N.O.T.A.

Give Em Enough Dope (Unclean)
by Joshua Brown

Q: “Why doesn’t Texas float off into the Gulf of Mexico?” A: “‘Cause Oklahoma sucks.” Tulsa’s N.O.T.A., now in their fourth incarnation, were hardcore punk’s leaders of Midwestern thrash and provincial intensity. N.O.T.A. were truly “None of the Above;” not pogoing Brits, not California anti-glamour boys, not ignorant rednecks. Their melodic snottiness was borrowed from early English acts, and their over-the-top wall of distortion most closely parallels second generation NY punks like Agnostic Front and Cro-Mags. Because so many kids were inspired to form bands after hearing N.O.T.A., the name “None of the Above” no longer applies. Their sound hasn’t changed a lot over the years, the most notable difference being the addition of metal guitar licks over the hardcore cacophony. The first 16 tracks are newer studio songs, and the last ten are recent live recordings of N.O.T.A. classics.