Since the mid-70s, it feels like every time an oppressive force bears down on a population of innocent people, punk rock has been there to offer emotional support to the rebellion. From Stiff Little Fingers in Northern Ireland looking for an “Alternative Ulster,” to the Rock Against Bush compilations in the mid-2000s, to Pussy Riot’s Moscow cathedral performance protest against Putin, to Green Day declaring the MAGA crowd the new American Idiots, punk has been there to speak truth to power. Washington D.C.’s NØ MAN—and their frontwoman, Maha Shami, the daughter of Palestinian refugees—are speaking truth to power from the river to the sea.
Formed in 2017, NØ MAN was created when the reunion of hardcore band Majority Rule reminded Matt Michel (guitar/vocals), Pat Broderick (drums) and Kevin Lamiell (bass) how much they enjoyed making music together, prompting them to recruit Shami as their new vocalist. They recently announced their new album, Glitter and Spit, due out March 29th on Iodine Recordings. The new record was written before the current boiling point in the long conflict in Gaza, but promises to give a raw take on the history of the region drawing from Shami’s own experiences, including her trips home to Palestine witnessing the oppression first hand.”
Today, the band are debuting their second single off the album “March of Ides.” “Glitter and Spit honors resistance, challenging tyranny and oppression by refusing to let others distort your reality to fit their fantasy,” explains Shami. “For my lived experience, it’s meant fighting for the right to exist as a Palestinian and as a woman. ‘March of Ides’ is about corrupt leaders breathing the same infected, power hungry air molecules of dictators from history and an inevitable countdown to their demise.”
The hardcore track is bursting with energy, but also a certain amount of polish that speaks to a band with a long history together who have found their groove with each other. The harsh hardcore vocals provide a sharp condemnation of the atrocities committed against the Palestinian people. It’s a perfect addition in what will undoubtedly be one of the most important political records of the year. Check out “March of Ides” below.
Upcoming Tour Dates:
MAY
03 – Richmond, VA @ Richmond Music Hall w/ Strike Anywhere
04 – Brooklyn, NY @ Saint Vitus w/ Strike Anywhere
• 3/27: Norfolk at Taphouse with Demons Horsewhip Dariel Clark
• 3/28: Philly God’s Auto Body Sunrot Warbler Everything and Nothing
• 3/29: DC St Stephen’s with NO MAS Big No Cimitir
• 3/30: Baltimore Ottobar Rid of Me Out Sick!
You can pre-order Glitter and Spit from Deathwish Inc. Follow NØ MAN on Facebook and Instagram for future updates.
Free Palestine!
Photo courtesy of Zach Hobbs.
