Shilpa Ray is an American singer-songwriter from

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Kings County is the most populous Administrative divisions of New York (state)#County, county in the State of New York, ...

, New York with a DIY punk experimental sound. Her music has been compared to Blondie,

The Cramps The Cramps were an American rock band formed in 1976 and active until 2006. Their lineup rotated frequently during their existence, with the husband-and-wife duo of singer Lux Interior and guitarist Poison Ivy the only ever-present members. ...

, and Screamin' Jay Hawkins and her singing has been compared to the style of

Patti Smith Patricia Lee Smith (born December 30, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, poet, painter and author who became an influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album ''Horses''. Called the "punk poet ...

Nick Cave Nicholas Edward Cave (born 22 September 1957) is an Australian singer, songwriter, poet, lyricist, author, screenwriter, composer and occasional actor. Known for his baritone voice and for fronting the rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, C ...

, and

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, i ...

. Ray is notable for combining an Indian

harmonium The pump organ is a type of free-reed organ that generates sound as air flows past a vibrating piece of thin metal in a frame. The piece of metal is called a reed. Specific types of pump organ include the reed organ, harmonium, and melodeon. T ...

with a "big-voiced blues-rock howler" vocal approach and has been known to sing in styles ranging from metal to the balladry of Leonard Cohen. Rob Harvilla of the Village Voice once stated in 2006 that her vocal range could put the entire lineup of Ozzfest to shame. Starting as a solo performer in 2003, Ray later put together the band Beat the Devil in 2005. After the dissolution of Beat the Devil, Ray formed another band, Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers, which ''Boston Globe'' critic Jonathan Perry described as the "best-named band" in a lineup of numerous indie bands in July 2010. As the principal songwriter and band leader, Ray described her role in her band as being similar to a "democracy under a dictatorship". In an interview, she commented about being a female artist: "I think Feminism in America went through a huge backlash during the W. Bush years. We are now going through a cool Renaissance. There are tons of amazing female musicians and artists on the scene with something to contribute and it's not cheesy, kitschy, or female centric. It's universal." The band toured extensively with Man Man and Acid Mothers Temple in 2011. They also performed at the SXSW festival that year in Austin, Texas and were invited to the Billboard event at the Buffalo Billiards venue. She offered advice to struggling artists: "The hardship of being an artist in this country is gender neutral. Own yourself, what you do, how you live and don't worry about the end results." After splitting with Her Happy Hookers in 2011, Shilpa continued under the moniker Shilpa Ray, touring Europe and North America with

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are an Australian rock band formed in 1983 by vocalist Nick Cave, multi-instrumentalist Mick Harvey and guitarist-vocalist Blixa Bargeld. The band has featured international personnel throughout its career and p ...

as a backup singer and also as their supporting act. She recorded a version of " Pirate Jenny" featuring

and

Warren Ellis Warren Girard Ellis (born 16 February 1968) is a British comic book writer, novelist, and screenwriter. He is best known as the co-creator of several original comics series, including '' Transmetropolitan'' (1997–2002), '' Global Frequency'' ...

for the 2013 compilation album, '' Son of Rogues Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs & Chanteys'', released by Anti/Epitaph. She released ''Last Year's Savage'' (2015), ''Door Girl'' (2017), and ''Portrait Of A Lady'' (2022) with Northern Spy Records.

Career

Beat The Devil * ''Beat The Devil'', 2006 Ray's first project under the moniker of Beat the Devil, combining punk rock music with Indian time signatures in a new format. Beat The Devil was released in the latter half of 2006. The group disbanded soon after releasing their first and only album. Beat the Devil's cover of Suicide's song "Mr. Ray" was released as part of the '' Alan Vega 70th Birthday Limited Edition EP Series''. Her Happy Hookers * ''A Fish Hook An Open Eye'' 2009, Kepler Records Shilpa_Ray_And_Her_Happy_Hookers

After dissolving Beat The Devil, Ray went solo with backing band members to form Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers. Produced by Jay Braun and Shilpa Ray, ''A Fish Hook An Open Eye'' was released on July 6, 2009. * ''Venus Shaver/Natural Selection'' 7", 2010, Knitting Factory Records Her second release with Her Happy Hookers, and also the first release on Knitting Factory Records, this 7" limited pressing of 500 copies included a track from her second release on Knitting Factory Records, ''Venus Shaver''. * ''Teenage and Torture'', 2011, Knitting Factory Records Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers put out their second full-length record, and first full length on KFR on January 18, 2011. ''Teenage and Torture'' both refines and expands upon the arresting qualities of their first release. The result, 'isn't as thrown together as the first one' says Ray." The first record was like a series of thoughts, this is one big thought. You’ll slip into a different world when you hear this." Recorded with Black Dirt Studios’ Jason Meagher at Seizure's Palace in Gowanus, Brooklyn, the songs on this album are dark, sardonic looks inside Ray's own world and obsessions, augmented by the musical styling of her Happy Hookers – Nick Hundley on bass, Andrew Bailey on guitar and John Adamski on drums and percussion, and featuring Greg Lewis on organ, Jonathan Lam on pedal steel and Andrew Hoepfner on vocals and keys. The record in turn led to Shilpa supporting a number of

tours in addition to an EP released on his label, Bad Seed Ltd. Shilpa Ray * ''It's All Self Fellatio, Shilpa Ray'', 2013, Bad Seed LTD After disbanding Her Happy Hookers and touring Europe and North America with

and Grinderman, in 2013 Shilpa Ray released her first EP on Cave's Bad Seed Ltd. label, ''It's All Self Fellatio''. As well as performing with Cave, Ray's band performed with Sharon Van Etten, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, and Nicole Atkins. * ''Make Up/What a Diffr'nce A Day Makes'', 2015, Northern Spy Records Shilpa's first EP release on Northern Spy in 2015, ''Make Up'', included two covers, "Make Up" written by

Lou Reed Lewis Allan Reed (March 2, 1942October 27, 2013) was an American musician, songwriter, and poet. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades. ...

, and Dinah Washington's "

What A Diff'rence A Day Makes "What a Diff'rence a Day Made", also recorded as "What a Difference a Day Makes", is a popular song originally written in Spanish by María Grever, a Mexican songwriter, in 1934 with the title "Cuando vuelva a tu lado" ("When I Return to Y ...

" with Shilpa Ray on keys and vocals, Jon Delorme on pedal steel, Alistair Paxton on bass, and Russ Lemkim on drums. * ''Last Year's Savage'', 2015, Northern Spy Records Ray's first full length on Northern Spy Records, ''Last Year's Savage'' was also her first full-length solo record as Shilpa Ray. * ''Paisley'', 7" 2016, Northern Spy Records * ''Door Girl,'' 2017, Northern Spy Records ''Door Girl'' is her second album on Northern Spy Records.

Musical style and influences

A report in the ''San Francisco Examiner'' describes Ray's

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York (state), New York; on the ea ...

upbringing as an Indian American from an immigrant family as contributing to her having a "scrappy" demeanor. As a youth, she claims she was mistaken for an Iraqi during the Persian Gulf War and was "pelted with beer cans" by racist hooligans at the age of 5. She dealt with restrictive parents who banned Western-themed music and learned to play the

and piano beginning at age six. In her high school years, she became a stealth Goth and listened to music by punk rock bands such as

the Cramps The Cramps were an American rock band formed in 1976 and active until 2006. Their lineup rotated frequently during their existence, with the husband-and-wife duo of singer Lux Interior and guitarist Poison Ivy the only ever-present members. ...

, the Stooges,

Joy Division Joy Division were an English rock band formed in Salford in 1976. The group consisted of vocalist Ian Curtis, guitarist/keyboardist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris. Sumner and Hook formed the band after att ...

Bauhaus The Staatliches Bauhaus (), commonly known as the Bauhaus (), was a German art school operational from 1919 to 1933 that combined crafts and the fine arts.Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 4th edn., 2 ...

, and

the Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City in 1964. The original line-up consisted of singer/guitarist Lou Reed, multi-instrumentalist John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison, and drummer Angus MacLise. MacL ...

. She has also cited influences including Ministry, Billy Idol,

Pat Benatar Patricia Mae Giraldo (''née'' Andrzejewski, formerly Benatar; born January 10, 1953), known professionally as Pat Benatar, is an American rock singer and songwriter. In the United States, she has had two multi-platinum albums, five platinum alb ...

and

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) are an English electronic band formed in Wirral, Merseyside, in 1978. The group consists of co-founders Andy McCluskey (vocals, bass guitar) and Paul Humphreys (keyboards, vocals), along with Martin ...

(OMD). In her twenties, she moved to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

and worked as a solo artist, singing a cappella at first and later accompanying herself on the harmonium, which also happened to be Nico's instrument of choice to suit her distinct voice and delivery.

Personal life

Shilpa Ray currently resides in

, New York.

Reviews

* Music critics from the ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' have focused on Ray's lyrics and voice. Jon Pareles described Ray's act as combining punk rock band shtick with a touch of Goth burlesque but with music which deals with the "contradictory pressures women face" such as being "cosmetically perfect but authentic". Another Times critic, Ben Sisario, summed up Ray's act in four words: "that scream is primal!" Critic Jacob Brown described Ray's voice as a "honey-toned wail" along the lines of

merged with

. * Music critic

Tris McCall Tris McCall is a music journalism, music journalist, novelist, and rock musician from Hudson County, New Jersey, Hudson County, New Jersey, described by ''The New York Times'' as "the plugged-in, Internet-era muse of Jersey City." In 2010, he b ...

in the '' Newark Star-Ledger'' found a feminist message in Ray's lyrics and videos, and described her as "proud to own her discontent." * Critics in ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide ...

'' described the music as "grinding blues, sleazy jazz, and bracing rock with punk immediacy and pop appeal." Shilpa Ray was "like a vulgar

" singing songs with a "wall of distortion and thunderous, pounding rhythms."

In other media

Television series

References

External links

*
Shilpa Ray
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ray, Shilpa Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Shilpa Ray Shilpa Ray Shilpa Ray Shilpa Ray Shilpa Ray Shilpa Ray American women musicians of Indian descent Knitting Factory Records artists Northern Spy Records artists 21st-century American women