, clocking in at barely 30 minutes total and taking the listener both back in time and a few steps into the future. Drummer/singer Dean Spunt and guitarist Randy Randall came of age in the L.A. alt-art and skatepunk scenes, and No Age evoke both the post-punk art sounds of England’s Wire, and all those unheard of, late ‘70s garage punk bands (on both sides of the pond) who issued one great single and then disappeared. Fantastically fuzzy guitar, incendiary drums, and unbridled, raw energy make two-minute gems like “Boy Void” and “My Life’s Alright Without You” stay with the listener long after they’ve been heard. An enchanting guitar chord progression towards the end of “Neck Escaper” nearly eclipses the track’s first half of psychedelic lullaby, leaving you wishing for two minutes more. “Everybody’s Down” starts out all vocals and nervous guitar, and when Spunt’s drums come crashing in, that old kinetic, punk-rock twitch sets in and it’s just over too soon. Ambient tracks like “Dead Plane” and “Sun Spots” offer up surprise moments of beauty.
