Nakatomi Plaza

Genre: Alternative
Secondary Genre: Punk Brooklyn, New York USA Contact

Nakatomi Plaza play visceral, up-tempo rock songs with overwhelming passion and jaw-dropping skill. Their album "Unsettled" was engineered/produced by J. Robbins and was rated 4 stars out of 5 by Alternative Press. CD released on March 13, 2007 by Red Leader Records (vinyl by Brightskull Records)

Artist Information

Biography

NAKATOMI PLAZA “Unsettled”
(Red Leader Records)

Right now is a pretty surreal time to be in a punk band. It seems like these days words like “originality” and “inventiveness” have been stricken from most bands’ vocabularies, only to be replaced with “regional Soundscans” and “target demographics.” It’s ironic, really, that a subgenre that was initially born out of contempt for the mainstream culture and brazen capitalism has turned into a commodity of forced rebellion.

Then there’s Nakatomi Plaza.

Formed in New York City, in 1998, the Brooklyn-based Nakatomi Plaza—guitarist/vocalist Oscar Rodriguez, Bassist/vocalist Al Fair and drummer Lou Maiolica—have embodied punk rock’s DIY ethic via tireless touring and self-promotion for the past eight years and their third full-length, Unsettled, is the culmination of their career. Produced by J. Robbins (Jawbox, Burning Airlines), the album is a unique amalgam of influences that juxtaposes post-punk’s angular riffs with virtuosic guitar solos, electronic flourishes and even the occasional screamo yelp to create a sound that’s instantly hooked countless listeners, including Robbins himself.

“I gave him the Nakatomi demos two or three years ago and didn’t really expect him to write back—but he wrote back that week and said we should talk about doing the record,” Rodriguez recounts. Inspired by the band’s music, Robbins traveled to Brooklyn for two weeks in the winter of 2004 recording the album you are currently holding in your hands. “I thought we were going to have to pay for his hotel, but he slept on our couch for two weeks while we were recording!” Rodriguez exclaims as if he can’t even believe it himself. “It was a lot of fun.”

If there was one adjective to use to describe the collective personality of Nakatomi Plaza, it would be “perfectionist”—a trait which is responsible not only for how groundbreaking Unsettled is, but also for how long it has taken to be released. From finding the right label to getting the ultimate guitar tone, Nakatomi Plaza spared no expense with Unsettled (the album was eventually mastered six times). “We almost broke up a few months ago because the shopping was taking so long,” Rodriguez admits. “But now that we have a fresh start and someone who’s actually excited about putting the record out, that’s great.”

Lyrically, Unsettled is remarkably intelligent, however you don’t need a Ph. D. to comprehend the album’s inspiring themes. Sure, the opener “A Manifest Destiny Grows In Brooklyn” parallels the gentrification of Brooklyn against the American expansion to the West, but most of the songs on Unsettled focus more on feelings and abstractions. “If I had to describe the lyrical content of the album, it’d be mildly political songs with overlying themes of depression and anxiety,” Rodriguez says. “The lyrical themes are personal, but with an emphasis on the social fabric that holds everything together.”

“The gates are closing/escape while you still can,” Rodriguez sings on “Combustible/Jettison,” summoning the urgency that informs every second of Nakatomi Plaza’s music. With Unsettled, the band have delivered a collection of songs that are vital, deliberate and now more than ever, relevant. So, for a second, forget about genres and buzzwords and MySpace and just listen. Because ultimately, that’s why we all got into this in the first place; sometimes all we need is a reminder.

-Jonah Bayer

Instrumentation

Oscar Albis Rodriguez - vocals, guitar, samples, keyboards
Al Fair - vocals, bass
Lou Maiolica - drums, samples

Discography

Releases

Frog Octopus Wolf EP
Red Leader Records
tracks 1 and 2 (from Unsettled) recorded and mixed by j. robbins
The Ghost Intrigue recorded and mixed by Zack Rice
Retro Is Really In This Year and The Finish Line recorded and mixed by oscar albis rodriguez
released February 2007

Unsettled CD/LP
Red Leader / Brightskull (respectively)
release date: March 13, 2007
Recorded and Mixed by J. Robbins at Jarvis Studios (NYC), with additional tracking done at Big Crunch Studios (Baltimore, MD) and at home in Greenpoint / Park Slope, Brooklyn.
Produced by Nakatomi Plaza with J. Robbins.
Mastered by Alan Douches at West West Side Music.

Unsettled "Tour Edition" CDs
self-release
soft-release date: May '05
Recorded and Mixed by J. Robbins at Jarvis Studios (NYC), with additional tracking done at Big Crunch Studios (Baltimore, MD) and at home in Greenpoint / Park Slope, Brooklyn.
Produced by Nakatomi Plaza with J. Robbins.
Mastered by Alan Douches at West West Side Music.

Private Property LP
Immigrant Sun Records kill-25
recorded and mixed by sean hanney and john herritt in the spring and winter of 2001 and the spring of 2002
mastered by alan douches at west west side
released November 26, 2002

Private Property EP
Gunboat Records 03
recorded and mixed by sean hanney and john herrit at prime time studios, spring 2001.
released summer 2001.

...By Chester Copperpot LP
BD records 04
recorded and mixed by matt galek fall 1999
released spring 2000


Singles

Split 7" with The Frenetics
Fans of Bad Productions (Canada)
song: "Hurray for One Good Eye" from Private Property Full Length

split 7" with Latterman
Roklok Records 12, BD records 06, SOT records 02
recorded and mixed spring 2000 by jason mariani at jsm studios
songs: "Re: Hey" & "I Wish Everyone Was as Smart as Alison"


Compilation Songs

No Nucleus Compilation 2004
song: "It's Really Not This Hopeless" demo version from forthcoming full length

Cipher Compliation 2004
song: "Calling All Cars" demo version from forthcoming full length

Immigrant Sun Records sampler 2003
song: "Meanwhile in Greenpoint" from Private Property full length

Immigrant Sun Records sampler 2002
song: edited version of "Boy Wonder" from Private Property full length

Green Hell Compliation CD #2 (Europe)
song: "Consider This a Hostile Takeover" from Private Property EP

D.I.Y. is Still Alive!
Resident Records
song: "Consider This a Hostile Takeover" from Private Property EP

true until death 2
United Edge Records (Canada)
song: "Consider This a Hostile Takeover" from Private Property EP

The Hope Machine
Roklok Records 08
song: "i wish everyone was as smart as alison" from split 7" with latterman

Melissa
a compilation to benefit the Allen family
song: "Bottle Full of Jesus" live @ the Artspace in Gloucester, MA

Links

Audio

Lyrics

Video

Photo Gallery

  • Nakatomi Plaza

  • Al in New Brunswick. Photo by Ed Adams.

  • Oscar @ North Six. Photo by Shane Walsh.

  • Lou in Binhamton.

  • Al @ North Six. Photo by Shane Walsh.

  • Oscar @ North Six. Photo by Shane Walsh.

  • Lou @ North Six. Photo by Shane Walsh.

  • Al @ Smithtown Masonic Temple. Photo by WRANKmusic.com

  • Nakatomi Plaza in Binghamton.

  • Unsettled - art by Beth O'Brien.

Press

  • 4 stars out of 5! - Alternative Press [+ Show ]

    4 stars out of 5. Sounds like? Difficult to explain; the songs on Unsettled incorporate elements f...

  • Hanginghex.com [+ Show ]

    Good lord, what a process it has been for this band to get this record out. They have been working o...

  • WRANKmusic.com [+ Show ]

    This album review had someone's name on it, but we've since separated. I feel almost equal parts the...

  • Bad Taste Inc. [+ Show ]

    This is a limited "tour edition" of Nakatomi Plaza's album Unsettled which still has yet to see an "...

  • Reax Magazine [+ Show ]

    Nakatomi Plaza with / The End of the World, History, & Palantine by: MacKenzie Pause (kenzie@reaxmu...

  • The Gauntlet [+ Show ]

    The collision between gritty hardcore intensity and fragile emotional melodies has become an overnig...

  • 4.5/5 stars! All Music Guide [+ Show ]

    The more time that elapses since the beginning of any genre-defining event, the harder it seems it i...

  • Jersey Beat [+ Show ]

    Unabashedly hardcore, Nakatomi Plaza manages to soften the blow of its guitar-driven fury with some ...

  • band photography [+ Show ]

    OH MY FUCKING GOD! Best CD of the year anyone?! Right here! These guys combine the styles of old Bra...

  • "Punk City" [+ Show ]

    jonah bayer 02.06.02 Action-movie fans will undoubtedly recognize Nakatomi Plaza's name from th...

Setlist

The Strikes
Not Hopeless
Get Me My Meds
A Manifest Destiny Grows In Brooklyn
Calling All Cars
Red Room
Combustible/Jettison
Bang Bang Sing Sing
Fanning Flames
Undefined
The Ghost Intrigue
Finish Line
It Came From Outside
Bomb Shelter
Guards
Artificial Light
The Improviser's Laughing
4017
Give It Time


alt.
Miguel
meanwhile in Greenpoint...
Bike Rock Revolution
Boy Wonder

Nakatomi Plaza plays one 30-45 minute set of original material.

Basic Requirements

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