Zero Zero: AM Gold

Zero Zero: AM Gold
Label: Jade Tree
Release Date: 2001
Review Date: 2002

Record companies are cutting down forests to print publicity for bands featuring members who were in influential or seminal punk bands in their respective scenes. These publicity releases usually amount to a mountain of landfill, to be joined by the the cd’s from former punks. Everyone wants people to know they were punks, but nobody wants to pigeon-holed into making punk music. If only science could figure out a way recycle CDs like record companies are recycling publicity clich√©s. Ignore all that on your way to go buy AM GOLD by Zero Zero.

I got turned on to this band when a friend gave me a copy of the skateboarding video Hallowed Ground. It plays over the credits, and it’s just catchy enough to stick in your head the way the best pop songs do. After a day or so humming the melody of “True Zero” I popped the tape in and fast forwarded to the credits. A quick pause on the remote revealed the label which led to a web site which led to a 10 dollar post paid delivery of AM GOLD. Ten bucks to your door is a fantastic deal, providing the product is good, and it is. Jade Tree is home to Jets to Brazil, which means absolutely nothing to me outside of the fact that people seem to like them. Hey, I can’t be hip to everyone, I’m buying these CDs, remember?

Zero Zero. Two guys from a punk band called Lifetime and one of their wives. They make the new style of the old style of low-fi DIY pop. Keyboards, guitars, drum sequencers and tattoos. No hip hop or indy rap. More pop. Borderline new wavy. All fun. Simple and low-fi, but textured and well produced. Where most bands fail in this genre is a general half-assed follow through in production or just a general lack of talent or anything original to say. You can’t always tell what Zero Zero is saying, but in any case that isn’t crucial to enjoying the disc. The beats are varied and the overall package is excellent. A great soundtrack for a summer, a road trip, or a skate session.

Online Action: jadetree.com
Online Action: wearezero.com

No Tech: Jade Tree: 2310 Kennwynn Rd, Wilmington De, 19810