Music
Press
Deena Kamm fronts the irrepressible Unruly Helga and they have a few albums under their belt. Their latest effort is vivacious and fun.
Opener "Black Man in Simi Valley" recalls Red Hot Chili Peppers funk and in a good way.
"Thicker Than Heroine" has a nice laid back vibe but the words sting. Kamm has a wonderful, elastic voice and knows how to use it.
"Maybe You" shows the bands sensitive side and is a sweet ballad. Kamm's evocative lead dominates.
The angry and catchy "Great Girls" is another standout.
Unruly Helga are an intriguing band and I'm glad I've heard them. They must be great live too. - Collected Sounds.com; Anna Maria Stjärnell
had the opportunity to catch Deena on her first trip through Austin. At this point, I'd already done a CD review, so I was a bit familiar with the songs, and MORE than ready to hear them live!!
Simply put: DEENA ROCKS!!!!!!!! And she's sexy (and I'm not kidding). She opened her set with "I'm Waiting," a song about the pain and aggravation of waiting on someone to make up their mind. "My thoughts are confused, can you hear my voice? So I'm waiting to make your dreams come true, I'm waiting for you." OUCH! Being on that side, waiting for someone to figure out what they want, and if it's you, can be a nightmare.
Third song into her set, I got to hear my (so-far) favorite Deena tune, "You Did This." Live, the bass is groovier, deeper, and Deena's voice just cuts into your bones. The megaphone stressed the point that much more, and the drum lines were delivered with POWER. If nothing else from Deena will win you over, I'm willing to bet that this song will!! Check out her website, and read ALL the lyrics to this one, you won't regret it.
As a tribute to New York, we got to hear "Holding It In." Her sensual vocals really make you feel the words... "if you call me right here, right now, and if times are bad, and you're in doubt, I'll come running, running to you." This is an absolutely beautiful song, and I'm looking forward to hearing it live again in the near future (Deena's coming through Austin again in September!!). Filling harmonics from the lead guitarist, and his full male voice is a great complement to Deena.
"Dogma" came later in her set, and I REALLY like this one live. A much harder edge than on the CD, and I just love the line "I say we pack up our shit and go home." It's one HELL of a song... bad ass guitar solos... accompanying vocals from the rhythm guitarist... and Deena's *amazing* wailing. Gotta love it!!!
Deena closed with "Anything In Me," and this one's even more painful live. This song spoke to me when I heard it on the CD, and I found myself teary eyed more than once when I finally got the chance to hear it live. I won't take away from the full effect of the song by only quoting a lyric or two. Go to her website & read all of it... it's beautiful.
To simplify it down, Deena Noroian is rock/borderline hard rock with commanding vocals that will make you sit up and pay attention. I'm looking forward to September 28th & 29th! - Ali of AustinLive.com
Deena is powerful young singer with amazing drive, and a real talent for songwriting. Her style varies greatly, showing how diverse her voice can be; She moves from tracks sounding similar to Ani Difranco or Poe or Garbage. She also leans toward a No Doubt or even Traci Bonham feel (although I think Deena's "Traci Bonham sound" is better than Traci's…). The musical texture also varies from an intimate piano piece with a lone vocal like the track "Refugee", to an angry, punky song with funk backbone like "Girl". The subjects of the songs vary quite a bit, but each is a different view of life as a girl: life, love, music, pain, and abuse. This is a very truthful look at life occasionally harsh and very blunt: this quality helps Deena the most in expressing the importance of strength in a woman's life. This is a great CD with a variety of styles and feels, I'm sure everyone would like. I eagerly await her follow-up CD. - DC Magnuson - The Indie Zone
After hearing her CD, No Alternative, it was obvious how she bent the ear of some of my favorite venues.
I get into my car after work yesterday, pop the CD in the player, and hear "you did this" spoken in a pouting girlish voice. Don't let that fool you, because Deena's FAR from girlish. If you're expecting to hear poetic warbling, you won't get it here. This is a woman with one HELL of a voice, and something to say.
The first track is one of my favorites. "You Did This" tells one angry story of betrayal and its repercussions. Backed by hard edged guitars, and drums to die for... this is WELL DESERVING of radio play on damn near every station I'd listen to. Words that will cut you to the core, and urge you to dig through your address book and tell everyone that's ever wronged you to listen to it.
"I'm Waiting" is a stripped-down song with just Deena's voice and an electric guitar. "Anything In Me" also spoke to me. An impassioned, simple plea for attention from someone who just can't see the special qualities. Track 8 is an acoustic cover of Linkin Park's "One Step Closer." I enjoyed hearing a female voice sing that one. - AustinExperience.com
I work out at Golds Gym and they have DMX Satellite music playing there. About 3 months ago I heard this song "One Step Closer" and I stopped my workout and ran to the front desk and asked them who was singing that song. Naturally these muscle heads who run the place are dumber than a box of rocks and they were clueless. So after drilling them excessively and bugging every radio DJ from here to California, noone could tell me. Everyday I checked Kazaa under every name variation I could think of, still no luck. I am a model, and for a magazine shoot I was doing there was a dj present. I begged him to find out about this song!! I was now a girl on a mission- to get this song and play it over and over until I could be sick of it, if that is possible. After bothering this dj to no end, I got nowhere. I called the DMX people and bugged them, and finally- today, someone actually was not brain dead and they knew! Imagine my excitement, when, low and behold, this genius of a phone operator busted out with your name.... Deena (Unruly Helga)! There it was, this whole time- RIGHT UNDER MY NOSE!!! See, my name is Dina too. I must be really easy to please for this just tickled me to death. I then called everyone I knew and let them know of my discovery and noone seemed to care. I just wanted you to know that I absolutely love your song- I will send you a broken Linkin Park CD just to prove it, if need be. You straight up are the absolute shit and I will be wearing your song out now. - Dina of Naples, FL
I live in San Jose and just heard your song Tuesday morning on 104.9 KCNL, "The new music alternative". They said they had just received a CD with the song on it from a station in L.A. I was really shocked when I heard it as I am a big Linkin Park fan, and this was totally new. It has a really cool beat to it. My friend, who I e-mailed the song too and is also a Linkin Park fan, really liked it too and says he is going to learn how to play it on his guitar =D. Thank you so much! - Chris - San Jose, CA
Joel:
I was fortunate enough to have seen you and the band play when I was in Anaheim on a business trip and got tickets to see Pat Benatar. I live in Phoenix and as fate would have it I was very pleasantly surprised when I showed up for Pat's concert here, to find that you were opening. You guys were awesome the crowd was awesome and I think you could feel the energy in the theatre.
I've played your CD for many of my friends and I've only heard very positive comments.
Brian:
The reaction you got from the crowd is a testament to your talent. Keep in mind, we as an audience were there to see Pat who in my mind is the greatest female rock and roll vocalist ever. We were not even aware that a band was opening for her. But once you stepped up on stage we thought, "Okay, lets see what you got." You were quite impressive! - Joel G & Brian of Phoenix, AZ
I was sitting in my truck on the way to to Starbucks to grab me a Chazo Tai when I heard your remake of "One step Closer." All I kept saying was, "That's not Linkin Park, but I like it." Then, at the end of the song, a girl called and asked the question I'd been thinking of. "Who is that girl singing." The radio guy, I forget which one, played stupid and just played the song again. Right now, you are current number 5 or 6 on the top 9 at 9 in Chicago, which is where I am from. I may have to go buy your new CD that is out. You voice has a very interesting unique quality. Like a Fiona Apple mixed with a little bit of Varuka Salt. Yet, you still maintain a personality of your own which is truly awesome. - Cheryl of Maywood, IL
Deena was fantastic. Her voice is incredible. As for her music and lyrics, they are sophisticated in their simplicity -- and that's such a delicate balance to achieve. A better word to describe her music is "layered." She creatively gets across so much emotion without being in-your-face obvious. She doesn't wear her heart on her sleeve. Her songs are subtle, cut deep, AND leave room for listener interpretation. Case in point was Deena's first song, "Anything In Me." It destroyed me (how embarrassed was I sitting with 5 guys in the back weeping like a little girl!). The way you may interpret that song may be completely different from the way I interpreted the song, but that's the beautiful thing about her music. She leaves it up to the listener to fill in the blanks. - Brian Kahn, The Burbank Bugle
Please see the Unruly Helga website for all our fan emails, testimonies, and comments. There's so much more if you're interested...
www.unrulyhelga.com
click on "hype" - mostly fans
Discography
2007 - LP "Unruly Helga" (self titled)
2007 - LP "No Alternative" (originally released in 2000)
2007 - LP "Story of a Girl" (originally released in 1998)
2000 - Single "One Step Closer" (major and minor market airplay in 2000)
Photos
Bio
It has been some time since that life-changing day when Deena, the voice and alter ego of Unruly Helga, decided to “do her own thing.” It may not have been one specific day, or moment, or anything else that you can put your finger on. It was more likely a lifetime of moments that lead to a clear decision that enough was enough. She found her voice and was prepared to step up and use it.
“It’s all about substance. It’s all about knowing who you are. It’s all about remaining true to those things.”
Before Deena even stepped foot into her first solo recording session she spent several years learning the ropes as a background and session singer for several local bands and productions companies. Splitting from her best friend's band and turning down offer after offer to join others would lead her to something more significant than she ever imagined; her own band, her own music, her own voice.
But that’s boring now. That's water under the bridge. These days it’s about writing songs, playing music, and just generally rocking indie style. You may be searching to read about the sensational stuff like fights, drugs, and a revolving door of band members. That’s not this band. That’s not the Unruly Helga story.
Unruly Helga has three full length albums under their belt. They have toured as part of major tours and independently, bringing their unique sound to thousands of fans across the United States. They have played in venues ranging from dive bars, to local clubs, to major venues and even several stadiums. They achieved enormous mainstream radio success with their Linkin Park acoustic cover "One Step Closer" a single released in conjunction with their second album "No Alternative". And they continue to grow, change and thrive as a band.
This is a story about perseverance and tenacity. It’s about knowing what you want and not letting anybody change that. This is about expressing yourself for no other reason then it feels right, and that shouldn’t be controlled by an industry of people who need to chew you up and spit you out to make money. It’s about playing music.
So… the music. After 9 years of playing, performing, and making music with the same four musicians, a day in the life of Unruly Helga is pretty damn gratifying. Unruly Helga's idea of success is not measured in monetary figures, but in the intensity of music created without the mainstream iron fist that kills the art in the artist.
So rip it, burn it, download it, you may even be as bold as to purchase it. However you do it – please enjoy the music. Let’s try to get back to a time of actually listening and forming opinions, and allowing yourself - maybe even forcing yourself - to think… for yourself.
From one voice of a broken generation to another, good luck out there.
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