People might insist that MySpace is dead but it is the first place I go to when I am trying to get a “feel” for a new band. In a glance, I can see what genre the band falls into and I can easily listen to one or two of their tracks without the headaches that other sites present. Imagine my confusion then when I visited the MySpace of Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers and saw that they class themselves in the genre of ‘Chinese traditional / Comedy / Club’. I decided to give them a chance, nevertheless and I’m happy I did. I quickly learned that there is nothing comedic or Chinese about this band’s music and Shilpa Ray has an incredible voice. Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers sound like a cross between Throwing Muses, Ida Maria and Florence and the Machine but there is a heavier, darker side to them that really appeals to me. In fact, they sound a bit like Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds but with a female lead and when asked what new band got him going, Nick Cave is said to have replied, “Have you heard of Shilpa Ray?”
Hailing from New Jersey but currently residing in Brooklyn, Shilpa Ray has teamed up with Andrew Bailey on guitar, Nick Hundley on bass and John Adamski on drums and percussion. Shilpa Ray and her Happy Hookers will be releasing their second album Teenage and Torture on January 18, 2011 on Knitting Factory Records. They are offering a free download of their single “Venus Shaver” to get old and new fans warmed up for the release next year.
Venus Shaver (mp3)*
This is "Coward Cracked the Dawn" from their 2009 album A Fish Hook An Open Eye:
Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers links:
Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers @ MySpace
Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers @ Facebook
Buy Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers at Amazon.co.uk ¦ Amazon.com ¦ iTunes
* This is a legal download provided by the PR company for us to post and share. If there is any question of an infringement of copyright, please contact me at missus dot emm at gmail dot com and I will remove links immediately. Affiliate links are used in this post.
Article first published as Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers Offer Free Download on Blogcritics.
