Breathing Underwater
© Copyright-Dessert First Records
(690605100221)
Record Label: Dessert First Records
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With her newest CD, "Breathing Underwater," Ali Handal continues to explore themes of passion, sex, and the inner battle between fearless independence and the longing for companionship that defines both Ali Handal the person and Ali Handal the recording artist. This album is an acoustic-guitar driven collection of songs, sparsely arranged and produced by Ali and her co-producer Tim Bomba. Ali plays all of the guitars on the CD, and is accompanied by Wes Wehmiller on bass (of touring bands Duran Duran, Missing Persons, Lisa Loeb) & David Leach on percussion (of Ben Harper's Innocent Criminals).
Ali treats the familiar theme of love lost in her uniquely bittersweet way, as well as writing several atypical love songs for various members of her family (although nothing close to her funky feline love song "Indy" from her first CD - there are no sampled cat meows on this whole record!).
Ali's music has been featured both in films and many TV shows, including Sex in the City, Joan of Arcadia, Dawson's Creek, and several shows on MTV & VH-1. Ali is an award-winning songwriter (John Lennon Songwriting Contest, Unisong), and her music has been heard from airplanes (Northwest/KLM In-Flight Entertainment) to pop concerts in South Africa (Ali's song "While You're Here" was covered by a South African TV star), to Los Angeles' acclaimed radio station KCRW (www.kcrw.com).
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Ali's Debut CD "Dirty Little Secret":
What inspires *funky*sexy*guitar*girl* Ali Handal to roll out of her Los Angeles area queen-size bed every morning? Well, when it's not her cat Indy meowing loudly in her ear, it's the opportunity for her to spend another day expressing her passions through her guitar.
Ali quit taking piano lessons to pick up the guitar when, in 7th grade, she got her first taste of Led Zeppelin. Blown away by Jimmy Page's explosive riffs and the band's carnal grooves, Ali was determined to become involved in rock n roll in any and every way she could.
Three guitar-playing boyfriends later, it struck Ali that perhaps it might be better to BE in a rock band rather than just date all the guitar players she knew (funny how her soloing wasn't improving), so she got serious about mastering the instrument herself.
Fast forward a few years, and we find Ali exploring themes of passion, sex, and life as an independent young woman on her debut CD Dirty Little Secret. The songs range from aggressive funky rockers to tender ballads but are tied together throughout by Ali's passionate, dynamic vocals and insightful lyrics. Oh, yeah-and by her guitar playing-she played every guitar you hear on the CD.
Her funky rhythm guitar style reveals influences such as John Frusciante (Red Hot Chili Peppers) and James Brown, while her soloing explores the blues-infused side of rock n roll, a la Slash, Jimmy Page and Joe Perry. Ali's vocal inspirations range from the fervent breathy wails of ani difranco to the dark, honeyed brooding of Fiona Apple.
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The more you are listening to this cd the better it gets - just great
author: Harald Reutin
This is one of the CDs in my collection which will have a special place. I can only give it 5 stars because it very good. And it gets better the more you listen to it. This one`s for real.
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Intimately Beautiful
author: Chris Thompson
Breathing Underwater is a great CD. Ali Handal has such an Angelic voice and puts her heart and soul into every song she's ever written, played, and sang. This CD shows Ali's more sensitive side after she showed the world that she could rock-out with her previous release, "Dirty Little Secret." Any music collection is incomplete without these two CD's. I give both "Breathing Underwater" and "Dirty Little Secret" 5 STARS! I love Ali's versatility -- the way she purrs through a sensitive ballad on her acoustic guitar, and then belts out a real rocker while making her Les Paul scream.
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A more sentimental side of this rockin' artist.
author: M. Marsted
Ali Handal has put together a beautiful group of songs written straight from the heart. She exhibits the outstanding guitar work on her first CD and has added a new depth to her lyrics and voice. These mostly sentimental pieces in this outstanding CD reveal the softer side of Ali.
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Ali Handal delivers a four-star performance
author: Greg Tutweiler, Singer Magazine
"I first met Ali in July 2002 when she played our first ever Indie Artist Showcase in Nashville. I was taken by the contrast of her stage performance with her soft-spoken, subtle nature off stage. maybe it's the line from the song "Soft in the Middle," from her new CD, "Breathing Underwater," that best describes Ali, "I don't act like a girl who you need to protect, 'cause I hang with the boys and I earn their respect."
It's been fun watching Ali mature as an artist when comparing this new CD with her debut, Dirty Little Secret. Ali Handal delivers a four-star performance with this new project. Her introspective lyrics elevated by her passion to sing, her vibrant vocals, and her exploration of the inner battle between fearless independence and the longing for companionship are what makes "Breathing Underwater" so captivating.
She lives out her self-ascribed pseudonym of "funky sexy guitar girl" through her music, but the true Ali lies behind the song, and bleeds through between the lines. She's a genuine musician with enough spirit to take her wherever she wants to go.
Listening to "Breathing Underwater," it's hard not to find yourself hiding out somewhere in one of her songs. My favorite cuts include "I Miss You," "You Mean That Much to Me," and the title track, "Breathing Underwater."
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