Bio:
Cleveland, Ohio's, Pale Hollow naturally combines elements of roots-rock folk with the restless urgency of a rustbelt garage band. Their songs, though modern and melodic, are anchored by the solid rock and pop traditions of the 60's and 70's.
Inspired by the posh blues of Nick Drake and the woodsy jangle of Gram Parsons era Byrds, ex Jericho Turnpike bassist, Michael Allen, bought an acoustic guitar and started writing songs to perform in local coffee houses around Cleveland. With a batch of home demos, he went to Detroit to record an album with producer Al Sutton (Detroit Cobras, Dead String Brothers). The resulting record was a shimmering blend of Alt-Country/Folk-Pop, with shades of British Invasion thrown in for color. With comparisons to The Kinks, The Verve and Neil Young, the self-titled release has gained the attention of press and fans alike.
Pale Hollow was the grand prize winner of the Rock Hall's 2009 national music video contest"Rock Your Way To Cleveland" for their song "Sugarcane". With acclaimed performances at the 2008 and 2009 Midpoint Music Festival in Cincinnati, and the 2008 and 2009 International Pop Overthrow in Youngstown and Cleveland as well.
REVIEWS/ACCOLADES:
"This quartet's music has an Americana base, but there is too much going on in Pale Hollow's delicate songs that limiting descriptions to one word can only end up coming up short. The band has been understandably compared with Nick Drake, The Verve, The Kinks, Neil Young and Oasis, but even then, the group's slow-mo, glimmering sway deserves it's own category-Dreamercana TwilightPop? Sure, why not."- 2009 Midpoint Music Festival.
"Pale Hollow describes its sound as a mix of Americana, soul and folk, but there is a decidedly Brit-pop bent to this 14-song collection.
Sure, the opener "Don't It Leave You Lonely" leans on a rootsy harmonica and a jangly electric guitar line, but singer Mike Allen's raspy delivery conjures introspective gray skies more than carefree blue ones.
And Pale Hollow's subsequent headlong dive into the wonderfully sonic "Sugarcane" — one of the best songs on the album — instantly reminds you of the arena-size sound of British rock act Oasis. Yet the high point of the disc is the confidently low-key "Roll the Stone Away," which offers a nice balance of Pale Hollow's disparate ingredients." - Cleveland Magazine
"Pale Hollow mastermind Michael Allen is a songwriter's songwriter. He's aware that a tune needs more than just a catchy chorus. And even though the hooks come fast and furious on Pale Hollow's debut, Allen builds on his acoustic skeletons with an array of instruments to form a melodic slice of pop rock." – Cleveland Scene Magazine
"In addition to some fine guitar work, tunes such as "Sugarcane" and "Gustav's Dream" are catchy and suggest Allen might just be one of the best (if unheralded) songwriters on the local scene". -Cleveland Free Times
'Now here's an exceptional disc. A very pleasant surprise indeed'- Absolutepowerpop.com
"Sugarcane" and "Remains Of Yesterday" are simply stellar examples of power roots pop! One of, if not "the", roots pop releases of the year! Can't say enough about this one! GREAT!!!" - KoolKatMusik.com
'Allen's delectable hooks and acoustic-based folk-pop shine through on Pale Hollow; what you get is shimmering and absolutely melodic. You begin to thrill at Allen's uncanny ability to nail a hook and blend pop, rock and folk components into something sublime.' –CoolCleveland.com
