Elastic No-No Band: Press

The Elastic No-No Band, apparently, falls into the indiefied Tenacious D / Weird Al category of music. Justin played the band's songs (which he writes) solo-acoustic style. No harm, no foul. Funny guys singing funny things over basic strings isn't exactly my cup of tea, but Justin's nerdtastic personality won me over. ... I think the most remarkable thing about No-No is that he has the balls to take his modest act on the road, all over the country. A quick glance at his myspace page shows that Bakersfield, Baton Rouge, Memphis, and El Paso are all on his tour... and none of them at "respectable" venues. That's hardcore. Oldschool rock tour hardcore. Good for him, I hope he does well.

Elastic No-No Band is an indie act straight out of Brooklyn with a playing style akin to rock bands like Weezer.

It's music, which often recalls in its content (the song "cheese fries") and quirkiness, a more polished and pop version of the unforgettable early Ween. Justin Remer's acoustic guitar and vocals (whose lyrics often defy rhymes in favor of jokes) meet crooked synth parts and harmonies in a kaleidoscopic carousel of influences ranging from country to old style ballads from the 50s.

Former Toledoan Justin Remer pops back into town every now and again, usually sharing his quirky sense of humor either through his music or his movies. The Elastic No-No Band seems to be his most obsessive work, however. My Three Addictions is a collection of funny oddities presented in the form of acoustic ballad pop. Now hailing from the New York City anti-folk scene — admittedly, a genre I don't quite understand, but a coherent one with a solid fan base — Remer composes tunes a la a more subdued Tenacious D. Replace Black's vulgarity and eccentricities with a more tame nerdcore agenda and you might have an idea of what ENNB is doing.

If anybody put boundaries on what you can and cannot write songs about, Elastic No-No Band’s Justin Remer did not get that memo. Justin Remer doesn’t just write songs about some of the most unexpected subjects. He writes darn good ones, too. If I were Laura Cantrell, I might be inclined to answer “yes!”

Singer/songwriters need something special to offer their audience, whether it’s remarkable vocal talent, breathtaking musicianship, or out of the ordinary song-crafting; Justin Remer has none of these things, yet I bet his performance at the July 25 Songwriter Showcase will be more memorable than many a performance involving the skills mentioned above. Remer’s noteworthy talent is lyrical. His approach and his message are right up front for everyone to see. ...
Remer’s sing-song, matter of fact, semi-dry vocal style is very Antifolk. To me, this means it’s both a big up yours to mainstream, and a testament to the merits of less obvious musical talents, such as the telling of a good story, that are too often overshadowed by belting high notes or burning up the fret board or removing your member from your pants or what-have-you.

Justin Remer gets the room's attention immediately and here's why: he's funny, he's endearing, and he channels as much of his charming personality into his writing as possible. He's a smart songwriter and the ultimate underdog. I mean, he's wearing PURPLE SHORTS AND WHITE SOCKS ONSTAGE. He actually knows that Psychoderelict is a Pete Townshend album! He also writes songs about unusual subjects: a girl who works at a popcorn stand, man boobs, Klaus Kinski, and his crush on Laura Cantrell. He throws in his own call-and-response backing vocals. There's a great story song where he describes writing a song for a movies where the revisions get progressively worse (upon request of the director). I'll have to admit, I liked Liz Phair even *better* when she got poppy (Remer, in contrast, moved on to drooling over Cantrell, but I'm willing to forgive the guy over such little things). Justin Remer is a member of the Elastic No-No Band and a fine American to boot.

It doesn’t make me dance, but the voice invites me in to listen to the story called 'Nobody’s Listening.' I’m suckered in, and feel good because of it. Excellent story line that allows the listener to think about life choices.

I think the lyric "why you chasing after cleverness like a fat girl on crutches?" is a particularly funny jibe.

Elastic No-No Band's Justin Remer has chosen the best [of the group's] low-key joke-folk. 'Let's Fuck' is even better than the title suggests. 'You Think It's Wrong' is the right direction in all ways.

I've always found it amusing to hear a 'best of' from a band I've never heard of. ...[L]isten to this joke-riddled folk-rock outfit.