Arts & En
THE
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Tally Hall: Joe Hawley, Zubin Sedghi,Rbb Ca
Or and Andrew Horowitz. Ross Federmanis the druminer in back.
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WOMEN'S
Building Buzz from page 45
sity of activities akin to the diversity'of
musical styles captured in the namesake
recording.
A close look at the sketch on the Marvin's
Marvelous Mechanical Museum CD cover
reveals Yagoda hanging from the ceiling
above all the depicted attractions and
imposed images of five well-groomed young
men — the ones who wrote and perform
the songs.
The quintet, dubbed Tally Hall to recall
the former name of the mall where the
museum is located, includes Ross Federman
on percussions and everyone else on vocals
as well as instruments — Rob Cantor on
guitar, Andrew Horowitz on keyboards, Joe
Hawley on guitar and Zubin Sedghi on bass.
Band members, who formed their group
while attending the University of Michigan
and are in their early 20s, have begun tour-
ing to promote the CD and will perform
Friday evening, Jan. 6, at the Blind Pig in
Ann Arbor, close to Quack!Media, a produc-
tion company that launched its record label
with this project.
Rob Cantor
"Welcome to Tally Hall," the CD's fourth
track, vocalizes the essence of the group.
"When four of us were growing up in
Michigan, we went to Tally Hall and remem-
ber so many good times there': says Cantor,
of West Bloomfield, explaining how the
group chose its name. "There were eclectic
shops, and we're eclectic in our music.
"We named our recording after the muse-
urn because of the collection of weird things
that are entertaining, fun and often mysteri-
ous. It all relates to what we do."
Cantor, who has been accepted into U-M
Medical School but is taking a two-year
deferral to see if Tally Hall can meet with
long-term success, wrote five songs for the
CD. "Be Born" was inspired by his dad, Dr.
David Cantor, a OB-GYN who enjoys playing
guitar and shared his musical interests with
his son.
"'Be Born' sounds like a simple love song,
but it's actually about coaxing a baby from
the womb," says Rob Cantor, a Bloomfield
Hills Andover High School graduate who
had his bar mitzvah and confirmation at
Temple Israel in West Bloomfield. "My dad
loves what he does, and I thought it would
be an interesting idea for a song. I thought it
worked really well with a hidden meaning."
Ross Federman
Lots of hidden meanings come across in
songs that may blend pop, rock, rap, folk and
many other beats, with drummer Federman
at the helm of the tune's pace.
Federman is the only band member who
does not write songs, but he is working on
being creative with publicity as he takes a
break from getting his undergraduate
degree in molecular biology.
His family home in Bloomfield Hills is the
center for rehearsals away from Ann Arbor.
"We've had a lot of artistic freedom in
making this CU:says Federman, a
Bloomfield Hills Lahser High School gradu-
ate who studied religion at Temple Beth El in
Bloomfield Township. "Most final decisions
are made after group discussions, but the
songwriter always has final say about his
song. Friendships have never been strained
even though we've had some strong
debates:"
Andrew Horowitz
Horowitz, the band's third Jewish member,
grew up in New Jersey and studied English
literature and music in college. The U-M
School of Music graduate will continue pur-
'suing a piano career whether Tally Hall suc-
ceeds or not.
His song "Good Day," the first track on the
CD, won him a $10,000 award by taking first
place in the BMI Foundation's annual John
Lennon Scholarship Program and boosted
Tally Hall's sense of validity.
"I think our music is very different from
everything else being recorded now,"
Horowitz says. "Some of our songs allow lots
of room for interpretation, but my song 'The
Whole World and You' is just a fun number
with no deeper purpose:'
Horowitz, who studied classical piano and
was a member of the New York Youth
Symphony, describes Tally Hall's music as
"wonky': meaning "quirky" and "genre-less:'
Gotta Have A Gimmick
One gimmick that gives Tally Hall its own
signature is dress. Members wear identical
black shoes and pants, white shirts and col-
orful ties, with each musician having a dif-
ferent color as illustrated on the CD cover.
With their songs reaching the public
through the recording, appearances in and
out of Michigan and Internet Web sites, the
band is boosted by positive media reactions.
Detroit Free Press pop music critic Brian
McCollum wrote, "The young band has
released one of 2005's most striking debut
albums.... You'll find a sonic array that, by
design or happenstance, seems to reference
every entry in the pop encyclopedia." Mitch
Albom has invited the group to appear twice
on his radio show.
The group's biggest fan might be Yagoda.
"This was all very unexpected, but I'm
very proud of 'these boys," says Yagoda, who
did not know any of the musicians before
they approached him about the CD.
"I'm also proud that this place could be an
inspiration for them. I think it's great that
they're trying to get ahead with their music,
and I hope they do well." E
Tally Hall will perform Friday,
Jan. 6, at the Blind Pig, 208 S.
First, in Ann Arbor; (734) 996-
8555. Doors at 7 p.m.; all
ages. Tickets are $10 and are
available at the door or
through Ticketmaster,
(248) 645-6666. For more
information on the group, go
to www.tallyhall.com .
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January 5 2006
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