Aloud

Artist Information

Biography

Fiery rock n’ roll band Aloud is known for tight vocals, exceptionally strong songwriting, and engaging energetic live shows. Lead vocalists/guitarists and newlywed songwriters Jen de la Osa and Henry Beguiristain have been collaborators and co-conspirators since their early teens. The four-piece is rounded out by bassist Charles Murphy and drummer Justin Emile Shapiro.

The band’s latest album, Exile, represents a sea change for the band. The album eschews Aloud’s blood-and-thunder bombast, instead showcasing a more austere sound, lush arrangements, and rich imagery. Following its release, worldly possessions were sold off, apartment leases went unrenewed and Aloud bet the farm on a four month coast-to-coast tour. Aloud has performed close to a hundred shows in 42 states in support of Exile with little more than the backing of their fanbase, one which funded both the album and the tour via Kickstarter.

The new non-album single “The Cash and the Pearls” maintains the lyrical verve of Exile while evoking the sonic fury and urgency of Aloud’s earlier efforts. The song — as well as its accompanying b-side “So Long” — was recorded by the band’s bassist Charles Murphy and mastered by Jeff Lipton (Arcade Fire, Wild Flag, Bon Iver, Spoon).

Aloud is currently on tour and writing a follow-up to Exile.

Instrumentation

Henry Beguiristain - Lead Vocal/Guitar/Keys
Jen de la Osa - Lead Vocal/Guitar/Keys
Charles Murphy - Bass/Backing Vocal
Justin Emile Shapiro - Drums/Backing Vocals

Discography

Studio albums:
"Exile" (October 2010)
"Fan The Fury" (March 2008)
"Leave Your Light On" (May 2006)

EPs:
"Live 2009" (December 2009)
"The Sooner It Comes" (June 2004)

Singles:
"The Cash and the Pearls" (November 2011)
"The Last Time [campfire]" (July 2011)

Listen online: www.allthingsAloud.com

Links

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Last.fm
• Tumblr

Audio

• You Will Know
  Listen  
• Fan The Fury
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• You Got Me Wrong
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• Old Soldier
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• Exile in the Night
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Video

Aloud Live: Exile CD Release Party at Church of Boston (September 2010). Video directed by Chris March with additional footage from Conor Olmstead. More at http://www.allthingsALOUD.com/videos

'Exile In The Night' official music video, director Chris March

Photo Gallery

Press

• Review - Aloud (Great Scott) [+ Show ]
  

  …Aloud are an ambitious lot, and not in the sense that you might apply the word to Jellyfish or Benj...…Aloud are an ambitious lot, and not in the sense that you might apply the word to Jellyfish or Benjamin Britten. As rock stars of the Olde variety, their currency is in hooks, verve, and vitality. They tour constantly. In a way which is alien to our take-it-or-leave-it culture of post-Pavement indie rock, they want to be heard. … With an attitude drawn directly from U2's War, they're a band not just playing for their private Nibbana, but for the communion between the stage and the people, the song and the listener.

• Mp3 of the Week: Aloud "10th Anniversary EP" [+ Show ]
  

  …Aloud are Boston DIY defined. … Three albums… and endless tours zigzagging the country later, the h...…Aloud are Boston DIY defined. … Three albums… and endless tours zigzagging the country later, the heartbeat of Aloud celebrates 10 years of tunes tonight at Great Scott on a bill with Spirit Kid, Oranjuly, and Brooklyn’s the Wicked Tomorrow. …Raw, honest, and, in the end, a damn fine rock and roll band doing it on their terms.

• Two for the Road: Aloud ramps up its sound, pares down the band, and hits the road with ‘Exile [+ Show ]
  

  "The Boston rock outfit Aloud is proof positive that, sometimes, less really can be more. And despit..."The Boston rock outfit Aloud is proof positive that, sometimes, less really can be more. And despite their moniker, not to mention a reputation around these parts as a band of big hooks and even bigger harmonies, they’ve gotten quieter to prove that point."

• Aloud - The Cash and the Pearls [+ Show ]
  

  “[Aloud has ] the kind of dynamic that is impossible for a music critic, indeed any music lover, not...“[Aloud has ] the kind of dynamic that is impossible for a music critic, indeed any music lover, not to respect. …All that became even more clear over the last twelve months, a time period which saw lead vocalists/guitarists and newlywed songwriters Jen de la Osa and Henry Beguiristain craft the album, Exile, their best material to date, tour the country on a shoestring budget and push creative boundaries.”

• Dog Ears Music: Volume Forty [+ Show ]
  

  “…Ardent indie-rock quartet [Aloud's] high-energy female and male vocal leads are ear-catching, and ...“…Ardent indie-rock quartet [Aloud's] high-energy female and male vocal leads are ear-catching, and their melodies sink in.” (Phil Ramone)

• Aloud at the Metro Gallery in Baltimore [+ Show ]
  

  “A year later, on a little jaunt down the east coast in anticipation of the November 1st release of ...“A year later, on a little jaunt down the east coast in anticipation of the November 1st release of their new single ‘The Cash and the Pearls,’ the band seems to have taken the middle road between the two extremes, pumping post-punk fury into the songs from Exile and adding sophistocated softer textures to their back catalog. Aloud’s live sound is simple and classic: lived-in harmonies from Henry Beguiristain and Jen de la Osa, crashing guitars, and a no-nonsense rhythm section.”

• Anniversary Show Crush: Aloud/Spirit Kid/The Wicked Tomorrow/Oranjuly [+ Show ]
  

  … [It’s] cliché to say it; but damn, time flies. Having seen them countless times over the years, we...… [It’s] cliché to say it; but damn, time flies. Having seen them countless times over the years, we’re always struck by the level of energy and enthusiasm that they bring to their live performance. The songs are layered and carefully crafted to begin with, meticulously penned and practiced to perfection. When it’s time to play live, the quiet and unassuming duo of Henry Beguiristain and Jen de la Osa explode in a torrent of riffs and soaring vocals, playing off of each other in a way that only comes from being bandmates for such a long time.

• Aloud-er than bombs: The Exile era gets kickstarted with a party in the Fens [+ Show ]
  

  "Imagine getting married, selling off all your random material crap, and heading out on tour? Aloud ..."Imagine getting married, selling off all your random material crap, and heading out on tour? Aloud are living the dream. 'Instead of buying a house, we're touring cross-country,' says de la Osa, laughing."

• Aloud - Exile (CD) [+ Show ]
  

  "Down to members Jennifer de la Osa and Henry Beguiristain, both who share vocal and guitar duties (..."Down to members Jennifer de la Osa and Henry Beguiristain, both who share vocal and guitar duties (and occasionally pick up the bass or play piano or glockenspiel), the band turns in their strongest effort yet with Exile, their third release."

• Aloud - Exile [+ Show ]
  

  “…a studied, measured grace is fully explored on tracks that hinge on exposed vocals and carefully c...“…a studied, measured grace is fully explored on tracks that hinge on exposed vocals and carefully crafted lyrics. …The plunge into slightly new depths is a mostly successful one and proves that this northeastern duo deserved to be followed.”

• Expelling Exclamation: Aloud - Exile [+ Show ]
  

  “Jen de la Osa and Henry Beguiristain have made a name for themselves with the searing vocals and st...“Jen de la Osa and Henry Beguiristain have made a name for themselves with the searing vocals and straight-forward rock efforts of 2008's Fan The Fury. With Exile… Aloud has delivered a stunning, multifaceted opus, proving that Beguiristain can do more than bust guitar strings and de la Osa is hardly just another girl screaming into a microphone.”

• Aloud [+ Show ]
  

  Cover story: "Aloud's cycle has been buoyed from the beginning by their superb songwriting and perfo...Cover story: "Aloud's cycle has been buoyed from the beginning by their superb songwriting and performing skills. Jen de la Osa is a dynamo on stage and on record. She's a petite woman with a larger-than-life voice and her guitar playing seemingly has its own personality with all its side notes and pick-slides. Her vocals are one of the hallmarks of Aloud's sound; powerful enough to blow the doors down, yet accurate enough to blow just the right doors down. Partner Beguiristain's work has its own personality, one that counterpoints de la Osa's bombast and raw power. Whereas de la Osa rides a chariot of blood and thunder,
  Beguiristain simply sidles up to your ear with an almost conversational style of lyric and melody."

• Aloud Turns 10 [+ Show ]
  

  It’s pretty nice to know we’ve made it this far especially when a lot of the bands we grew up around...It’s pretty nice to know we’ve made it this far especially when a lot of the bands we grew up around have started to break up. … We’ve gone from this group of kids with no van and too many songs to a well oiled functioning touring band….

• Live review: Aloud [+ Show ]
  

  "I cannot stress enough how talented these people are, often trading instruments off throughout the ..."I cannot stress enough how talented these people are, often trading instruments off throughout the set. Their melodies and vocal harmonies have the capacity to give you butterflies while their percussion and bass get your hips swinging."

• Aloud (Friday, March 16th…) [+ Show ]
  

  “And as if maintaining focus on one creative project for a decade isn’t impressive enough, they’ve a...“And as if maintaining focus on one creative project for a decade isn’t impressive enough, they’ve also done several national tours (opening for bands such as The French Kicks, Mando Daio and Flatfoot 56), and have released three albums, ‘Exile’ being the latest. … I’ve listened to ‘Exile’ a few times now during this week’s unexpected heavy rains, and I think it is a great record — compelling, at once moody and decadent, richly arranged and well-produced, it contains many stories that feel half-viewed, perhaps through smoky glass, as of lives only partially understood.”

• Aloud [+ Show ]
  

  “[Aloud ] create a unique blend of folk and rock. Don’t let the folk fool you. It’s more in the voic...“[Aloud ] create a unique blend of folk and rock. Don’t let the folk fool you. It’s more in the voice than in the actual music. You can hear the likings of Carole King to Joan Jett when Jen de la Osa steps in front of the microphone. The same can be said when Henry takes the lead, his vocals cutting through and pulling you in with a clearness that is missing in most of the rock n roll you listen to today.”

• Aloud - Garfield Artworks [+ Show ]
  

  “‘Mainly we’d like to continue making records and hoping they’re better than the previous as well as...“‘Mainly we’d like to continue making records and hoping they’re better than the previous as well as playing as many tours as possible. Recording and touring means we’re working and we like to be busy.’”

• Aloud - Off Broadway [+ Show ]
  

  "Favoring introspection over rock, lyricism over bombast, the new (and better) production retreats f..."Favoring introspection over rock, lyricism over bombast, the new (and better) production retreats from the space Aloud used to occupy. It is lush but reserved. The album patiently navigates moody and desperate waters, cresting opportunistically on songs like ‘Counterfeit Star’…. The Aloud of Exile is no less engaging than before; the evacuated space doesn’t create distance from the band, but instead invites you to join in the dialogue. Expect Aloud to be as up-close as ever, but even more intimate."

• CD Review: Aloud — Exile; Playing Smith’s Olde Bar, December 14 [+ Show ]
  

  “Beguiristain now gently strums on his guitars and mandolins, and de la Osa demonstrates that her vo...“Beguiristain now gently strums on his guitars and mandolins, and de la Osa demonstrates that her voice is as beautiful as it is raucous. With Exile, Aloud have redefined themselves as a moody and melodic [group ].”

• Duo Shares Songwriting, Singing Duties [+ Show ]
  

  “Aloud has been placed on numerous critics’ ‘it’ lists, but Beguiristain says the group’s focus is e...“Aloud has been placed on numerous critics’ ‘it’ lists, but Beguiristain says the group’s focus is elsewhere. We try not to pay attention to a lot of the critics, he said. We’re just trying to make music the way we want to.”

• Aloud Boils Down Sound [+ Show ]
  

  "We usually include a lot of loud rock 'n' roll," said band member Henry Beguiristain. "But this tim..."We usually include a lot of loud rock 'n' roll," said band member Henry Beguiristain. "But this time, we started with the basic elements, an acoustic guitar and vocals, then added only what we thought was absolutely necessary to the sound of the song."

• Live: Music Picks Nov. 4-10 [+ Show ]
  

  Exile is "...an album of expansive, orchestral pop, and as finely tuned as the production might be, ...Exile is "...an album of expansive, orchestral pop, and as finely tuned as the production might be, it still relies on the distinct boy/girl harmonies of de la Osa and Beguiristain to succeed. And it does."

• Indie Takeover: Aloud - Exile [+ Show ]
  

  "Aloud are nothing if not an original sounding band: there’s nothing 'retro' about them, even if the..."Aloud are nothing if not an original sounding band: there’s nothing 'retro' about them, even if they use regular instruments for the most part and don’t create all the sounds with a computer program they still crank out some fresh, new material that stands up on its own."

• An appealing musical smorgasbord [+ Show ]
  

  "Exile is the most sophisticated, experimental album Aloud has recorded... Lovers of layered, lovely..."Exile is the most sophisticated, experimental album Aloud has recorded... Lovers of layered, lovely old-style pop will enjoy this one."

• Aloud [+ Show ]
  

  "Henry Beguiristan and Jen de la Osa are the male-female frontline of the group, and their interwove..."Henry Beguiristan and Jen de la Osa are the male-female frontline of the group, and their interwoven vocal harmonies atop a variety show’s worth of interesting sounds and musical textures are so effortlessly rendered it’s tempting to label Aloud retro if only for the timeless tunefulness of its songs."

Setlist

Original material (see discography). Some covers performed on special occasions.

Basic Requirements

Calendar