Now In 3D - Videoslaves E.P.

When we last heard from Now In 3D, they released an E.P. that was only available at Gusto Fest. This time around, they've polished up a few of those songs and added a few more for the official release, “Videoslaves”. All in all, the sound is much clearer and well-defined, this is immediately evident on the opening title track. The synths don't struggle to cut through the mix and the vocals are a bit clearer without sacrificing any of the raw, “garage rock” sound that you've come to know and love about this band.


Last time, I saw Now In 3D riding through small town America in a vintage convertible Cadillac terrorizing the elderly with nothing more than a glance. The danger appears to lie solely in the eyes of the observer, “individuals living this freely must surely be hooligans”, says an old man in between pulls of his corn cob pipe. The band smiles and waves at the gentleman as they pass, blaring an upbeat, catchy burst of Reverb-soaked Punk Rock called “Skull Cave”. A song complete with theremin-like accents and the echoed drones of what sounds like a group of druids from a 70s B-movie. The camera zooms in on a porno store as we see the convertible pull in, revealing a license plate that reads “Vidslvs” as the band coolly surveys their surroundings.

Their “X-Ray Eyes” reveal a single clerk in the store, thumbing through an issue of “Cat Fancy”, eating a stale beef stick. Having spent their money on Russian blanks, it was clearly time to “Cashout” and they knew exactly what they had to do. A bluesy lead guitar accentuates the up-tempo riff playing in between the instructions, “Take it out the register and put it in the bag, man!”. That was all the clerk heard as he was suddenly accosted by 4 individuals in masks carrying brightly colored guns that buzzed with electricity and appeared to be from another planet. A single laser beam grazed the clerk's shoulder before setting several magazines on fire, letting him know without question that these were real weapons. “Don't make another move or you'll be a dead man!” their leader shouted as the clerk fumbled with the band's newly acquired funds. He noticed one of the perpetrators appeared to have cat ears and smiled with wonder and amazement as he handed over the bag.

“Take me with you.” he said as three of the four members rushed back outside, the forth trailing behind just long enough to give an amused laugh and a wave. Now In 3D was long gone by the time police arrived, leaving behind the faint sound of speedy drums and infectious hooks as well as burned rubber in the parking lot and a clerk who felt full of whimsy, confusion and longing. “I'm telling you, officer, one of them was a cat person! They had real cat ears under their mask!” said the clerk to a policeman who stopped taking notes and started doodling a caricature of the robbery victim as soon as the words “I think one of them was really a cat!” left his mouth. “We'll look into this right away, Sir” the officer said, turning towards another cop that just shrugged his shoulders in disbelief.

Meanwhile, Now In 3D are speeding up the highway counting money and spreading the glory of Synth-laden Punk Rock up and down the countryside, leaving a trail of dumbstruck and slightly heartbroken store clerks in their wake. What adventures await them? Are they heading down a road to an early “Dirtnap” or is Now In 3D set to take the world by storm with their combination of Hardcore riffing and poppy hooks? Do they really care if they're lost or if they're found? Maybe the answers can be found at their next show or maybe these are questions that can only be answered during the next review of a Now In 3D release. Stay tuned to your late night public access channel for clues in the static.