nomo

Nomo are a raucous nine-plus piece band from Ann Arbor, Michigan. They’ve been knocking around on the periphery for a while, covering the Newsom and releasing a couple of albums on Ubiquity, getting a bit of blog coverage last year for Ghost Rock. The next offering is Invisible Cities. They describe themselves as “post-afrobeat dance explosion”. Although I’m not sure about the ‘post’ bit, as I think it’s really lashed inextricably to Fela, not really diverging to go ‘post’ his tried and tested afro-swagger. The afrobeat dance explosion however, is very accurate.

Aside from Fela, they also remind me of Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, the Brooklyn based band of brass playing brothers, who we featured here a while back. But where Hypnotic Brass Ensemble are indebted to hip-hop, Nomo owe more to world jazz, to Miles Davis circa Sketches of Spain maybe, and yeah, most importantly Fela Kuti at his most infectious, best heard on something like “Expensive Shit”. But flimsy comparisons aside, Nomo are great. Listen first to “Invisible Cities”, the title track from the forthcoming album. It’s got the most of everything in it:

Nomo - Invisible Cities

My favourite is “Banners On High”, which (I think) features the electric mbira and crushed home made percussion most prominently - the ‘electric sawblade gamelan’ and ‘nu-tone cymbals’. These primitive electrified instruments have a invigoratingly dirty sound, mushy and thick - a milkshake slop of bright crushed colours crashing and tearing about, lifted by percussive rumblings and the cohesive force of sharp brass. 

Nomo - Banners On High

“Bumbo” has that low kicking brass on the melody line, a heavy gutsy drawl pouring forth the funk on a slow rythmic roll. It’s small basement rooms, hot with sweat and booze, swaying skin wall-to-wall, with brass glinting in the lowlights. 

Nomo - Bumbo

And for anyone who missed it all those months ago, here’s the Newsom cover - a swinging, swaying version of “The Book Of Right On” that’s just oozing with attitude, and tipped with romance.

Nomo - Book Of Right On

As usual, the tried and tested retailers on the right would love to fill your ears with Nomo in exchange for cash/debit cards.