NikkeiBP is the largest and most trusted source of business and technology news in Japan. With dozens of publications and nearly 600 staff writers. Many have extensive experience and credentials in their fields. In this article, singer/songwriter/serial-entrepreneur Ed Hale of the rock band TRANSCENDENCE, a resident of New York, shares his views on the upcoming United States Presidential Elections. Click here to read article.
TRANSCENDENCE Singer Ed Hale Recording New Solo Album
The TRANSCENDENCE lead singer/songwriter and guitarist is at it again. Ed Hale is in the studio once again recording 11 new songs for a yet another “new album.” TRANSCENDENCE just released a 14 song rarities collection entitled The City of Lost Children on the Dying Van Gogh record label in September, which featured their September 11th tribute song Rebuild America — the first time the song, recorded in 2001, was officially released for sale to the public. The label has announced that they will be releasing two other new albums – both of new material – All Your Heroes Become Villains and The Great Mistake this year as well. Good news that should finally satisfy frustrated fans since the albums have been completed, hyped, and talked about since late 2006, but were being held up due to various business problems in a constantly changing and challenging industry which has seen CD sales drop dramatically and the closing of Tower Records, many Virgin Music Stores, the bankruptcy of the band’s distributor, and thousands of smaller mom and pop music retailers around the country.
So in predictable untraditional fashion, fans will get THREE new albums by the band in one six month period. It is a sign of the generally confused state of the music business itself at this time. To make matters more confusing the band was almost finished recording the 24 song two-disc set nicknamed “the girls album” (due to all of the songs being about and having girl’s names in the titles) – the actual title being L’intrigue de Femme and Finding Francesca – but the recording of that album was postponed midway through production in 2007 with no word on when they will resume work on it.
So what to do? Evidently, record another album! Less than a week after meeting with Iran President Ahmadinejad during the United Nations General Assembly Meeting, Hale flew down to Miami, Florida to spend five weeks in the studio with fellow TRANSCENDENCE guitarist Fernando Perdomo – who is also playing the role of producer on this one – to record a new solo album set to be released in early 2009. This will be Hale’s first solo album since 1996′s Acoustic in New York.
ED HALE & THE TRANSCENDENCE release rarities and outtakes album
Cover of the City of LOST Children by Gina Rowland.
SEVEN YEARS after its recording, rock group TRANSCENDENCE release the September 11th tribute song Rebuild America for sale on a new rare and unreleased tracks collection album entitled The City of Lost Children. The song Rebuild America was recorded in October of 2001 just after the World Trade Center attacks in New York but never officially released. The song was eventually turned into a music video. Now the song is finally being released for sale with all proceeds to benefit September 11th victims’ families through the Robin Hood Foundation. The album also features 13 other rare or never before released tracks from all five of the band’s previous albums.
In anticipation of two new studio albums this year comes first this compilation of unreleased outtakes and rarities from TRANSCENDENCE that offers fans access to many of the band’s most hard to find hidden tracks and studio gems for the first time ever. The City of Lost Children is a compilation of studio outtakes from all five of the band’s officially released albums that spans eight years. The album also includes unreleased favorites such as the R&B flavored Whenever I’m with you — a familiar staple on various MTV shows over the years, and the September 11th tribute song Rebuild America; as well as two Brazilian-classic covers sung in Portuguese when singer Ed Hale was at the peak of his Tropicalismo obsession. From irresistibly catchy commercial pop (Jacquie) to psychedelic alt-rock (Kill the monkey), raw, urgent indie-rock (All is lost) to Beatlesque Brit-pop (Andrea’s Fault) and avant garde experimental instrumentals (Nothing is cohesive part II) The City of Lost Children offers a revealing glimpse behind the curtain of the creative and prolific musical collective known as TRANSCENDENCE with 14 never before released tracks that is sure to be a treasure chest for those who want a to take a deeper look into the ever-eccentric group’s past musical explorations. As diverse and eclectic as the song selection is, fans should find it a special collection that sounds like it could be an album in and of itself. And indeed now it is.
To listen to or download the songs or the whole album on 
click here.
To read track by track notes and lyrics, click here.
ED HALE & THE TRANSCENDENCE is now on Facebook! Add to your friends!
Rock group TRANSCENDENCE is now on Facebook!
Fans of the rock group TRANSCENDENCE don’t have to wait for email notifications or news to appear in their favorite music magazines. They can now add the group as a friend to their own Facebook profile to read the latest news, read band member blogs, find out about upcoming live appearances, and be the first to hear new songs weeks before others do through more traditional media. Access to free MP3s every week and the largest selection of TRANSCENDENCE music videos this side of YouTube all without leaving the comfort of your own Facebook profile. News about each member, new album releases, and live performances are automatically updated nightly and free MP3s and music videos are also automatically updated. Fans can also communicate more directly and frequently with the band than ever before. Want to know what axe guitarist Fernando Perdomo used on a particular song? Simply shoot him a Facebook message. There’s a good chance you just might receive a reply within minutes. The members of the band are notoriously addicted to the popular social networking site. Ed Hale and company are harnessing the power of social networking to bring fans closer than ever before. Simply click here to add them to your friends.
TRANSCENDENCE bassist Houdaille put together new group, releases single
Roger Houdaille has officially launched his new group Ex Norwegian, hot off the success of his “Ginger, Baby” album under the moniker Father Bloopy. The change of name was due to practical reasons and anticipated the release of their debut single “Something Unreal” on July 21st produced by Fernando Perdomo.
The two-and-half minute pop-rock song has been gaining radio play across the states, even Hawaii! The digital single also marked the first release of the new label formed by Ed Hale & Roger Houdaille, Dying Van Gogh.
Three of the four band members have studied under Miami Beach High Rock Ensemble director Doug Burris, the famed “prof of rock” who teaches music despite being paralyzed from the neck down. And those band members are Roger Houdaille on guitar/vocals, Carolina Souto on bass and Michelle Granados, also on vocals. The fourth member is Arturo Garcia, drummer and undergrad at the University of Miami.
“I’ve been compared to Ray Davies of the Kinks and David Bowie,” Houdaille said. “And now, as the music industry shifts toward a singles market again, we want to contribute to the great, two- to three-minute pop single that epitomized earlier eras.”
As the group’s simple, yet rich sound reaches more listeners, band members are confident America will hear and agree that this band is “Something Unreal.”
The single will be distributed by iTunes, Rhapsody, Napster, eMusic, Amazon MP3, Lala and Shockhound. More info, including song lyrics, can be found on the group’s official website at http://www.exnorwegian.com.
TRANSCENDENCE guitarist Perdomo busy while band awaits album releases
All the members of TRANSCENDENCE have been keeping themselves busy while patiently waiting the release of the group’s new CDs. There are three now rumored to be in line to come out this year – including a new rarities and unreleased collection. The band’s drummer Bill Sommer trekked off to the Big Island of Hawaii to voluntour on an organic farm for a month, while singer Ed Hale has been jetting around the globe playing goodwill ambassador and finishing a new book. Bassist Roger Houdaille released his first solo album Ginger Baby under the name Father Bloopy, and guitarist Fernando Perdomo has been burning the candle at both ends musically lending his hands and ears to several projects.
He recently completed composing music for a French short film entitled “Gri-Gri” along with Marc Charioud, and Grammy award winning singer/songwriter Jorge Moreno. The film is the acting debut of superstar rapper Diams. Fernando co wrote and played Guitar, Bass, Moog, and Drums on the theme song “Gang Star”.
Perdomo is also currently producing the English language debut of Moreno — tentatively titled “The Great Tribulation”
Broadway’s Cry Baby star James Snyder’s debut album “L. A. Curse” is out on Lion’s Gate records. Perdomo also lent his talents to this project – playing lead guitar and bass, and arranging the album’s horn parts, and choir parts.