RAJ's Song Of The Week - Nothing Is The Same - Nomads

Music geeks that we are, Real Au Jus will be featuring one song each Monday as the official Song of the Week.  The songs will only be those that we especially dig, whether it's a current jam or a blast from the past, and is intended as an inspirational way to kick off the week-to-be.

Each SOTW post will be hosted by our IT Director, Raj (pictured at left), and will consist of a brief review as well as some background as to why the song inspires Raj and the rest of us so darn much.

With that in mind, we've chosen to start with a rather obscure jam (emphasis on JAM).  It is part of a compilation of '60's-era garage rock bands from India titled Simla Beat, which was produced by the Indian cigarette manufacturer of the same name.  The song is titled "Nothing is the Same" and is credited to a band called Nomads.

I have done some extensive research on (i.e. Googling the band name and song title) and have not been able to turn up much on these guys.  But this song stands out from the other twenty-two tracks on the compilation due to its compositional complexity and heavy psychedelic guitar work.  While most of the bands featured on Simla Beat offer standard takes on the British Invasion artists du jour, Nomads took a much more ambitious approach to incorporating their influences by creating a mini rock opera.  Keep an ear out for the volcanic guitar eruptions that divide the numerous sections (like a demon witch conjuring up all measure of sinister spirits from his slow-boiling cauldron), and note the subtle tonal shifts between each of those sections.  Nomads don't just want you to shake your ass in their Calcutta garage, they want you to journey with them through a haunting and perilous alternate universe.

Nomads - Nothing is the Same