“Taken for a Ride”
from the album Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum
2005
iTunes
MP3 – “Taken for a Ride” [right-click/save-as]
The Ann Arbor-based group Tally Hall may be the only good thing ever inspired, at least in part, by a strip mall.
The self-described “wonky rock band” that makes “odd pop” has quickly morphed from a frat party/ bar band into an intelligent, irreverent ensemble poised for much more — including a full-length album and national tour. It’s a cliché to say a local band is building buzz, but Tally Hall definitely is.
The fortunes of this quirky, charming quintet took a turn a couple of years ago, when member Andrew Horowitz, a University of Michigan School of Music graduate, scored a $10,000 scholarship and lunch with Yoko Ono by taking first place in the BMI Foundation’s annual John Lennon songwriting contest, with his song “Good Day.”
“That’s the point when we had reason enough to see we were on the right track and that if we kept at it, we could do something special,” says guitarist-vocalist Rob Cantor. “Right now, it’s a no-lose situation for the band, but at the end of two years, we’ll have to make a final decision about our future.” Two years is the amount of time four band members have been granted by the University of Michigan to decide whether to resume their academic careers.
“These guys are one audition away from hitting it big,” says ardent fan and animator Keith Alcorn, who created the Oscar-nominated film “Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius” for Paramount. Alcorn, like thousands of Internet users, happened upon the video that guitarist-vocalist Joe Hawley created for his song “Banana Man” by following links posted on sites frequented by college kids and creative types.
“These guys are so clever. Their material is so smart and so elaborate. Somehow it all makes sense, but I don’t know why,” Alcorn says.
Tally Hall’s music is hard to describe. In a single song, you might hear moments of rap, rock or smooth harmonies straight out of the 1940s. Subject matter includes the Olsen twins (“Two Wuv”), romance (“The Bidding”) and the band themselves (“Welcome to Tally Hall”). Tunes take unexpected turns, yet the lyrics are easy to follow. You’ll hear all kinds of influences — the Beatles, Queen, XTC quickly come to mind — yet the songs hold up under repeated listenings. The “Banana Man” video, a class project for Hawley, is both silly and highly sophisticated.
The band’s back story is as fascinating as its music. The five — Cantor, Horowitz, Hawley, drummer Ross Federman and bassist-vocalist Zubin Sedghi — came together while students at U-M, though there are two pairs of high school buddies in the band. Three are Michigan graduates, with two of them delaying their admission to medical or business school for two years. The other two are taking a two-year hiatus from working on their undergrad biology degrees. They range in age from 20 to 23. Four of the five grew up in Oakland County, which helps explain the band name and the CD title.
“Tally Hall was the name of a new mini-mall on Orchard Lake Road in Farmington Hills when we were growing up. At this mini-mall was Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum, this strange, eclectic place we liked to visit,” says Hawley. Though Tally Hall the mini-mall is no more, the museum, which features old-school coin-operated games and other amusements, remains a popular attraction. The band got permission from Marvin himself to do some field recording there, which is sampled on the CD.
And yes, the color coding. Tally Hall’s onstage uniforms consist of identical black shoes and pants, bright-white dress shirts and vivid solid-color ties, each member with his own color. Even the CD booklet is color-coded. “We wanted a visual element to set us apart. Something that looked classy, not overtly silly,” says Cantor. With their sleeves rolled up, these guys are ready to get going.