Two years ago, Hammer No More The Fingers began their musical assault on the Triangle. At first, the band slowly began winning the hearts and acclaim of local music enthusiasts. The fans have been the witnesses to Hammer’s carefully crafted rhythms, soaring vocals, and lyrics that cover the gamut from munching on some tasty mushrooms to a roommate situation that seemingly didn’t go as planned.
This Durham trio brings a not-so-unique combination of bass, drums, and guitar to unique heights with the debut of its first full-length album. Classifying its sound as “alien campfire rock,” this unique genre lends itself to this band’s potpourri of sounds that makes the listener continually question exactly what are they listening to.
From claims of sounding like David Bowie in Ziggy Stardust to Mick Jagger, Hammer No More The Fingers is clearly one of the triangle’s standout bands. In a recent interview with WRAL, Hammer No More The Fingers spoke about what influenced their sound.
“Our First song [we learned] was Come as You Are (Nirvana),” said drummer Jeff Stickley. “This tells you what period we grew up in and what influenced us. We grew up going to the Duke Coffeehouse and the Cat’s Cradle seeing national acts, but more than that, local acts in the mid nineties.”
After releasing their self titled EP in 2007, there has been growing anticipation for Hammer’s next release. After the band divulged that the full length album was going to be produced by post hardcore indie rock band Jawbox’s frontman J. Robbins, the excitement surrounding the album’s release reached a fevered pitch. However, even with Robbin’s help, this album stands as a solid indication that Hammer No More The Fingers could have recorded the album by yelling into a tin can and it would have still sounded about the same. While not doing much to change the sound Hammer enthusiasts have come to know and love, the band has done much to make their sound more cohesive than ever.
“Spunky 90’s sounding pop punk,” proclaims WKNC Music Director Jenna.
The best part of Looking For Bruce is the fact that there are no weak tracks on the record. Starting out with the track “Automobiles,” which gives a very grim account of how outsourcing jobs has led to the decline of cities and towns nationwide, the band sends a message to the listener proclaiming that this record means business. “Shutterbug,” the second track and lead single, even though it deals with a roommate-girlfriend-ex-girlfriend evolution/devolution, oddly leaves the feeling of satisfaction and fulfillment. That’s how good Hammer No More The Fingers is. It’s quite odd, but nonetheless enjoyable. While the CD also includes some songs older from the band’s EP (“Mushrooms;” “Fall Down, Play Dead;” “Concrete,”) they are not out of place and seem right at home on the new album.
The bottom line is that Looking For Bruce is music for everyone and it should be purchased as soon as possible. The best part is that the band is local and interested music lovers can go see them for a very low price. Coming up in the next few months, they are playing at TRKfest on the 13th of June as well as WKNC’s own Local Beer Local Band at Tir Na Nog Irish pub on July 17th. If you give Hammer No More The Fingers’ new album Looking For Bruce a try, you will not be disappointed.
