Johnny No-Nothin and the Goodwill Snaredrum featuring The Mountain Pirates

The No-Nothins were an important part of the Clarksville music scene in the late 2000's. They were guys I went to high school with, all a year younger than me. They played many of the Thomas Yates house shows and organized a few of their own. The No-Nothins played that anarchist folk punk all them kids liked so much a few years ago here in town and in one or a few of Nashville's now legendary Folk the World shows and probably the first band around here to cover Wagon Wheel.

This is one of the first recordings I ever did outside my own. In 2007(8?) these four, long haired, barefoot, smelly teenagers (because deodorant gives you Alzheimers) from the other side of the river showed up at my conservative parents' suburban home. My folks seemed somewhat curious, but not wary. I recall them buying the No-Nothins cheese pizza on one occasion, acquiescing to my friends' vegetarian morals.

The actual sessions, of which there were two, were lighthearted and enjoyable. It was probably what made me love recording other people so much. The tracks themselves were simple, folk chords, inconsistent tempo, at times playing in two different time signatures. Their lyrics were stark at times, funny at others, these kids had a good sense of humour. I remember being made uncomfortable by Take to the Streets, I was also fairly conservative at the time. The writing comes across as being pretty high school, but that's because it was. These seven songs were a thoughtful look at their relationships, the war, their peers, and themselves. It's honest and I'd go as far to say innocent, but not juvenile. I still think Frozen in Time, which was written by the Goodwill Snaredrum, is one of the most beautiful songs ever written. We never got a full take on it, and it ends starkly and abruptly, just like relationships, just like friendships, just like life. It seemed fitting.

Anyhow, I'm proud for these guys to have been one of the first bands I ever recorded. If you dig it, they have more stuff here, which also has a full version of Frozen in Time.

You can download John-E No-Nothin and the Goodwill Snaredrum featuring the Mountain Pirates here for fucking free.

John-E No-Nothin- vocals, guitar
The Goodwill Snaredrum- percussion, vocals, banjo
The Mountain Pirates- percussion, train whistle, harmonica, vocals, screams, piano
Recorded by Nicholas Riley in 2008(9?) in Clarksville, TN
All songs written by the No-Nothins except:
   Low:  Tramar Dillard, Faheem Najm
   Wagon Wheel: Bob Dylan, Ketch Secor

PS I don't remember if their name had a g or not in it. Sorry if it does.