Dan O'Mahony on No For An Answer - "It Makes Me Sick"

Dan, John, Casey and Gavin, No For An Answer 2011, Photo: R. Divel

Yesterday I recieved a message from Tim asking if I'd care to toss out a quick write up on the upcoming No For An Answer 7" - 'It Makes Me Sick' due out on TKO records September 16th. I'm always flattered when these guys give me a chance to sound off, so... we ride.

In mid June I recieved a phone call from Mark Rainey of TKO records asking if I'd be interested in doing a spoken word show in the TKO store here in OC. It'd be only my fourth such show in the last two years and my first in a record store so I jumped at it. Within hours Mark was calling again to ask if I had any interesting ways that we could promote both the event and help out the label. I suggested a $1 chapbook, a compilation of the old 411 comp tracks on one ep and a few other so-so ideas. Mark asked if NFAA had any old demos or something along those lines that we could press. Not long after answering to the negative on that one it hit me that Gavin Oglesby and I had always regretted never having committed two particular NFAA tunes to vinyl. It seemed like time to call the old partner in crime.


John and Gavin in the studio, Photo: R. Divel

Between the NFAA reunion tour in '94 and the Hardcore Reunion benefit to fight cancer, Gavin and I had become well aware of the cynicism that such retro moves can be met with. I mention that because Mark TKO had been clear that we would not be getting paid for the release, would essentially be donating the recording to the label and would receive only a portion of the vinyl produced as compensation. As opposed to how we might have taken this info in the '80s... THAT NEWS CAME AS A HUGE RELIEF! It was in fact the clincher and something that allowed us to move forward with a clear conscience.

The new problem? How does a middle aged band full of fathers and blue collar types pay for a decent recording? Enter Brett Rasmussen (Ignite/Nations Afire). Upon hearing of our situation Brett made a few calls on our behalf and pulled a real rabbit out of his hat. Based upon the goodwill that Nations Afire had built with Sound Playground Studios in Irvine CA, he was able to score NFAA a full day of free recording in pretty damned serious studio. Eternal thanks to Brett!


Casey Jones lays down the beat for NFAA, Photo: R. Divel

I'm probably giving you too much process and not enough news, so a bit about the record... You Laugh line up aka Casey Jones, John Mastropaolo, Gavin Oglesby and yours truly, vinyl only, and very limited in number as per TKO's wishes (though the exact press count has yet to be determined I believe), 3 songs, 2 old, and one that had been in the works with Gavin for a while but had just made its way to the rest of us during recent history. They are as follows:

Side one:
MAN AGAINST MAN - an OC staple that has seen various incarnations since the original core riff came wafting out of Joe Foster's Les Paul. Unity played a version of it as 'Better Man', Ignite recorded a version with lyrics loosely translated from the NFAA live performance on the Icemen Cometh 7". Now NFAA contributes its studio rendition of our version with the stripped down and direct version of the Man Against Man anti-racism lyrics and a slightly heavier playing style.

Side two:
IT MAKES ME SICK - actually one of NFAA first handful of songs from '87. Every time we've played it since those early years we've wondered why the hell we didn't put it on the You Laugh record. The lyrics were inspired by the shameless support that many in the American south had shown to the political candidacy of former members of the KKK. By pairing this tume with Man against Man I guess this ep becomes our anti-racism ep!

And finally...
IN THE BEGINNING - a new/old tune particularly appropriate now as we grow older, it acknowledges the importance of taking the central message (for me it's tolerance and a values driven existence) of this music out of the club and into the world.

At the end of the day we've been insanely lucky on this one, first in being offered a chance to share this stuff via TKO, next in the charity afforded us via Brett and Sound Playground, and finally because the whole process was seriously fucking fun!!!

Thanks all,
Dan O and NFAA