Hula March 2006 Feature Hula Feature Show Slideshow Photo by Judith Levitt

Patience for an Anxious City

Monthly Partnership with Block Magazine
Feature Article by Dave Cuomo
Photos by Judith Levitt

Patience is a virtue, and waiting itself can become a pleasure if we can forget what it is we were waiting for in the first place. The next time you find yourself in a crowded elevator tapping your foot impatiently as it moves impossibly slow to the destination you're probably already late for, I suggest you put on Hula.

Hula - "100 Gun Salute" From their forthcoming album. http://www.hulatheband.com

	Hula is subtle, but they are not vague. They are as pretty as they are dark and filled with tension.

Hula is subtle, but they are not vague. They are as pretty as they are dark and filled with tension. Singer/songwriter Chad King keeps his voice low, singing just over the range where a whisper takes definition and warmth. The harmonies of Madelyn Burgess fill out the sound staying low to his range, but adding the undeniable sweetness that a well matched guy/girl singing duo are capable of. On "Tiles" they sing abstractly about the Challenger explosion finding inspiration in the tragedy. "I thought it was really terrible," says Chad, "but the explosion itself was such a beautiful way to die." They sing melodies taken out of Americana, including Chad's old school country influences of greats like Merle Haggard. Slowed down and intelligently flushed out, they bring in influences of modern art rock like Sonic Youth or Low to produce a sound that is modern, hauntingly pretty, and refreshingly accessible.

After mastering this sound on their self produced 2003 full length Hula they are ready to try new things. The new demos, available on their website do include some more upbeat moments, but the real difference is shown in a higher mastery of dynamic buildups and song flow. They still never reach a full climax, but they come closer, even allowing themselves to hit full chords for extended periods, creating much of the same tension they did on Hula, but with the added dynamics it is fuller and more powerfully felt. The fact that they waited so long to make use of something simple like steady percussive bar chords comes across and adds to the patient wisdom of the sound. I've heard it said that certain East Asian stringed instrument players are traditionally only allowed to play one note for their first three years of playing. By the time they are allowed to play more, they don't feel hurried to do so and choose each note with care. Hula shows this maturity in their fuller sound.

"It's a lesson in minimalism, sometimes you can do so much more with just a couple notes" explains Greg.

For these demos and their upcoming new full length they have also added a pedal steel guitar, which is a perfect fit for the band. "My goal with the pedal steel is to do it differently, it's all about phrasing," explains Greg McMullen, the band's newest member. The instrument fits seamlessly into the sound providing a haunting cry behind the bass and jangley guitars. "It's a lesson in minimalism, sometimes you can do so much more with just a couple notes" explains Greg. The songs are meticulously arranged where one or two notes can be the main element of a build up. If chords are strummed it is done quietly on an acoustic, while an electric picks its chords in single notes or double harmonies. The bass is steady like reggae carrying the arpeggiated guitar and smoothing it into shape.

Seeing them live is the best way to full experience what they're doing. And trust me, if you live here you could really use the experience. In this way, despite the apparent disconnect between their patience and the hurried city around them, they are truly a New York band. You can see them next at Northsix on April 30, 2006.

Visit Hula's Official Website at http://www.hulatheband.com

This article presented by Jezebel Music and can be found in Block Magazine's upcoming monthly section of Uproar.