Shangrala

If you had an actual musical score that followed your life, imagine that moment of success and realization that comes after accomplishing something great. When your chest is the first to break that ribbon at the end of a race and you realize you are capable of that achievement. You can do that amazing thing. Shangrala would score the music for that scene. They truly make a joyful noise. Not the simple sort of joyful noise, such as a melody that gets hung up in your head, although they certainly have rich layers of melodies, but a truly fulfilling noise that constructs itself deeply and slowly surrounds you before enrapturing you in catharsis. Victory! You've done it! Their original breed of rock and roll is symphonic in its complexity and dynamics.

Featuring layers of rhythms and harmonies stacked on one another like a math equation that you can't quite fathom, and a profound understanding of the journey their music tugs you through, this quintet is unparalleled in their medium. They softly whisper the profound thoughts that keep you thinking through the night but then, when you don't quite expect it, they rock right over you. And no one rocks with a heavier hand than when Shangrala breaks into the bone of the song. Their set starts off like a promising dream, quixotic and fantastic, it chimes and dances into your ears like a child, but grows to be quickly intense and expansive. Incorporating dissonant notes and constantly adding a new rhythm to set your heart racing on top of the last rhythm. And as the various musicians work their parts of the equation, the space widens, tensions mount, your ambiguous objective seems too powerful, and suddenly: silence. Shangrala has gotten you here. Now look out because the song isn't over. The song isn't over because it isn't just a song. This is an epic journey. Shangrala doesn't just tell the story, as a song might, they make the story happen around you. After that silence is the battle. If there is anything formulaic about the way Shangrala writes music, its that every piece features a battle. This is when the rock comes out. This is where the rhythm shifts, the pace puts you off guard, you think for a moment you may lose the battle. The task is too daunting. You are disoriented. Then the finale. In the finale you win. This is your victory song. This is a joyful sound.

Unlike any music being made commercially or even in the underground, Shangrala features elements that might be construed as inspired by Deathcab for Cutie, Cursive, or Explosions in the Sky, but in actuality all of these comparisons are a stretch. These five accomplished musicians have come from various walks of life and found each other in a garage behind a Riverside Apartment in Jacksonville, Florida and when they collided, Shangrala is the noise they made. For 2 years now they have been crafting and honing that noise to make it perfectly shaped and sounded. What emerges is Will and Walt Hill's ability to communicate with drummer Mike VonBalson through the rhythms they concoct from one another. Mike's beats may start in simple, and then pull Will's bass into the foundations of the song, but Walt enters with a percussive keyboard that launches the song anew. Jude Kahle' s guitar strums in line with the bass, but then Brian Jerin's guitar enters with a whole new dimension of rhythm and tone. Mike and Brian have been crafting articulate and amazing songs together for many.

Biography by Jon Bosworth - EU Magazine

My trip to 9th & Main to check out Shangrala turned out to be a hip happening at this popular bistro and concert venue. The theater is equipped with sound and lights which makes it a showcase venue. The band came highly recommended by a respected colleague, so my expectations were high. Hallelujah–I wasn’t disappointed.

Shangrala is a modern pop-rock group which includes Jude Kale as lead singer and guitarist, Brian Jerin on guitar and backup vocals, Walt Hill on the marvelously dirty sounding Fender Rhodes, vocals, drums, and digital devices, and Mike Von Balson on drums, Will Hill on bass, and Jared Bowser, formerly of Bernard on auxillary percussion.

As a tribute to the band’s distinctive originality, I couldn’t pinpoint its major influences. They have distilled these influences into an appealing sound that kicks butt, but retains melodic structure. The ensemble arranges its music in multi-dimensional layers with interesting changes and hooks, which hold the listeners attention.

Thematically, Shangrala’s music is built on simple structures which develop into complex figures, flowing like a stream over a waterfall. The group’s vocals are mixed into the instrumental spectrum and become part of the total musical presentation, that is: the vocals are not out front but mixed within the instrumentation, giving the music an orchestral sound, but with a strong rhythm. One could say the music is haunting as in ‘Golden Street’ which is built on a simple repeating motif, that develops into a shuffling beat, which conjures images of Philip Glass’ minimal compositions.

Shangrala’s music could be defined as mini-symphonic suites retaining rock rhythms that shift it into a popular setting. Yeah, it’s hard to explain the band’s unique sound. One has to hear it and draw one’s own conclusions. I especially liked the group’s wall of sound concept that conjures up different moods and images. As I listened to Shangrala’s music, I saw unspoiled nature in places that haven’t been ruined by developers, somewhere in the Northwest Territory.

In the modern rock genre, which is crowded with posers and fools, Shangrala stands out as a jewel in a legion of bands that sound the same, or imitate their idols. Given the fifty year history of rock’n’roll, it’s almost impossible to be original. However, the lads of Shangrala have done it with style and grace.

Above all, Shangrala’s music is accessible to all age groups, which gives it a much broader marketing milieu. Now, it’s time for the band to shed its “best kept local secret” cult following, produce an album, and start touring, bringing its new music to the masses–far and wide.

Frankly, I was impressed with both Shangrala and the 9th & Main concert venue. I hadn’t been out there in over a year, and the owners have done a great job remodeling the place. It’s a great venue to showcase bands. It’s small but the music can be heard inside the outer club where the bar is located and on the outside patio. And yeah, they serve food and have a full service bar with Bass and other foreign brands on draft.

Singer/songwriter, Chris Estes opened the show with his catchy original songs that demand attention. His distinctive voice and guitar blend well together and he received a rousing response from the audience.

EU - Rick Grant
- EU Magazine

There is no other band like Shangrala. With songs that are rich with singable hooks, without becoming hokey chorus-driven ditties, layered with complex levels of melodies to create an enormous, almost symphonic sound, Shangrala transports you from the smoky club where you’re watching them to some ethereal plane that is exciting. They rock hard when they decide to break out the catharsis of the song, but during the rest you can choose whether you want to let the gentle notes and Jude’s airy voice whisper you into a dreamlike trance, or pay closer attention and realize that the song you are listening to has keyboards, layers and layers of guitar, a cacophony of vocals, and…is that a violin? But the complexity isn’t distracting. Sometimes it isn’t even obvious. They so seamlessly fold them together that it ultimately creates one melody.

If you are into hardcore punk rock, Shangrala might not be a perfect fit for you, but if you enjoy really well thought out music that you can sink your teeth into, Shangrala is Jacksonville’s little secret. Well, not little. At last count there were five members, but rumor has it that they just added a sixth. It isn’t uncommon to see Jared Bowser, formerly of Bernard, appear on stage with Shangrala, and he was recently added to the lineup to provide extra instrumentation ranging from guitar to drums.

Jude Kahle is the singer and he also plays rhythm guitar. Brian Jerin plays guitar and provides backup vocals. Walt Hill plays keyboards, drums, and an assortment of digital devices. Will Hill plays bass (and refreshes his Myspace page between songs), and Mike Von Balson on drums.

by jon bosworth, EUmagazine - EU Magazine