Kids From Nowhere

What happens when you take a singer and songwriter from Texas, a drummer from Côte d'Ivoire, a bassist from South Africa, and a guitarist from Israel? Your first inclination might not be to peg the resulting sound as an eclectic brand of Americana-flavored rock, folk, and rockabilly, but that’s exactly what transpires when these four musicians, better known as the Kids From Nowhere, come together on their debut, Kick It In.
The band is, in keeping with their diverse cultural makeup, based in Israel and has been active since 2007, finding success in playing to both Israeli and American audiences. Drawing inspiration from the “outlaw country” sounds of Texas, coupled with “the British Invasion, and the proto-punk songwriting of Lou Reed and Mark E. Smith,” the band enlisted the help of producer Or Bahir (Eatliz, Amit Erez) to help bring together a sound that “combines vintage rock arrangements and traditional songwriting with modern recording methods.”
The result is Kick It In, the band’s debut LP.
The album opens up with the frenetic energy of “Biscuits,” vocalist Zach Wheat’s tones chewing off lyrics with a snarl and "Element" Yves Elisee Akowendo’s drumwork pounding its way through to the finish line. It’s a passionate connection between old school rockabilly and modern rock and works well. “Don’t Fight Your Lonely” follows hard after with solidly grounded blues notes resonating off of Babush’s well played guitar while Wheat continues to have fun with the vocals.
Things slow down a bit with “Favorite Time of Year,” letting the musicians play it cool and easy for a few before reigniting things with the rocking rockabilly of “Columbus Stockade Blues.” Wheat continues to do his thing while bassist Elad Avni plucks out a sure course on this toe-tapping Texas tornado. But that’s just a drop in the bucket to the energy and electricity that “Vegas Boogie” brings to the table, featuring throbbing bass, raging guitars, and Wheat laying into the vocals with reckless abandon, finding him declare at a spoken word bridge, “We gotta fuckin’ boogie!”
That energy spent, the band takes a breather with the slow jam of “Bone Coast,” an alt-country flavored gem featuring a killer guitar solo by Babush late in the track. That bit of quiet respite is short-lived however as the band turns their amps up to ten and brings the rock with the near psychobilly of “Kiss Me Like A Girl.” Akowendo definitely earns his paycheck on the drums, hammering the beat home relentlessly as Babush continues his fine guitar work.
“Millie’s Song” is something entirely different, however, as Wheat almost turns to a Tom Waits-ish spoken word delivery throughout the better part of the track, the band setting a moody tone whilst the lyrics speak of lust and longing and loss. It’s a compelling track for the sheer fact of its otherness and simply due to the solid delivery on all fronts before seguing into something more traditional with “Baby Doll.” From its quaint acoustic intro, the track opens up and gets feet to dancing with persistent percussion and pulsing bass lines.
“Butterflies” is a track that truly shows the band’s Texas influences, finding Wheat adapt an almost Willie Nelson-esque vocal phrasing over against a simple, near-folk soundscape with acoustic tones and gentle electric notes. But this is a band that likes to party and they close things out big with more rockabilly on “All The Things We Do,” letting each and every member shine, the players shining and Wheat putting tons of personality into each word of every lyric. It’s a solid conclusion to a solid album.
For fans of rockabilly and the like, the Kids From Nowhere may be the best band you’ve never heard of. Despite, or perhaps because of, their diversity, this band manages to craft a sound that is classic yet contemporary at the same time, bringing the whole package together on Kick It In.
Kids From Nowhere
Kick It In
3.5 out of 5
Reviewed by Andrew Greenhalgh

- Ariel Publicity - Andrew Greenhalgh

Given the musical style of The Kids From Nowhere, you would think that “Nowhere” would be some part of Texas. As it turns out, one of them, singer/songwriter Zach Wheat, is indeed from Texas and brings with him the kind of outlaw country/rock style that the Texas music scene is easily identifiable with. The rest of the group hails from various countries that are decidedly not Texas, but play this genre of music as if they’ve been doing it for years. Kick It In is the 2012 debut album for these kids, and it’s a stellar one.

Wheat is joined by Yves Elisee Akowendo from the Ivory Coast on drums, bassist Elad Avni from South Africa, and Israeli guitarist, Babush. Together this four piece outlaw country band rocks out in a manner similar to the way George Thorogood and the Destroyers do. As polished as the performances are, there’s no denying the grit and muscle that gets poured into the instrumentation.

Their style of playing is readily apparent on the opening track, “Biscuits.” After starting with an acoustic rhythm the lead guitar snarls into the mix and unrelentingly plugs away until the song’s end but not before unleashing a furiously strummed solo. Akowendo and Avni form a solid rhythm section in how they effortlessly keep time with just enough flourish to make them interesting. Wheat’s vocals are raw and forceful, just as they should be for this style of music, but he’s also able to carry emotion in his voice when needed.

Surprisingly, Wheat’s softer, impassioned vocals are used more than you might expect on an album that starts off so raucous. Three songs in, The Kids From Nowhere unleash the first of a couple ballads with “Favorite Time of Year.” Replacing the roaring guitars is a much more tranquil acoustic, and it’s joined by the piano to make a soothingly melodic sound. Wheat’s voice is suitably weary as he sings about being lovelorn and the emotion within the lyric is channeled in effortless fashion by him.

The other ballads, “Bone Coast,” “Millie’s Song,” and “Butterflies” are all distinct in their own ways. The former of these three features some stellar guitar from Babush, including some sliding that emphasizes the more emotional nature of the piece. “Millie’s Song” is the longest and slowest track on the album, making use of heavy narration to tell the song’s story. Akowendo puts down a deceptively powerful drum track as he plays in a slow, soft manner, but one that echoes the sentiment of the lyric. And “Butterflies” is honestly just downright beautiful; Wheat sings a lullaby of sorts and reveals more than ever that this group is capable of doing much more than rock.

Fortunately for the sake of variety and energy, The Kids From Nowhere hardly let their sentimentality dominate their music; there’s a tremendous amount of rock here too. Going back to the beginning of the album is the second track, “Don’t Fight Your Lonely.” The kind of narration that was heard on “Millie’s Song” is here to a lesser extent, with the guitars mixed a bit lower in order to let the story be told. The difference here is that when Wheat’s not singing the guitars are roaring away, and Avni’s bass line is unrelentingly driving.

“Vegas Boogie” is amongst the fiercest of the rockers here, and has a riff and motif similar to the blues classic, “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer.” The simple guitar riff in it is just the foundation upon which Babush lets his guitar roar away, leading into yet another frenetic solo. The intensity present here is only surpassed by the arrestingly fierce, tongue-in-cheek rocker, “Kiss Me Like A Girl.” Here Wheat rattles off a quick story about a girl who loves Bauhaus along with wearing the pants in the relationship. At a little over two minutes, it certainly doesn’t overstay its welcome, but it’s also tough to imagine the band keeping up that energy for much longer than that.

The remaining tracks all fall in line with providing more of that same gritty Texas rock that this band plays so well. The Kids From Nowhere display a strong ability to rock just as much as they do a penchant for emotionally driven songwriting and performance. You would never guess from the sound of them that this four-piece isn’t from Texas, since they so perfectly capture the sound and essence of the state’s blues/rock. With nary a weak note on it, Kick It In is a completely enjoyable album that is more than just a stellar debut, but a stellar testament to the skill of The Kids From Nowhere.


Artist: The Kids From Nowhere
Album: Kick It In
Review by: Heath Andrews
Rating: 5 Stars (out of 5)
- Ariel Publicity - Heath Andrews

The Kids From Nowhere is an international experiment in American music, based in Israel. Active since 2007, members include singer/songwriter Zach Wheat (Texas), drummer “Element” Yves Elisee Akowendo (Côte d’Ivoire), bassist Elad Avni (South Africa) and guitarist Babush (Israel).

The band is heavily influenced by Texas “outlaw” country music, the British Invasion, and the proto-punk songwriting of Lou Reed and Mark E. Smith.

Kids From Nowhere have played to Israeli and American audiences and are in the process of releasing their first LP, produced by Or Bahir (Eatliz, Amit Erez), “Kick It In” in October, 2012.

I was delighted to hear a preview of the album, “Kick It In” by Kids From Nowhere. While the music, driven and urgent, is solid, straightforward rock n’ roll, the lyrics and melody are what make this a truly enjoyable album. Together with Zach Wheat’s razor-wire Mick Jagger-ish voice which slices through the songs with a Machiavellian desire to be empowered.

This album is a rare achievement – usually rock revivalists are annoying, specifically those of the “Are you ready to rock?” variety. So it is refreshing to find competent songwriters like Zach Wheat who can remind us of what was so great about straightforward, powerful rock n’ roll music to begin with. What is most refreshing, however, is how literate the whole thing is. Wheat is a smart guy who knows his subject, and the rest of his band-mates follow suit, to deliver what is needed to make this album work effectively.

Kids From Nowhere destroy all the stereotypes with this one record alone. A smart, intense, and easy listen, “Kick It In” both challenges and pays homage to rock n’ roll on every level possible.

This album stands up to repeated listening and delivers a continued gamut of emotions and moods throughout its eleven tracks. Standout songs include; “Biscuits,” “Don’t Forget You’re Lonely,” “Vegas Boogie,” “Millie’s Song” and “All The Things We Do.” While my personal favorite is the brilliant bittersweet ballad, “Bone Coast.”

This album is a must for those looking for modern-sounding, guitar-based, gut-level-yet-intelligent rock n’ roll with a modern twist. Kids From Nowhere have one foot firmly planted in the past and the other one wedged into the post-millennium music mire, where styles such as this is considered an endangered species.

They certainly show no fear in devoting eleven tracks to what is regarded, by the “hip crowd,” to be an outdated style of rock.

Our advice is, do yourself a favor and let, “Kick It In” grind out of your speakers, while you pull out the air guitar and crank up that stereo. - Jamsphere

his review starts out with a snippet taken from the band's official biography, as this pretty much is the perfect way to introduce newcomers to this surprisingly solid Israeli Honky Tonk - you have read it right - ensemble.

"The Kids From Nowhere is an international experiment in American music, based in Israel. Members include singer/songwriter Zach Wheat (Texas), drummer "Element" Yves Elisee Akowendo (Côte d'Ivoire), bassist Elad Avni (South Africa) and guitarist Babush (Israel).

The band is heavily influenced by Texas "outlaw" country music, the British Invasion, and the proto-punk songwriting of Lou Reed and Mark E. Smith. Active since 2007, Kids From Nowhere have played to Israeli and American audiences and are releasing their first LP, "Kick It In" in October, 2012. Produced by Or Bahir (Eatliz, Amit Erez) the album combines vintage rock arrangements and traditional songwriting with modern recording methods. And noise. Lot's and lots of noise."

Read more to know if the Honky Tonk of Israel is loud enough to invite the crocodiles of Texas to dance.

The music is hefty, funny, pretty much masterfully produced and it practically RAINS the timeless charisma of All Things that feel and smell Honky Tonk on you. I would go as far as to state that the authenticity of the content is pretty perplexing, as I personally have no doubt whatsoever that even the most hardened and unforgiving outlaw blues rock aficionado would give the immediate thumbs up upon hearing the fray, and, trust me, Elvis approves, too. See? He does not object.

The album has a fine sense of all the trademark tints of its favorite genre, and a pretty much perfect understanding of the quite complex and dainty harmonic passages that are natural characteristics of intricately sculpted country music. Sure enough, the majority of the content revolves around the progressions the Honky Tonk psyche, the beautiful barrels of beer - even the barrel of the shotgun - is accustomed to, yet, what separates the contribution from an everyday average doodleboogie effort, is a relentless urge and well positioned desire to compliment the classic passages with exceptionally rich, thick instrumental fabrics. Everything is soberly presented, nothing is too aggressive, but all instruments have healthy grit and brightness.

It is notable that the lead singer has listened to the classic country singers so much that his nervous system has successfully cultivated a perfect Texan alter-ego (?), and you could not tell if he is a dude from Israel or a Cowboy armed with a guitar and an agenda, not even if you would have to play Russian Roulette with all six loaded if mistaken. What I especially am happy of, is the fact that his performance remains full of dignity and manly elegance - as a country singer should sing, see/hear Johnny Cash - even in the slowest declarations on the package. The track, called "Bone Coast", for example. Yeah, it is ultra-similar to Beatles' "Let It Be", but shut up and let it be, and listen to a particularly nice pulse found and mounted for/on good ol' country music. As far as further similarities go, the album has a latent punk rock connotation, rendered more strictly at its middle point - with the assuaging song title "Kiss Me Like a Girl". Oh wait. This is a tricky title. Yes, yes, the song itself is an anatomic variant on "Boots of Chinese Plastic", but it still is pretty good.

The Kick It In LP is as strong of a Honky Tonk debut as a band of this niche can dream of to accomplish, and I can't stress enough that the ensemble put considerable and exigent work into compliment this fine blend of timeless genres from all conceivable directions available, and the LP emerges successful in the context of all its premiere ambitions. A rather pleasant and relevant Honky Tonk surprise of late year.
- Noiseshaft

his review starts out with a snippet taken from the band's official biography, as this pretty much is the perfect way to introduce newcomers to this surprisingly solid Israeli Honky Tonk - you have read it right - ensemble.

"The Kids From Nowhere is an international experiment in American music, based in Israel. Members include singer/songwriter Zach Wheat (Texas), drummer "Element" Yves Elisee Akowendo (Côte d'Ivoire), bassist Elad Avni (South Africa) and guitarist Babush (Israel).

The band is heavily influenced by Texas "outlaw" country music, the British Invasion, and the proto-punk songwriting of Lou Reed and Mark E. Smith. Active since 2007, Kids From Nowhere have played to Israeli and American audiences and are releasing their first LP, "Kick It In" in October, 2012. Produced by Or Bahir (Eatliz, Amit Erez) the album combines vintage rock arrangements and traditional songwriting with modern recording methods. And noise. Lot's and lots of noise."

Read more to know if the Honky Tonk of Israel is loud enough to invite the crocodiles of Texas to dance.

The music is hefty, funny, pretty much masterfully produced and it practically RAINS the timeless charisma of All Things that feel and smell Honky Tonk on you. I would go as far as to state that the authenticity of the content is pretty perplexing, as I personally have no doubt whatsoever that even the most hardened and unforgiving outlaw blues rock aficionado would give the immediate thumbs up upon hearing the fray, and, trust me, Elvis approves, too. See? He does not object.

The album has a fine sense of all the trademark tints of its favorite genre, and a pretty much perfect understanding of the quite complex and dainty harmonic passages that are natural characteristics of intricately sculpted country music. Sure enough, the majority of the content revolves around the progressions the Honky Tonk psyche, the beautiful barrels of beer - even the barrel of the shotgun - is accustomed to, yet, what separates the contribution from an everyday average doodleboogie effort, is a relentless urge and well positioned desire to compliment the classic passages with exceptionally rich, thick instrumental fabrics. Everything is soberly presented, nothing is too aggressive, but all instruments have healthy grit and brightness.

It is notable that the lead singer has listened to the classic country singers so much that his nervous system has successfully cultivated a perfect Texan alter-ego (?), and you could not tell if he is a dude from Israel or a Cowboy armed with a guitar and an agenda, not even if you would have to play Russian Roulette with all six loaded if mistaken. What I especially am happy of, is the fact that his performance remains full of dignity and manly elegance - as a country singer should sing, see/hear Johnny Cash - even in the slowest declarations on the package. The track, called "Bone Coast", for example. Yeah, it is ultra-similar to Beatles' "Let It Be", but shut up and let it be, and listen to a particularly nice pulse found and mounted for/on good ol' country music. As far as further similarities go, the album has a latent punk rock connotation, rendered more strictly at its middle point - with the assuaging song title "Kiss Me Like a Girl". Oh wait. This is a tricky title. Yes, yes, the song itself is an anatomic variant on "Boots of Chinese Plastic", but it still is pretty good.

The Kick It In LP is as strong of a Honky Tonk debut as a band of this niche can dream of to accomplish, and I can't stress enough that the ensemble put considerable and exigent work into compliment this fine blend of timeless genres from all conceivable directions available, and the LP emerges successful in the context of all its premiere ambitions. A rather pleasant and relevant Honky Tonk surprise of late year.
- Noiseshaft

Based out of Israel, The Kids from Nowhere are an international band, featuring talented musicians coming from different corners of the world. singer/songwriter Zach Wheat (Texas), drummer “Element” Yves Elisee Akowendo (Côte d’Ivoire), bassist Elad Avni (South Africa) and guitarist Babush (Israel) are all part of this colorful ensemble.

Despite their very international line up, the group decided to “musically” meet up right into the heart of the United States, diving deep into sounds from full-bloodied americana traditions.

Although the quintet is heavily inspired by country, blues and folk, they don’t mind introducing some overseas influences into their own music, especially exploring the past decades of pop and rock n roll, leaning towards british invasion melodies and garage punk grit, while holding on to their identity as a genuine Israeli band, with a unique way of relating to their music and to the colorful crowds that animate their live performances.

The group has been playing their music since their early days together as a musical act in 2007, testing their live sets in front of the audience and sharpening up their sonic blend. Talking about the relationship between their music and their crowds, the band recounts how being based in Israel, they often get to perform for incredibly diverse groups of people, a variety that gets even wider as the band tours abroad. From russians singing along, to students, to texas country music lovers and indie rock fans, everyone seems to find a great point of connection when it comes to the Kids from Nowhere and their songs, bringing timeless classic sounds back on stage.

The Kids from Nowhere are out with a brand new full length, by the name of “Kick it in”, featuring a collection of 11 tunes that embody the band’s energy and “outlaw folk-rock” attitude.

The album kickstarts (pun intended) right away with a tight assault of up-beat groove and rambling guitars that melt perfectly with vocals that is so influenced by the powerful echoes from seminal, legendary artists such as Hank Williams , but with a southern “twang” to it, pretty powerful in the guitar leads as well. As the record progresses, the variety in the sound takes shape as the many influences of the band creep in, from the mellow tempo of the passionate folk ballad “Favorite time of the year” to the gripping blues-rock of “Vegas Boogie” and the alt-country vibes of all the things we do (Think Slaid Cleaves or Lucero).

“Kick it in” is not an album that wants to imitate the classics, but the band definitely found a unique and personal way to translate those legendary staples of modern music to their own reality and personality, managing to craft a fresh, appealing and truly honest record that would sit really well among other music from influential artists such as Johnny Cash, Kris Kristoffersson, Willie Nelson and more.

Most of all, this record is just a very powerful statement about how keeping things simple and straight to the point is always the best approach, when accomplished with personality and honest inspiration. All the sheer energy that fuel every song off this album just really makes me feel that the band could be an even more astonishing act on a stage, free to unleash their full potential.

The Kids From Nowhere certainly deserve to be considered by any fan of true americana, but their spontaneity and musicianship will definitely be able to grasp the attention of listeners whose music interests expand far beyond the genre.

Let the music do the talking and give a spin to the record yourself!
- Cultso

Based in Israel, Kids From Nowhere call themselves an international experiment in American music.
Members includes Zach Wheat from Texas, drummer “Element” Yves Elisee Akowendo from Côte d’Ivoire (West Africa), bassist Elad Avni from South Africa and guitarist Babush from Israel.
Combining their love of Texas outlaw music, the British Invasion, and the proto-punk influences of Lou Reed and Mark E Smith, Kids From Nowhere are headed somehwere.
I loved Kick It In from the moment I clicked play. From songs Biscuits to Columbus Stockade Blues to the finale All The Things We Do, every track rocks! The production is clean, songwriting top-notch, and this one is going on a repeat for a while.
These guys have been active since 2007 playing in front of Israeli and American audiences.
Kick It In is their first LP and is now available! This record combines vintage rock arrangements with traditional songwriting and lots of noise to kick major rock and roll ass. Imagine ZZ Top meeting Stevie Ray Vaughan in an African desert to show these new age rockers who’s really the boss.
This music is bad to the bone but that doesn’t mean the crew doesn’t slow it down once in a while with songs like Bone Coast. This is one of those jams you crank up to 11, roll down the windows, and proceed to ride off into the desert sunset.
You should go grab a copy and do just that. - Middle Tennessee Music

TRANSLATED FROM HEBREW, ORIGINAL AT: http://telavivcowboy.com/press.jpg


At the Taklit they try to live up to their reputation and indulge you with various interesting gigs during the hot and tiring summer nights. Rumors have it, that at first they wanted to call the place "Orna Datz", and I'm sure even then, they would've tried their best to bring Datz every evening for a night of ouzo shots with local celebrities.
In any case, at the Taklit they can handle the summer heat heroically, and every Sunday they bring Zach Wheat's band for a show.

Wheat - a 30 year old Texan - currently resides in our city for his university studies and is friends with two local musicians – Elad Avni and Yoav Babush. Together they play alternative rock mixed with country music.
Their lyrics include catchy phrases like "fuck you Tel Aviv", which will warm the heart of every Jerusalemite, happy to join in the chorus. - Yediot Anharot (Israeli newspaper)

TRANSLATED FROM HEBREW, ORIGINAL AT http://telavivcowboy.com/page2.jpg

We're not really sure where all the performers, bands and musicians come from, but as far as excellent gigs are concerned the Taklit hits the mark every week and big time. Music lovers all over the city have already realized it and show a regular attendance at the humble pub, which offers its stage to fresh, original and unconventional musicians.
But let's cut the compliments for a second and tell you that this Sunday at 22:00 Zach Wheat and his band will grace the Taklit with their presence. For those unfamiliar with the musician, we'll tell you, he's a gifted artist coming to our city from Texas. His musical philosophy combines alternative rock, country music and touches of folk. Wheat will be accompanied by two Israeli musicians – Elad Avni on bass and Yoav Babush on the guitar. That's the section's hot gig for this week.

- "ACHBAR" (Israeli Newspaper)

From http://www.jerusalemite.net/events/2811/zach-wheat-at-hataklit

After the drunken English soccer fans stumble out of Hataklit on Sunday night, the rowdy Texas music fans pour in. Following a live screening of the Man U - Portsmouth match at 17:00, Hataklit will be hosting Texas native - and current Bar Ilan creative writing student - Zach Wheat and his Israeli band (Elad Avni on bass and Yoav 'Babush' Wald on ...). The trio will perform in classic Wheat style. That is to say, an alt rock/country music combo. If the British soccer fans return, the night will be about as cross-cultural as it gets. - http://www.jerusalemite.net

TRANSLATED FROM HEBREW:
http://www.jlm.israel.net/home/event.php?id=9926

The threesome- lead by Wheat, a guy in his 30s from Texas, who's in Israel for his university studies- plays Americana. Wheat is accompanied by two Israeli musicians - Elad Avni and Yoav Babush, both of them students in Jerusalem. Wheat is a cool guy and is always available for interviews. - "Your Chet Speaking" (blog)