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Jubilant guitar instrumentals, evocative ballads sung in French and English and exhilarating
drum jams characterize this dynamic New York duo, The Gypsy Nomads. Blazing a trail with their
trademark gypsy/celtic/folk rock, these spirited troubadours tour the US year round and are
favorites at festivals nationwide that tout the music of the mystical realm.
The Gypsy Nomads features songwriter, artist and veteran of the punk scene Scott Helland on guitar, drums, and loops, and French-born British artist/dancer Samantha Stephenson on vocals, percussion and drums. Together Scott and Samantha create a compelling onstage chemistry and have often been described as the "White Stripes of the underground" for their originality and sonic appeal. Described by Mariam George of the art and faerie culture publication Faerie Magazine as "high octane and exciting" and a must see, their style resonates with fans of Blackmore's Night, Corvus Corax, Siouxsie Sioux, Jethro Tull, Loreena McKennitt, and aficionados of celtic and alternative folk. The Gypsy Nomads' strong commitment to creative expression and individuality is perfectly mirrored in their eclectic sound and performance style. They have released 3 critically acclaimed CDs (Scott has another 7 solo CDs prior to The Gypsy Nomads formation in 2005), tour extensively performing at festivals, theatres, conventions, clubs and cafes and can be heard on independent radio across the globe. |
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As a teenager in the early eighties, Scott played bass guitar with the bombastic, and now legendary Western MA hardcore
punk bands Deep Wound, (which included Dinosaur Jr's J Mascis and Lou Barlow,) and Outpatients with whom he toured in
the US, and South America. The bands released critically acclaimed underground recordings that still sell today to
punk record collectors and aficionados of the hardcore music scene here in the U.S, Asia and Europe. Both bands have
been chronicled in the recent books American Hardcore; A Tribal History, Choosing Death; The Improbable History of
Death Metal and Grind Core and F***ed Up and Photocopied; Art of the Punk Movement. The punk flyer collages Scott put
together in the `80s have evolved into intricate pen and ink drawings that blanket the covers of his CDs and merch.
Helland has recorded and appeared on over 25 records/CDs including his 9 solo and `Nomads CDs. He lists some of his main
influences today as Richie Blackmore and Blackmore's Night, Steve Harris and Iron Maiden, Loreena McKennitt, the Cure,
Corvus Corax, guitarists Glenn Tipton, Wolf Hoffman and Michael Hedges, and movie soundtrack composers like Angelo Badalamenti
and Ennio Morricone... and of course, Lemmy.
French born Brit. Samantha Stephenson, Gypsy Nomads singer and percussionist, studied art at The National Academy of Design and Art Students League in New York City. She began her dance training at the Royal School of Dance in England and performed in dance troupes in Boston and New York and studied and played piano throughout her teens. She also is the creator of Pupella's Reign, purveyor of magickal wares and the free spirited gypsy Pupella character, who is currently in book mode. The Gypsy Nomads' CDs are distributed through New Leaf Distributing Company. For Audio Clips visit: www.myspace.com/thegypsynomads or www.myspace.com/gypsysamantha For Video Clips visit: www.youtube.com/gypsynomads Faerie Magazine (review of Eternal Summer): "Helland's signature guitar work is still here, but now fully accompanied by Samantha Stephenson's dry, sensual voice, put to its best advantage in this mostly-French album. At times breathy and lush, and at other times airy and smooth, her vocals are both playful and intense....I don't jest when I write that there is an addictive quality to some of these tunes, and that I have listened to this album again and again.." New Witch Magazine: "Few bands have grabbed my attention like the Gypsy Nomads..." Faerie Magazine:(review of Catapult CD) "...Helland captures a mood that evokes a bonfire on a dark night, undulating and pulsating with life..." InTune Magazine: "The duo consists of both the multi talented Scott Helland .... and the very beautiful and talented Samantha Stephenson.....a very enchanting show. Their music is great and the overall show is totally fun to attend and see. I had a great time watching..." Chronogram Magazine: (review of Catapult CD) "The Ottmar Liebert of gypsy music, Scott Helland is a commanding acoustic guitarist, creating stimulating, passionate instrumentals that may cause little flowers to bloom in your heart." If Journal Paper: "Scott creates a warm brew of magic in which any audiophile will want to submerge...he manages to breath delicate power into his 'neoclassical' style..." |
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You can visit the performance page to see their tour schedule! Order
CDs from the Store page with Paypal or through CD Baby! For video clips visit the Gypsy Nomads on Youtube! email:scott "at" thegypsynomads.com |