The name may mean "nothing," but to legions
of fans across the country, The Nadas mean everything.
Crowned "The Best College Band You've Never Heard Of" by Playboy,
the Iowa roots rockers were described by the magazine as "strong
storytellers whose melodies soar as if they're simultaneously tapped
into Lucinda Willliams' sense of heartbreak and Dave Matthews' life-of-the-party
vibe."
With three studio albums and a live collection under their belt, The
Nadas are veteran musicians in a world of wannabe hit makers. After
playing more than 150 shows a year the last five years, singer/guitarist
Mike Butterworth and Jason Walsmith, bassist Brett Nelson and drummer
Tony Bohnenkamp are bona fide road warriors, as well.
The Nada's latest album, Coming Home, "runs the gamut from personal
love ballads to farcical rock songs and tunes highlighting electric
licks," according to the Aspen Daily News. Cincinnati's Cincy Music
calls the record "an absolute must" that "possesses almost
every necessary element to be a classic."
"Beautiful Girl," the album's first single, has proven to
be a college radio hit, while the equally popular "Love Song In
B" was chosen for the Dana Altman-directed film, "The Private
Public." The Salsa flavored "Mi Corazon," which the Daily
Nebraskan describes as "a testament to the scars the bad relationships
leave set to a catchy Squirrel Nut Zippers meets Ricky Martin kind of
backdrop," has also emerged as a Nadas favorite.
The Nadas, who once passed Radiohead on the CMJ charts, have been praised
for everything from their songwriting to their stage prowess. But no
compliment means more than what Des Moines Register music critic, Kyle
Munson, wrote recently: "The Nadas are four of the friendliest
guys on the planet, even by Iowa standards."
