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Announcing NOMO Dates, NOMO / His Name Is Alive US Tour Begins May 15

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ANNOUNCING 19 NOMO TOUR DATES: NOMO/HIS NAME IS ALIVE HIT THE ROAD STARTING MAY 15; UBIQUITY TO RELEASE NOMO'S 'NEW TONES' ON MAY 9, 2006, THE BRAND-NEW ALBUM FROM DETROIT'S EIGHT MEMBER RIOTOUS JAZZ AND FUNK BAND

NOMO's roots are firmly planted in the fertile soil of African polyrhythm and American free jazz, and bandleader Elliot Bergman's tracks draw inspiration from cultures and generations wildly different than his home setting. Detroit producer Warren Defever (His Name Is Alive) was charged with capturing the band's live energy, and he shaped the sounds for maximum impact. New Tones is a full-color, spiritual soundscape that marries the exotic with the gritty.

About NOMO's New Tones:
On New Tones, set for release May 9, 2006 on Ubiquity Records, home-made Detroit electronics and huge horn sections blast big band funk and riotous jazz. NOMO's roots are firmly planted in the fertile soil of African polyrhythm and American free jazz, and bandleader Elliot Bergman's tracks draw inspiration from cultures and generations wildly different than his home setting. In many ways (at least geographically and sonically) NOMO are a distant relative of the TRIBE collective. Undoubtedly they carry the spirit of the legendary Detroit-label's creative output.

NOMO were signed to Ubiquity through interest in their little-known self-titled debut album, and on the back of an onslaught of persuasive emails from their fans (including Sam Valenti IV of Ghostly International fame) that the band puts on a must-see live show. Raw propulsive rhythms and infectious melodies carry a horn section and multilayered percussion that is part Tom Ze, M.I.A., Philip Cohran, P-Funk, Antibalas, Tortoise and Harry Partch. Enigmatic Detroit producer Warren Defever was charged with capturing the band's live energy, and he shaped the sounds for maximum impact. New Tones is a full-color, spiritual soundscape that marries the exotic with the gritty. NOMO's New Tones moves beyond the ecstatic to approach Bergman's vision of a transcendent, elemental sound--one that aims to move both bodies and spirits.

“We blend minimalist keyboard loops, fuzzed-out bass, soulful group vocals, and rolling blasts from an electric mbira," explains an enthusiastic Bergman. “Throw in a horn-led midnight funeral procession and hopefully you have a deep listen that's also a soul shaking dance party for the people!"

In 2004 Ypsilanti Records released NOMO's debut album and the band sold a few thousand copies (in the USA), mostly based on the strength of their live set. With the indie-press latching on to the band reviews came in from The Fader, XLR8R, Magnet, Blender, and the band even landed a spot on the Urb Next 100 list. Later in the Fall of 2005 P-vine would give the debut album a Japanese domestic release. Following that, Ghostly International released a Dabrye remix of “Not Wisely/Too Well", from the debut, on the “Additional Productions vol.1" EP. In the Spring of 2006, Kindred Spirits will include “Better Than That" on a spiritual jazz compilation and release a four song 12" in March prior to the New Tones album release in May.

“The New Tones recordings are more intricate and nuanced than anything we've released," says Bergman. “The record features an arsenal of homemade percussion including the “electric sawblade-gamelan", “no-tone" shakers, and the “Nu-Tone cymbals"," he adds.

The band has a core of 8 multi-instrumentalists and their big steamrolling ensemble sound still leaves room for solo voices; Elliot Bergman (Tenor Sax, Bass Clarinet, Synths, Rhodes, Electric Mbira etc), Erik Hall (Guitar and Percussion), Jamie Register (Bass and Singing), Dan Piccolo (Drumset, Canister), Olman Piedra (Congas and percussion), Dan Bennett (Saxophones), Ingrid Racine (trumpet), and Justin Walter (Trumpet). New Tones is the product of six months of recording at Midwest venues including Detroit's venerable United Sound Systems (as featured on the Luv N'Haight compilation Searching for Soul), Key Club Recording Company, Detroit's Orchestra Hall, and the NOMO basement. “Many band members lived together in Ann Arbor over a 5 year period. This place was ground zero for NOMO activity, housed rehearsals, and many a sweaty basement dance party," says Bergman. “In fact, we had lots of good shows there, from avant noise bands to folky sing-alongs to free jazz jams to electro."

Nu Tones is all original, except for “The Book of Right On" a cover of a track by Joanna Newsom. “She is a strange and wonderful singer/harpist who sounds like a baroque version of Bjork, or some strange Ancient/Future nymph singing...she's certainly an acquired taste, but one that I love," says Bergman. The album documents a 2-year period of incessant performing and rehearsing, playing in sweaty basements, indie rock bars, and radio stations. The band has played numerous festival stages with groups as diverse as Amp Fiddler, Sharon Jones, Numbers, and dB's. One of the highlights was playing to 4,000 people with Fred Anderson and Nicole Mitchell sitting in at the Chicago World Music Festival. The AACM collaboration carried through to the making of this record, which features Mitchell's otherworldly flute work on the opening track “Nu Tones", and then as the soloist on “We Do We Go" and “If You Want".

NOMO U.S. Tour Dates:

FRI 04/28:Bowling Green, OH @ Howard's Club H
210 N. Main Street Bowling Green, OH 43403
www.howardsclubh.com

TUE 05/09: Lansing, MI @ Mac's Bar
2700 E. Michigan Avenue Lansing, MI 48912
(517) 484-6795
www.macsbar.com
18 and up. $6.00 21+, $8 under 21

WED 05/10: Grand Rapids, MI @ Calvin College Fine Arts Center
3201 Burton SE Grand Rapids, MI 49546
www.calvin.edu/admin/sao

THU 05/11: Kalamazoo, MI @ Rocket Star Cafe
1504 W. Michigan Kalamazoo, MI 49007
www.rocketstarcafe.com

FRI 05/12: Chicago, IL @ Sonotheque
1444 W Chicago Ave Chicago, IL 60622
(312) 226-7600
www.sonotheque.org

SAT 05/13:Ann Arbor, MI @ Blind Pig
208 S. First Ann Arbor, MI 48104
www.blindpigmusic.com

His Name Is Alive/NOMO U.S. Tour Dates (Confirmed as of 4/4, More To Be Announced):

MON 05/15: Cambridge, MA @ T.T. The Bear's
10 Brookline Street Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 492-0082
www.tthebears.com
18 and up. $10.00

TUE 05/16: New York, NY @ The Mercury Lounge
217 E. Houston New York, NY 10002
www.mercuryloungenyc.com
21+. $12.00

WED 05/17: Hoboken, NJ @ Maxwell's
1039 Washington Street Hoboken, NJ 07030
(201) 653-1703
www.maxwellsnj.com
All Ages. $10.00

THU 05/18: Pittsburgh, PA @ Garfield Artworks
4931 Penn Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15224
(412) 361-2262
www.garfieldartworks.com
All Ages. $10.00

FRI 05/19: Philadelphia, PA @ World Cafe Live
3025 Walnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19104
www.worldcafelive.com
All Ages. $10.00 Advance/$12.00

SAT 05/20: Baltimore, MD @ Gspot
2980 Falls Road Baltimore, MD 21211
(410) 889-6767 www.gspotavp.com

MON 05/22: Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506
506 W. Franklin Street Chapel Hill, NC 27516
(919) 942-5506
www.local506.net
All Ages. $8.00 Advance/$10.00

THU 05/25: New Orleans, LA @ The Republic
828 S Peters St New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 528-8282

SAT 05/27: Dallas, TX @ The Cavern
1914 Greenville Avenue Dallas, TX 75206
(214) 841-9091
www.thecaverndallas.com
All Ages. $10.00 Advance/$12.00

TUE 05/30: San Diego, CA @ The Casbah
2501 Kettner Blvd San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 232-4355
www.casbahmusic.com
All Ages. $8.00 Advance/$10.00

WED 05/31: Los Angeles, CA @ Spaceland
1717 Silver Lake Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90026
(323) 661-4380
www.clubspaceland.com

THU 06/01: San Francisco, CA @ Bottom Of The Hill
1233 17th Street San Francisco, CA 94107
(415) 626-4455
www.bottomofthehill.com
All Ages. $10.00 Advance/$12.00

SUN 06/04: Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
830 E. Burnside Street Portland, OR 97214
(503) 231-WOOD
www.dougfirlounge.com

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