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And The Devil Went Up To Portland

by NHD

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  • Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    Limited Edition 140 gram black vinyl pressing of NHD's debut album, The Devil Went Up To Portland. Includes lyric sheet and artwork by Bob Schneider.

    Includes unlimited streaming of And The Devil Went Up To Portland via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
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  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    CD comes in a high-quality gatefold case, with artwork by Bob Schneider.

    Includes unlimited streaming of And The Devil Went Up To Portland via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
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      $10 USD or more 

     

1.
The Boys Are Back In Town words & music by Phil Lynott Guess who just got back today Them wild-eyed boys that had been away Haven't changed that much to say But man, I still think them cats are crazy They were askin' if you were around How you was, where you could be found Told 'em you were livin' downtown Drivin' all the old men crazy The boys are back in town (The boys are back in town) The boys are back in town (The boys are back in town again) You know that chick that used to dance a lot Every night she'd be on the floor, shakin' what she got When I say she was cool she was red hot I mean, she was steamin' And that time over at Johnny's place, Well, this chick got up and she slapped Johnny's face Man, we just fell about the place If that chick don't want to know, forget her [CHORUS] Spread the word around Guess who JUST GOT back in town Just spread the word around Friday night they'll be dressed to kill Down at Dino's Bar 'n' Grill The drink will flow and the blood will spill And if the boys want to fight, you better let 'em That jukebox in the corner blastin' out my favorite song The nights are getting warmer, it won't be long Won't be long till the summer comes Now that the boys are here again [CHORUS]
2.
Hello from an emergency room in Hollywood words & music by alex dezen & salim nourallah i was having reservations about the state of our relationship then i felt the palpitations and a wave of desperation hit Hello, from an emergency room in Hollywood Billy said he'd drive me ‘cause i was feeling kinda queasy bout all of it doing 90 in a 30 it was just too easy how the words fell from your lips Hello, from an emergency room in Hollywood you said you'd call yeah, you said you'd call me well they threw me out for certain in a robe of paper curtains with my ass hanging out of it i was standing on the curb when some guy poked me in the side and said “come on gimme your wallet!” “i want all your money!" i said "i don't have a dime..." "Well then buddy you'll be sorry when i stick you with this knife" Hello, it’s me again Hello, won’t somebody listen to me Hello, from an emergency room in Hollywood
3.
i sent a postcard words & music by salim nourallah i sent a postcard from southern France where i played in a pub but nobody danced a guy in the back swore at me in French Wreckless Eric almost hit him with a wooden bench we sang songs so loud that we barely knew i sang one that i’d made especially for you a girl with an accent gave me the eye in her smile there hid the promise of a different life i sent you a postcard from Germany where my son ate apples in an orchard happily the breezy haired one with the childish grin carried him on his shoulders easy as the wind and i sent a postcard from Amsterdam found the meaning of life in an open hand i called collect from a hotel bar i cried love is the reason, love is all we are i sent a postcard from Mexico where i laid on a beach with a tortured soul i'd married a girl with no love for me she left me there adrift on the cruelest sea i sent these postcards address unknown hoped they’d find an answer or a loving home how could i know that they would all come to you? you’re the person all along that i was writing to you’re the person all along who i was writing to all these postcards i sent, i sent for you
4.
LOSE OR TAKE IT ALL words & music by Billy Harvey You didn't plan it, trouble comes when it comes You can't stand it, but you would have never run I know that you already know who you are You're a fighter A Prize wire walker Doesn't matter how far you fall it's Lose or take it all Loser take it all Ut oh. You didn't plan it, trouble comes and it goes But you can't stand it, cause you already know what you know You're a fighter A Prize wire walker Doesn't matter how far you fall it's Lose or take it all Loser take it all Ut oh.
5.
ballad of a patient man words & music by alex dezen & salim nourallah waiting as i get out of bed put on some clothes, screw on my head have a cup and go off to work sit in a mess, drive like a jerk i know i’m probably hopeless but i’ll do whatever it takes ‘til you notice i wait…i wait…i’m waiting for you waiting as i sweep up the room, pick up my clothes, try on some shoes make some dinner, take out the trash, send you a note, look for the cat maybe you’re doing some laundry? or dozing off in front of the TV? i wait…i wait…i’m waiting for you you think i’m probably crazy but sometimes i can’t wait anymore i wait…i wait…i wait…i wait… waiting for you everyday, in every way i’m gonna wait waiting for you everyday, i wait and i wait, i’m gonna wait
6.
Devil's Dice 03:14
DEVIL’S DICE words & music by Billy Harvey Devil's dice devil's dice I'm gonna roll the devil's dice Being bad sure feels nice I'm gonna roll the devil's dice She's one tough cookie I am a son of a gun She plays for keeps I play for fun I heard somebody say that the good die young I'm gonna do some livin' tonight You might think that I move too fast when she says yes I hear hell yeah If you got the wheels I got the gas gonna do some livin’ tonight I was drinking tequila from a cowboy boot the band was playing just as loud as they do she said if you want to I want to too... devil's dice devil's dice we're gonna roll the devil's dice Being bad sure feels nice gonna roll the devil's dice When I give her hell she lets me know We can put on a show We both win however it goes devil's dice devil's dice we're gonna roll the devil's dice Being bad sure feels nice gonna roll the devil's dice Let's roll...
7.
Gimme A Go 03:38
gimme a go words by salim nourallah, alex dezen & martie maguire music by salim nourallah with additional guitars by Kyle Crusham follow you wherever you go, i’ll follow follow you wherever you lead follow you wherever you go, i’ll follow follow you right into the sea head so heavy i can barely stand my body’s begging for me to sleep has it been ten minutes, hours, weeks? the time, well it don’t matter to me straight up to heaven, heaven down below straight up to heaven, straight to hell i know straight up to heaven, straight to hell so when you gonna give me a, when you gonna give me a go? when you gonna give me a, when you gonna give me a go? follow you through Summer, Fall & Winter falling off the edge of the world follow you wherever if we’re together doesn’t matter how much it hurts eyes so deep like the blackest sea i’m drowning in this new way to breathe skin like a hungry fire underneath me i need you to be all that i need straight up to heaven, heaven down below straight up to heaven, straight to hell i know straight up to heaven, straight to hell so when you gonna give me a, when you gonna give me a go? when you gonna give me a, when you gonna give me a go? when you gonna give me a / when you gonna give me a when you gonna give me a / when you gonna give me a a go?
8.
Complicatedness words & music by Billy Harvey i did all the things to make me feel young i did all the things to be did and be done i did all the things i did all the things to help me feel good i did all the things to be bad cause i could i did all the things and if i say i will see you again sometimes again is only pretend before i knew you i knew you were a mess but i came to crave your complicatedness i did all the fighting the fighting could do i stood for my own i was only for you the sky gets heavy with the words of man and all of the things that we don't understand so we pray to the shiva or budda or christ there are so many ways to get your advice i went to the mountain i hugged a few trees sorry i was late but i lost my keys before i knew you i knew you were a mess but i came to crave your complicatedness we don't have to try so hard we don't have to try so hard before i knew you i knew you were a mess but i came to crave your complicatedness
9.
Somebody Loves Me words by Alex Dezen, Salim Nourallah & Billy Harvey music by Alex Dezen I live in a house in the middle of the street No one comes to see me, No not any day but I know Somebody loves me I work at a job seven days of the week Who is my boss, some guy I never see But I know Somebody pays me And now I watch the sun Beating on the red Corvette that my neighbor bought On the Internet It sits there in the driveway Shining like a diamond ring I like to have a little fun Sitting right here in my bed watching Dragnet Listening to cassettes That somebody gave me way back in the Navy A big guy named Baby I think he might be dead I go to a church, it’s a little run down I pray to a god that might be white or brown I don’t know But someone will save me I go out to eat maybe three days a week I wear sweatpants and the dollar menu’s cheap And I know Someone will feed me And now I watch the sun Beating on the red Corvette that my neighbor bought On the Internet It sits there in the driveway Shining like a diamond ring I like to have a little fun Sitting right here in my bed watching Dragnet Listening to cassettes That somebody gave me way back in the Navy A big guy named Baby I think he might be dead Someone will save me Right Someone will love me I think it might be you I go to a place and I sit on the couch I tell them what’s wrong and they figure it out And I know These pills gonna fix me I go to the bank, I run a red light Cameras everywhere, even up in the sky And I know Someone will find me And now I watch the sun Beating on the red Corvette that my neighbor bought On the Internet It sits there in the driveway Shining like a diamond ring I like to have a little fun Sitting right here in my bed watching Dragnet Listening to cassettes That somebody gave me way back in the Navy A big guy named Baby I think he might be dead Come on, somebody save me I know someone will love me Someone will love me Yeah Someone will love me I think it might be you
10.
you’re the light words & music by salim nourallah turn on the TV tales of hate, death, destruction, despair survey the newspaper the world's a disaster out there chasing money, chasing fame, the power hungry & the vain a shit parade of ever present grief where's understanding? where is the love & the peace? you're the light you're the light i seek you're the light you're the light i need i drink the poison you turn it in to sweet wine i let the noise spill in you silence it all with a smile i am you & you are me & we are where we're meant to be sounds nice in theory ‘til reality comes kicking at my door but you'll be there waiting with me there's so much darkness threatening to close in all around you are the spark that keeps the shadows out you're the light you're the light i seek you're the light you're the light i need you're the light you're the light i see you're the light you're the light i need
11.
You Thought You'd Be In Heaven words & music by Billy Harvey You thought you'd be in heaven but you're not You'll know when your dead that hell is too hot You thought you'd be in heaven but you're not Be nicer to the people that you know Smile sometimes it's a better way to go Be nicer to the people that you know Today is forever and forever can be a spell So make your own heaven or be a dick and let your Heaven turn to hell When you see my blinker please just let me in If I get home first is that such a fucking sin When you see my blinker please just let me in Don't talk about somebody you don't know Maybe have a conversation bout' somewhere you wanna go But don't talk about that bitch that you don't know Today is forever and forever can be a spell So make your own heaven or be an asshole and let your Heaven turn to hell and be a better parent to your kids Don't do the same things that your bad parents did Just be a better parent to your kid Of course there is no way to pass this test We don't want to do our worst but if our worst is our best Then you know you are no better than the rest Today is forever and forever can be a spell So make your own heaven or be a chump and let your Heaven turn to hell You thought you'd be in heaven but you're not

about

“We never set our sights on making a record or being a band,” Salim Nourallah says of NHD, his new collaboration with fellow songwriters Billy Harvey and Alex Dezen. “There was just something about the three of us coming together that created this weird explosion of energy. We could tell right away from the very first song that there was some kind of special chemistry happening.”

That chemistry is the joyous heart of ‘And The Devil Went Up To Portland,’ the trio’s riotous debut record. Born out of a series of freewheeling and collaborative live tours, the album showcases a band built on equal parts humor and heart, one blessed with an embarrassment of artistic riches. Spare and direct in its production, the record captures the infectious lyrical wit and remarkably engaging presence of NHD’s three kindred frontmen, who, according to Austin NPR station KUTX, have already developed the kind of “depth and polish you would expect to find in long-running bands.” Each member of the group is a successful solo artist and bandleader in his own right, but the magic of NHD lies in its playful, Rat Pack-esque interplay. With nothing to prove, they made an album for the sheer fun of it, and the result is a whole that’s far greater than the sum of its already-remarkable parts.

Nourallah got his start nearly three decades ago in Texas, where he built up a reputation as something of a Lone Star Nick Lowe for his steady output of stellar solo and band material (Rolling Stone called him “a singer-songwriter who can stop time”) as well as his acclaimed work as a producer (he’s taken the wheel for four Old 97’s albums, as well as Rhett Miller’s self-titled album and The Damnwells’ eponymous reunion LP among others). Harvey, meanwhile, is more of a post-modern pop shapeshifter, a singer and songwriter and filmmaker and animator and producer and actor and poet who’s too eclectic to pin down for long. He’s played guitar for Patty Griffin and The Courtyard Hounds, produced records for Bob Schneider and Slaid Cleaves, and had his own songs hailed by the Austin Chronicle for their “pop patina and singer-songwriter essence.” Dezen, the youngest of the three, first came to international attention as the frontman of “charming” (NPR) Brooklyn indie rockers The Damnwells, who released five celebrated studio albums and shared stages with everyone from Cheap Trick to Bob Dylan. As a songwriter and guitarist on his own, Dezen has contributed to music released by a slew of stars, including Justin Bieber, The Dixie Chicks, Dave Grohl, the Jayhawks’ Gary Louris, Jason Derulo, Christina Perri, and Company of Thieves’ Genevieve Schatz.

Though their various paths had crissed and crossed during their long and winding careers, the three had never shared a bill until Nourallah “accidentally” set up a trio tour in Texas a few years back.

“I remember talking to Billy about doing some dates together, and then I thought that I’d better run them by Alex, too, expecting that one or the other would flake out on me,” laughs Nourallah. “It turned out they were both all in, and suddenly there were three of us for these shows. Billy and Alex had never met, but within 24 hours on the road, they were in the grips of a full-on mega bromance.”

“When you really connect with somebody, it can feel like you’ve known them for a long time,” reflects Harvey. “That’s what I experienced with Alex. I love his songs and we make each other laugh, and the same goes for Salim. That first tour was controlled chaos between fast friends.”

Their musical road trip was such a blast, in fact, that they did it again, and again after that. All three would sit onstage together for the duration of the shows, playing on each other’s songs and riffing on each other’s jokes. When Dixie Chicks fiddler Martie McGuire invited the trio to cut an album out of her HEK studio in Austin, it was too good of an offer to pass up.

“We only had a week to record because of each of our collective crazy schedules,” says Nourallah, “and several of the songs weren’t even written until we got into the studio. But I think while we were writing and recording there, that’s when it truly hit us that we had something real on our hands. We discovered this collective power as a group that none of us had had on our own.”

The album opens with a lighthearted, guitar-and-mandolin take on 70’s hit “The Boys Are Back In Town,” which has become something of an NHD theme song. With each member taking a verse and sharing call-and-response duties on the choruses, it sets the stage perfectly for what’s to come: a truly collaborative, blissful journey through the collective consciousness of three adventurous, inventive artists, each in possession of an endless supply of creativity both in front of and behind the microphone.

“We were all producing and throwing things at the wall,” says Dezen of the whirlwind recording sessions. “We were plugging stuff directly in, turning stuff up too loud, putting microphones in bathrooms.”

Nourallah’s songwriting contributions featured tracks that pre-dated NHD but had never found a home, like the beautifully off-kilter “I Sent A Postcard” and banjo-driven “You’re The Light,” and the same went for many of Harvey’s tracks, including the meditative “Complicatedness” and funky “Lose Or Take It All,” which were both drawn from a deep back catalog that Nourallah had always hoped would see the light of day.

“The songs I brought in didn’t change too drastically at their core,” says Harvey, “but they were definitely made better by the group. We traded instruments a lot and there’s something like voodoo in that.

Dezen’s entries in the NHD catalog were the most spontaneous of the bunch, with tracks like the cinematic “Hello From An Emergency Room In Hollywood” and clever “Somebody Loves Me” written primarily in a burst of inspiration in and around the studio, albeit with a healthy dose of collaboration with both of his bandmates.

“It’s fun to write and record that quickly because it doesn’t give you time to second guess,” Dezen explains. “Salim contributed a lot on the lyrical side, taking an idea or title of mine and whipping it into a story, and then Billy would tear the songs open and put a heart inside.”

In the end, heart is what it’s all about for a band like NHD. Without the weight of expectation or pressure, they were free to follow their collective muse and create an album that channeled all the joy and madness they’d experienced on the road. ‘And The Devil Went Up To Portland’ is a pure product of friendship and mutual artistic respect, but more than that, it’s a much-needed reminder of just how much fun making music can—and should—be.

credits

released October 20, 2017

Played, sung, hammered, produced by NHD
Salim Nourallah, Billy Harvey, Alex Dezen

Recorded March 2016 at HEK Austin
Engineered by Jim Vollentine
Additional engineering by Matt Hibbard, Billy Harvey, Salim Nourallah & Kyle Crusham
Mixed by Matt Hibbard at Pleasantry Lane, Dallas, Texas
Mastered by Stephen Marcussen, Los Angeles, California
Design by Bob Schneider


Alex Dezen songs administered by PASA Songs BMI
Billy Harvey administered by itaintheavysongs ASCAP
Salim Nourallah administered by Nourallah Factory Music ASCAP

Thank you Sarah Henry & Palo Santo Records, Martie Maguire, Lorna Nash, Jim Vollentine, Bob Schneider, Kyle Crusham, Jason Garner

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