The Parker Brothers

Nolan's earliest work was with The Parker Brothers http://www.quincyshanks.com/releases.htm.
also did a tour with digger

The Honor System

He played on The Honor System

The Honor System (band)

The Honor System is a punk rock band from Chicago, Illinois that formed after the breakup of The Broadways.- History :The band initially consisted of former Broadways members Dan Hanaway and Rob DePaola , along with Nolan McGuire , and Tim McIlrath...

's debut album, Single File

Single File (album)

Single File is the debut album by Chicago-based punk rock band The Honor System.- Track listing :# "Nails" – 4:33# "The Blaming Game" – 3:03# "Saints" – 4:05# "Decompose" – 3:55# "Facelift" – 3:35# "Flight" – 3:55# "Fool's Gold" – 2:09...

, and subsequent EP

Extended play

An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...

, 100% Synthetic. His playing often complemented vocalist Dan Hanaway's usually lower, more rhythmic sound with organic higher-register leads and arpeggios, frequently featuring bending, sliding and double-stops. However, he was not limited to lead guitar; the two's trading of parts played a large part in the band's sound during his tenure. Nolan left the band some time before their second album, The Rise And Run, and was replaced by Tyler Wiseman, whose arrival heralded a shift of the band's sound in a heavier direction, with less focus on melody.

Alkaline Trio

He was the tour manager for Alkaline Trio

Alkaline Trio

Alkaline Trio is an American punk rock band that formed in McHenry, Illinois, in 1996. The band's line-up consists of Matt Skiba , Dan Andriano , and Derek Grant...

 and played second guitar for them live. These parts are usually written and played on record by the band's guitarist Matt Skiba

Matt Skiba

Matthew Thomas Skiba is the lead singer and guitarist of Alkaline Trio.-Early life and family:...

; however, Nolan received writing/recording credits for lead guitar on "Sadie" from the One Man Army split and, later, Crimson

Crimson (Alkaline Trio album)

Crimson is the fifth album by Alkaline Trio, released May 23, 2005. The record is produced by Jerry Finn.A 'Deluxe Edition' was released on November 28, 2005. The first disc contains the original album, while the added second disc features the album as demos, home demos and acoustic songs...

.