Here's the official bio:

"Percussionists provided driving rhythms...over which Haale's warm, supple voice unfurled like a curlicue of smoke. Her band's amplified rumble served as a reminder of the extent to which rock bands like the Doors and the Velvet Underground turned to the East for their hypnotic efforts; here their borrowings were reclaimed with interest."  NEW YORK TIMES

"[Haale] draws from both the American rock lexicon and Sufi mysticism...She sings in Persian and English, quotes Iranian poets like Rumi and can shred on guitar." SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

Haale (pronounced like *hal·le*·lu·jah) evokes both the spiritual and traditional culture of her parents' homeland of Iran, and the energy of psychedelic rock and roll from the sounds of New York City, where she was born. Her music and her message are formed by the powerful  combination of these influences, invoking both a swaying trance and a rock sensibility she describes as "Psychedelic Sufi Trance Rock."

Haale's debut recordings were released on her own DarYaRecords in January to critical acclaim. The two five-song EPs exemplify her dual personality. The "Morning" EP is sung mostly in Persian and features the words of mystical poets Rumi and Attar, while the drone-folky "Paratrooper" is primarily in English. The recordings were produced by Dougie Bowne (who has produced albums by Cibo Matto and Chris Whitley among others) and features an array of the NYC downtown scene's hottest players including Sean Lennon (on "Before the Skies"), Matt Kilmer, Thomas Barlett, Shahzad Ismaily and Raz Mesinai.

After seeing Haale at a club last fall, David Byrne invited her to be part of his Nonesuch Records-sponsored "One Note" series at Carnegie Hall. That show served to kick off a season of near continuous touring for the band, playing clubs, colleges, and festivals like South by Southwest in Austin, Bonnaroo in Tennessee and the MIMIFestival in Marseilles, France. The band is now recording their debut full-length album, due out in February 2008.

"A mixture of experimental downtown stuff with the vocal intensity of U2, but more intimate." DAVID BYRNE

"On her two latest EP releases, 'Paratrooper' and 'Morning' (both self-releasd), [Haale] works a panoramic blend of luscious rock, heady bass, and brilliantly produced rhythms." POPMATTERS

Haale never strays far from the cultural and mystical influences of her Persian roots, but she's no throwback to the New Age movement. Haale's music is a new kind of global rock, and while some try to find the neat stylistic pigeonhole for her, the best response is to go along with her, wherever that may lead.

"In concert, the Eastern side of Haale's musical personality came through strongest, even on English-languagesongs such as "Floating Down" (which was inspired by Jimi Hendrix's desire to make his guitar sound like ahelicopter) and "Before the Skies." With an electric guitarist to her right and a percussionist to her left, Haaleswitched between guitar and setar (a four-string Persian lute). Or sometimes she just sang, swaying in her black dress and swinging her long curly hair to the electric drones and rumbling drums. While Haale never let loose with a full-on Sufi-dance twirl, she's anything but shy or reserved. 'I believe in bliss,' she said. 'I believe in pleasure. Can you hear that in some of the songs?' Absolutely." WASHINGTON POST