Pitchfork

It may seem like No Age's Dean Spunt and Randy Randall spend all of their time in sweaty basements and lofts banging out their dream-punk jams, but the pair also share an extra-musical passion: skateboarding. And these dudes aren't kidding around-- they have a half-pipe in their backyard. And they've even been skating with Ryan Adams in Australia this week.

Recently, Spunt and Randall formed a partnership with the California skate clothing company Altamont Apparel. Like No Age, Altamont is a punk-informed DIY enterprise. Altamont found that the No Age dudes shared their aesthetics and values, so they have brought Spunt and Randall on as "team managers" for the music side of the company.

Twice a year, Altamont issues a catalog highlighting that season's line that comes with an exclusive 10" vinyl record. Starting with the Spring 2009 collection, Spunt and Randall are in charge of curating what bands contribute to that 10". Naturally, their first one features music from No Age themselves. The 10" includes "Goat Hurt", from an early EP, their cover of Björk's "It's Oh So Quiet" from Stereogum's Björk covers project, and "Recovery and Everything Else", which according to Spunt, is the "isolated noise track" from "Everybody's Down". Future catalogs will feature Mika Miko and the skateboard supergroup the Goat.

Unfortunately, these 10"s (and their accompanying catalogs) aren't for sale to the general public. According to an Altamont rep, the catalogs are issed in very limited edition quantities and sent out to stores that stock Altamont goods, as well as members of the press. So good luck hunting 'em down!

However, the relationship between No Age and Altamont doesn't end with the 10"s. Randall's and Spunt's faces also adorn the catalog's current cover, and last summer Randall directed a promotional film for the company. For the Spring 2009 collection, in addition to designing their own shirt, No Age also commissioned a few friends to craft tees: Hisham Bharoocha of Soft Circle (and formerly of Black Dice and Lightning Bolt), Sam McPheeters (ex-Born Against/Men's Recovery Project), and Matthew Thurber of Soiled Mattress and the Springs.

Somehow, in between No Age gigs and skateboarding lifestyle consulting, Spunt finds time to continue to run his record label, PPM. On February 17, PPM will release the Abe Vigoda's Reviver EP and the Gun Outfit's album Dim Light. Projects in the works include Wavves' "To the Dregs" 7", due in April, a Total Abuse 7" and Mika Miko's new album, We Be Xuxa, in May, a High Places/Soft Circle split 12" and a Silk Flowers album in June, and Infinite Body's White Hymn album in July.

No Age dates:

02-28 Santa Barbara, CA - Velvet Jones *
03-01 San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill (Noise Pop)
03-10 Phoenix, AZ - Modified !
03-12 Flagstaff, AZ - Tacos Lacos !
03-16 Lubbock, TX - Bash Riprocks !
03-19 Austin, TX - Bourbon Rocks (Sub Pop SXSW showcase)
04-17 Indio, CA - Coachella

* with Infinite Body
! with the Goat