Tiger Friends is a boutique record label offering selections from unique and inspiring artists. Known for their versatility, these artists are chosen for their dedication to their craft, strong community involvement, music knowledge, and personal commitment to bringing their best to the arts.
ALAK
ALAK
‘ALAK’ began in 2005 as the solo project of Jocelyn Noir originally under the moniker ‘Alas, alak, Alaska!’. The project was based out of the forests of Pollock Pines in Northern California until 2007 when Jocelyn moved to Sacramento and new members joined, inclduding Jeannie Masterflash who has been the only other original member besides Jocelyn since then (the line-up has also included Genaro Ulloa of ‘Sister Crayon’, Elisabeth Wood of ‘FANCIE’, and Daniel Trudeau of ‘Pregnant’). The band has toured nationally twice (sharing the bill with Adrian Orange, Angel Deradoorian (Dirty Projectors), Stephen Steinbrink, Agent Ribbons, and What’s Up), won a Sacramento SAMMIES ‘Best Experimental Band’ award in 2008 and was nominated again the next year, sharing the category with Pregnant, Dead Western, Art Lessing and The Flower Vato, The Ganglians and M.O.M. The latest and first actual full-length record ‘Clarinettis Qoonotations: Too Many Notes; fucking preternatural and the golden weave of g-nashing teeth’ was released on Kaleidoscope Records (UK) in the spring of 2009.
The sound has been described in many ways, Lauren Strain in the June 2009 issue of Plan B Magazine’s interview with Jocelyn Noir described it as: ” Sinister and vulnerable and unrepentant, Alak’s notes are good and bad karma, pluck and luck and despair… a conspiratorial meeting of your inner voices in broad nightlight.” It’s definitely a project that conjures different emotions from each individual listener, which is the way the band likes it. There are upcoming releases in the works (including a split with Stephen Steinbrink on Gilgongo Records) and a new record ‘GROUPS’ set for release in 2010.
ALAK PRESS -
Exposing oneself to ALAK’s black cauldron for forty-two minutes proves to be a more than satisfying proposition.”
” Each song is unique in its implementation and the lyrics filter through like the lines of a spoken word poem… Alak’s melodious and experimental combinations make the album rather beautiful and accessible. I highly recommend that you pick it up and get cozy.”
——Clinton Gibson/KDVS
California has always been a hot bed of experimental musicians that harness the suns energy to create something bizarre, mental and often life affirming.
Jocelyn Noir, aka Alak, is pretty good at projecting all three of those elements and that’s why she’s getting The 405 Radar service this week.
From Radiohead style drama to the experimental bent of Animal Collective (minus the fanfare), Jocelyn Noir and her band of merry men are bringing psych to the folk table and leaving with a plate of noise apples.
——Oliver Primus/www.thefourohfive.com
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