Alycea & The X Isles

The RMR charts are compiled from radio airplay data only (total # of spins per album). All data is reported directly to the RMR database by DJ's, MD's and Program Directors from member reporting radio stations. - Roots Music Report

A folk rock band from NYC, Alycea and The X Isles have effectively captured the mood of the socially concerned with their album “Thirteen Moons”. In many ways, this album seems to hail from the days of sixties protest singers and is pervaded by the ghost of their sense of social injustice.

Perhaps unremarkably therefore, Alycea and The X Isles cover many of the same subjects like environmental problems and an unpopular war. The times, it seems, may change but the song remains the same which, if you think about it, is more than a bit concerning.

Alycea herself has the kind of voice that suggests innocence and she, perhaps as a result of that very innocence, hits each song with a directness and youthful exuberance. The X Isles likewise sound like newcomers sometimes to the point of awkwardness but that pretty much fits the vibe.

Probably the most commercial song, and something of an anachronism in the contest of the album, is “True Friends” that takes a very confident step into conventional singer songwriter territory and so much so that it makes a more topical song like “Piper To Pay” seem somewhat awkward and contrived.

However, taken as a whole, “Thirteen Moons” is an uplifting album with its charm and conscience much to its favour.
- Bluesbunny

A folk rock band from NYC, Alycea and The X Isles have effectively captured the mood of the socially concerned with their album “Thirteen Moons”. In many ways, this album seems to hail from the days of sixties protest singers and is pervaded by the ghost of their sense of social injustice.

Perhaps unremarkably therefore, Alycea and The X Isles cover many of the same subjects like environmental problems and an unpopular war. The times, it seems, may change but the song remains the same which, if you think about it, is more than a bit concerning.

Alycea herself has the kind of voice that suggests innocence and she, perhaps as a result of that very innocence, hits each song with a directness and youthful exuberance. The X Isles likewise sound like newcomers sometimes to the point of awkwardness but that pretty much fits the vibe.

Probably the most commercial song, and something of an anachronism in the contest of the album, is “True Friends” that takes a very confident step into conventional singer songwriter territory and so much so that it makes a more topical song like “Piper To Pay” seem somewhat awkward and contrived.

However, taken as a whole, “Thirteen Moons” is an uplifting album with its charm and conscience much to its favour.
- Bluesbunny

No matter how hard you try fusing an amalgam of styles and sounds the venture is fraught with the potential for disaster. Every now and then you get a mish-mash of sounds that refuse to hang together, at times the interplay between musicians fails to work and sometimes the combination is more ‘forced’ than ‘natural’.

Then again, occasionally you get a mix like that on ‘Thirteen Moons’ from Alycea and The X Isles - and it all comes together and works to perfection.

The blend is effortless, the interplay instinctive and the music fits together without a seam in sight. The American folk vein is strong throughout – no doubting where this originates, however, the blend pulls in ethnic folk, rock, blues and roots influences and styles and forges an intuitive, intrinsic entity. From the gentle opening of ‘By My Side’ with its tiers of sound, through the fiddle accented ‘Second Avenue’ and the pulsating rhythms of ‘We Are One’ to the jangly guitars and rocky exuberance of ‘Steal Your Days’ this is an album to raise the spirit. For me the stand out track is ‘Let The Rain Fall’ - and believe me you'll love it.

‘Thirteen Moons’ releases on 21 September 2012 - The International Day of Peace. Listening to this integrated music for me that’s a totally appropriate date." - Folkwords

Fronted by Arizona Apache singer-songwriter and activist Alycea Ench, the New York City roots rock outfit are nothing if not culturally and musically diverse, the debut album’s large list of musicians includes, among others, father Rick on guitar, Irish American Ken Harten on guitars, keyboards and violin, Sihk Indian American Jaspreet Singh and Filipino American Jo Domingo playing drums, Puerto Rican Carlos Colon on bongo and conga, classically trained cellist JR Pinna and Ethiopian background vocalist Aedan Kefflew.

Given that assemblage, it’ll be no surprise to learn there’s a strong world music influence at work, although the tracks flow seamlessly between the fiddle led folk of Second Avenue, the nomadic Spanish textures of Galicia, Never Been A Fighter’s r&b organ backed groove and gospel handclaps, the gentle acoustic ripples of By My Side and the straight ahead 70s pop rock Steal Your Days. This with a side order of rap on the bluesy Piper To Pay, pounding tablas and mandolin sharing space for Take Me Back (Australia) and the jazzy lopes that are True Friends and Wasting My Time’s Latin coloured sway.

There’s plenty going on without the songs ever feeling overcrowded and while Ench hasn’t the greatest voice in the world, her slightly smoky tones (though she can belt it out when required) should, like the album as a whole, be much appreciated by those who would have liked 10,000 Maniacs to be a little more Womad. - NetRhythms

Irvington- Ever since her elementary school days, 22-year-old Alycea Ench has celebrated Earth Day by cleaning up her own little corner of the world. While growing up in New City in Rockland County, she organized outings with friends to pick up garbage. She later founded the environmental club at Clarkstown South High School in Nyack. Ench, now a singer/songwriter decided in February to set the bar a little higher for Earth Day 2008. She brought together local musicians, speakers, entertainers, and others to create the environmentally focused extravaganza Concert HOPE a benefit taking place next Friday, April 18, at 8 p.m. at the Irvington Town Hall Theater.
Although she didn't have the money, the expertise or the connections two months ago to put together a concert of this magnitude, that didn't stop her. Ench went door to door to local businesses soliciting donations for the concert. Eileen Fisher, Jurlique and Green Babies are one of many who contributed to the concert.
"Alycea's really taken my by surprise" Anne Jaffe said mentioning how young she is and highlighting her door to door fundraising efforts.
Ench doesn't think her actions are out of the ordinary.
"You have visions. It doesn't matter what age you are" she told the Enterprise.
Ench said one of the most difficult tasks in putting together the concert was asking people for money, but she did it nonetheless, relying in part on advice gleaned from a Yogi tea box: "Say what you mean clearly and say it with a smile" (Ench is an avid tea drinker and vegetarian)
Ench has always felt a deep connection to the land, akin to that of Native Americans. She decided to attend Northern Arizona University partly because she only spent the first yaer of her life in that corner of the Southwest. Her family then moved to Alaska, where her father started up another radio station.
"They say your first memory is your sense of smell. And when I came back to Arizona and smelled the pine trees, I really felt at home" she said. Ench studied music production at Northern Arizona University.
- Enterprise

Hay una nueva cantatora entre nosotros, cuya voz es original y honesta, y que conecta directamente y nivel emocional con la audiencia. Escucha el flujo de la musica y respira profundamente mientras viajas por territorios inexplorados de tu propia imaginacion y deriva en tus propios seenos simples. - El Voz