• Artist Spotlight

    Diving into the Depths of Door Girl, An Interview with Shilpa Ray

    One of my all time favorite albums is Quadrophenia by The Who. I love it because it is a complete album, it tells a story that engages the listener. The individual songs are good but fitted together in sequence, they are a masterpiece. Shilpa Ray managed to create that high quality of art with her new album, Door Girl. On a chilly November night, Shilpa Ray and her touring band played Cincinnati’s best kept secret, Junker’s Tavern. Shilpa Ray and I chatted before her set about the creation of Door Girl and the story that goes along with it. “I knew I was going to write this record. When you…

  • Song of the Moment

    “EMT Police and the Fire Department” by Shilpa Ray

    I’ve been a huge fan of Shilpa Ray since the Teenage and Torture days. I borrowed my sister’s ID so I could see her before I was of age and then I saw her every possible chance when she was in the Midwest. Although, I must be honest, I think her albums after Teenage and Torture are good but they’ve never moved me in the way that the original album did. With the news that Shilpa Ray is playing at my favorite bar in Cincinnati (Junker’s) on Tuesday, November 7th, I decided to give her new album, Door Girl, a try. I think it’s safe to say that Shilpa Ray has…

  • Playlist,  Song Playlist

    Local Men Inspiration Playlist: Part 2

    As a continuation from yesterday’s Local Men Inspiration Playlist, we are happy to present Part 2. Thanks to so many great Cincinnati guys for continuing to support Women in Rock! Happy Valentine’s Day!         Andrew Jody (Barrence Whitfield & The Savages)- “Nocturnal Emissions” by Shilpa Ray “When I was asked to do this I had a hard time making a decision… because when thinking about musicians who’ve influenced me, I don’t consciously compartmentalize them into ‘female musicians’ and ‘male musicians.’ Ya either got it or ya don’t. That being said, looking at the female artists that inspire me, I’ve noticed most of them don’t flaunt their sexuality superficially,…

  • Artist Spotlight,  Band Information,  Concert Information

    Shilpa Ray…The #1 Reason to go out on a Monday Night

    When I first heard Shilpa Ray, I was the music director for UC’s student radio station, Bearcast. The perk of the position was getting new music sent to you daily. A lot of it was bad, a lot of it I was indifferent to, but sometimes a gem fell into my lap. Shilpa Ray was the best gem of my entire 3 year stint as music director. The CD that was sent to me on some rainy Monday was Shilpa Ray’s Teenage and Torture. I loved the cover, I decided to give it a listen. I was definitely not ready for what I heard. Rock and roll with melancholy and yet so…

  • Info Menu

    Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers

    Teenage and Torture It was probably a dreary Brooklyn day for Shilpa Ray as she attended another day on the job in a boutique helping uppity customers. Yet this day was unlike the others. This was the day Nick Cave called to see if she would like to open a few dates for him on his Grinderman tour. With the release of their second album in January, Teenage and Torture, Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers have spent the last few months touring the country and leaving audiences everywhere in awe. Shilpa Ray leads the band with a sultry, soulful wail of a voice and plays the harmonium. The album starts…