Turning the volume down low and showing a softer side has paid off for Transcendence singer and chief songwriter Ed Hale on his newest solo offering. The life or death drama and pathos and over the top emotionalism and passion that listeners are accustomed to hearing from the vocalist are still intact on the new solo set; in fact they’re even more highlighted due to the toned down and hushed atmosphere created by Hale, who co-produced the album along with fellow Transcendence guitarist (and Dreaming In Stereo frontman) Fernando Perdomo. Not only will Ballad On Third Avenue be the singer’s first album to receive airplay on commercial radio nationwide out of the gate, but the new acoustic whisper-pop collection of 11 songs debuted at #14 on college radio’s CMJ Top 200 Most Added Chart this week, the highest debut in the singer’s 20 year career. Out of 200 albums currently spinning on college radio this week it is a remarkable achievement considering Hale has not toured in several years and is a relative unknown compared to the behemoth his better known band Transcendence has become over the last ten years.
Besides a praise-worthy debut, the album also notably picked up several key taste-maker stations including WKBU of Drexel University, WONC in Chicago, IL, and Newark’s WSOU – stations that usually indicate just how well an album might fare months before the final numbers are calculated. If commercial radio follows suit and is successful for Hale’s new solo effort (his first single “I Walk Alone” will be released to Triple A stations all over the United States on August 2nd), Transcendence may find themselves attempting to transcend not only thier own past successes, but the current success of a very edgy strategy – three members of the group have all released successful solo albums this quarter (bassist Roger Houdaille fronts the indie rock sensation of the month Ex Norwegian who have taken the music blog world by storm). The success of the singer’s new solo album only adds to the excitement and anticipation for the band’s new album All Your Heroes Become Villains due to be released in September of this year.
FREE ED HALE BALLAD ON THIRD AVENUE CDS FOR YOUR STATION’S CONTEST GIVEAWAYS!
To get your hands on some FREE contest giveaway CDs of the new Ballad on Third Avenue album by Transcendence lead singer/guitarist Ed Hale for your college radio station contact The Syndicate: Karen@thesyn.com
“Dying Van Gogh Records singer-songwriter Ed Hale, best known over the last few years as the lead singer for the indie rock/Brit pop outfit Transcendence, 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 StereoNothing Is Cohesive CD, or the indie rock and Brit pop of their Sleep With You CD, Hale instead turned inward and turned the volume way, way down; creating a surprisingly quiet, moving and at times haunting acoustic whisper-pop album.”frontman Fernando Perdomo playing engineer and co-producer). Rather than further exploring the seventy’s glam rock of their
“Gone are the pounding drumbeats, squealing guitars, layered vocals, thumping bass, and that oh so very Transcendence experimental ‘wall of noise and sound.’ (At least for the time being that is: The band’s newest album All Your Heroes Become Villains is due to be released in September of this year.) Instead the singer’s first solo album in many years contains 11 tracks that are a sparse and luxuriant tangle of acoustic guitars, pianos, organs, xylophones, lush cello lines, and mellotron flourishes that set a subtle and 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, 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 request FREE CDs for your station for contest giveaways of the new Ballad On Third Avenuealbum by Ed Hale contact: Karen@thesyn.com
TRACK LISTING
- SCENE IN SAN FRANCISCO
- I WALK ALONE
- HELLO MY DOVE
- INCOMPATIBLE
- BALLAD ON THIRD AVENUE (BEAUTIFUL LOSERS)
- IT FEELS TOO GOOD
- EVERYWHERE SHE IS THERE
- NEW ORLEANS DREAMS
- ARCHITECT’S DAUGHTER
- THOUGHTS OF CALIFORNIA
- NEVER LET ME GO AGAIN
NEW ED HALE ALBUM HITS COLLEGE RADIO STATIONS ACROSS US
The new Ed Hale solo album Ballad On Third Avenue is now spinning at over 350 college radio stations across the United States and Canada and is expected to hit the CMJ Top 20 Most Added Album List next week. See the list here for the station in your town and listen in. As always call-ins from fans are very cool. For the new CD, Hale will be conducting on-air interviews with stations across the country and many stations are also holding contests for fans to win free autographed copies of the new CD or t-shirts and other memorabilia. More info can be had by tuning in to your local college, community, or university radio station for details. In today’s singles-oriented atmosphere, college radio still holds the distinct advantage over commercial radio in that they are serviced with entire albums by artists – rather than just “the newest hit single” – and never afraid to dig deep they are usually more than eager to play the more rare, less-heard, or experimental tracks from new albums. All hail college radio for staying true to this vision and offering music fans this invaluable service. The college radio campaign for Ballad On Third Avenue is being handled by The Syndicate.
The first single from the new album, “I Walk Alone,” hits commercial radio stations across the US next week. A new update with a commercial station list for every town will be posted in the next few weeks. Stay tuned.
“A MAGNIFICENT ALBUM THAT INSTANTLY DRAWS IN EVEN THE MOST FINICKY MUSIC AFICIONADO…”
Artist: Ed Hale
Album: Ballad on Third Avenue
https://edhale.com
Style: Indie/Powerpop/Acoustic
Rating: 3.5/5
By L. Anne Carrington
How does one describe the newly released work of Ed Hale’s Ballad on Third Avenue? Perhaps one way would be a soft intimacy of acoustic and pop sounds that will make the listener feel comfortable right from the beginning of the album’s very first track. Ballad on Third Avenue may also take one back to the days of Bright Eyes, Simon and Garfunkel, and maybe a little Beatles thrown in for good measure. The lead singer of the popular Brit Pop/modern rock band Transcendence who have scored numerous hit singles and have had songs featured in films and television shows over the years, Hale made a side trip into the recording studio and made his own album. The end result was Ballad on Third Avenue, a brilliant blend of acoustic guitars, pianos, organs, xylophones, cello lines, and mellotron that may not have worked for many artists, but it certainly has paid off for Ed Hale in more ways than one. Hale is not always the easiest performer to keep up with; his style is always changing in his roles of writer, populist blogger, controversial YouTube star, outspoken political activist, or civilian diplomat. In his first solo effort, however, he can add another accomplishment to his list: creating a magnificent album that instantly draws in even the most finicky music aficionado and holds them there until the very end.
http://indiemusicstop.wordpress.com/2009/07/02/ed-hale-ballad-on-third-avenue/
TRANSCENDENCE SINGER FILMS FIRST MUSIC VIDEO FOR NEW SOLO ALBUM
June 27 to June 30, 2009, Transcendence singer/guitarist Ed Hale has flown to Miami, FL to shoot the first music video from his new Ballad On Third Avenue album. Hale and some of the other Transcendence boys will appear in the video for the title track, the song nicknamed “Beautiful Losers,” which is the fifth track on the album. The video is being directed by Flavia Molinari. It is currently the most popular song from the album being played on college radio stations across the United States and Canada, rotating on approximately three-hundred stations. Not much is known about the video except that most of the shoot is taking place in a hotel and it is being filmed in black and white. Plans are also under way to film the music video for the first proper commercial single from the album, the second track “I Walk Alone,” which hits Triple A stations nationwide on August 2nd.
Ed Hale to Perform First of Three CD Release Concerts First in Miami July 1st
Ed Hale will perform the first of at least three CD release concerts for his new solo album Ballad On Third Avenue. The first next Wednesday in Miami, Florida at the city’s Gibson Guitar Showroom. All of the shows will be marketedly different than Transcendence concerts in that Hale will be performing with the five-piece all star line-up that played on the new album (including several of his bandmates in Transcendence) but they will be performing the shows seated on acoustic instruments due to the quieter more subdued nature of the album, a style Hale has described as ‘whisper pop.’ The band will play only a small selection of songs from the acoustic indie pop album at first, the label deciding to wait until after the album and lead single, “I Walk Alone” hits radio before a full scale tour with two-hour plus shows that might even include strapping on electric instruments after an intermission.
Other cities announced for CD Release Concerts are New York and Los Angeles. New York’s venue has already been announced, the venerable Abingdon Theatre off Broadway in Manhattan. There is also talk of the group doing the tour for this album performing only at the twenty plus Gibson Showrooms around the country. The band includes Derek Cintron (DC3) on drums, Matthew Sabatella (Ballad of America) on percussion and backing vocals, Roger Houdaille (Ex Norwegian, Transcendence) on bass and vocals, Fernando Perdomo (Transcendence, Dreaming In Stereo) on keyboards, and Greg Byers (Breakup Season) on cello. 9:00PM Sharp (time slots are tight) – Official Ballad On Third Avenue CD Release Concert Miami. The concert also features other Dying Van Gogh Records artists Ex Norwegian, Dreaming In Stereo plus special guests Pretty Pink & Vic Kingsley. 180 NE 39th St Miami, FL, United States 33137
ED HALE’S NEW SOLO ALBUM RELEASED TODAY!
“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
- SCENE IN SAN FRANCISCO
- I WALK ALONE
- HELLO MY DOVE
- INCOMPATIBLE
- BALLAD ON THIRD AVENUE (BEAUTIFUL LOSERS)
- IT FEELS TOO GOOD
- EVERYWHERE SHE IS THERE
- NEW ORLEANS DREAMS
- ARCHITECT’S DAUGHTER
- THOUGHTS OF CALIFORNIA
- NEVER LET ME GO AGAIN
NEW ED HALE SINGLE “I WALK ALONE” HITS COMMERCIAL RADIO NATIONWIDE – FIND THE STATION IN YOUR CITY
NEW ED HALE SINGLE “I WALK ALONE” HITS COMMERCIAL RADIO NATIONWIDE – FIND THE STATION IN YOUR CITY AND CALL IN TO REQUEST IT!
Official Release Date for New Ed Hale Solo Album Announced
Now official. The new ED HALE solo album Ballad On Third Avenue hits retail stores nationwide and 250 online digital stores and portals on June 16th, 2009. To receive updates and hear the first songs/MP3s for free as soon as they are released, sign up either at edhale.com, MySpace.com, ReverbNation.com, or the Ed Hale PAGE on Facebook. (Only one is necessary) Free song streams and downloads will start posting in May, as well as the first music video.
SINGER ED HALE AND TRANSCENDENCE SIGN NEW WORLDWIDE DISTRIBUTION DEAL
The atmosphere in the Dying Van Gogh Record’s office in downtown New York is infectiously joyous and celebratory this afternoon. The label is home to music artists Ed Hale, Transcendence, Ex Norwegian, Dreaming In Stereo, and Andy Pratt among a few others, and just minutes ago, finalized the signing of a new distribution agreement – with Burnside Distribution Corporation – that will put the label’s new releases – as well as prior-released back-catalogue titles – in thousands of retail stores worldwide as well as make the music available for sale on over 250 digital music stores and music portals online including Amazon.com, iTunes, and Rhapsody.
For new bands to the label’s roster such as the indie-rock sensations Ex Norwegian or Dreaming in Stereo, this was great news. For singer Ed Hale and band Transcendence this was a much needed turn around from a dark period when they were unable to release any new music for almost two years. Though the band has had three new albums recorded and ready for release since early 2007, they were unable to release them due to the alleged bankruptcy of their record label’s former distributor Synergy Distribution. Synergy, a Colorado company owned by Michael Fitts and managed by Paul Schulman, had hundreds of independent labels signed to its roster at one time, but in early 2006 stopped paying the labels for sales of CDs and digital downloads, claiming that the closing of record store giant Tower Records created such a negative impact on the company financially that they were unable to pay the labels whose music they were selling. If the labels weren’t being paid then neither were the artists. This of course put the band Transcendence in a tough spot.