Hallal Bands New CD is Pick of the Week @ HotBands.com | Chains of Being Album Features "Red Sox Blues" + 10 more

The Mike Hallal Bands new roots rock album Chains of Being has been named Pick of the Week by independent music website HotBands.com -- haven for some 4,000 unsigned bands and artists around the world. Released in October by the Boston-based band, the 52-minute CD features "Red Sox Blues," 8 more originals from singer-songwriter Mike Hallal and 2 live blues covers.

Lynn, MA (PRWEB) December 16, 2003 --The Mike Hallal Bands new roots rock album Chains of Being has been named Pick of the Week by independent music website HotBands.com. Released in October by the Boston-based band, the 52-minute CD features "Red Sox Blues," 8 more originals from singer-songwriter Mike Hallal and 2 live blues covers.

In his December 10th review of Chains of Being, HotBands.com Publisher Patrick Ferris praises the bands "exceptional musicians" who focus on the "songwriting and lyrical content." And Ferris calls Hallal a "diverse" and "strong songwriter, with the gift of telling tales in a way that relates to the average guy." You can read his full review at http://www.hotbands.com/reviews/20031210review.php.

HotBands.com is a 5-year-old Seattle-based site with some 4,000 independent bands and artists in its community. Parent group HotBands Entertainment recently created Groovzilla Management and Phathouse Records, signing Malaysia's Grammy-nominated, #1 skater band Pop Shuvit as their first act. Pop Shuvit was a Pick of the Week in October 2002. Other artists named Pick of the Week by HotBands.com include The Charms (Boston), Pete Palladino (Philadelphia), Pushmonkey (Austin) and Martha Redbone (New York).

Produced by RTZ and Peter Wolf alum Brian Maes, Chains of Being follows up on last years locally successful "Red Sox Blues" CD-single. The single found open ears in Red Sox Nation soon after its release in August 02. As the Sox suffered another late-season collapse, "Red Sox Blues" got a ton of MP3 downloads at bostonphoenix.com and then airplay around town. Request-friendly DJs with local shows played it on WBOS, WXRV and WZLX. And when the season ended that October, "Red Sox Blues" was played over the Fenway Park public address system for the first time.

At the top of the bands lineup are Jim Antonellis (drums), Dixon Creasey Jr. (bass, vocals), Mike (guitar, vocals), cousin Mitch Hallal (harmonica, vocals), Kook Lawry (lead guitar) and producer Maes (keys, percussion, backing vocals). Pinch hitting are Silvertone Steve (slide guitar), David Vargas (congas), and Laurie Glasser, Terry OSoro and Gloria Poirier (backing vocals). Both the single and album were mastered by Dan Tarlow at his Zigmo Recording studios in Danvers, production home to notables Brad Delp and Barry Goudreau. Mikes been active in the Boston music scene for some two decades, with over 15 independent releases of original material.

Chains of Being is available online at http://www.mikehallal.com/cds.html and at Newbury Comics (Newbury St., Government Ctr., Harvard Sq., Alewife, Saugus, Peabody and Providence, RI), Records Wanted (Lynn) and Ted Coles Music Shop (Salem). For more information visit http://www.mikehallal.com.

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