Noot is the type of band we have all come in contact with. During the seemingly endless plight of adolescence, angry teens with rudimentary rhyming abilities and the tortured artist aesthetic capture the hearts and angst of their peers. Whether it's your good friend's brainchild or some random acquaintance's current obsession, nearly every American teen has been exposed to the same breed of the garage band, which by all accounts Noot seems to be. However, how the proverbial hatchling came to be the full blown avian artist is an enigma within itself. So ladies gentlemen of the punk persuasion, get ready to Slav squat and chain smoke cause it's story time:
Ahh how baby Noot came to be, what a convoluted conundrum. The Jeffrey Tabankin, also known as my homeboy Jeffe, is the self-proclaimed brains of the operation, in that he did technically create it during his tumultuous teen years.
"My high school band was breaking up, so I did the Ye-Olde-stereotypical acoustic thing. It was originally a solo project that became a little bit of an island of misfit toys, once I got to college." He remarked during one of our more recent radical sabbaticals.
Yes, that's right folks, sharing is caring and music brings people together. Upon pledging his allegiance to the Hawknation, the wee Nootling quickly assimilated into the apathetic artist scene, central to any quasi-prestigious, art-focused institution. The losers, loners, and late bloomers of your high school daze came together and formed a legion of nonconformity. These cool cats congregated around DIY fire pits, along the stream for which Park River gets its name, swapping smoke rings, stories, songs and spit. It is here Jeffrey found his home away from home and the lone project of one quickly expanded.
The first to be recruited was the one and only Carlin Morris: percussionist extraordinaire and accomplished sculptor. When Carlin's not designing the next big exhibition, he let's off steam by smashing drum heads and screaming poetry over some clean-cut math rock chords.
"I met Carlin after he fronted me a pack of cigarettes in the first week of college. I paid him back and we got to jamming."
And jamming they did. By the following semester Noot's first EP, as a duo, was recorded and released for the listening pleasure of alt-junkies everywhere. If you're pining for some early Noot check out Hartford Projections Part II, a 2-track album featuring both "Hoot" and "Positive Influence."
"There was a [Hartford Projections] part one, but it was a school project. I mean, most of our stuff started out as audio tech course work in some way, then we would just expand on the stuff we really got into."
Noot is quite possibly the indie-est of all indie bands in that they do everything themselves: a 100% independent operation. Jeff majors in audio technology, which basically means he records and mixes most of the group's tracks himself. And all artwork, including posters, stickers, and logos, are designed by either Carlin or one of their many friends in the Hartford Art School.
So, now that Noot finally met the minimum requirements to qualify as a band, the next step was to acquire a gig. There was just one hitch, Jeff hadn't written any new material since he found himself a partner in crime. The gig they got; at the infamous Bloomfield Village Pizza, the unofficial venue of all struggling Hartford County punk bands. For those unfamiliar with this little joint, it's the cutest little family-owned pizzeria this side of the Farmington River. They graciously allow local bands to use part of their dining room as a makeshift concert hall most weeknights.
As the day of the show approached, girl problems consumed the front man's mind and by the week-of the only new material he had to show for himself was the accumulation of torn out notebook paper that had decorated his dorm room walls. Most of these jagged pages, scribbled with neurotic scratch, ended up as full blown songs. For fellow Noot enthusiasts, these fragmentary ditties became the band's go-to setlist for the 2014 house show season: Crank Calls, Benzo Wrestling, Stratford, Cliff Jumper.
The first show was, from what I've been told, rougher than sandpaper and for awhile the twosome's activity stagnated. A handful of shows fell in their lap throughout 2014, but Noot's popularity grew with the band itself. It wasn't until the addition of three key members that Noot became not only a legitimate part of the campus music scene, but also the big happy family, us denizens of The Notch, came to know and love.
Jeff, under contractual obligations to the Red Caps, helped move in the one and only Riley Walker during her freshman year at the good ol' U of H. The spritely, blonde songstress quickly became an integral part of the band, in that she was the missing feminine vocals Noot had been lacking. With a range that can hit both the gravelly lows and the honey-sweet highs, Riley's voice weaves unique harmonies around the front man's already killer vocals.
And then came Rob Pietrzak, with the voice of Hozier on adderall and a "kiss my brass" T-shirt to boot.
"[Riley] and Rob were kind of a package deal. She brought him to practice one day and he never left."
Rob finagled his way in with persistent optimism and half-baked bright ideas. He is sticky beer residue that keeps the group together. Always there for an ego stroke and a good time.
With brass and rhythm sections, effeminate harmonies, and the self-proclaimed brains of the operation, Noot was still missing one important thing: a bassist.
To be honest, I don't know how Noot survived as an outfit as long as it did without the rich low slap of the bass, but the final piece of the proverbial puzzle came in the form Alix, the missing ingredient if you will. Alix is the type of guy who shows up at your front door with a six-er if you're having a bad day. And at Noot shows he's always got that hair-thrashing stage presence.
So, fellow sad boys and girls, if you've made it this far in the story then you're pretty much caught up to the present. However, project Noot is still very much a thing so show your support by sharing this article and showing up at The Notch on the 23rd of September for the kick-off house show of the 2016 semester.
