Nicnos

NICNOS – ALBUM REVIEW
Nicnōs bring an energetic blues-rock infusion to their self-titled full length debut. The Oklahoma City-based quintet brings a mix of approaches and styles to the overall blues feel of the album. They do their best to prove to the listener that even the blues can have a fun side. I enjoy the incorporation of each instrument to give the band a well-rounded feel. This begins from track one. The instrumental work in “You Don’t Own Me” is a wonderful mix of well blended guitars and fiddle. The guitar solo from lead guitarist Nick Sigman was in my opinion the strongest part of a very well-played and strong album opener. The interplay between the fiddle and guitar solos at the end was quite enjoyable. “Sing” is slightly more vocal focused and provides Josh Cox and opportunity to interact more with the audience with some of its more catchy audience participation friendly moments. I enjoy the “Irish jig” fiddle intro to “Breaking Before the Fall” I liked the combination of the strong vocals and well-developed bed of instrumental work.

“Miss Lonely” was a nice change of pace ballad showing the bands skill at smoothly transitioning from an intense and energetic rock sound to a more relaxed but emotional ballad. I was not expecting a song like this after hearing the beginning of the album but it was a very pleasant surprise. Of the more typical brooding blues tracks, I enjoyed “Into the Ground.” Blake Parks’ somber fiddle melody plays nicely with Josh’s intense lyrics in this cautionary tale. I admit, as a point of personal reflection, I tend to gravitate to song which have strong lyrics and tell a coherent story. “Son of Bastard” and “Riverbed” return to the more rock feel of “You Don’t Own Me.” Strong lyrics and driving guitars abound in both cases. In my case, I particularly enjoyed the musicianship in the instrumental bridge of Riverbed. The lyrics of Son of Bastard resonate a lot. Lines like “a dollar never came to a man who waits” epitomize the constant chase of fame. Fame and success are the hardest things to chase down and once you stop chasing they’ll leave just a quickly. I really enjoyed “Doghouse” as a very bluesy lyrically-driven closer to this very strong album.

I waited to end to discuss my favorite. “Something You Should Know” does a wonderful job of balancing and featuring the talents of the entire quintet. It’s a very upbeat and energetic piece that I know resonates well with the live audiences, but, even during the review process, I had a difficult time not singing along.

I felt this album was very strong from start to finish. I was surprised and impressed with the depth and balance of the music. I expect wonderful things from Nicnos in the future. I strongly recommend this album for fans of Blues and Southern Rock acts like Taddy Porter, Kenny Wayne Sheppard etc.

Album Rating: 8.5 of 10

Nicnōs is: Josh Cox – Lead vocals /acoustic guitar, Nick Sigman – lead guitar, Blake Parks – Fiddle/Vocals, Jerred Bauer – Drums/Vocals, Jared Gaiser – Bass

The self-titled album is available from iTunes here. - Aaron Doc Coyner, No Cover Tulsa

Today, we would like to introduce you to one of our new favorite bands, the Oklahoma City quintet, Nicnōs! The band has had a very successful year with the release of their self titled album and playing national festivals like Rocklahoma, Center of The Universe and Sturgis. No Cover Tulsa had the chance to catch up with them during Center Of The Universe and discuss the bands beginnings, influences and their new album. Check out the Q&A below!

NC: How did you guys meet? How did Nicnos form?
Josh Cox (Vocals)- We were playing at an open mic night and just jamming and they were like ‘what’s your name?’ and we didn’t have a name cause we were just hanging out and going to play some music. Then we found Blake at a bluegrass festival and the rest is history.

NC: How did you come up with the name?
Josh Cox (Vocals)- The joke amongst us was Nick knows everything. He was fourteen at the time and he just knew everything. He was like ‘what’s your name?’ and I was like ‘I don’t know but I bet Nick knows.’ It just stuck.

NC: Who are your influences?
Josh Cox (Vocals)- Dave Matthews, Byron Berline, Punch Brothers.
Nick Sigman- Led Zepplin

NC: Tell us about your new album.
Josh Cox (Vocals)- It’s been a long time coming. It’s got a lot of stuff. Some stuff was literally written in the middle of the recording process. It’s very diverse. Every song is a little different. One song may sound a little country and some will have bluegrass influences. There’s some that sound like straight rock and there’s some deep blues.
Nick Sigman (Lead Guitar) - We have a lot of different roots so everything comes across a little bit differently than you would expect.
Josh Cox- We didn’t want our album to be the kind where you put it on and it’s like ‘what song is this?’ The hard thing about it now is picking which songs you want to push. I feel like any song on the album could stand out and do just as well in whatever type of market.
Jared Bauer (Drums/Vocals) - We don’t want to limit ourselves to one genre. The thing about the album is not to limit ourselves creatively.
Josh Cox- We play music and we love all sorts of music.

NC: Do you guys have a favorite song on the album?
Blake Parks (Fiddle/Vocals) - Everybody has a different one and everybody we talk to has a different one, too.
Josh Cox (Vocals)- It’s not like there’s just one strong song on the album, which I’m really happy with.

NC: What is your favorite venue you’ve played at?
Heritage Hall-all band members
Josh Cox(Vocals)- If we are in Tulsa, the vanguard. It’s an intimate room, but you get a big venue feel. They take really good care of you. We’ve also done the Guthrie Green and that was a blast. This is our first time at The Hunt Club. (If we’re not in Tulsa) Heritage Hall and Two Frogs in Ardmore, OK. We’ve had the pleasure for opening up for REO Speedwagon. We’re about to open for Styx down there.

NC: If you could tour/record with any artist, who would it be?
Dave Matthews Band- all band members

NC: What would your high school superlatives be?
Blake Parks (Fiddle/Vocals)- Mine was the biggest flirt.
Jared Bauer (Drums/Vocals)- I tried to get most talented, but I lost out to a trumpet player.
Nick Sigman (Lead Guitar)- I didn’t make it to my senior year. We were in Nashville, playing shows out there for a while and I was still in school, but they kicked me out. One day I got a call from the principal and he said he unenrolled me and I was like ‘cool.’
Jared Guiser (Bass)- Mine would probably be most likely to sleep in.
Josh Cox- Mine would me most likely to incite a riot or something.

NC: Who was your favorite artist you preformed with?
Josh Cox (Vocals)- Nothing was more cool than the Revivalists.
Jared Guiser (Bass)- That was a big turning point for us, too. Whenever we played that show. - Jasmine Kulbeth and Haley Zieg, No Cover Magazine

"Central Oklahoma's own five-piece fusion folk rock outfit, Nicnōs, have released a dynamic, dynamite self-titled debut album that's dripping with musicianship and meaning. The high energy effort is reflective of how the quintet delivers the goods in a live setting, while making the statement that this music could also be fit to fill a stadium. Perhaps youth is the driving factor behind the default high-energy atmosphere portrayed through the compositions, but nonetheless, the songs are catchy and captivating. "You Don't Own Me" is a fine example of stadium-sized stomp-worthy tunes, delivering the album complete with soaring vocals, righteous guitar riffs, and phenomenal fiddling. Simpler, more homegrown tracks dot the album, but Nicnōs clearly freak me out the best when they're in fifth gear, combining some of the best elements from some of the greatest bands in roots-rock history, like The Black Crowes and Dave Matthews Band."

Joe Mack, The Currentland
www.currentland.com - Currentland, Joe Mack