Method vs. Madness

I was lucky enough to catch the lovely Shilpa Ray with her newish band Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers last night at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. Shilpa Ray is the kind of kick ass rock and roll singer whose voice can go from quietly introspective to destructively loud in the course of a few droning chord changes. That mix of punk rock and the blues has been done before, but Shilpa and her happy hookers strike just the right notes to make for some classic NYC good-time music.

I could go on for days about Shilpa’s voice, but suffice it to say that it’s all over the vocal map; she can strike a macabre tone one moment and fall into complete chaos the next. It’s a thing of beauty– beautiful in same way John Lennon’s voice is beautiful on “Well Well Well” when the bottom falls out into a complete panic attack only to come out the other end completely buttoned-up and whimsical.

Also great are her somber and wonderfully titled songs with lyrics that are fun to get drunk to and sing out loud to your friends. For example:

(in a waltz)

“I fell in love and forgot about the homeless,

the hunger in Africa, the women on welfare,

the strippers who need health care,

the friends, the beggars, the thieves.”

from the song “What the fuck was I thinking?” Of course none of that was happening on a cold Monday Night at the Music Hall of Williamsburg, but it’s still a fun thought.

Shilpa’s amazing voice aside, the Happy Hookers’ band are no slouches either: Jay Braun on bass, some incredible drums by Josh Fleischmann, guitar by Vin Cacchione and Ray’s hypnotic harmonium (every band should have one). Taken together, they create a densely layered sound that kinda has a Phil Spector effect. I had a weird fantasy about busting out a mosh pit, but again reality set in- ain’t happening on a Monday night in Williamsburg.

Anyhow, the band hit the stage promptly at 8:30 with no introduction as the opening  for the Brit-Pop band du jour, The Duke Spirit. A few people remembered to clap. Nervous awkward energy circled the half empty room. No one made any eye contact. The band agreed on a key, counted off the first song and BLAM! out comes Shilpa’s voice to shatter the icy curtain and turn otherwise uncomfortable situation into an amazing half-hour set.

I’m tempted to compare Shilpa to Alice Smith, another one of my favorite New York singers, but I won’t. I also won’t say that her sound is somehow indebted to drinking whiskey, which is often said about female singers who really cut it loose (my illusions of drunken sing-a-longs aside).

What I will say is that Shilpa Ray’s got my vote for the bandleader of year. She’s also a hysterical blogger and a valentine’s day baby who works a day job as a salesgirl at Henri Bendel. All very cool.

Check out the band’s myspace page or you can download their killer track “Coward Cracked the Dawn” from their RCRD LBL page.

Luckily for us all, Shilpa will be playing a ton of shows in the coming weeks, so go support this great band. A Fish Hook An Open Eye, the yet to be officially released debut album is also available at the merch table at their shows.