American Nomad
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American Nomad

San Francisco, California, United States | SELF

San Francisco, California, United States | SELF
Band Americana Folk

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"Quote by Grammy award winning producer and bluegrass legend Laurie Lewis"

"When I first heard Hassan and Shiloh sing together it just knocked me out. They get such a great blend with their voices and they have great songs too. Very smart and heartfelt. I'm honored that they came to me and asked me to produce their first album of their band American Nomad." - Laurie Lewis


"Quote by Grammy award winning producer and bluegrass legend Laurie Lewis"

"When I first heard Hassan and Shiloh sing together it just knocked me out. They get such a great blend with their voices and they have great songs too. Very smart and heartfelt. I'm honored that they came to me and asked me to produce their first album of their band American Nomad." - Laurie Lewis


"Review by blogger Michael Morgan"

Artist: American Nomad
Album: Temple Sunrise
Review by Michael Morgan

There is no better platform than music to document the pain and anguish of life truths; they tend to unravel moments of clarity and sincerity. Lead singer and group founder of American Nomad, Hassan El-Tayyab, leaves it all out on the line lyrically and musically on his debut EP, Temple Sunrise. Along with humor injected into song's like "Worst Best Man" and "Ramona," is an unfulfilled passion for discovery across Temple Sunrise that is incessantly sought after even beyond the last song, album-titled "Temple Sunrise."

Album opener, "Ramona" has a boogie woogie jiggly beat that is straightforward, unexpurgated and country fried. The lyrics are witty anecdotes about a sailor with a fascination for a girl named (that's right), Ramona. The middle portion of the song is drenched in fast scatting fiddles. They are also a backdrop for fills throughout the entire song. Lead singer and songwriter, Hassan El-Tayyab's voice has a soothing timbre with a slight nasal twang that fits squarely into the crosshairs of the jumpy, cool swagger of "Ramona."

"Worst Best Man" is a simultaneously hilarious and sad story about a man left at the altar because his bride is swept away by his best man. The story is told in the first person from the point of view of the jilted groom. The song's beat is similar to Ramona; its frenetic swinging country-folk aesthetic will make listeners want to dance, whimper and laugh at the same time! "Worst Best Man," along with "Ramona" are repeat-players and sure-things for fans of humorous upbeat folk-country ditties. While Hassan doesn't necessarily have Johnny Cash's shiny and deep baritone voice, he does have Cash's deadpan vocal delivery that adds to the band's overall authenticity as a country band. It also doesn't hurt that the six-person group takes their craft seriously producing tight arrangements with an effortless delivery that will make listeners feel as if they are sitting in a cozy coffeehouse while listening to this album.

"Single Mother's Day" sounds like an ode to the songwriter's mother set to a mid tempo beat. It is a heartfelt and cleverly written piece starting out satirically with the epic Dickens intro "It was the best of times. It was the worst of times...". Like most of the songs off of the album, Ben Andrews artistic and adept fiddle glues together the song's story like an unspoken narrator.

"Hole in My Heart" has a gorgeous harmonizing acapella intro. The song's refrain is repeated for most of the four-plus minutes: There's a hole in my heart where the rain comes in. The rhythm guitar swirls with a singular hypnotic chord creating a gospel-like sensation. The lead singer's voice is meditative as it perpetuates the refrain for the duration of the song; he riffs vocally along with the backing chorus. Another effective part of the arrangement is the bass and percussion stomp pervading most of the song.

If "Worst Best Man" is the exclamation point of Temple Sunrise, album-titled "Temple Sunrise" is an ellipsis; there is much more to come from this San Francisco Bay Area sextet. It's a mid tempo instrumental that almost acts like a transitional piece. Its intensity is unmatched on the rest of the record and demonstrates the group's tight arrangement and mathematical musicianship. The periodic crescendos of guitars and percussion are reminiscent of Led Zeppelin's 1975 acoustic instrumental classic, "Bron-Yr-Aur."

It will be exciting to see which direction American Nomad takes its next album. Will it take their sound down the darker corridor of "Temple Sunrise," or will it loiter by the door of upbeat swinging country-style folk? Fans of folk and Americana will not be disappointed by this debut album. Any grooms who have some doubts about their best man's intention towards their bride-to-be should beware!


Review by Michael Morgan
Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
- www.IndieSoupRunner.com


"Review by blogger Michael Morgan"

Artist: American Nomad
Album: Temple Sunrise
Review by Michael Morgan

There is no better platform than music to document the pain and anguish of life truths; they tend to unravel moments of clarity and sincerity. Lead singer and group founder of American Nomad, Hassan El-Tayyab, leaves it all out on the line lyrically and musically on his debut EP, Temple Sunrise. Along with humor injected into song's like "Worst Best Man" and "Ramona," is an unfulfilled passion for discovery across Temple Sunrise that is incessantly sought after even beyond the last song, album-titled "Temple Sunrise."

Album opener, "Ramona" has a boogie woogie jiggly beat that is straightforward, unexpurgated and country fried. The lyrics are witty anecdotes about a sailor with a fascination for a girl named (that's right), Ramona. The middle portion of the song is drenched in fast scatting fiddles. They are also a backdrop for fills throughout the entire song. Lead singer and songwriter, Hassan El-Tayyab's voice has a soothing timbre with a slight nasal twang that fits squarely into the crosshairs of the jumpy, cool swagger of "Ramona."

"Worst Best Man" is a simultaneously hilarious and sad story about a man left at the altar because his bride is swept away by his best man. The story is told in the first person from the point of view of the jilted groom. The song's beat is similar to Ramona; its frenetic swinging country-folk aesthetic will make listeners want to dance, whimper and laugh at the same time! "Worst Best Man," along with "Ramona" are repeat-players and sure-things for fans of humorous upbeat folk-country ditties. While Hassan doesn't necessarily have Johnny Cash's shiny and deep baritone voice, he does have Cash's deadpan vocal delivery that adds to the band's overall authenticity as a country band. It also doesn't hurt that the six-person group takes their craft seriously producing tight arrangements with an effortless delivery that will make listeners feel as if they are sitting in a cozy coffeehouse while listening to this album.

"Single Mother's Day" sounds like an ode to the songwriter's mother set to a mid tempo beat. It is a heartfelt and cleverly written piece starting out satirically with the epic Dickens intro "It was the best of times. It was the worst of times...". Like most of the songs off of the album, Ben Andrews artistic and adept fiddle glues together the song's story like an unspoken narrator.

"Hole in My Heart" has a gorgeous harmonizing acapella intro. The song's refrain is repeated for most of the four-plus minutes: There's a hole in my heart where the rain comes in. The rhythm guitar swirls with a singular hypnotic chord creating a gospel-like sensation. The lead singer's voice is meditative as it perpetuates the refrain for the duration of the song; he riffs vocally along with the backing chorus. Another effective part of the arrangement is the bass and percussion stomp pervading most of the song.

If "Worst Best Man" is the exclamation point of Temple Sunrise, album-titled "Temple Sunrise" is an ellipsis; there is much more to come from this San Francisco Bay Area sextet. It's a mid tempo instrumental that almost acts like a transitional piece. Its intensity is unmatched on the rest of the record and demonstrates the group's tight arrangement and mathematical musicianship. The periodic crescendos of guitars and percussion are reminiscent of Led Zeppelin's 1975 acoustic instrumental classic, "Bron-Yr-Aur."

It will be exciting to see which direction American Nomad takes its next album. Will it take their sound down the darker corridor of "Temple Sunrise," or will it loiter by the door of upbeat swinging country-style folk? Fans of folk and Americana will not be disappointed by this debut album. Any grooms who have some doubts about their best man's intention towards their bride-to-be should beware!


Review by Michael Morgan
Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
- www.IndieSoupRunner.com


Discography

Temple Sunrise EP
American Nomad Live at the Freight and Salvage 5/30/13

Photos

Bio

The groups originator, Hassan El-Tayyab, is a descendant of traditional Arabic Bedouins and European immigrants, making him pretty American, wed say. He developed an interest early on in writing music and performing at local coffee houses and bars around the South Shore of Massachusetts. He later moved to Boston where he quickly immersed himself in the music scene of Cambridge, with its richly talented artists and dynamic roots. He continued to write and perform original music, simultaneously supporting various Boston singer/songwriters and bands on stage with his guitar and mandolin. Things were rolling along until 2009, which ended up being a pretty tough year for various reasons. Hassan felt it would be a good idea to get out of town for a while and process it all. He jumped in his Chevy Malibu and spent the next few months driving around America.

In traveling around the country, Hassan found many interesting people and places, but things took an unexpected twist when he randomly stumbled upon a peculiar metal shop in Berkeley, California, called the Shipyard. There he met a bunch of metal artists working on a gigantic fire-breathing art project called the Fishbug. Two weeks later, he found himself at Burning Man helping out with fire safety for the art piece. Out on the playa, Hassan made some profound realizations about his life and decided maybe it was time to try something new. Once the festival was over, he moved back to Berkeley to give something new a try.

Over the course of the next few years in the San Francisco Bay Area, Hassan searched the city for fellow collaborators. In 2011 he attended a local music jam session and stumbled across Ameircan Nomads second core member. Both Shiloh Parkerson and Hassan now front the group, making what each of them regard as the best music they have ever created.

Shiloh brings so much to the band, including amazing songs and a powerful voice that has been likened to creamy molasses. With her soulful, angelic, and unflinching vocals, Shiloh creates a vast array of colors and moods.

Born and raised in Fairbanks, Alaska, Shiloh discovered her passion for music as a young girl while trying out every wind instrument she could get her hands on. She trained as a flutist from the age of 10, but her mom loves to tell to the story of her opera singing at five in the morning while getting ready for school. As a teenager she fell in love with harmony singing in the choirs at Fine Arts Camp where her vocal coach planted a little seed in her heart; she said, If you dont play the flute, please sing. Shiloh will never forgot those words, and more every day they motivate her to follow her dreams.

Shiloh is inspired and influenced by Gillian Welch, Patty Griffin, Martha Scanlan, Chris Stapleton, Alison Krauss, Bonnie Raitt, Loretta Lynn, Norah jones, Ella Fitzgerald, and Billie Holiday, among so many others.

In 2007, she worked up the courage to sing at an open-mic night for the first time and later that year helped form the band Fiddlehead Red with several friends in Fairbanks. Shiloh was one of two songwriters and lead vocalist for the acoustic collaboration that showcased innovative takes on old roots. The band was based in folk with notes of bluegrass, jazz, rockabilly, pop, blues, country, classical, old time, and swing.

In 2009, Shiloh relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area. She decided to focus on creating her life as a musician and began to learn to play guitar. In 2011, fate brought Shiloh to Hassan, a kindred spirit in his talent, and dedication to music. She joined his existing music project, American Nomad, and found herself at home with the opportunity to create rich harmonies and tell meaningful stories. It is a perfect pairing where both musical partners thrive from challenging each other to dig deeper while celebrating their journey.

Band Members