Music
Press
"..truely a uniquely gifted singer.." - Rockbridge Weekly
"... the iest performance I've seen since Ricki Lee Jones..." - News Gazette
"Like any great singer, Arum is gifted with the ability to communicate raw emotion with her voice." Ben Losi, Production Manager - 91.5
"... this woman, Arum Rae, is a stunning talent. She's a phenomenal singer and guitar player. Honestly, she's one in a million."
www.plugits.com - Barefoot Radio
Sweet lord, you have got a total fan here, by far!
Your music is so originally precious, I've got to get my hands on an album.
thanks for sharing your talent with us!
Wow.
In Solidarity,
"XXXXX"
Houston, TX
- fan
With such an attitude Arum is born to play the blues. "Too Young To Sing the Blues" is exciting and personal, taking the blues in a new direction. This album reminds me of a good book, every song is a different chapter but together they make a tight and interesting story. Really strong CD.
Przemek Draheim
www.blues.pl/draheim
European Blues Radio - European Blues Radio
"...her eclectic style is soulful, raw, and emotional.." - WLU
Virginian singer-songwriter Arum Rae Valkonen named her 2006 debut Too Young To Sing the Blues, but she hardly lives up to the title. In fact, blues is slopped all over her songs, a ragged batch of swampy riffs and full-bodied twang, that belies her status as an alum of the prestigious Berklee College of Music. The disc is surprisingly raw considering it features backing by musicians who have played with Tom Waits, Ani DiFranco, Norah Jones, and Paul Simon- but somehow, Arum Rae is able to conduct all this talent into something spontaneous and soulfully rich. - The Onion Inc.
"It’s hard to find a new way of presenting or singing the blues, but Arum Rae has had a fair crack at it. The fuzzy distorted opener “Lookin’ For Love”, all ferocious slide and staccato vocals, sets the tone, and each subsequent track manages an interesting twist on that old form. “Home” has light and airy piano and dobro, while “So Bad” has desert steel and aching vocals that Patsy Cline would be proud of. But despite the references and classic musical nods, this is country blues for the twenty-first century, more at home in the hood than the honky tonk. Rae has an astonishing vocal range, and aided by Ani Di Franco’s producer and bass player she has produced an effortlessly cool and fascinating record. The nearest thing to a straight trad track is the closer “Nobody But Me” and even there Rae’s vocals, which sound like the most knowing twelve year old in the world, carry it to a new and interesting place. Not too young at all then." - AmericanaUK.com
Arum Rae's "Too Young To Sing the Blues" voted in top ten "Best Of Albums in 2006"!
www.rocktownweekly.com - Rockingham Publishing Company
Discography
Too Young To Sing The Blues
Arum Rae Live on 91.5
tracks on cdbaby.com and www.arumrae.com
unreleased live tracks on www.myspace.com/arumrae
Photos
Bio
Arum Rae did not follow the beaten path of most singer/songwriters. She didn't write songs, she didn't join a band, and she didn't do much performing. It was at the urging of her high school music teacher that she applied to Berklee College of Music at the age of 18. Arum was accepted and granted scholarships on the merit of her vocal ability. At Berklee she majored in Music Business and Management but toward the end of her senior year she started writing and singing her own original music. After graduation Arum moved from Boston to be with her family in central Virginia.
Nine miles up the mountain, in her mother's 1800's log cabin she honed her songwriting skills and started to get her toes wet in playing for the community in Rockbridge County, Virginia. One gig lent itself to another... after winning the Open Air Waves Talent Contest, Arum was given the slot on the local college radio 91.5 WLUR to play and record a live cd. This took her on to playing Charlottesville's live music scene, which also put her on 91.9 WNRN's Acoustic Sunrise. Arum has gone on and continues to play shows in Northern Virginia and Maryland where she won honorable mention in the 22nd Annual Mid-Atlantic Song Contest for her song "Too Young To Sing The Blues". Arum has also opened up for Grammy nominated blues singer Shemekia Copeland and Nashville's current top ten artist Danielle Peck and sang background vocals for live shows with Steven Tyler of Aerosmith and solo artist John Mayer.
Arum is also in New York City playing shows at known venues such as Columbia's famed PostCrypt Coffee House, Pete’s Candy Store in Brooklyn, as well as her recently offered residency at the lower east side's Rockwood Music Hall. Arum started her performing by driving up to 10 hours to play at various open mics, which would then open the door for her to return as an opener, and finally performing as the headlining act. Arum's career so far has been an intentionally independent one (waiting for the right team) with much support from friends and exceptional musicians who have guided her to planting permanent and growing roots as she continues to play to captivated audiences. "Arum has all the bases covered... she is an entertainer, she writes from an old soul and has a voice that'll grab anyone... " Steve West (Pavement, Silver Jews).
"Too Young To Sing the Blues" is the title of Arum Rae's debut record. On the all original, full-length album, Arum is accompanied by world class musicians: Todd Sickafoose on upright bass (Ani Difranco), drummer Andrew Borger (Tom Waits, Norah Jones), Larry Saltzman (Paul Simon) on electric and slide guitar and Geralde Menke on pedal steel. Recorded in Brooklyn, New York at Bushwick Studios, produced by Michael Bongiorno, another from Ani's team, and Steve West, former member of Pavement, and now producer of Silver Jews. The state of the album's independence and/or record label support has yet to be determined but in the meantime Arum is touring up and down the east coast. Arum is accompanied with the band in the city but also appearing solo for those in the country and beyond.
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