Salim Nourallah is a fixture on the North Texas music scene. He first gained acclaim with the Denton-based Nourallah Brothers, and has since gone on to release several solo albums, as well as produce many more, including the Old 97s, Rhett Miller, Deathray Davies, and Carter Albrecht. He’s a busy man.
Of course, as with most creative people, he can’t rest. In addition to his own solo work, including his most recent album, ‘Somewhere South Of Sane‘, which was released in September, and his producing, Salim has got his side project, the party band, The Travoltas.
The Travoltas are a groovy quintet, comprising Salim (vocals and guitar), Emsy Robinson (bass), Nick Earl (guitar), Paul Slavens (keys, vocals), and Mike Hodges on drums. Sliding about in their polyester suits – brown ones of course – they formed in the autumn of 2011, and are based in Dallas. Their sound has skirted the edges of the past century, with songs taking on the vibes of tin-pan alley, to the 60s British Invasion, and even 70s punk rock. The Travoltas are nothing if not Salim’s brainchild: he chose each member of the band personally, based on their unique skill set and influences.
‘Snowball’ is the lead track from their self-titled album, which is set for release on 7 December via Salim’s Palo Santo label. It conjures up images of roller discos and spotty teens hoping to find that first love…think Saturday Night Fever – hence their band name – or even Napoleon Dynamite. There’s plenty of funky guitars and heart-felt misery from Salim, and overall, it’s a lot of fun.
You can pre-order ‘The Travoltas’ on their Bandcamp page. Check out The Travoltas online on their official website, Facebook, and Salim Nourallah’s Twitter.
https://soundcloud.com/palo_santo_records/02-snowball/s-8MtJU
