http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.6416626&variant=artist-playlists&rws=%2Fhal-2%2Fplaylists.rssBrothers Dave and Paul Allen grew up in Ireland surrounded by music; their parents were ex-folkies whose love for the Byrds, Harry Nilsson and the Beatles rubbed off on their children. In 2000, the brothers recruited drummer Paul Hogan and keyboardist Stephen O'Brien and formed Hal. With a definite nod to the 1960s, the quartet hashed out original songs at the Allen household where, according to Paul, his father would see them and "mutter something about us needing more lead guitar." Eventually Hal recorded a demo, which got them a residency at the Sugar Club in Dublin. Only six months in to their gig, Rough Trade Records came calling. By 2004, Hal released their first single, "Worry About the Wind," and were featured on the compilation, <I>The Rough Trade Field Guide to Music, Volume 1</I>. Tours with the Doves, Granddaddy and Starsailor followed, with the band using these dates to "road test" the songs that would appear on their self-titled debut. In May 2005, the band's jangle-pop masterpiece <I>Hal</I>, finally saw the light of day. - Linda RyanBaroque Popen720Sun, 29 Nov 2009 07:06:24 -0800 http://static.realone.com/rotw/images/logo_rhapsody_113x22.gif http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.6416626&variant=artist-playlists&rws=%2Fhal-2%2Fplaylists.rss Brothers Dave and Paul Allen grew up in Ireland surrounded by music; their parents were ex-folkies whose love for the Byrds, Harry Nilsson and the Beatles rubbed off on their children. In 2000, the brothers recruited drummer Paul Hogan and keyboardist Stephen O'Brien and formed Hal. With a definite nod to the 1960s, the quartet hashed out original songs at the Allen household where, according to Paul, his father would see them and "mutter something about us needing more lead guitar." Eventually Hal recorded a demo, which got them a residency at the Sugar Club in Dublin. Only six months in to their gig, Rough Trade Records came calling. By 2004, Hal released their first single, "Worry About the Wind," and were featured on the compilation, <I>The Rough Trade Field Guide to Music, Volume 1</I>. Tours with the Doves, Granddaddy and Starsailor followed, with the band using these dates to "road test" the songs that would appear on their self-titled debut. In May 2005, the band's jangle-pop masterpiece <I>Hal</I>, finally saw the light of day. - Linda Ryan http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.14458236&variant=play&rws=%2Fhal-2%2Fplaylists.rss Alt/Punk Wed, 10 Dec 2008 12:11:13 -0800 Playlists Featuring Hal on Rhapsody Online 14458236 ply.14458236 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.14458236&variant=play&rws=%2Fhal-2%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.8919098&variant=play&rws=%2Fhal-2%2Fplaylists.rss Alt/Punk Wed, 29 Oct 2008 18:33:35 -0700 Playlists Featuring Hal on Rhapsody Online 8919098 ply.8919098 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.8919098&variant=play&rws=%2Fhal-2%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.8919097&variant=play&rws=%2Fhal-2%2Fplaylists.rss Alt/Punk Wed, 29 Oct 2008 18:33:48 -0700 Playlists Featuring Hal on Rhapsody Online 8919097 ply.8919097 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.8919097&variant=play&rws=%2Fhal-2%2Fplaylists.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.8941697&variant=play&rws=%2Fhal-2%2Fplaylists.rss Alt/Punk Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:38:06 -0800 Playlists Featuring Hal on Rhapsody Online 8941697 ply.8941697 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=ply.8941697&variant=play&rws=%2Fhal-2%2Fplaylists.rss