The Nods
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The Nods

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"Pure Pop for Nods People"

"Melody is the main thing we're focusing on," says pure pop vocalist Johnny Broeska from crafty pop rock quintet The Nods.

"Our music is a good mix of melody caught between pop music and rock music. We don't like writing the same song over and over again. We don't want to come off like Nickelback."

Less than a year ago, Broeska, lead guitarist Micah Braun, and Isaac Simonson - all previously in the alternative rock act Castrati - decided to rethink, retool and refocus their modern take on rock.

It's been a welcome thing. After steeping themselves further in the titanic tuneage teachings of The Damned, Nirvana, White Stripes, The Beatles, Queen and Queens, the three remaining Castrati kids shaved off the roughness, added solid drummer Jeff Bruce and emerged with what would be the beginnings of a winding drop into the infinite depths of pop rock.

About five months ago the band blended with Broeska's brother Serge on rhythm guitar.

"We just wanted a fuller sound," Broeska says. "We have a lot of guitar leads, and we wanted to play something while the guitar leads were happening."

Now the richer/fuller sounding Nods are ready to release their new, 11-song power-produced pop rock album - Static Pop - for U pop-rock backin' streetbeaters.

"The album is exactly what we wanted. We recorded it in April. It's going to be coming out on Oct. 26," Broeska says. "It's produced by Jack Shapira from Unison Studios on Academy Road. Scott Stewart engineered it, and it was mastered in L.A. by Tom Baker. He's worked with Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson.

"The songs from Static Pop that we're going to be trying out with the radio stations are Honey, Whatever It Is, and All for Show," he adds.

Before U curious head-boppin' street poppers start getting all crunched and cringed about having to wait so long to hear some new tuneage, check out how fully realized some of these Nods tunes sound on their MySpace page. U might just spend some time clicking around there, gearing up for the band's upcoming gaggle of gigs, which includes a kicker with the Sheepdogs (from Saskatoon) at The Cavern on Aug. 31 and a night at the Albert on Sept. 5 that will be spent nodding off with Alverstone, Dr. Rage & the Uppercuts, and The Afterbeat.

"We're playing lots of shows because we're trying to get out to as many people as we can. Winnipeg's a small city. There's a lot of bands, but not enough fans. We're putting genuine energy into it," Broeska says after I quiz him about their performance approach and the ethics behind it.

"We just don't want to fake anything," he says with affirmative zeal before he goes deeply into why he feels this way. Hey, this just might get some heads boppin' in agreement.

"I think the music industry is real shitty right now," Broeska continues. "I'm pretty fed up with the quality of the music that's going on right now. I'm fed up with MuchMusic or whatever you want to call it. Everything seems like it has to be prepackaged, packaged with clothing and a style.

"Don't get me wrong, music was image-based in the '60s and '70s, but now you're on the big screen in front of millions of people.

"Music is real shitty right now. Rock 'n' roll in my generation, since the '90s, there's been no rock stars. No people like Alice Cooper or Iggy Pop. They're all covered up by 50 Cent and Good Charlotte. I don't know if there's an immediate solution to this. There's going to have to be a revamping of the music industry," he says. - Uptown Magazine - Don Beat


"THE NODS BREAK THE CMJ 200"

January 28/2008

PRESS RELEASE:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



THE NODS GET THE NOD!

Winnipeg based band The Nods broke the coveted CMJ 200 Chart in the US at #177 (CMJ Radio 200 chart #1041)

Now being played on over 175 college stations in the US, The Nods latest album release, STATIC POP has become a college favourite from San Marcos Texas to Bowling Green Kentucky as well as over 175 other stations across the US.

As another milestone for the bands Static Pop album, it was in the CMJ Top 20 Adds in the first week of their campaign at #14 (CMJ Radio 200 Adds chart #1073). In the first 3 weeks of their college music take-over, the band was added to 115 stations, in rotation at 59 and charting in the top 30 at 17.

Now in it's 6th week tracking, the band is charting on 28 stations and in full rotation on 178. The band is hoping to break 200 stations in the next few weeks!

The Nods, who are based out of Winnipeg, Manitoba, have been playing for 5 years and are on their second album, Static Pop. They have toured throughout Canada a number of times in support of their album release as well as shared the stage with the likes of Danko Jones, Buckcherry, Thornley and Default. They are now planning their Canadian album release to retail in early April. This will coincide with a new tour and plans to tour US colleges and make their way to the UK.

The album is currently available online at ITunes and CDBaby and available locally in Winnipeg.

For more information on The Nods please go to www.thenods.com
or email Jack Shapira @ Contact Artist Management info@321contact.ca
- CMJ


"Static Pop - Album Review - Winnipeg Sun - 10/07"

THE NODS

Static Pop

Castrati Music

Sun Rating: 4 out of 5

Judging from interviews, even The Nods are a little divided as to whether their new album is poppier than previous outings. But lest you fear the band took a detour into Justin territory, rest assured the disc still finds them in ferocious garage-rock form. A polished, retro-sounding (and OK, pretty pop-influenced) rocker, Static Pop documents the musical growth spurt the band has undergone lately. Uh Huh opens with a Zep-like dino-riff, before clearing the way for frontman Jonathan Broeska to wail over a droning stoner-rock chorus. The rest of the album is chock-a-block with similar sonic victories, notably the rhythmic dance-rock of Surrenderin' and Whatever it Is, the Kinksian jangle-pop of Talk About It, and the bottom-heavy fuzz of When You Go Away. Categorize it how you like -- Static Pop is a keeper.

- Winnipeg Sun


"Static Pop - Album Review - Uptown Magazine - 10/07"

The Nods
Static Pop
(Castrati Music)


A-

It took a while to get this one out of the player. The Nods' Static Pop is an 11-song slice of vintage, garage-rockin' goodness - and it's solid from beginning to end. Striking a fine balance between '70s riff-rock and '90s grunge - with the occasional nod to '60s mod - this record is a great little rock 'n' roll history lesson that avoids being campy. From the infectiously rockin' Honey to the anthemic harmonies of Whatever It Is to the pure retro-pop bliss of Talk About It, there isn't a song on here that isn't catchy. Seriously. That said, it'd be nice to hear something from the boys that's a little more static and a little less pop, but there's little fault with this record.

— Jen Zoratti - Uptown Magazine


"New Name, New direction - Uptown Magazine - 10/07"

New name, new direction
The Nods get happy with new album Static Pop

By Jen Zoratti

It's a chilly October afternoon, and three of The Nods are discussing just how poppy Static Pop, the band's new album, really is.

OK, it's more of an argument than a discussion.

"I'd say it's poppier," guitarist Sergei Broeska says.

"No, it's really not," drummer Jeff Bruce says. "I don't think it is."

"Really? I think it is. A bit, anyway," singer Jonathan Broeska counters.

Static Pop's pop factor remains a divided issue - but something the band can all agree on is that the new album sounds closer to what The Nods want to sound like.

In 2005, back when the Broeska brothers, Bruce, guitarist Micah Braun and bassist Isaac Simonson were gigging around town under the old - and somewhat problematic - handle Castrati, the fledgling garage rockers cut an album called Everything You Know Is Wrong. While that effort was decent - a few tracks made it to college and commercial radio stations in the city - the band says the record was somewhat scattered.

Static Pop, however, presents a band that has managed to bridge the difficult gap between how it wants to sound and how it can actually convey that sound.

"This one is better," Sergei says. "It feels a lot more cohesive than the last one.

"The last one seemed so thrown together," Jonathan says. "With mastering, artwork, all that stuff, we didn't have a lot of choice. This one, we had more time to think about what we wanted. The last one felt like a bunch of songs. This one feels more along the lines of what we're looking for."

Since The Nods formed in high school - when it went by the name Collateral Jammage - each of its members has hit some obvious growth spurts as musicians, particularly when it comes to songwriting.

"When I was writing songs on the first record, sometimes verse topics didn't go with chorus topics," Jonathan says. "This one, it seemed easier to build a story."

Helmed by Winnipeg producer Jack Shapira (The Details) and mastered by Tom Baker (who's worked with NIN and Smashing Pumpkins), Static Pop features The Nods embarking on a more retro-rooted exploration of the pop genre - with staccato guitars, dance floor-ready basslines and the occasional angular guitar solo.

Still, as fully realized as the record sounds, the band isn't planning to rest on its laurels, nor is it willing to discredit its past material. The Nods recognize how much they've learned as a band over the past four years.

"I don't think we're anywhere near our potential," Jonathan says.

"But we're not saying that those (old) songs were bad," Sergei adds. "We're just better song writers."

"And when it comes to the business side of things, we know how much work we have to do with this record," Bruce says. "We know it's not enough to just put it out there."

"We also started off really cocky," Jonathan says. "I think we're starting to get rid of the reputation that we're assholes. You can't get anywhere being an asshole."

That hasn't been the only tag the guys have been anxious to get rid of...

"We're going to boycott the Castrati questions," Bruce says. "We just got sick of everyone asking us 'Oh, Castrati, isn't that like castration?'

"Yes," he pauses sarcastically, "exactly."

"We were all open to the change," Jonathan laughs. - Uptown Magazine


"The Nods Give Me The Shakes - The Uniter - 09/07"

The Nods give me the shakes:
A van, some men and much lunacy

By Christopher Harder

I met the Nods in the parking lot behind the Royal Albert, helped them load up their stuff, and then took a position in the captain seat of their van. They had just played a show and now they were about to begin a different one: the night itself, and what a spectacle it would be.

The Nods have been dishing out their hooky, abrasive rock for about two years now. Prior to a name change they were known as Castrati, and before that, Collateral Jammage, a cover band.

The boys are preparing to release their new album, Static Pop, on Oct. 26 at the Garrick Centre. Static Pop is filled with tasty guitar sections, symbol-crashing drums, and tuneful vocal harmonies, a sound that's evolved much since their earlier work, and seems to continue to do so everyday. Among their influences, the Nods count the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the White Stripes, Queen, and a plethora of other performers.

At first, whisking through the incoherence was an issue. But eventually we got down to the hammer, set aside our madness, and discussed issues, including the state of modern music, and the dishonesty that latches itself to it.

“For the most part it's a bunch of ingenuine pieces of shit!” blared guitarist Micah Braun, before taking a long pull of his cheap beer and throwing his butt out the window. I felt this statement was worth being said; there was truth in it. “But I think there's some good music out there,” he later interrupted. “There's emo bands, there's punk bands, there's metal bands, there's rock n' roll bands. We just try to make music that we feel.”

I questioned the Nods about the benefits of recently added rhythm guitarist, Serge Broeska. “I think he brought a more cohesive tone to the band,” said singer John Broeska.

The conversation slid to the new album as the Nods discussed recording their new album.

“The recording process was much different," explained John. "This time we knew what we wanted.” That confidence seems to echo in everything they do.

Euphoric stage antics and fiend-like outings are what the band has become known for. I remember once seeing Braun, during a face-melting guitar solo, jump off stage and onto an occupied table, horrifying the patrons, nearly spilling their beverages, and almost killing himself. These and other shenanigans have snowballed into a lingo unique to the band. One of their phrases is “beastin' it.” Asked what it means, John answered, “Beastin' it is just beastin' it.” Isaac Simonson expanded: “It's giving every last inch that's in your soul."

Immediately I heard, “Wow, that was deep,” from one of the other members, just as Serge produced his lighter and ignited my notes. I yelled with surprise, then threw my notes to the ground outside the van and poured a sip or two of my beer on it. As my boots hit the ground, I turned to see Braun with his personal member kissing the post-show air. He was attempting to urinate in his own mouth. Sadly, this was not too surprising. He missed horribly.

“I pissed in my eye,” he laughed maniacally. “I have tears of urine.”

“Can I print that?” I asked.

“Print it. Paint me as naked as I can possibly be painted,” he replied. This, better than any literal answer I could of hoped for, was the definition of “beastin' it.”

Having overcome the image, I squeezed out one last question: what's in store for the CD release party? It will be “Chariots of fire,” predicted drummer Jeff Bruce, “or chariots on fire.” I, for one, would like to see both scenarios untwine. The show will most likely be a Halloween costume party as well. So bring your finest apparel and some dancing shoes, because “it's gonna be a monster of a good time.” - The Uniter (University of Winnipeg)


Discography

LP - "Everything you know is wrong" - Nov. 2005
Single - "Hallmark"
LP - "Static Pop" - Oct. 2007
Singles - "Honey, Whatever It Is"

Photos

Bio

The NODS formed in the spring of 2003. Having played together in High School for a number of years, the group has been developing and refining its sound ever since. With singer Jonathan Broeska, lead guitarist Micah Braun, bassist Isaac Simonson, Steve Hurst on rhythm guitar and Jeff Bruce on drums, the group has been playing bars, halls, showcases and events in and around Winnipeg building critical success for the past several years. On November 1, 2005 the band released their debut album @ the West End Cultural Centre, playing to a sold-out crowd.

In early 2006 the band signed on with Producer Jack Shapira to make their second album as well as handle their management, subsequently landing local opening spots with bands such as Default, Thornley, and Danko Jones as well as a number of key music festivals.

In November 2006 the band went into the studio and started on a new album that would become their sophmore release, Static Pop. The album was a collection of 11 brand new songs that range from the full out heavy guitar rock song Uh Huh, to the pop sensibility of Whatever it is, to the “Brit-rock” inspired Honey!

Static Pop proved to be just the right calling card for the band, landing them a Top 20 CMJ Adds Charting as well as a Top 200 CMJ Charting after successfully being added to over 200 college radio stations throughout the US and on over 20 in Canada. With that clout behind them, they were asked to play The Red Gorilla Music Festival in Austin, Texas which coincides with SXSW and also asked to play at the very exclusive MUSEXPO Conference at the legendary House of Blues in Los Angeles, CA

The Nods have become a band of note on the local and Canadian music scene and with the release of their new EP "ROAR" just around the corner; the band will be heading out on the road, so watch for them at a venue near you in 2009.

You can catch the band playing The All Canadian Showcase at The Red Gorilla Music Festival this year on March 20th, 2009 in Austin, Texas.

KEY MUSIC Festivals:

2004 Juno Fest
2005 New Music West
2006 NXNE
2006 Western Canadian Music Awards
2007 Western Canadian Music Awards
2008 Canadian Music Week
2008 Red Gorilla Music Festival - Austin, Texas
2008 MUSEXPO - Los Angels, CA
2009 Red Gorilla Music Festival - Austin, Texas

See more of The Nods at:

www/myspace.com/thenods
or www.thenodsmusic.com