Karen Haglof Releases Debut Solo Album 'Western Holiday'

Former guitarist with Rhys Chatham and Band of Susans (among others) and now a hematologist/oncologist affiliated with New York University Hospital, Karen Haglof released her long-overdue debut solo album Western Holiday a little earlier this Summer. The album was recorded at Eric "Roscoe" Ambel's Cowboy Technical Services in Brooklyn NY and mixed at Mitch Easter's Fidelitorium in Kernersville, NC. The core personnel is Karen Haglof, guitar and vocals; Steve Almaas, bass, vocals; and C.P. Roth on drums, percussion and piano. Mitch Easter played slide guitar on "Musician's Girlfriend Blues" and the late, great Faye Hunter sang on "Lincoln Letters." I'm hoping you'll consider covering via feature or album review. Here's the latest batch of positive press!

A raucous adventure begins in New York City, New York from an independent blues Americana solo artist named Karen Haglof. Karen Haglof sings songs about how hard working people like to party when the long work week is finished. Karen Haglof sounds similar to Shania Twain with her sultry vocals and groovy blues Americana melodies. Karen Haglof's debut solo CD "Western Holiday" was released ...featuring twelve rowdy tracks about having a great time and letting the stress of a long work week go.

The raucous adventure begins with the first track "Western Holiday." This track features sultry vocals and steamy blues Americana melodies. This track is a fun loving tale about how hard working dude ranchers who live out west like to celebrate on a day off. Meanwhile, the raucous adventure continues with a little bit of uncertainty in the fourth track "Danger Point." This track features soulful vocals and groovy blues Americana melodies. This track is a sultry tale about a group of young women who live in New York City who want to party. These young women are hoping to find their prince charming. However, these young women are unaware of the possibility of trouble brewing in the minds of some of these seemingly
delightful young men.

Finally, the raucous adventure ends with a little bit of pathetic humor in the eighth t rack "Dog in the Yard." This track features soulful vocals and gritty blues Americana melodies. This track is an obnoxious tale about a desperate man who is chasing a beautiful woman and follows her home. However, once the desperate man realizes that the beautiful woman is not interested in him the desperate man is standing in the beautiful woman's yard looking like a lost dog.
Karen Haglof is a brilliant independent blues Americana solo artist who uses soulful vocals and brash lyrics to describe peoples' wild side. Karen Haglof's debut solo CD "Western Holiday" is the perfect collection of music for a weekend of partying with friends. by
Leslie Snyder, Jerseybeat.com 9/6


The city/desert divide/mesh is evident straight off on former Band of Susans guitarist Karen Haglof's new debut solo album as the opening title track blossoms from the bluesy urban shadows into the wide-open sun-baked vistas in the first couple of bars, the NYC-via-Minneapolis singer giving tribute to guides she's ridden with in recent years out west while simultaneously revisiting her horse-riding childhood with her father. Equal parts swagger and a certain side-winding respect, it's a warm, tough-edged welcome to a record very few - not the least of them Haglof - would have seen on the sagebrush-dotted horizon.

The quaulifier 'long-overdue' precedes the word 'debut' on the publicist page that came with this album, a term that rings as a somewhat hopeful misnomer. After her years of fervent activity in both her hometown and adopted metropolis, slinging guitar in Crackers, the above-mentioned Susans and alongside composer Rhys Chatham and painter/sculptor Robert Longo, Haglof chose a different tack, actually taking the path not taken and becoming a hematologist/oncologist now practicing out of NYU Hospital. Not many find their way back from the other side of such a decision but for Haglof, in 2009, a couple of events prompted reappraisal. First was the sudden passing of longtime friend and guitar mentor Jeff Hill, a constant inspiration to her that had always stayed in touch and had, as she says, encouraged her to "pick up old interests beyond a workaholic medical career." Between that great loss and the demands of a job that often requires her to break bad news to patients who thought they'd have plenty of time to realize their plans, the impetus for this album was assured. The direction came from the release that same year of the movie It Might Get Loud, Page and the Edge tweaking original creative impulses, the presence of young spark plug Jack White, whom the out-of-touch Haglof hadn't seen nor heard before, proving to be quite the revelation.

Hence the guitar work on Western Holiday. Even when the tracks occasionally plow a dusty furrow redolent of that album title - the sundown saunter of "Don't Straddle Fences," the fetching, driven title track, "Demon Soul Clap" with its back porch songwriters circle vibe - the record redounds with quite the edge, if you'll pardon the unintentional pun. It's clear, on the content here, why Haglof was so eagerly welcomed in such a variety of camps back in her original playing days. So, yeah, on a straight narrative track like "Saddle Bronc Rider/Barrel Girl," title aside, you'll hear some Chicago alleys running through the baked arroyos. On others, the energy rides in the opposite direction, a sense of openness and range insinuating itself into what appears an otherwise urban lament, such as the pain- and age-defiant "Righteous Anger" that sounds like the Pretenders grinding it out on a muddy delta somewhere, or the serrated pop'n'blues roll of "Danger Point" that despite its fusion of recklessness has a jangle dangling down by its side, the tambourine seemingly impersonating spurs. Whichever way the crossover crosses, it's a rich duality that serves the guitarist's return to the studio exceedingly well.

With former Crackers bandmate Steve Almaas both at the helm and taking up bass duties, CP Roth bringing his tight and empathic talents in the form of piano and everything percussive and a select couple of friends lending assistance - Mitch Easter dishing some funky slide sass on the funny and biting "Musician's Girlfriend Blues," the late, wonderful Faye Hunter taking over the mic while Haglof's guitar tears it up behind her on the poignant punch of "Lincoln Letters" - the feel of the record is loose and intimate, whether it's out on the rambunctious tip like the Blasters-like blast of closing track "Won't Wake Up To You," hugging the quirky personal as on "The Button Song" featuring some dandy and adroit soli-esque acoustic finger stylings that's more Jack Rose than Jack White, or layin' d0wn the rules on the strutting, rutting "Dog In The Yard" with the Boots-Are-Made-For-Walking bass and Friday night attitude, full of snapping sinew and a salacious suggestiveness that Star Annamight want to take a look at.

On the touchingly existential "24-Hour Prayer," reflective and gently snarling in its plea for strength in the face of time's ceaseless - and to a large extent merciless - march, Haglof sings "Should I turn too quick I might see the shadow falling over me," as sure a comment on the need she felt to make this record as it is a pure philosophical statement of caution. "If you think you want to do something, you'd better do it now" she's said regarding the sadder rigors of her 'other' career and, thankfully, for all concerned, the singer/guitarist has taken her own advice. As we all know, only art and love stand a chance at stanching time's flow, even if only for a moment, and in Western Holiday Karen Haglof has made a stab at it and come away trumps. A triumph.

Dave Cantrell/StereoEmbersmagazine.com 8/24

For indie fans of a certain age, Karen Haglof's return to music (after taking a few decades off to become not just a doctor, but a respected oncologist) hits all the right bells and whistles: Produced by Steve Almass (of Minneapolis' seminal punk band Suicide Commandoes as well as early Hoboken pop combo Beat Rodeo,) recorded by the Del Lords' Eric "Roscoe" Ambel, and mixed by Mitch Easter, with a guest appearance by Easter's late Let's Active bandmate, Faye Hunter. None of that would matter if Dr. Haglof didn't delier the goods, and indeed she does, with a jangly album full of jangly country and honky tonkin' blues. For someone who deals with cancer on a daily basis (or maybe because of that,) Haglof displays a great sense of humor here, with clever songs like "Musician's Girlfriend Blues" and "Dog In The Yard." But she can also be sincere, as on the sad "24 Hour Prayer" or the bluesy Bonnie Raitt-like "Soul Clap."

Given the world-class personnel involved, as well as Haglof's own distinguished pedigree (she played with Almass in the post-Suicide pop trio Crackers before moving to New York and hooking up with avant-noise innovator Rhys Chatham,) it's not surprisingly that Western holiday efforflessly glides from country to cowpunk to rockabilly to blues and back again. It's an old-fashioned record that sounds immediate and modern, and one that I'm betting you will enjoy.
Jim Testa/Jerseybeat.com 8/25

For some reason the world of serious guitar players is still mainly a man's world. Although there are, of course, tons of ladies who play guitar and sing there are still relatively few whose main emphasis is playing guitar. For that reason along, Karen Haglof instantly stands out from the pack because she is mainly known for her guitar playing. She has played in various bands and with various artists in the 1980s and 1990s including The Crackers, Band of Susans, Rhys Chatham, and Robert Longo. Karen's focus eventually shifted to her career as a hematologist/oncologist affiliated with New York University Hospital. But because music was in her blood she eventually made the wise decision to return to it and thus this, her first solo album, was born. Joining Haglof here are Steve Almaas (bass, vocals) and C.P. Roth (drums, percussion). Interestingly, Mitch Easter plays slide guitar on one track ("Musician's Girlfriend Blues") and the late great Faye Hunter sings on another ("Lincoln Letters"). Western Holiday is one helluva groovy album with plenty of cool vibes, friendly tunes, and of course, the cool guitar sounds that seem to be Karen's trademark. We're sure hoping this album is warmly received because it's a pure dose of totally cool music that comes straight from the heart of a true musician. This is just the beginning of what will surely be a long and rewarding solo career. Well done.

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