Ranking No Use For A Name’s 8 Albums
In the heart of the San Francisco Bay Area’s punk rock scene, No Use For A Name emerged in the late 1980s and significantly helped to change the face of melodic punk rock. Their fusion of raw energy, introspective lyrics, and catchy melodies, made them one of the most influential bands in the genre.
Although he wasn’t a member when the group started, NUFAN became brainchild of the late Tony Sly, a gifted songwriter with a knack for crafting emotionally charged anthems. Founding member Rory Koff led the drumming on all of their albums while (other founding member) Steve Papoutsis played bass on the first 3 records, before the band went more melodic and he was replaced with fellow scene musician Matt Riddle (who had also played in Face To Face, Pulley, and 22 Jacks). The band went through a few guitarists like Chris Dodge and Ed Greger, but the most notable would be Chris Shiftlett (who later went on to play with the Foo Fighters) and then Dave Nassie.
Their early years were filled with small gigs in underground venues, but their relentless dedication paid off when they signed with Fat Wreck Chords, a label synonymous with punk rock. Their breakthrough album, Leche Con Carne was a revelation as it showcased Tony’s heartfelt lyrics and the band’s unrivaled musicianship. Songs like “Soulmate” and “Justified Black Eye” resonated deeply with fans and critics alike, solidifying the band’s status.
With each subsequent album, the band pushed their boundaries, blending their signature melodic sound with a myriad of influences. Their unique brand of punk had a way of capturing the essence of youth and rebellion, with a touch of vulnerability that endeared them to fans worldwide.
No Use for a Name’s journey was not without its trials and tribulations. Tragically, Tony Sly passed away in 2012, leaving an irreplaceable void in the punk rock community. His legacy lives on through the band’s music, which continues to inspire new generations of punk enthusiasts. No Use for a Name remains a testament to the power of music to unite people and express emotions.
8. Incognito (1990)
Full disclosure, I didn’t really like this record when I first heard it. I was already familiar with their later skatepunk output, and hearing them as a hardcore outfit just didn’t seem right.
That said, over the years, I’ve come to appreciate the record more and more. There are clear influences taken from other California hardcore bands (most notably RKL, Adolescents, and Suicidal Tendencies) that the band manages to mimic quite well without sounding like a straight-up copy.
Despite being only a 3-piece at the time, the album’s strongest element is probably the musicality, as there are some genuinely great riffs scattered throughout the record. “Weirdo” is a great example of their skill, but it’s somewhat ruined by the spoken-singing verses. In addition to hardcore punk, the band was clearly influenced by thrash metal, incorporating elements of it into many of the songs.
Besides the style, what keeps the record below the rest of the band’s output is the noticeably subpar lyrics and vocals. Tony Sly would, of course, later prove himself to be an excellent lyricist, but you wouldn’t known it from these early tunes. The songs usually deal with somewhat trite and surface-level subjects, or they’re just written from a naive point of view.
In general, Sly’s skills as a vocalist leave much to be desired at this point (there’s a reason he wasn’t the singer when he joined the band). There’s just a lot missing from the vocals and vocal harmonies. Once the band began working with the right producer (yes, I know Brett Gurewitz produced this), they figured this out, along with a better understanding of melodic structure.
Incognito certainly has some nice moments and if you like hardcore punk, it’s not a bad listen, but the songs begin to sound somewhat repetitive after awhile. Plus, knowing how much better their songwriting became later on diminishes the desire to listen to Incognito.
Recommended Tracks: D.M.V. / I Detest / Felix
7. Don’t Miss The Train (1992)
Luckily, NUFAN’s Don’t Miss The Train doesn’t run into any sort of sophomore slump and instead improves upon essentially every single element of the debut without changing almost any of the aspects that worked for that record.
With Chris Dodge returning on guitar, the songs immediately present a more robust song structure and allow Tony to focus more of his energy on vocals (although he still has some work to do in this area).
Improving upon the somewhat randomized structure of Incognito, Don’t Miss The Train’s songs contain a more solidified and consciously arranged form. This allows the various breakdowns to really stand out and shine without completely derailing the overall flow.
Although there was still a lot of progress to be made on future albums, the lyrics show a pretty significant improvement and you can tell that Tony was learning how to add subtlety and nuance to how he built his lyrics. As a hardcore record, the songs are still mostly upfront, but less obtuse.
The album’s only real problem, similar to Incognito, is that the tracks blend together so it begins to get somewhat tiresome towards the end. One song does manage to really stick out from the similarity though — “Tollbridge” manages to display the clearest indicator of the band’s sense of melody that they would then apply to albums moving forward.
If you’re a fan of hardcore punk, this is a pretty good album, but compared to their later albums, it’s still a somewhat subpar release worthy of a listen.
Recommended Tracks: Tollbridge / Another Step / Death Doesn’t Care
6. Keep Them Confused (2005)
Doubtfully the goal, it almost seems like the ‘them’ in the album title refers to the band’s fans. Keep Them Confused, true to its namesake, was a puzzling release coming off the far superior Hard Rock Bottom. As a standalone release, it’s certainly not bad, but if you listen to these two records back-to-back, the difference in quality is glaringly apparent.
First off, I’ve got to talk about this album’s production. Whereas the band’s previous four albums sounded expansive and vibrant, Keep Them Confused is noticeably flat with an overlaying lethargic quality — something that prevents the songs from having that needed boost they previously had.
This was notably the last Fat Wreck album to be produced by Ryan Greene. Greene had previously been a huge factor in establishing not only the FAT sound, but the 90s skatepunk sound in general. Unfortunately, all of the heart and skill he bled into previous records seems nearly completely absent here.
Luckily, this album is much more than just questionable production. It’s also a record kept afloat by Sly’s terrific lyricism. Even when the songs lack the same charm as older releases, the general songwriting remains top-notch. Listening to “Black Box” or “For Fiona”, it’s clear that Tony spent time crafting these lyrically-rich tunes.
Sadly, at the end of the day, despite some hopeful moments, the album is simply kind of boring. A lot of tracks seem to come and go without much of any lasting power. Deep down there’s a good album here, but you’ll have to dig awhile to find it.
Recommended Tracks: Black Box / For Fiona / Bullets
5. The Feel Good Record of The Year (2008)
NUFAN’s final album, while not their best, still serves as a great sendoff for the band, displaying many of the band’s charms and why they’re such a revered group in the punk scene. Although it wasn’t planned this way, The Feel Good Record of The Year is in many ways the perfect final act for NUFAN.
This whole album is almost an homage to the band’s past, present, and future. The opening tracks “Biggest Lie” and “I Want To Be Wrong” are the heaviest the band has sounded since their early hardcore days. “Yours To Destroy” and “The Dregs of Sobriety” are a little more laidback and feature some sonic elements that could’ve easily fit on Keep Them Confused. Tracks like “The Trumpet Player” and “Domino” have a nice mid-tempo melody that could’ve logically slotted on to More Betterness or Hard Rock Bottom.
With the inclusion of a couple of folky songs (“Sleeping Between Trucks” and “Kill The Rich”) and the short piano-driven ballad “Ontario”, The Feel Good Record of The Year offers the most variety of any NUFAN release. The styles never seem forced either, it easily transitions from quick to slow and back without missing a beat.
After the disappointing production on Keep Them Confused, the band traveled to the Blasting Room for this one and the studio helped give the record a bit of a darker edge and a more serious tone than most of their releases.
This is a very solid record and a good reminder of what the band is capable of and, while it’s not the peak of NUFAN’s output, it’s nonetheless excellent from the first song to the last.
Recommended Tracks: I Want To Be Wrong / Biggest Lie / The Feel Good Song of the Year
4. Hard Rock Bottom (2002)
Picking up nicely from the direction that More Betterness took the band, Hard Rock Bottom finds the group in top shape, writing some of their best tunes. With Dave Nassie coming in to replace the talented Shiflett on guitar, there’s big shoes to fill, but the songs still seem concentrated, with a clear focus on melody, lyrics, and adding in a little variety without straying too far away from what has been working for the band.
As arguably the band’s poppiest record, the production just nearly crosses the line into being a little too slick at times. I could certainly see this album turning off some of the older fans who preferred the early rawness and less polished NUFAN, but even with the poppiness and production, it’s hard to deny just how good the songwriting is on this album.
Having “Feels Like Home” open the record with a lone guitar accompanied by Tony singing and then quickly transitioning into the fast hi-hat intro of “International You Day” was a brilliant decision for setting the direction and expectations of the album. It swiftly lets the listener hear the band’s growth.
From there on, the record shines with quality songwriting and heartfelt lyrics from Sly. The poppy lightheartedness of “Dumb Reminders” into the organ-led “Any Number Can Play” with its beautiful vocal harmonizing and killer outro make for a great one-two punch. “Let Me Down”, to this day, remains a song that manages to hit at your emotions like only Sly knows how to do.
Even the token cover song “This Is a Rebel Song” (arguably one of the weaker parts of the record), is still a solid take on the song. “Insecurity Alert” makes use of some nice studio tricks to draw more impact on the politically-driven track and further expand the record’s sound.
Honestly, this record has no weak spots. It’s great from beginning to end, leaving only a mild sense of nostalgia for the band’s earlier, less-polished material.
Recommended Tracks: International You Day / Friends of the Enemy / Let Me Down
3. ¡Leche con Carne! (1995)
This was the album that essentially put NUFAN on the map. Setting aside the majority of their earlier hardcore sound, the band primarily focused their energy on melody, achieving a style similar to records released in 1994 by NOFX, The Offspring, Lagwagon, and Bad Religion.
The album wastes absolutely no time letting the listener know just how much they have grown and changed since Don’t Miss The Train. The moment the record begins and you hear the guitar/drums of “Justified Black Eye”, you know you’re in for something exciting. Besides the great melody that manages to still retain some of the band’s earlier heaviness, it’s the lyrical growth that really defines the song.
While “Justified Black Eye” is a bonafide classic, it’s “Soulmate” that manages to hit that perfect sweet spot of having a dose of pop, but not sounding contrived. This track essentially created the blueprint that their subsequent albums would use as a guide.
Although the strength of the songs obviously belongs to the band’s songwriting, a lot of credit for the album has to be given to the production team. Ryan Greene (who helped create the iconic sound on NOFX’s Punk In Drublic) instilled that same sense of refined melody in many of these tracks.
Another major change for the band is that they began fully embracing vocal harmonizing and even had NOFX’s El Hefe (and a few others) help provide backup vocals to make the songs sound richer. This album, along with Lagwagon and Good Riddance’s debut, was largely responsible for the FAT sound of the 90s.
Now, as classic as the album is, it’s not without its faults. The sequencing is a bit off, resulting in some tracks that simply don’t flow well together. The band also seemed a bit hesitant to give up their original hardcore sound, resulting in some mixed results, with tracks “Couch Boy” or “Fields of Agony” sounding simply out of place.
Even though the lyrics see a significant improvement, it’s quite apparent that Sly is at his best when his lyrics tell a story. When he divulges into political or social issues (which he occasionally does here), the lyrics are alright, but they also don’t hold up as well as others. Even with these very minor flaws, this is still an undeniable classic.
Recommended Tracks: Soulmate / Justified Black Eye / Straight From The Jacket
2. More Betterness! (1999)
Following the success of the band’s previous 2 records, More Betterness! sought to not only appease the band’s growing fanbase, but to also build upon the sound that they had been refining. I gotta say, this album pretty much completely delivers on expectations.
Fans of the band’s earlier rawness and voracity may be a little disappointed with how More Betterness! turned out, as it definitely steers more toward the band’s pop sensibilities rather than the level of anger they once showed. Luckily, Sly’s terrific songwriting and lyricism prevents the album from succumbing to any of the traps many pop-punk bands fall into.
The opening trifecta of “Not Your Savior”, “Life Size Mirror”, and “Chasing Rainbows” immediately sets the groundwork of fast skatepunk with an emphasis on melody and terrific lyricism. It’s hard to imagine any fan of melodic punk wouldn’t be hooked after those three songs.
The record than moves in a slightly poppier direction via the extremely catchy riff used in “Why Doesn’t Anybody Like Me?”, a track that manages to be serious despite sounding initially light-hearted and even humorous. “Fairytale of New York” provides the token cover song for a NUFAN album, but it may be my favorite cover of theirs, thanks to accompaniment of Cinder Block’s distinctly killer vocals.
As great as the record is up to that point, it’s near the end, when “Coming Too Close” comes on that the release hits its peak. Through a subtly brilliant bassline, excellent vocal melodies (that are propped up by the assistance of Spike Slawson), and some of Tony’s best lyrics — the song stand as possibly my favorite from the band.
Then, like any great record, the whole thing is tied up beautifully through closer “Room 19”. This track makes use of some simple live effects in percussion to help make the song completely stand out from the rest of the album. It’s slower, deeper, and has a heavy impact to it.
If you’re looking for criticism, the album is perhaps a little long and could’ve probably benefitted from cutting a song like “Sleeping In” or “Always Carrie”, but honestly that’s just nitpicking.
Recommended Tracks: Coming Too Close / Room 19 / Why Doesn’t Anybody Like Me?
1. Making Friends (1997)
Making Friends, released between ¡Leche con Carne! and More Betterness!, managed to take all the best elements of both albums to become NUFAN’s best record.
With new guitarist Chris Shiftlett in tow (now known for his guitar chops in Foo Fighters and Me First and the Gimme Gimmes), Making Friends takes the melodic and lyrical growth that made ¡Leche con Carne! a classic and manages to show a noticeably more structural focus on melody and general catchiness.
At under 28 minutes, Making Friends deftly avoids any unnecessary fluff, allowing songs to end logically without ever slightly pushing them passed a certain length. As great as More Betterness! is, at over 15 minutes longer than Making Friends, it does wear the songs a little thin sometimes.
This album also manages to find Tony’s vocals at arguably their best. It still has a bit of an untrained and raw sound — that authentically human element that makes punk music so great. The guitar tone is also my favorite of any NUFAN album, a nice treble crunch that sounds heavy but still dynamic (similar to Pulley’s ’90s albums).
There’s an undeniable aspect of fun spread throughout the entire album, which I honestly miss from other releases. It’s not that the songs are goofy or the lyrics don’t take themselves seriously, it’s that the band themselves are clearly having a good time and it comes through during the entire runtime. The sequencing really lets this come out well, as the song transitions, such as from the slower “Secret” to “Best Regards” gives the record this constant level of critical urgency.
If I had to criticize anything, I’ve always felt that “The Answer Is Still No” is the album’s weakest song and as such, was a poor choice for the album opener. “Invincible” would have been a much better opening track or even “Growing Down” with its guest vocals from Dicky Barrett.
Making Friends is a killer 90s skatepunk album and it really manages to put together all of the best parts of NUFAN seamlessly.
Recommended Tracks: Invincible / Growing Down / A Postcard Would Be Nice
