A Different Brand of Noise

A social commentary expressing the observation that people with economic power always have in their interest the motivation to convince the “lessers” that they are actually doing well, as long as they behave as loyal consumers.  Do we need to change the system?  Decide for yourself. With human nature being what it is whatever system is in place there emerge class divisions; the manipulators and the manipulated.  History confirms this.  And so, in the words of the great modern philosophers Cornwell, Burnel, Greenfield and Duffy (a.k.a. “Black”), “Just strap on your guitar and we’ll play some rock ‘n’ roll.”

Robert: Guitars, vocals | Ken: Bass, backing vocals | Gonzo: Drums

A butt-rocking meditation on the rapacious nature of faceless corporations.   RIYL Buzzocks, Rezillos, etc. 

Robert: Guitars, vocals | Ken: Bass, backing vocals | Gonzo: Drums

Before Robert co-founded A Different Brand of Noise with Gonzo and Ken he heard an acquaintance say that “I’d love to be poor” during a conversation.  This person thought it would be a romantic escapade to pretend to be poor.  Robert thought that this attitude, which belittled the true misery of living in poverty in order to live out this phony lifestyle in the safety of knowing that at any time comfort was one phone call away, was so outrageous that within 60 minutes he had a finished song – Do The Poor.   

Robert: Guitars, vocals | Ken: Bass, backing vocals | Gonzo: Drums

Oh to be young, dumb, and full of love lust again (and again… and again). The closest we've probably come to a ballad, this is a radical reworking of an original song previously covered by This “Blue Piano” and Ulysses Underwood. 

Ken: Bass, vocals, keyboards/synths | Robert: Guitars, backing vocals | Gonzo: Drums

From the standpoint of the lyrics this song is a straightforward boy meets girl – boy likes girl –  boy wants to sing about girl story.  The inspiration here lies more heavily in the music.  There is an attempt to mix a more “dance-oriented” backbeat with pulsing bass line and “chimey” instrumentation and a more soulful/bluesy type of melody than was typical of A Different Brand of Noise.  It is down-to-basics, get down and dirty kind of song.  Note the harmonica. 

Robert: Guitars, vocals, harmonica | Ken: Bass, backing vocals, loops | Gonzo: Drums

A lyrical collage of images and experiences written under the influence. We're all fun guys. RIYL Gang of Four. 

Robert: Guitars, backing vocals | Ken: Bass, vocals, keyboards & synths | Gonzo: Drums

This song was inspired by a book – Naked Ape – Robert was reading while taking a college biology course.  The book puts forth the theory that humans are apes (albeit less hairy) and therefore share, with other apes, the same behavioural traits/instincts, including sexual instincts.  These instincts arise from brain circuits that have evolved to respond to important environmental stimuli, including those that control sexual desire and behavior.  As such, physical characteristics of the opposite sex (e.g., the shape of hips, lips, breasts, and so on) act as “signals” that activate brain circuits that engage sexual behaviour.  Robert called these physical characteristics signals “pleasure signs” and wrote a song about this phenomenon.

Robert: Guitars, vocals | Ken: Bass, backing vocals | Gonzo: Drums

This is the description of the strategies and tactics of a quarrel as told by one of the combatants, probably the loser.  The inspiration for this song is 1 part The Stranglers and 2 parts Elvis Costello, an odd mix to be sure.  Musically it mixes the driving beat of a “Heroes” or “Something Better Change” of The Stranglers with chord structures and lyrical metaphors more reminiscent of Costello or Andy Partridge.  Robert using the language or war-making and stormy weather forecasts to depict the typical unfolding of these quarrels.  I prefer peace. 

Robert: Guitars, vocals |  Ken: Bass, Backing vocals | Gonzo: Drums

An epic journey into an unknowable future. A wiser man once said, “We have two modes: complacency and panic.” Have we charted a course for a dystopian hellscape, or can we pull ourselves back from the brink in time? The feeling of this song is decidedly optimistic. Maybe at times like these it's the only option. The sharp-eared among you may be able to detect the influences of Bowie, Beatles, Fripp, and others. 

Ken: Bass, vocals, piano, loops | Robert: Guitars, vocals, keyboards (on Intro) | Gonzo: Drums

Stir in the Air

A guaranteed dancefloor-filler whenever we played this live, SITA was the obvious contender for the album opener. Penned back in the 80s – the era of Reagan, Thatcher, Mulroney, the Cold War, and the shadow of nuclear destruction, it's held up tragically well, lyrically and thematically. With an anthemic chorus you can shout along with (as did our live audiences), this is accompanied by our first ever music video which you can find elsewhere on our site or on YouTube. There is now a club mix of Stir in the AIr, mixed by Ulysses Underwood – find it on our Listen page or on your favourite streaming site. 

With a nod, a wink and an homage to The Clash… “When the world is on its side and nothing's what it seems / I find a way to get around it / Tell the world that I'm not down”… A melodic power pop number that might tickle your tympanic membranes if you like The Jam, Bruce Springsteen, or Manic Street Preachers. Originally written (and frequently rewritten) and recorded with ADBON forerunner This “Blue Piano”, Just Another Dream was rewritten yet again and shortened by a verse by ADBON, without losing its punch. 

One of our first collectively written tunes; it was called SOS in an early incarnation. The first song on the album, sequence-wise, to feature keyboards, played here by Robert. Until the Blurry recording sessions, the only ADBON song to ever feature keyboards was an early 4-track demo of Farewell. FOTW has a kind of Dave Edmunds/Rockpile/Nick Lowe or XTC kind of feel, with a side order of the Stranglers.

A short, sharp shock of a song about tall tales and even taller pints. Punky intensity meets melodic mischief in a back alley; hilarity ensues. Think a naughtier, louder version of More Songs About Chocolate and Girls by the Undertones. If you're a fan of Norther Ireland's best – and we mean both the Undertones and Stiff Little Fingers – or bands like the Buzzcocks, this track's for you. Pairs well with a sleeve of Guinness. 

A ¾ time journey through a sonic soundscape of alternative rock infused with hints of psychedelia, a significant departure from our usual wall of sound. A slower, more pensive number, it befits a Sunday kind of vibe. Imagine the Beach Boys meet The Band, as interpreted by My Morning Jacket. An optimistic song about making the effort to find the positive when you're feeling down. 

Dark energy ain't just for astrophysicists, baby. If social commentary were any more biting they'd check this one for rabies. A muscular, four-on-the-floor number with a singalong chorus that packs a punch in less than 3 minutes, ideal if you're in a rush to judgment. If you like Stranglers, the Ruts, Godfathers or Ramones, you might find yourself pounding the steering wheel in time to this track. 

This is for the one that got away… lucky for her. This track will be up your alley if you like your alt-rock combined with sweeping symphonic epics, like Florence + the Machine, the Tragically Hip, or The Verve. 

A butt-rocking riff-o-rama that unintentionally borrows from the Mutt Lange production playbook, largely due to the backing vox by the Whoa-Ho-Hoes. This is one of several tracks on the album where the bulk of the lyrics were written by our own Neal Peart drummelganger Geoff. Recommended for fans of the Stranglers, Buzzcocks, and XTC. 

Opinions are like assholes: everyone's got one, and mostly they're full of shit. The penultimate track on the album, Point of You is a kind of diss track version of an iron fist in a velvet glove. A singalong “fuck you” to all the haters.