Rachel Carson is a twenty-something singer songwriter from Ellington, who plays on the more commercial end of pop-rock spectrum. While drawing influences from such performers as Sheryl Crow and Michelle Branch, this up and coming performer intends to hook the listener with catchy choruses and breezy melodies. So, for some of you this might not be to your taste, but she is sincere and works hard, so that does matter. We can't always write about crazy, snobby, indie rock all the time, can we? (Well, maybe.)
Anyway I sent Carson a few questions by e-mail last weekend and here are her responses. It must be noted that she will be the featured performer at the Outer Space's in Hamden's Open Mic this Wednesday at 7pm. So if you like what you've read and what you've heard, then head on down and show some support.
Leap-years only come once every four years, and to celebrate this leap-year Ghost of Chance and 1974 are playing Cafe 9 in New Haven! I know its a Wednesday but its also a 4 year rarity, so you really have no choice but to attend.
People get ready for an awesome night at ELM BAR on Friday. The Tyler Trudeau Attempt are coming out to put on a hell of a show so YOU BETTER BE THERE! Also performing will be Boston's Thick Shakes and Brooklyn's Lead Stones. Here is the breakdown:
New Haven's own FAKE BABIES are playing this Saturday, February 11 @ Reclamation Lumber in New Haven. Joining them are Brooklyn's BLONDE VALHALLA and the highly esteemed KING PANOS on DJ duties.
This shindig starts at 9PM and has a suggested donation of $5. In addition to dope tunes all night long you even get to view the artwork and projections of these fine artists:
Daniel Eugene
Bobby Tan
Jamie Lynn Slenker
Bastards
Guess now you know what yr doing Saturday night, eh?
Woollen Kits are the latest in a string of exciting Australian bands. Fusing equal parts kiwi style pop, with Modern Lovers-type swagger, and '60s garage sentiment. New LP out on RIP Society Records for this, their first US tour. They will be joined by HoZac records Medication and local heroes the Mountain Movers.
THE GRIMM GENERATION – The Last Record Party (Drug Reaction Records)
This semi-acoustic indie-folk duo makes frustration, whether it is job-related, romantic, or just general life issues, seem downright sexy due to the smoky voice of chanteuse in training Carmen Champagne (wonder if that’s her real name) and the tasteful acoustic playing of her partner in crime Jason Krug, along with a bunch of other musicians who helped on various tracks. Whatever it is, this doesn’t sound like the duo’s first record party, well, it’s their last…anyway, they avoid the traps of usually associated with this type of music, with some downright honest emotion in between the sarcasm. Song titles can be clever, and surprisingly honest (“Sometimes I’m Subtle (Sometimes I’m Drunk)”, “Book Of Day Job” and “Blue Eyed & Black Hearted” to name a few) and the style on display range from folky to jazzy to downright bluesy. Opening track, the aforementioned, “Sometimes I’m Subtle (Sometimes I’m Drunk)” is carried by a catchy pop hook at the chorus, while “Tick, Tick, Tick, Tick” is a bluesy stomp and shuffle bolstered by Krug’s lonely moan. But the one track that will get you all hot and bothered is “Pull The Trigger” where Champagne intones that she’s a “locked and loaded girly magazine” and then implores you to do what the title tells you to do, to her desires. If this doesn’t get you all hot and bothered, then you don’t have a pulse. Maybe you might need a cold shower after this one. (The duo recently played a burlesque type show and I can see how this one would work wonders on that crowd. Or any crowd.) So I would say definitely check this one out, if you’re a fan of good, acoustic-based music, because as we all know there is a lot of bad acoustic music floating around these days. Give in to the Grimm Generation, you’ll be glad you did.
One of Connecticut’s finest post-hardcore bands has once again released another 7” chock full of the boss tuneage they are known for. The title track, which happens to be on the B-Side, is a powerful blast of sludgy, mid-paced hardcore with churning noisy guitars and lead singer Jack screaming his guts out. It’s the riffier of the two songs on display here. “American Cancer” stretches out a bit, but manages to lose none of its power. This one is a slow-burn curveball, but it works wonderfully in showcasing another side of the band. After digesting these two tracks, you’ll be begging for more and wondering if they will soon release a full length or at the very least an EP. Regardless, this is one band that never wears out its welcome. I want more.
While some might say that musical revivals come every 20 years or so, as is happening now with grunge, others say that certain musical influences are always there in the background waiting for the right band to put them in a more modern context. Right now there seems to be psychedelic revival happening, where modern bands are taking the best parts of late 60’s and 70’s rock and giving them a fresh new outlook. In a way, this new outcropping of bands is neo-traditionalist in their intentions. Whatever you want to call it, there are some exciting sounds happening right now.
This revival has been going on for a while now, and a lot of this new psyche has been centered on California.
“There are a lot of cool things going on right now in that a lot of the bands playing this music are all linked by the West Coast,” said Howlin’ Rain guitarist/vocalist Ethan Miller.
Miller should know what he is talking about because he has been involved with this sort of music for a while, whether it was the incendiary power of his previous band, Comets On Fire, or his current project he has been at ground zero for this psychedelic rebirth. Over the course of four albums, COF blazed a red hot trail over the underground rock landscape. In fact, Howlin’ Rain was started as a side project (in a band where many members had side projects) in 2004 in order to feed Miller’s need to make more melodic music. COF broke up in 2006 after the release of their excellent, “Avatar” record for Sub Pop and now Miller was ready to pursue Howlin’ Rain to its full potential.
“It was like we were all standing in the center of a room with Comets On Fire and decided to walk away from the center of the room, but not close any of the doors on the way out,” said Miller.
Howlin’ Rain released their debut record in 2006 on independent label, Birdman, went on tour with the Queens Of The Stone Age and eventually caught the eye of uber-producer Rick Rubin, who eventually signed the band to his American Label and acted as a quality control consultant for the band. The highly lauded “Magnificient Fiend” followed in 2008, with Birdman handling the vinyl. The band experienced some line up changes and issued the “The Good Life” EP in 2011. It has been a while since there last full length and that’s all about to change when they drop their new record “The Russian Wilds” on Valentine’s Day.
Once again Rubin served as the quality control officer, while the hands-on production work was handled by Tim Green. This is the first record that is going to showcase the band’s new stable and quite kick ass line-up of Isaiah Mitchell (guitar, vocals), Raj Ojha (drums), Cyrus Comiskey (bass), Joel Robinow (keys, vocals), who join Miller (guitar, vocals) in this journey to the center of the mind.
In fact, one could say, Miller is “psyched” about this new line-up.
“There is something to be said about rehearsing three times a week, and in the process you become finely honed weaponry, where you can just fire it up and burn down a stage,” said Miller.
They were also aiming for a very classic feel to this album. In the press materials, there are mentions of such albums as Jimi Hendrix’s “Electric Ladyland”, Steely Dan’s “Gaucho” and Bruce Springsteen’s “Darkness On The Edge Of Town” as influences. But before you think this record is some psychedelic/jazz/bar band hybrid, you have to understand that the influences aren’t necessarily musical in a literal sense.
“We were going for the spirit of those records and not getting too hung up on specifics. After a day in the studio, I might go home and put on “Electric Ladyland” to get into a certain frame of mind. We’re doing this in a creative way. We’re connecting with those records spiritually,” said Miller.
They have succeeded spectacularly because not only does “The Russian Wilds” sound wonderful and contain some the band’s best songs, as well as ripping guitar work from both Mitchell and Miller, it also captures a certain vibe, one that hasn’t reared its head in a long time. It’s a big rock record and is not afraid of that tag.
So here is a chance to see a band in its prime, with a killer line up and a great new album, up close and personal. Come on down, and you can say you saw the band back when they played smaller bars and clubs. You don’t want to kick yourself for missing this one.
Manic Productions Presents:
Howlin’ Rain
D. Charles Speer & The Helix
The Voodoo Fix
