Photograph by Johnny Leather

While I’m super excited to see a highly anticipated show with High Highs tonight at Glasslands, I’m equally bummed to be missing Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers playing their only show in New York on their current tour tonight. And although I can’t be there, I thought I’d do my very best to get all of you (who aren’t checking out High Highs, of course) to go.

Shilpa Ray’s music is eclectic, ranging from punk ragers to sparse bluesy rock and everything in between. I love her intense, creative cover of The Flamingo’s classic “I Only Have Eyes For You” that’s as much the noisy memory of the song as it is the song itself. No matter what sort of sound she’s making, Shilpa’s incredible voice ties it all together. It’s deep, rough, powerful, penetrating, a vocal personality on par with Tom Waits or Colin Meloy.

Exhibit A: The Harmonium

Ray plays the harmonium, a small, hand-pumped reed organ. It sounds like a cross between a mini church organ and an accordion, and has the accordion’s “in-and-out” pumping action. She’s a physical performer, and her choice of instrument allows her to really show it. There’s nothing like watching her pump away at the organ while she rips a song apart with her voice.

Exhibit B: Holy Crap Awesomeness

Pianos might just be the perfect place to see her play. The stage is low to the ground and very small, and the audience can really get up close and personal with her and her band. So please, for the love of God, if you’re not joining me at Glasslands to see High Highs, go to Pianos. It’ll be the only time she’s in New York until at least May.

Ray’s got a myspace page and her very own website. She’s got a pretty recent album out, Teenage and Torture, but it’s an older one, A Fish Hook / An Open Eye (Extra points if you know what poem that title’s from) that I HIGHLY recommend. You can find Teenage and Torture here, and virtually grab A Fish Hook… on Amazon here. As I mentioned above, she’s on tour and is stopping just about everywhere in the U.S., and a few places in Canada too. See her myspace page for details.