Under the stage name Helen Money, classically trained cellist Alison Chesley takes the traditional chamber music instrument and manipulates it to unusual sonic ends. A collaborator with a range of artists, among them Disturbed, Bob Mould, Anthrax and Broken Social Scene, the Los Angeles-based composer takes her rock background and funnels those inspirations through strings and bow. The latest manifestation is her 2016 instrumental album Become Zero, largely inspired by the loss of her parents. Though Chesley’s previous three solo albums had been exclusively recorded analog to tape with producer Steve Albini (Nirvana; The Pixies), she used digital means with the newest collection and reveled in the creative freedom it afforded. Back in North Carolina after playing Moogfest 2018 in Durham, Helen Money opens for Portland, Ore.-based experimental rock band Grails on Tuesday, Jan. 15, at The Mothlight. The show starts at 9 p.m. $15. themothlight.com. Photo by Jim Newberry
Smart Bets: Helen Money
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