Band To Watch: Hammer No More The Fingers
Maybe it's bullshit, but we heard some members of the Durham/Chapel Hill trio Hammer No More The Fingers have been playing together since they were ten -- circa 1994, reportedly rocking all originals minus an Archers Of Loaf cover. If you do the math, that puts them in their earlier twenties and currently making '90s-sounding NC indie rock that evokes the Archers in some sense, but has shades of various sorts merging in the mix. Their self-titled debut EP came out on Power Team in in mid-November -- after the jump we have two standouts from it: "Fall Down, Play Dead" and "Vodka Grasshopper" -- and they're planning to record a full-length in May with J. Robbins. Guitarist/vocalist Joe Hall, vocalist/bassist Duncan Webster, and drummer Jeff "Stick" Stickley already create a big sound for three, so we're intrigued to see what happens under Robbins's watch. (As an aside, man Jawbox were great.)
[photo by Sarah Cass]
Hammer No More The Fingers - "Fall Down, Play Dead" (MP3)
Hammer No More The Fingers - "Vodka Grasshopper" (MP3)
See, the simple energy at "Fall Down, Play Dead"'s close? That's what we're talking about: College rock in that best old-school, early '90s sense, though it goes some place else with it, too. (Echoes of Pinback throughout the album.)
Hammer No More The Fingers is out on Power Team. (You can hear another tune, "O.R.G.Y." over there, and at MySpace.) Oh, we read Webster's a pal of and toured with Patti Smith through his other band Mumu Worthy. What's the story, Duncan? Maybe one of you can ask him at one of these live shows. If you're from NC or thereabouts, that is...
02/01 - Greenville, NC @ 21 Eleven
02/02 - Salisbury, NC @ Rainy Day
02/07 - Asheville, NC @ Joli Rouge
02/08 - Asheville, NC @ New French Bar
02/09 - Chapel Hill, NC @ Jack Sprat
02/14 - Greensboro, NC @ Green Bean
02/15 - Wilmington, NC @ Port City Pub
02/16 - Wilson, NC @ Luna Bean
02/21 - Richmond, VA @ The Camel
02/22 - Bloomington, IN @ Bluebird
03/01 - Greenville, NC @ Spazzatorium
03/14 - Raleigh, NC @ Raleigh Music Hall
03/22 - Charlotte, NC @ Snug Harbor
03/28 - Wilson, NC @ Luna Bean
03/29 - Salem, NC @ Werehouse Winston
04/04 - Clemson, SC @ Blue Heron
Posted at 4:44 PM in Band To Watch, MP3, Tour Dates
Tags: Hammer No More The Fingers
Great record and super live performers as well.
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This is good stuff. Wish they would tour somewhere outside of those few states though.
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Why can't anyone have a good band name anymore??? It seems like it's impossible.
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That band name is truly atrocious.
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That band name isn't bad at all. Go listen to something with a much better band name like Death Cab for Cutie...
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Actually, 'Hammer No More The Fingers' is derived from a refrain from Shakespearian Apocrypha. Regardless, these gent's put on a memorable show, and obviously are scholars as well. Indeed, they are 'college rock,' but I wouldn't let that dissuade you from listening to the rest of their EP - which really has no outstanding track, any song is as good as the next.
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Who gives a fuck about the name? Talent is what I want and what I want to hear. These three definitely have talent. Its very hard to stop listening to their music. These guys are going to the top! HNMtF is an awesome band and great guys to boot.
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these dudes are awesome!
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Durham in the HOUSE
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Hammer rocks hard as nails!
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These guys are fuckin awesome!
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I LIKE THIS BAND, I LIKE GOOD MUSIK
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This band name is awesome, though I cannot claim to have created it. I believe this is an invention for hammering nails while avoiding the fingers. Great invention, great name, AMAZING BAND.
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This band is like the hammer of Thor!
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That one with the glasses is croot!!
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Their live show is the shit. Almost as good as Bojangles.
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Hammer > Screwdriver
Point made.
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BY JOVE! I believe my fingers have been hammered!!
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I'm lame. This band is cool.
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This band is almost as good as us!
We love doin' the hammer!
Hammer Time!
Oh yeah!
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I love drugs. I also love hammer no more the fingers.
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These guys are goin' up!
Get to work!
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Hammer is in our top ten for sure!
We love boys!
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I was out with some friends a few weeks ago and didn't know anything about Hammer No More The Fingers. We just happened to go to this bar where they were playing. I absolutely LOVED the show! These guys are really awesome and have tremendous talent. I liked each and every song too, which is usually not the case for me with bands. I recently bought their CD and it's rad.
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Hammer! No more!! THE FINGERS!!! Yeah, they came to do it!
These boys know how to tickle me with those un-hammered hands and they can rock my socks off!
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This power trio is a force to be reckoned with!
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I heart Duncan!
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Great great band....one of the most notable i've seen out of Chapel Hill in years. Can't wait for their trip to Asheville. travel safe boys!
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Ye all lis'n heah now. Ol' Elroy Wingo es gotta speek he pease 'bout dis heah band, dis Hammah Not Mo' Deh Fingahs.
Dey I wuz, pass'd out in de dich las fridey nite, alon' side deh ol' coundy rud. 'lon' came a fella en a ol sixy and seben squayback n he say he goin to deh rockroll show ovah't deh county dansehall. Ah says "well ahm goin wid ye den." so we git to dansehall and deys dis rockroll ban' jes a wailin 'way on deh geetars n' all such. dem fellahs dey waz good I tell ye. litnin 'sploded from dey geetars dey waz so good. deh drum waz lik thundabolds in mah head. deh boyz wuz good, yessah.
But dey wan't no Hammah Not Mah Fingahs No Moh.
'Cuz Hammah Mah Not Noh Fingahs Moh is even bettah den dis heah ban waz at deh coundy dansehall, yessah dey es.
Ye less'n to ol Elroy Wingo now, ye heah!? I no' dem boys deh Hams Not Got Mah Fingahs No Mo' n I kin tell ye sho as deh days es long, dat deys de bes' rockroll ban' in dis hol dam countree, yes dey es.
We be seein ya
~EW
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Buy this CD! It's fabulous, every song rocks. It hasn't left my cd player in weeks. And if they come to your town, go see them. They are talented, fun, and the live shows one of the best around. Request them at your local college station!
love em.
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Hammer No more the Fingers is a great band. Their music in fantastic and I can listen to their cd for weeks at an end. To made them even better their live shows never disapoint and are always fun. To top it all off the guys are awsome and great to talk to. If you get the chance go see them.
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One time Duncan left a burrito in my freezer in MIchigan.
Hey Duncan!
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Wow! All of these above comments seem so genuine, almost like they weren't written by friends of the band!
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Cry me a river, Big Gray.
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So how many times have you even listened to an opening band on a three band bill? I went down to the Local 506 in Chapel Hill to see another band and HNMTF opened the show. These guys flat-out rocked. I was cheering as loud as anyone in the place for an encore and I'd never even heard of them before. Have you EVER demanded an encore from an opening act first time you saw them? Their tunes are crazy catchy - in good way. These guys are in 3-D technicolor. I consider myself one of their closest 5000 friends.
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These guys rock out -- great show, great cd.
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Those Hammer No More the Fingers boys rock in that "know how to play their instruments" kind of way. And by that I mean, the best way.
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You've come to get Hammered? You've come to avoid your fingers? Well step right up to my idols.
I grew up with Dunk, and met Joe and Jeff in high school. I have a secret music crush on all of 'em. These guys inspire my fingers to play guitar like no other.
I am tired of all these comments about their name, get out of here you superficial suckas! Research why they're called what they're called. They play better than you could ever have dreamed...
I wish I could see them play in AZ. This is one of the best bands I have ever heard. Much love.
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I think they scraped the name from a line in the first draft of Empire Strikes Back. Something Yoda said: "Luke, hammer no more the fingers, bitchwad." Am I wrong? Please tell me I'm right.
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You'll never need anything more than what you hear from these fellows.
My brain is mush (the pleasantly ignorant town idiot kind) from the simplistic, yet complicated rock they spew from their groin. Seconds anyone? Soon to come.
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Bwahahaha, everyone's wrong about the name!! It came from some badly-translated Taiwanese tool that holds a nail while you hammer so that you don't hurt yo finguhz. Esotericism at its finest. Also, they've only ever played a cover song once, and it wasn't by Archers of Loaf.
Anyhoo, these guys have more sweet tunage up on Myspace (www.myspace.com/hnmtf), a Facebook fanclub, and an album available for purchase at the iTunes music store ($5, 7 tracks)!! You should all partake and support them... they'd do the same for you.
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Fantastic band. They were third support and opening for a band I was seeing. Wow. I was glad i didn't skip the first opener that night, as they guys rock. I was an instant convert.
Go buy their CD. Go see a show if they're in your town. They wont disappoint.
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This band is positively amazing.
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HNMTF doesn't sound like ANY other band... They have great songwriting, tons of energy and presence, PLUS... there is no one cooler! These young men give a fresh and new meaning to the phrase "HAMMER TIME"!
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HMNFT has enjoyed a remarkable stint in the window of the record store! How often do you see a band that is totally no-holds-barred AND totally not presumptuous? Their guitarist, Joe Hall has very unique and articulate way of playing. Their sound has also matured and expanded a ton in the 14 months since inception. That is why you can go see them play again and again and leave fulfilled. Who's idea was it to have a band where the songs don't all sound exactly the same? They should be fired! (joke)
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This band is awesome. I saw them originally at Local 506 in Chapel Hill and the show blew me away. I went to see the Cinematics but HNMTF clealy stole the show. Their EP is really good as well. If you have a chance I highly recommend checking them out!!!
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Hammer No More the Fingers = AWESOMENESS! If you haven't heard them, then buy the cd & if you get a chance to go see them, do it. You will not regret it and it will make you happy. :-)
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The above comments sound kind of bogus. Either written by the band themself, their label, their publicist, or friends. I smell BS. Settle down.
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Bogus? Biased maybe, but that doesn't necessarily make them any less true for whoever posted them. They're called comments for a reason.
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Chris,
The triangle has a huge and growing music scene with enthusiastic fans and supportive bands. Throw out all the hater false accusations you want about the band, the label, and the publicist, but please don't ever tell our fans to settle down. The fans are awesome.
Nobody from the band, label, or publicity team would
ever post fake comments. Your offensive accusations are made against a team of really cool, talented professionals who love music, not banter. A lot of people, including their friends, are simply excited about the band.
Come out to a show; I'll put you on the guest list.
Best Regards,
DanielleFromPowerTeamRecords
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^ just proved chris' comment LMFAO
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