The NOMS

If you plan on attending Las Cruces' annual Fourth of July celebration, expect a fireworks spectacular, as well as a medley of tunes from this year's entertainment lineup. The stage will be located at the High Noon Soccer Complex, off Tashiro Road, just east of the Field of Dreams.

After performances from local artists, The Noms will take the stage, followed by Marks Wills, plus rock band The Calling and soul/funk group The Family Stone.

Pulse talked to Josh Herrera, keyboard player and one of the original members of The Noms, and Wills about their upcoming performances.

'Like a high school reunion'

The Noms is an Albuquerque-based band that recently released its debut album, "Something Beautiful." The group describes its sound as a folk/pop rock and cites the Dave Matthews Band, Sara Bareilles, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Michelle Branch among its influences.

Q Tell me about how The Noms got started.

A We got started in 2009. We had actually all gone to high school together. We have people that have come in and out of the band, but the six of us — Mike Mares, Michelle Mares, Kevin Cummings, Joey Santiago, Aaron War and I — have been a group for two years now, and we're making good headway with our music. It's almost like a high school reunion, even though we graduated different years. Our all-time goal is to be able to play music for a living. We're looking to make music our job.
Q Do you write your own music?

A Yeah, we play original music. We just came out with our first album in March. It's available now online. Our single, "Home" has received some radio play. We stayed local, recorded in Albuquerque.

Q How was the experience of recording an album?

A It's really fun. It's obviously not something we have done often. The band really is a lot of close friends with really positive attitudes so when we're together, just in general, it's a lot of fun. It was a cool experience being able to hear what you've worked so hard at come alive in the studio.

Q What did you learn from that?

A It takes a lot than we initially expected it to be. But we wanted to make sure what we were putting out, we were happy with; we didn't want to rush. [We learned] patience and to spend the extra time to make sure the album comes out well.

Q Where does the band name come from?

A Michelle is one of the lead singers of the band. She was out with her now-husband, Mike, eating somewhere and she took a bite of food and went "nom, nom, nom." That fits our personality perfectly. We named ourselves after the sound you make when you eat, so that's why we are The Noms.

Q What should people know about you?

A Our music speaks positively in a lot of ways. We hope other people connect with it, too. - The Las Cruces-Sun

Mike Mares recently had a moment to geek out.

The member of Albuquerque-based indie rock band The Noms played a track from the band’s new album, “Something Beautiful,” to the phone app Shazam and it recognized the song.

“It’s really exciting,” he says during a recent interview. “You take a lot in pride whenever you hear the music you’ve created.”

For the past year, The Noms, which includes Michelle Mares, Josh Herrera, Kevin Cummings, Joey Santiago and Aaron War, worked together writing and recording music. The band worked with producer Drew Hodge on the project.

The Noms
With James Whiton, Kevin Herig
WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday, March 7
WHERE: Sunshine Theater, 120 W. Central
HOW MUCH: $10 plus fees at holdmyticket.com or 886-1251

Mares says Hodge was able to push the band out of its comfort zone to get some pretty spectacular songs.

“We were in a real studio and working with a great producer,” he says. “It was a great process for us to be a part of.”

The Noms have been around since 2009 and have carved out a niche for themselves in the local music scene. The band’s current lineup has been together for about two years.

Mares says the band decided to focus on experimenting with the vocal harmonies on the album. He says the band also is showcasing its brass section, which includes the saxophone, trumpet and trombone.

“We’re a fan of brass,” he says. “We wanted to create music that utilizes the brass section. It’s been great to experiment with all of these elements.”

Mares says the band worked as a complete unit during the writing process. He says each member added something to the songs and weren’t afraid to speak their mind if something was wrong.

“I think this album shows everyone’s versatility,” he says.

The Noms’ single, “Home,” is playing on 100.3 The Peak in Albuquerque.

The band also will have a show at Skylight Santa Fe on March 14. - Albuquerque Journal

After an unusually soggy spring, Denver got down to the happy business of celebrating summer's advent Saturday, launching its crowded summer schedule of street fairs and art festivals.
The Downtown Day of Rock filled streets off downtown's 16th Street Mall with bands and fans Saturday.
I particularly enjoyed the Noms, an Albuquerque outfit that played with passion and suggested an amalgam of Mumford & Sons and Denver's own Lumineers.
Day of Rock helps raise funds for Concerts for Kids, founded by Christie and Walter Isenberg (the latter president and CEO of Denver hotel developer and operator Sage Hospitality). The charity supports child health care and education through concert fundraising and community service.
Also on Saturday's schedule were Colorado faves Wendy Woo and the Railbenders along with national acts like Peter Cincotti, Vintage Trouble, Lee Brice, Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers and Fishbone.
Meanwhile, the Downtown Denver Arts Festival, which continues through Sunday, has moved back to its former site at the Denver Performing Arts Complex. (Its previous site, Denver Pavilions, hosts a new event called ArtSpill).
The Arts Festival cascades out from the canopied Plex to the grassy grounds around Jonathan Borofsky's "Dancers," the spindly sculpture facing Speer Boulevard.
For photos of both, click on the image at upper right,
Other summer-kickoff events this weekend include the Boulder Creek Festival and the Old South Gaylord Street Festival.
Mark Harden directs print and digital news content for the Denver Business Journal and writes for the "Broadway & 17th" blog. Email: mharden@bizjournals.com. Phone: 303-803-9227. - Denver Business Journal

We’ve caught previous shows by the local sensation The Noms, so when word got out they'd be playing with The Real Matt Jones and Asper Kourt at Low Spirits in Albuquerque, NM we couldn't miss it!

The Noms are a brilliantly composed ensemble of four guys and one girl that steadily lay down tracks of original material with gutsy acapella and choral break-outs blended in guitar, piano and percussive harmonies. No wonder they're rapidly expanding beyond a fan base of co-eds to garner attention outside the Sandia Scene.

Feel-good stage performances and goose-bump inducing acoustics give this group a defining audience appeal that belie their youth. Live music clips are available on facebook to whet your appetite and provide testament to the raw talent of this band. If the clips leave you wanting more, upcoming shows include: Motherlode Bar in Red River on September 11th, The State Fairgrounds in Albuquerque on September 24th, Balloon Fiesta VIP Tent on October 2nd, Hopfest at O'Neill's Pub on October 16th and Project Acoustic at El Rey Theater on November 5th. When The Noms embark on their 40 city tour next summer remember you heard the name here first!

I would be remiss in not giving a nod to The Real Matt Jones who took the stage before The Noms and put on a show worth writing up. A singer and songwriter originally from Albuquerque, Matt works a crowd unlike any solo act we've seen here yet! He effortlessly combines musical and conversational talent to make you feel like you're at a private jam session listening to the next big surprise in Acoustics. Weaving rhythmic nuances against a pop-oriented background, the Real Matt Jones does solo right. See you at the next show!

On a final note, I'm sorry to say that we didn't arrive at the venue in time to see Asper Kourt, voted Albuquerque The Magazine's 2009 "Best Local Band Headed to Stardom." There is local buzz that has sparked our interest so you can expect some future material on these high school buddies that formed a band in a garage on Asper Court in Albuquerque, NM. Join us next time. . .

http://www.facebook.com/nomnation

The Noms Members:

Mike Mares – Guitar, vocals
Michelle Baumann – Guitar, vocals
Greg Pisotti - Guitar
Jesse Herrera – Vocals, drums
Josh Herrera - Keyboard
- Glide Magazine

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) – It could be a big break for an Albuquerque band.

“The Noms” will be sharing the stage with some big names this weekend. They are scheduled to perform at the Wine Amplified Music Festival in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The event will also feature musicians like Sublime, 50 Cent, and Panic! At The Disco.

“The Noms” say this opportunity is huge. The band is made up of a group of lifelong friends.

They are set to perform Saturday. - KRQE Channel 13