Haale

Haale is a psychedelic-rock/alternative singer who sings mostly in persian. Her music is Sufi-based. Haale (as in halle-lujah or jalepeno), is a Bronx-born woman of Iranian descent whose name means the 'halo around the moon.' Her songs are trance-inducing, rhythmically propulsive, and lyrically engaging tapestries that draws on both Persian mystical and American psychedelic musical traditions. Haale pays homage to 60's psychedelic rock and Persian/Sufi trance, creating a propulsive soundscape of electric guitars, percussion, and mystical lyrics. Her band features Matt Kilmer on percussion and John Shannon on electric guitar. Haale has beeen recognized by CMJ for her "totally original songs". Haale’s distincitve style and incendiary live shows have led her to perform at a David Byrne-curated series at Carnegie Hall and collaborate with Tchad Blake, Sean Lennon, and most extensively with producer and composer Dougie Bowne. 2007 opened with the release of two EPs, Morning and Paratrooper. She released two mesmerizing EPs in January 2007: 'Morning' and 'Paratrooper' -- and spent the year touring across the country and in Europe, at venues such as the Bonnaroo Festival, SXSW, and the Mimi Festival in France. She performed at David Byrne's Nonesuch-sponsored series at Carnegie Hall, recorded with Sean Lennon (on 'Before the Skies'), and shared the stage with such diverse artists as the legendary Hugh Masakela and Odetta. While back at home from touring, Haale and producer/percussionist Matt Kilmer went to work on their first full-length debut, 'No Ceiling.' It was released on March 18, 2008, to critical acclaim, hailed "one of the year's most memorable releases," by the Boston Globe. The album features players Shahzad Ismaily, Mike Gamble, Doug Wieselman, Chris Hoffman, and Johnny Gandlesman and co-writing by Matt Kilmer and Dougie Bowne. On the breathtaking full-length debut, "No Ceiling" Haale explores themes of transformation and evolution, singing in English and Persian through a riveting soundscape of percussion, psychedelic guitars, and soaring strings. 'Over driving rhythms...Haale's warm, supple voice unfurled like a curlicue of smoke. Her band's amplified rumble served as a reminder of the extent to which rock bands like the Doors and the Velvet Underground turned to the East for their hypnotic efforts; here their borrowings were reclaimed with interest.' -NEW YORK TIMES 'Haale is just beginning to make her mark nationally, but she's a star on the rise. [Their] raw sound owes as much to '60s psychedelic rock as it does to the ancient Middle East...' -WASHINGTON POST 'On her two latest EP releases, 'Paratrooper' and'Morning' (both self-releasd), [Haale] works a panoramic blend of luscious rock, heady bass, and brilliantly produced rhythms.' -POPMATTERS www.haale.com Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.