The Cables, A Battle To Remember, and Upcoming Gigs

Hey Everyone!

As some of you may or may not know, in addition to reporting on new and interesting musicians and shows that I have seen, I am a solo artist with my own music up on Bandcamp. As a current college student, I sometimes find it hard to balance my own music with school work and with my sound design projects, which incorporate a different type of composition. However, recently I have formed a new band called The Cables. Individually, we are James Clemer on lead guitar, Luis Pineiro on Drums, Nic Park on Bass and Ursula Ellis on Vocals in addition to myself on vocals and guitar. This new collective project has afforded me the opportunity to bring new life to my solo work, and share it with some amazing musician friends of mine. It will also, hopefully provide a forum in the future for further collaboration.

Our first live show was this past Thursday at Tommy Nevin's Pub at the Mayfest Battle of the Bands. Despite the fact that we were beat out by whysowhite, an awesome funk/hip-hop/soul fusion who will now get to play on Dillo Day, our new project was given a great write up and review in North By Northwestern, as well as the opportunity to play another gig this Friday on campus on the Norris South Lawn for the Niteskool Music Artist Showcase alongside artists Kelsey Wild, MORI and the Moonwalkers, Aurelia, and Fuzzy Moon.

Let this be the second of many gigs I have the fortune of playing with this group.

Peace.Love.Music.

Kara Ali

Clara Engel--An Artist of Intrigue and Breadth

Just a few days ago, I had the fortune of being introduced to the music of Clara Engel, an up and coming Canadian Singer/Songwriter with a dark and evocative mood. Her voice is unabashed in expressing desire and yearning as she shares her intimate poetry with her audience of listeners. The release of her recent EP, Madagascar on the UK based Vox Humana Records Label, combines three songs from her previously self-released albums. The new EP shows a range of vocal ability and songwriting styles. The first song, "Accompanied By Dreams" is among the heart wrenching songs that Engel has called her own, showing a vulnerability with simple acoustic accompaniment. In forward longing, "Blind Me" features an electric guitar and the androgynously soothing voice of Engel. As the song picks up, in a gradual build of desperation, a chorus of voices and percussion are added to the mix to prolong the intensity. The title song, "Madagascar" is the most abrasive vocally. However, this abrasive sound coupled with deliberate drum beats on the toms, crying horn parts, and near death cries from Engel are intriguing if not puzzling as Engel sings poetry of her "Angel from Madagascar".

At the age of 27, she has released a total of 6 albums and she is currently seeking funds for a 7th album on Kapipal. Engel is an artist worth listening to and exploring. With puzzling lyrics and a wide range of emotions, Engel's catalogue is a testament to her commitment to exploration of unspeakable emotions. Her new single, "Lick My Fins" can be downloaded for free on her bandcamp page, where her other albums can be purchased and streamed. With its infectious, almost tribal drum beat, wailing vocals, straining horns, and strings that hold intensity, the calm chords of the guitar provide a beautiful contrast in this perplexing song of wanting.

I hope to keep exploring this and intriguing artist and her range from the heart wrenching to the intriguing to the slightly disturbing.

Peace.Love.Music.

Kara Ali

COMPANY

This past Wednesday, I had my bi-weekly show at WNUR, where I am routinely a Rock Show DJ and an engineer/booker for Airplay. The indie rock band, Company from Charleston, SC happened to be at the studio, gearing up to play. Consisting of Brian Hannon (guitar/vocals), Kelly Grant (drums), Matthew Royse (bass) and T.J. Ave-Lallemant (Guitar), the band was a smooth blend of math rock and chill out vibes, with a varying dynamic range. Touring with the Cleveland band Filmstrip, another indie band who happened to be at the studio, the band was incredibly comfortable playing live on air and, actually got some callers to inquire about their upcoming shows.

Locally, they go by "Co.", but away from their home base, the band held their own with catchy pop hooks, detailed instrumentation, and strong vocals affected with reverb, reminiscent of the band's self-confessed Idols, Band Of Horses. I also had the opportunity to talk to Atom Gong, an independent fine artist and the man responsible for Company's album artwork. He filled me in on the Band's relationship to Band of Horses, their releases, and his life as an artist. He even gave me and my Co-DJ each "zines" that he had created on japanese hemp paper as unique prints. One of his prints, the album cover for Co's latest EP, is pictured above.

Hope to hear more from these Charleston guys as they develop!

Peace.Love.Music.

Kara Ali

TUNE-YARDS!--A Long Overdue Review

Hello World!

Indeed, it has been way too long since I've reported on here!! And what a shame, since the month of may has brought new and awesome WONDERFUL music to my life.

On May 10th, I had the amazing opportunity to see Tune-Yards at Lincoln Hall. Fronted and led by the one-woman wonder, Merrill Garbus, who creates drum and vocal loops live on stage and proceeds to sing over herself, her performance was, indeed, unforgettable. With the inclusion of a bass player and the addition of horns, her music was a fusion of blues, world, and phat beats. With the release of her first album, Bird-Brains on 4AD, the single "Real Live Flesh" emerged as a clear favorite, with Garbus' unabated and unrestrained vocals and a bizarre mystic. Her second album released this year, w h o k i l l also on 4AD has markedly increased her exposure as singles like "Bizness" and "My Country" are purely irresistible with their quirky African influence and intricate looping techniques. Garbus creates beats you can dance to while maintaining a quirky and easy stage presence. At Lincoln Hall, playing a sold out show to a full house that was absolutely in love with her, Garbus actually seemed a bit shy when she spoke, overwhelmed by her fans. Whatever shy persona she might have portrayed, underneath the face paint and the coy speech was an unbridled, harshly pleasant voice that gave an incredible performance. I look forward to seeing her again soon--maybe when I return to New York near her home base and management, BaDaBing Records.

Peace.Love.Music

Kara Ali

Kelsey Wild and Niteskool!

In keeping with the local music theme, last night I had the fortune to be a part of and attend an intimate gig at Prairie Moon in Evanston, IL where Niteskool artist, Kelsey Wild, played a 45minute set of introspective music on piano and guitar.

I helped to organize the gig as the Special Events Chairs of Niteskool, an organization that provides for student musicians on the Northwestern Campus. (We are still in the process of building our new website, but check out what's up so far!) This year, Niteskool has done a lot to revamp and expand its programming to provide for a growing community of student musicians on campus. Additionally, Niteskool's Annual Music Video Project provides select artists with increased exposure for their music, while providing film students here an amazing opportunity to produce a professional music video.

This year, Kelsey Wild's song "Five Years" (originally titled "Fun"), was chosen. Interestingly enough, I had the opportunity to sit in on the recording session for the audio track as an intern at Studiomedia last quarter. As part of our campaign to promote the video and Kelsey's music, the Prairie Moon concert was a success in giving her the opportunity to play near campus and drawing a crowd of students.

I've known Kelsey since my freshman year, when we lived across the hall in our dorm. I loved her music then, and I love to see it continually evolving. The addition of drums and another guitar to her show last night made things especially interesting, and I think that the addition of musicians is definitely a great direction for Kelsey's music to be moving in.

I look forward to the full production of the music video and to hearing Kelsey play at future Niteskool events!

Peace.Love.Music.

Kara Ali

The Aurelia Trio!

Hey All!

Sorry that I haven't blogged in a while! Between sound designing for some shows, mixing sound for some student films, and rehearsing with my new band, I have been a VERY busy bee.

Having said that, over the past few days I have had the fortune of hearing awesome music from some amazing artists right here on the Northwestern University campus! This past weekend, I attended a house party just one floor below my own apartment, where The Aurelia Trio, consisting of Sasha Bayan on guitar and vocals, Sam Suggs on bass and Alex Hunt on percussion provided entertainment for a good hour and a half, doing gentle covers and originals to make for a wonderful house party mood. Pulled right from their bio:

"Aurelia bridges the gap between sophistication and accessibility. At once stimulating, innovative and elegant, the music of Aurelia blends together the powerful sonic traditions of classical, jazz, Brazil, and flamenco into an irresistible mix of sounds that draws in listeners from all cultural backdrops. The sweet breaths of bass, the alluring tones of guitar, the driving pulsation of percussion, and the lyrical vocal lines of three professionals come together to create music for a growing world wholse cultural and musical boundaries are no longer defined by borders. Both intelligent and straightforward, the music of Aurelia is just what listeners have been looking for."

These musicians, indeed, are professionals, each finishing up their studies at the Bienen School of Music here at NU. I have had the fortune to know both Sasha and Sam since my freshman year, where we all lived in the same dorm. I was always impressed with Sam's upright bass and his suave mannerisms. Likewise, Sasha is a natural charmer with his classical guitar. Having recently released a solo album, "Call the Doctor", his knack for writing music that spans the World, Jazz and Classical genres is abundantly clear. Additionally, his adherence to the Baha'i faith gives him a unique, almost mystical perspective on the world that allows for interesting musical inspiration. Interestingly enough, one of only 7 Baha'i temples in the whole world is located in Wilmette, IL--conveniently within walking or biking distance from the Northwestern Campus.

Since meeting the band in late winter, I have been delighted to see them pop up routinely around campus whether it be at house gigs, Art Showcases, or fundraising events. I am looking forward to following them and anticipating a release in the near future.

Peace.Love.Music

Kara Ali