Fat Cat Records has gotten its second wind. Over the past year, the label has released an array of dynamic releases ranging from Vetiver to Mûm to Animal Collective to Nina Nastasia, and Fat Cat shows no sign of slowing down. The proof lies in No Age.

This L.A.-based duo doesn’t exactly walk the typical Fat Cat lines of lush, experimental soft sounds. This is punk. Both Dean Spunt and Randy Randall (how punk is that name?) keep their music magic simple with the best elements of any punk song–busy guitars, pounding drums, and lots of hollering. The duo’s Fat Cat debut, Weirdo Rippers, shreds through 12 tracks of three-chord dementia. If The Stooges recorded any of their jams with a four-track in a skatepark back in the day, No Age would have happened a long time ago.

Outside of the band, both members are active in the Los Angeles art scene, working with The Smell (an all-ages grassroots venue supporting underground music and art). The members’ artistic involvement is definitely reflected in the music as well. Tracks like “I Wanna Sleep” and “Sun Spots” beam with feedback and effected harmonies, as opposed to the full-throttle noise blasting throughout the record.

Since the duo’s 2006 inception, it has released five limited vinyl-only releases for DIY labels like UTR, Deleted Art, Youth Attack, and Dean’s very own PPM imprint. But Weirdo Rippers is a keystone release for both the band and Fat Cat. What will a third wind bring–noise-house?

Weirdo Rippers is out August 28 on Fat Cat.

Tracklisting
01. Every Artist Needs a Tragedy
02. Boy Void
03. I Wanna Sleep
04. My Life’s Alright Without You
05. Everybody’s Down
06. Sun Spots
07. Loosen This Job
08. Neck Escaper
09. Dead Plane
10. Semi-Sorted
11. Escarpment