Tally Hall

Ann Arbor, MI’s Tally Hall feature vocalist/guitarist Rob Cantor (Yellow), guitarist Joe Hawley (Red), bassist Zubin Sedghi (Blue), keyboardist Andrew Horowitz (Green), and drummer Ross Federman (Silver). Most will know them by the color of their ties; however, their infectious blend of ’60s pop harmonies, garage rock work ethic, playful sense of humor, and indie rock sensibilities make Tally Hall a standout among followers. The group was formed in late 2002 while attending the University of Michigan, and each member hails from suburban Detroit except Horowitz, who calls Tewksbury, NJ, home. Balancing their rock & roll dreams with their goals in education was a challenge for the members of Tally Hall. Horowitz had won the 2004 John Lennon Scholarship Competition and $10,000 for his song “Good Day,” which also appears on Tally Hall’s debut album, Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum. A year later, with bachelor’s degrees in hand, the bandmembers convinced themselves to give it a serious go. Federman and Sedghi opted to wait on furthering their education, and Cantor even put his plans to attend the University of Michigan Medical School (with a full-ride scholarship) on hold so that Tally Hall could make things happen. Such a decision seemed to pay off in the meantime. They played to sold-out audiences in and around the Midwest, and issued Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum to rave reviews in 2005. Two performances at the annual South by Southwest conference in Austin, TX, allowed Tally Hall to spread the word about their self-defined “wonky rock.” The band also appeared on an episode of VH1′s Best Week Ever, and “Good Day” appeared in an episode of The O.C. in April. Dates with OK Go followed into May. The band inked a deal with Atlantic Records, and after some sonic revisitation, re-released a slightly more polished version of Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum with the label in spring of 2008. In this phase of their existence, the band also worked on Tally Hall Internet Show, a web series involving sketch comedy and musical performances that ran for eleven episodes. The group stayed busy with touring in this time, including a spot on 2008′s Lollapalooza festival. Work on the group’s second full length had begun at this point, though it would be years before the record saw proper release. In 2011, Good & Evil was finally released. Though it was funded in part by Atlantic, the band had parted ways with the label and returned to their original home of Ann Arbor imprint Quack! Media. ~ MacKenzie Wilson