“Singer-songwriter Ed Hale, best known over the last few years as the lead singer for the Modern Rock/Brit Pop outfit Transcendence – who have scored numerous hit singles on radio, and in films, and television shows over the years – snuck into the recording studio late last year and produced the most personal and intimate album of his career. (With fellow Transcendence guitarist and Dreaming In Stereo frontman Fernando Perdomo playing engineer and co-producer). Rather than further exploring the seventy’s glam rock or indie rock or world music or Brit Pop that the band is famous for, Hale instead turned inward and turned the volume way, way down; creating a surprisingly quiet and simple yet moving and at times haunting acoustic pop album.”

“Gone are the pounding drums, squealing guitars, thumping bass and that Transcendence ‘wall of noise and sound.” Instead the album’s 11 tracks are a sparse and luxuriant tangle of acoustic guitars, pianos, organs, xylophones, lush cello lines, and mellotron flourishes that set a subtle, gorgeous sonic backdrop perfectly fit to back up a lyrically poignant and confessional masterpiece of infinite beauty and tenderness. The majestic acoustic-pop and vulnerable intimacy of Ed Hale’s new album Ballad On Third Avenue will feel right at home to the same crowd that loves the music of Wes Anderson films, Rubber Soul era Beatles, James Blunt, Kings of Convenience, Bright Eyes, David Gray, Simon and Garfunkel, or even Donovan or Nick Drake. From start to finish the deceptively simple collection of songs sucks you in and leaves you moved, smiling, and dreamy-eyed.”

:: To listen to all the songs or buy the CD click here to go to Amazon.com

:: To listen to all the songs or download the album click here to go to the iTunes Music Store.

TRACK LISTING

1. SCENE IN SAN FRANCISCO
2. I WALK ALONE
3. HELLO MY DOVE
4. INCOMPATIBLE
5. BALLAD ON THIRD AVENUE (BEAUTIFUL LOSERS)
6. IT FEELS TOO GOOD
7. EVERYWHERE SHE IS THERE
8. NEW ORLEANS DREAMS
9. ARCHITECT’S DAUGHTER
10. THOUGHTS OF CALIFORNIA
11. NEVER LET ME GO AGAIN

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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.

It is becoming increasingly more commonplace and acceptable in the music community to see solo and side projects by individual members of bands while the bands still stay and play together (Unless you’re in Metallica that is.) 2007′s favorite ingenue Feist is a member of Broken Social Scene; the Stroke’s Albert Hammond Jr. just released his second solo album; Eagles of Death Metal is a side project of Queens of the Stone Age members; Gnarls Barkley member Danger Mouse releases albums both solo and with his group, and just finished recording a critically acclaimed new album with Beck. Closer to home, TRANSCENDENCE bassist Roger Houdaille’s solo project EX NORWEGIAN just released their second single (Dance Trance Pants, a catchy little number. Check it out here) and just performed at this year’s CMJ Music Marathon in New York.

Ed Hale started his singing career solo, releasing his first album EDDIE at the age of 18, then joined a band for several years, BROKEN SPECTACLES (which also launched the solo career of singer/songwriter Matthew Sabatella), then went solo again, releasing Spectacularly Broken and Acoustic In New York, and then formed a new band, TRANSCENDENCE, who have released six albums to date. So does this mean Hale is going solo again? The band and its label insist not at all, but that instead the album simply affords Hale an opportunity to record and release songs that are not “typical TRANSCENDENCE style material.”

The new album, which is still untitled, will contain 11 songs the singer has written over the last year that are a complete departure from the glam, Brit, alt, indie or modern rock sound of TRANSCENDENCE and instead are said to be “slow, soft, personal, intimate, and primarily acoustic.” The album will not have any electric guitars and very few drums, but instead will feature many makes and models of acoustic guitars (both Hale and Perdomo are avid acoustic guitar collectors) and other stringed instruments such as mandolin, viola, cello, and even balalyka, and piano. Fans of Hale’s YouTube channel will recognize a few of the songs, including “Everywhere she is there,” and “Architect’s Daughter.”

“I wouldn’t call the album folk,” Hale says. “It’s more like singer/songwriter music, or “whisper pop” if there is such a thing. Because the sound of the album is so quiet and intimate.” When pressed for more of what the album will sound like he mentions Nick Drake, Donovan, Kings of Convenience, Jack Johnson, David Grey, and even Bob Dylan. “In TRANSCENDENCE we are really lucky in that we’re all pretty open minded so we are able to get away with recording a wide variety of styles of music. More than most bands are able to get away with. But we’re still essentially a rock band and limited to that TRANSCENDENCE sound, whatever that is. So these are all just songs that would never make it onto a TRANSCENDENCE album, because they wouldn’t fit our sound. And frankly I dig that we’re all doing little side projects like this now. This is an album I’ve wanted to do for years. I’m very happy and excited to be doing this. It’s like I have to pinch myself. It’s the most personal thing I’ve ever done. That’s for sure. A lot of just me and the guitar.”

The new album may appeal to a whole new spectrum of music listeners. Hale says Perdomo was the natural choice to produce the album. “We’ve worked together for six years now. He’s the most brilliant musician I know. He’s crazy and a total fucking pain in the ass. But we all are I guess. But he’s also this organically  genius musician on so many levels.” Old bandmate Matthew Sabatella has also been enlisted to sing harmony vocals on the tracks. “Matt and I have been singing together since we were in Junior High. I’ve waited a long time for a project that we could work on together again. I can’t wait to hear what he does on this album. Our voices work really well together. And he’s awesome at coming up with good harmonies. All and all we have the makings of a good little album here.”

Hale is currently blogging about the recording of the album on his Transcendence Diaries blog, and will be posting photos and clips of the songs as they are completed to his website www.edhale.com and Facebook page. Stay tuned for more.

Collecting songs from various sessions and reworking some previously released material (“Mucho Caliente,” “Caroline”) adds to its variety of work and sonic quality. Guests include The BJ Experience’s BJ & Tropical Barber (Eric Hernandez), DC3′s Fernando Perdomo as well as a rare appearance by dippy artiste Frank Daddy on piano. Featuring a cover of van der Graaf/Peter Hammill’s “people you were going to” and a rare (and perhaps ill-advised) cover of BJ experience’s “Lililililu.” Title ships in slim CD case.

You can buy the album at http://www.dippyrecords.com/houdaille.

Track-by-track commentary by Roger:
1. Problem Stu This one I like sometimes, while other times I wish I hadn’t put it on the album. It is in reality just a demo, and I couldn’t retrack some “questionable” parts due to the missing master tape. First new song I had written in a long time and recorded.
2. Wonder Finally! This song has my full approval. The original demo version (on mp3.com) has its charm but this is the real thing… dig the back up vocals.
3. People You Were Going To Spur of the moment decision to record this song while taping the drum tracks with Fernando Perdomo. The first time I heard this song (Peter Hammill’s 1975 version) I loved it. Then I read the lyrics and loved it more! A truly dark, surreal love song.
4. Foreign Girls I think this is my favorite on the album. I like the backwards guitar work I did and just the chord progressions in general. Very simple yet tricky stuff in there! My type of stuff.
5. Mucho Caliente This one was featured in the Dippy Sampler 2000 in its original form. I have rerecorded the bass and vocal tracks for the CD which has improved in sonic quality as well as performance. Props go out to Eric who played drums… and nailed it! Rocks my toe-socks off (which is hard to do!)
6. You’re The Most Beautifulest Tay In The World Today Like “Mucho Caliente,” this one has the backing track the same as the previously released version (bonus track on disc two of Dancing Days/Morris Is Back CD set). I have a soft spot for this song, really like the C with E on bass intro, reminds me of George Harrison for some reason? First vocals done after heavy medication.
7. Blind Otter Karina Bermudez’s favorite song, and that’s why I chose to re-record it for this album.
8. Caroline Originally “Caroline” then converted to “Savannah” but I changed it back to “Caroline” for this version. I got rid of those thick-ass acoustic guitars too!!
9. Lililililu Personally I don’t like this. However, people tell me they’ll buy the album just for this… so I guess it justifies it’s place as track nine. Showed me that BJ is quite a vocalist to pull this one off and get away.
10. Root Canal A left-over piece by Frank Daddy which I recorded some lead and bass guitar… I love the results. Very moody yet frail, with its bad notes and out-of-tuneness.
11. Monotony I’ll stick my head out and call this my most favorite on the album. Goes by fast. Also the most newest composition on the album. Probably why I like it so.
12. Be Careful What You Wish For Couldn’t have found a more suitable closer! Tight work by Fernando Perdomo and myself. I feel uneasy about the “baby” but I figured it was its mood… cheap.