Tell No One Reviews:
TELL NO ONE, JUST BREATHE AND RESIST
After three years of live performance, two extended hiatuses and a legally mandated name change, Tell No One (formerly known as Akrasia) deliver Just Breathe and Resist, their second EP and first commercially available recording.
The band's sound owes a considerable debt to Dischord Records' founders and flagship act Fugazi. TNO employ a similar soft/harsh dynamic while flirting with math-rock song structures. At times they evoke the much-lauded, now-defunct Dischord band Faraquet, minus the jazz inflections.
Opener "A Circle to Stare at the Arrows" features serene, almost bucolic guitars that guide the verses to a driving chorus that hints at darker things to come. Those elements arrive in short order. In both "Reactions" and "Fail Logic," the vocals take a harsher tone that pushes beyond indie-punk shouting into the territory of stylized yelps and growls. The guitars move between sparse, hesitant melodies and angst-filled dramatics. One of the disc's most interesting moments occurs in the second track's finale, when the drums and distortion give way to a mournful guitar figure that stumbles through the suddenly empty space.
"Bored Games" is even moodier, with affected vocal samples that sound like they were carried over long-distance phone lines. These bits of audio appear intermittently over a backdrop of tremolo guitars. The track is a strong one, displaying a side of the band that merits further exploration.
"A Knife in My Romans" is the clear highlight of Just Breathe. On it, TNO deftly balance Mogwai-esque movements with solid bass work and propulsive drumming. The instrumental elements are nicely complemented by an insistent vocal that fits perfectly. When in their element, as they are here, Tell No One truly shine.
The band members were clearly raised on a steady diet of Dischord Records, but they still sound unique. The trio is a welcome and worthy addition to the Burlington music community, a scene they seem destined to outgrow.
CHRIS MILLER - Seven Days (review of Just Breath and Resist)
Tell No One Bio:
For the past two years, unhinged stage energy, soft/harsh dynamics, and juxtaposing rhythms enabled Tell No One (until Jan 1st 2006 known as Akrasia) to emerge as one of Burlington’s most unique rock outfits. In that time Tell No One has performed with notable acts such as Tarantula AD, The Static Age, The Cancer Conspiracy, Read Yellow, A Place to Bury Strangers, Shiny Toy Guns, The Pants, The Cush, Seneca, Constants, and Junius at venues including The Knitting Factory in New York, T.T. the Bear's in Boston and most venues in Vermont including a 600+ sold out show at the Higher Ground Ball Room in Burlington.
Tell No One Histroy:
The band, formed in Burlington, Vermont in the Summer of 2003 after Jonny and Dan started playing together in a damp basement. Soon after Chris rounded out the lineup, forming the band Akrasia. Akrasia began playing shows throughout the northeast weeks after Chris hopped on board. In 2004, the band recorded an EP titled "Sets In" with Cancer Conspiracy's Daryl Rabidoux. Even though the EP was never offically released, around a couple hundred copies where handed out at shows. From 205-2006, despite two several month, work and practice space related, hiatuses Akrasia still managed to play shows in Boston, Burlington, NYC, and most other areas of the good old northern east coast. And the plot thickens. A lawyer representing another band called Akrasia forced the band to change its name. They offically changed their name to Tell No One on Jan 1st 2006. Ready to hit the studio again in May 2006, Tell No One recorded a 5 song EP titled "Just Breath and Resist"- again with Daryl Rabidoux as producer/engineer. Soon after, the trio played serveral large shows including a sold out show at Burlington's Higher Ground Ballroom. While still getting out to rock, there is currently a half retreat to make new music in preparation for the next record- a full length due to be released by the end of summer.
