MP3 Left Hand Smoke - Nonsense Parade
The Nonsense Parade combines greasy, roadhouse rock; soul-drenched R&B; rootsy, Americana folk-rock; infectious, dance-inducing funk; and hook-laden pop. Despite such diverse influences, Left Hand Smoke''s sound remains uniquely its own.
12 MP3 Songs
ROCK: Roots Rock, POP: with Live-band Production
Details:
"Nonsense Parade" (produced by LHS, Garey Shelton and John Shoemaker) features 12 new soulful cuts that capture the essence and energy of the band. "Nonsense Parade" is the perfect blend of the bands'' classic influences and present-day experience. The result is fresh and, at the same time, nostalgic, comparable to such timeless, eclectic, and accessible albums as the Counting Crows'' "August and Everything After" or the Rolling Stones'' "Exile on Main Street."
The music of this album is deeply rooted in the sounds that shaped rock and roll: barrel-house piano, soulful electric guitar, melodic acoustic grooves, swelling B3 Hammond organ, and memorable rock riffs. Throughout, thoughtful and often pained lyrics form a window into the life of a road-weary musician who has spent the last four years touring in support of his bands'' previous albums, striving for recognition in a competitive and often contradictory music industry. Reflections on his experiences led songwriter and lead singer Ben Mish to the undeniably catchy and infinitely relative phrase, "It''s all just a Nonsense Parade."
As Mish says, "The album is called "Nonsense Parade" and is based on the idea that once you understand things, they lose their beauty. There''s a line in one of the songs about taming the Mississippi, but it loses its mystery ("Fame''s Around the Corner"). I have this romanticized idea that at one point a large number of the new songs on the radio were instant classics and the motivations behind the music were pure and unadulterated. But now, people who write songs can''t help but worry about making a hit if they want to make it in the music business. But the people I''ve always admired, even though they know how to write great songs that reach a huge audience, seem to do it in a way where they retain artistic integrity."
Mish''s lyrics in the title track sum up the sentiment of the album and the approach the band took in making this record: "The experience you have, throw it all into a pot/But where''s the truth boy, when you try to see the world as it is not?/You know it''s just a nonsense parade."
LHS: Ben Mish, Lead Vocals, Keyboards, Lyrics; Will Mish, Lead Guitar; Ronan O''Mahony, Acoustic/Electric Guitar, Vocals, Percussion; Andrew Scaglione, Bass; Andrew Cloutier, Drums, Percussion, Vocals.
Noteworthy:
*"Fame''s Around the Corner"(track1) and "Get What You Deserve" (track 3) feature Kathi McDonald, former Ikette with the Ike and Tina Turner Revue and back-up singer on the Rolling Stones 1972 album "Exile on Main Street."
* "Everybody" (track 7) and "Beautiful Soon" (track 2)feature acclaimed composer, pianist, and keyboardist Wayne Horvitz on organ.