Well yes, having songs you can sell is one of the primary objectives of most bands. People make songs for their own pleasure but also for other people to like. If anyone tells you they don't care whether or not people like their music then why the hell have they put it in the public domain? If the music is just for yourslf then keep it to yourself. Free downloads sit somewhere in the middle of all this, but again, in putting them in the public domain you must assume the artist wants them to be liked. So, do Austrian band Norah Noizze & Band have some songs they can sell? They've made it clear that's the idea.
There is no way in the world that if this trio ("we consist of 3 queer persons are based in Vienna") were aiming to hit the top of the charts they'd be making music like this. Ask any mainstream music punter and they'll describe this as puzzling, out of tune, obtuse and downright, well, queer. And therein lies the joy of 'Songs We Can Sell'; Norah Noizzze & Band are making music they want to make, they know that it won't be for everyone, but they also know that people looking for new sounds, people with left-field tastes and lovers of the avant-garde will like this album too. So yes, they can sell these songs. To a limited audience admittedly, but an audience nonetheless. They're not interested in compromise. This album is balmy and eclectic and difficult to describe.
There's a new-wave/post-punk thing going on with 'Rock Band' ("we are your rock band, we are here for you") that sounds a bit like parody and possibly is. It sounds like something John Peel would have played in the '80s. The vocals are harsh and direct, shouted almost, and the music largely follows suit. This isn't a smooth ride, it's a thrillingly bumpy one that some will hate and some will love. 'Like You' is almost a pop song but they can't resist contorting it so it doesn't quite fit, especially with such blunt, accented vocals (which happen to be singing "you are pop, we are punk!"). 'Underdog' actually is quite close to a conventional punk song and one of the most "normal" tracks here. By the time we reach 'Sitting In A Hetero Bar' references to homosexuality (or rather it's many crude nicknames) are well into double figures. The irony of the band having a song called 'Get Out Of Tune' is probably not lost on anyone. 'Songs We Can Sell' is unique, perplexing, noisy, irritating but somehow a heck of a lot of fun.
Norah Noizzze & Band's website
Stream or buy the album
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