HOWLIN RAIN
''MANSION SONGS''
JANUARY 27 2015
39:01
1 Big Red Moon 05:47
2 Meet Me In The Wheat 05:42
3 Coliseum 04:09
4 The New Age 02:10
5 Wild Bush 02:51
6 Restless 05:06
7 Lucy Fairchild 06:19
8 Ceiling Fan 06:52
Meg Baird/Drums, Guitar (Acoustic), Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Cyrus Comiskey/Bass (Upright), Vocals (Background)
John Gnorski/Fuzz Guitar, Pedal Steel Guitar
Niel Harmonson/Drums, Guitar (Electric)
Cindi Kazarian/Viola
Ethan Miller/Bass, Drums, Electric Organ, Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric), Harmonica, Harpsichord, Mixing, Organ, Percussion, Piano, Slide Guitar, Tambourine, Vocals
Charlie Saufley/Bass, Guitar (12 String Acoustic), Guitar (Electric), Vocals (Background)
Matt Waters/Saxophone
REVIEW
by Thom Jurek, AMG
According to Ethan Miller, Howlin' Rain's founder, frontman, and only constant member, Mansion Songs is the first recording in what is conceived as a trilogy. This is not a concept recording per se; there is no set narrative, but there is a trajectory. In his own words, he "...wanted to track the journey from nothingness back to creation in musical form in a set of three albums and rock bottom was the perfect place to start from." While that reads lofty bordering on pretentious, these eight songs -- recorded with a revolving cast of musicians (most prominently Meg Baird in a variety of roles, including drummer and backing vocalist) and co-producer Eric Bauer -- are anything but. The blown-out fringes of Live Rain are nowhere present, and if anything, the album's sound is far more understated than anything they've ever done. It's closer to the band's 2006 debut offering, but looser, rawer -- some cuts were finished after one or two takes. Though Miller is a mighty axe slinger, there are no guitar pyrotechnics here, only confessional, intimate songs in various tempos and arrangements. "Big Red Moon" commences the album with Miller singing completely a cappella. The words are poetic, full of desolate streets, filthy barrooms, and poverty. The protagonist embraces them with the promise that connection with another in the dark, under the moon, with a bottle of whiskey offers unnameable possibility. On the refrain the band kicks in: slide guitars, drums, tambourines, three electric guitars, and saxophone. It's a ragged rocker, full of restless country soul and a garage band's commitment. "Meet Me in the Wheat" offers country blues in its intro with lovely backing vocals from Baird (who also plays drums), slide electric, 12-string acoustic, and more. It unfolds as a twisted, desperate gospel rocker, full of pain and pathos, though it musically evokes the Black Crowes circa Southern Harmony and Musical Companion. The twinned acoustic slide and organ break in the middle is priceless. The ballads, "Coliseum" and "Lucy Fairchild," are perhaps more effective because of the stark images evinced by Miller's words, his simple melodies and expressive vocals deliver the weight of his emotional state directly without the distraction of electric instruments. That said, "Reckless," using sparing, haunted, electric guitar sounds, is the most forlorn track here. Closer "Ceiling Fan" employs acoustic piano as the catalyst to shift its focus from post-Beat Generation spoken word with musical accompaniment reverie, to a large group rock & roll redemption song. It may contain too much name dropping, but its refrain and coda, buoyed by squalling, controlled feedback amid the acoustic instruments, are searing. It will be interesting to hear where Miller and his Howlin' Rain project take the rest of this trilogy, but Mansion Songs stands on its own as a portrait of Miller's considerable musical and poetic growth over the last nine years.
BIOGRAPHY
by Mark Deming, AMG
Unapologetically influenced by the strong but easygoing grooves of West Coast '70s rock, Howlin Rain represented something of a change of pace for guitarist and singer Ethan Miller, who previously fronted the psychedelic noise rock ensemble Comets on Fire. After the recording of Comets on Fire's final album, Avatar, in 2006, Miller was eager to explore the more melodic direction the group had begun pursuing, and with bassist Ian Gradek (who had known Miller since high school) and drummer John Moloney (a member of the like-minded band Sunburned Hand of the Man), he formed a new band, Howlin Rain, and began work on their first album. The independent Birdman Records signed Howlin Rain and released their self-titled debut in 2006, while the band hit the road, touring as an opening act for Queens of the Stone Age, with guitarist Mike Jackson beefing up their lineup on-stage. After touring behind the group's album, Moloney returned to Sunburned Hand of the Man, and while writing material for the second Howlin Rain album, Miller assembled a new version of the band. Jackson joined Miller and Gradek as a full-time member, alongside new recruits Joel Robinow (ex-Drunk Horse) on keyboards, horns, guitar, and backing vocals; Eli Eckert (also of Drunk Horse) on guitar and bass; and Garrett Goddard (of Cuts and Colossal Yes) on drums.
Rick Rubin, a noted fan of classic '70s rock, was impressed with the material for Howlin Rain's second album, and 2008's Magnificent Fiend was jointly released by Birdman and Rubin's American Recordings imprint. The band released the digital-only 12" "The Good Life" in 2010, followed by a limited vinyl release the following year. Also in 2010, Belle & Sebastian selected them to perform at the second Bowlie Weekender in the U.K. (produced and presented by All Tomorrow's Parties). Howlin Rain subsequently recorded their third full-length, The Russian Wilds, which was co-produced by the band and Tim Green and released by American Recordings/Birdman in early 2012. Concert recordings from the tour were later collected and released in 2014 as Live Rain. Miller had been working on a trilogy in the studio at the time of its release. The first part of that project, Mansion Songs, appeared in January of 2015.
OFFICIAL WEBSITE
''MANSION SONGS''
JANUARY 27 2015
39:01
1 Big Red Moon 05:47
2 Meet Me In The Wheat 05:42
3 Coliseum 04:09
4 The New Age 02:10
5 Wild Bush 02:51
6 Restless 05:06
7 Lucy Fairchild 06:19
8 Ceiling Fan 06:52
Meg Baird/Drums, Guitar (Acoustic), Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Cyrus Comiskey/Bass (Upright), Vocals (Background)
John Gnorski/Fuzz Guitar, Pedal Steel Guitar
Niel Harmonson/Drums, Guitar (Electric)
Cindi Kazarian/Viola
Ethan Miller/Bass, Drums, Electric Organ, Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric), Harmonica, Harpsichord, Mixing, Organ, Percussion, Piano, Slide Guitar, Tambourine, Vocals
Charlie Saufley/Bass, Guitar (12 String Acoustic), Guitar (Electric), Vocals (Background)
Matt Waters/Saxophone
REVIEW
by Thom Jurek, AMG
According to Ethan Miller, Howlin' Rain's founder, frontman, and only constant member, Mansion Songs is the first recording in what is conceived as a trilogy. This is not a concept recording per se; there is no set narrative, but there is a trajectory. In his own words, he "...wanted to track the journey from nothingness back to creation in musical form in a set of three albums and rock bottom was the perfect place to start from." While that reads lofty bordering on pretentious, these eight songs -- recorded with a revolving cast of musicians (most prominently Meg Baird in a variety of roles, including drummer and backing vocalist) and co-producer Eric Bauer -- are anything but. The blown-out fringes of Live Rain are nowhere present, and if anything, the album's sound is far more understated than anything they've ever done. It's closer to the band's 2006 debut offering, but looser, rawer -- some cuts were finished after one or two takes. Though Miller is a mighty axe slinger, there are no guitar pyrotechnics here, only confessional, intimate songs in various tempos and arrangements. "Big Red Moon" commences the album with Miller singing completely a cappella. The words are poetic, full of desolate streets, filthy barrooms, and poverty. The protagonist embraces them with the promise that connection with another in the dark, under the moon, with a bottle of whiskey offers unnameable possibility. On the refrain the band kicks in: slide guitars, drums, tambourines, three electric guitars, and saxophone. It's a ragged rocker, full of restless country soul and a garage band's commitment. "Meet Me in the Wheat" offers country blues in its intro with lovely backing vocals from Baird (who also plays drums), slide electric, 12-string acoustic, and more. It unfolds as a twisted, desperate gospel rocker, full of pain and pathos, though it musically evokes the Black Crowes circa Southern Harmony and Musical Companion. The twinned acoustic slide and organ break in the middle is priceless. The ballads, "Coliseum" and "Lucy Fairchild," are perhaps more effective because of the stark images evinced by Miller's words, his simple melodies and expressive vocals deliver the weight of his emotional state directly without the distraction of electric instruments. That said, "Reckless," using sparing, haunted, electric guitar sounds, is the most forlorn track here. Closer "Ceiling Fan" employs acoustic piano as the catalyst to shift its focus from post-Beat Generation spoken word with musical accompaniment reverie, to a large group rock & roll redemption song. It may contain too much name dropping, but its refrain and coda, buoyed by squalling, controlled feedback amid the acoustic instruments, are searing. It will be interesting to hear where Miller and his Howlin' Rain project take the rest of this trilogy, but Mansion Songs stands on its own as a portrait of Miller's considerable musical and poetic growth over the last nine years.
BIOGRAPHY
by Mark Deming, AMG
Unapologetically influenced by the strong but easygoing grooves of West Coast '70s rock, Howlin Rain represented something of a change of pace for guitarist and singer Ethan Miller, who previously fronted the psychedelic noise rock ensemble Comets on Fire. After the recording of Comets on Fire's final album, Avatar, in 2006, Miller was eager to explore the more melodic direction the group had begun pursuing, and with bassist Ian Gradek (who had known Miller since high school) and drummer John Moloney (a member of the like-minded band Sunburned Hand of the Man), he formed a new band, Howlin Rain, and began work on their first album. The independent Birdman Records signed Howlin Rain and released their self-titled debut in 2006, while the band hit the road, touring as an opening act for Queens of the Stone Age, with guitarist Mike Jackson beefing up their lineup on-stage. After touring behind the group's album, Moloney returned to Sunburned Hand of the Man, and while writing material for the second Howlin Rain album, Miller assembled a new version of the band. Jackson joined Miller and Gradek as a full-time member, alongside new recruits Joel Robinow (ex-Drunk Horse) on keyboards, horns, guitar, and backing vocals; Eli Eckert (also of Drunk Horse) on guitar and bass; and Garrett Goddard (of Cuts and Colossal Yes) on drums.
Rick Rubin, a noted fan of classic '70s rock, was impressed with the material for Howlin Rain's second album, and 2008's Magnificent Fiend was jointly released by Birdman and Rubin's American Recordings imprint. The band released the digital-only 12" "The Good Life" in 2010, followed by a limited vinyl release the following year. Also in 2010, Belle & Sebastian selected them to perform at the second Bowlie Weekender in the U.K. (produced and presented by All Tomorrow's Parties). Howlin Rain subsequently recorded their third full-length, The Russian Wilds, which was co-produced by the band and Tim Green and released by American Recordings/Birdman in early 2012. Concert recordings from the tour were later collected and released in 2014 as Live Rain. Miller had been working on a trilogy in the studio at the time of its release. The first part of that project, Mansion Songs, appeared in January of 2015.
OFFICIAL WEBSITE
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