In den frühen 80ern, als die Region um Washington DC und Maryland längst eine Hochburg des Punk und seinr Folgeerscheinungen war, schickte sich die Combo No Trend an, neue Standards in Sachen Anarchismus, Surrealismus und lebensbejahenden Kitsch mit einer Brise Sarkasmus in der Szene zu etablieren und dabei zugleich eine Gegenposition zur in manchen HC-Kreien aufkommenden Askese stark zu machen. Ende Mai erscheinen frühe Aufnahmen der Band – genauer die Debüt-LP “Too Many Humans” und zwei Versionen der EP “Teen Love” – in verschiedenen analogen und digitalen Formaten über Drag City. Ein üppiges Text- und Bildmaterial rundet die Veröffentlichung ab.
“Hailing from the unhip suburb of Ashton, Maryland, No Trend presented a sneering alternative to that sanctimo¬nious ethos. Cynical, surreal, and eager to call attention to the hypocrisy of both Middle American norms and supposedly free-thinking subcultures, the band merci¬lessly baited its audience, dressed in atro¬ciously kitschy clothing, and antagonized fans and foes with grinding dirges and contemptuous, tragicomic lyrics. Despite much local hostility, the group managed to make a name for itself nationally, tour¬ing often and gigging with the likes of the Dead Kennedys, Sonic Youth, T.S.O.L., Hüsker Dü, The Flaming Lips, Butthole Surfers, Soundgarden, and countless others. 
This compilation covers No Trend’s early records: the first LP, Too Many Humans, and two versions of the “Teen Love” EP. The inserts and ephemera from the original releases have been recreated to produce true facsimiles of these vinyl documents. The attendant CDs also tack on the group’s first demo tape and a live performance from the period. These artifacts defined No Trend’s sound and image in 1983 and 1984, and are largely how the band is remembered today. The booklet accompanying the music was painstakingly assembled from a vari¬ety of sources, and it includes photos, show flyers, contemporaneous fanzine reviews, and interviews with leader Jeff Mentges and No Trend’s other surviv¬ing founder, Bob Strasser. The box also contains the infamous No Trend “dance” books (presumed lost until recently), as well as several other surprises.” (Drag City)
