Check out Howlin Rains exclusive session with HearYa.com by clicking HERE

Hey All, I have made a new mix tape for the “When You Awake” blog site. It is chalked full of country, soul, voodoo, gin music, some rare, some classics, complete with rambling notes by myself from the gin and tonic files. Follow the link to check it out and enjoy, I’m sure it will help bring in the summer with you.

http://whenyouawake.uber.com/blogs/Mixin_With_Howlin_Rain.html

be well, Ethan

Hey All, I am recording shows as we move along this Ireland/ UK tour. I will be posting them on our myspace in the music player. In the future we will get them up on Howlinrain.com but for now thats where they are. I hope to put up one or two from each show as we go. The shows have been an absolute blast so far. Thanks to all of you who have come and made this tour incredible for us. best Ethan

Hey everyone, today marks the day of release of Magnificent Fiend on LP, CD and digital download in the UK, Europe and beyond. We are heading out to tour in Ireland and the UK this week including the All Tomorrow’s Parties festival in Camber Sands.

Some folks have been writing and asking about the subscription/ tour only “Wild Life” e.p. We will have copies with us for sale in Ireland and the UK, this will most likely be the last tour that we will have them available, copies are almost sold out.

In other news our good friend and magnificent collage artist, Steve Quenell has just completed a new website to showcase and sell prints of his work. Please take a visit and grab one of these beautiful prints for your walls. Steve’s art has graced the album covers of Six Organs of Admittance, The Warlocks and others. please cut and paste this link here.

Once back from the UK Howlin Rain will be heading down to the U.S. South for a string of shows including Atlanta, Boone NC, Birmingham AL, Nashville, Chapel Hill NC, Knoxville, TN and ending at Bonneroo to perform on the night of friday the 13th.

On July 19th we will be playing a very special out door show at the Henry Miller Library in Big Sur with Beachwood Sparks. This will be one of only 3 reunion shows scheduled for them and the only one in California. If you have still not made it out to one of these Big Sur shows, believe me you are missing a moment of clarity and pure beauty and pleasure in this ever stressful and rat race world. You will remember things about being a human in Big Sur that you think you had forgotten forever. These weekends are among the the most bonding, relaxing and inspiring time an audience can have together. You will enjoy.

We are also pleased to announce that we will be doing a string of support gigs for the Black Crowes in the Fall, it’s still a ways off but we are mightily looking forward to joining them!

Thats all for now. See you on the other side of the Atlantic!

be well and with love

Ethan and Howlin Rain

Hey Friends Howlin Rain are rolling the mid west, south and east coast right now! Having a blast and hope to see you all out at the gigs.

Mar 29th Pittsburg, 31st st. pub Mar 30th philly, Khyber Mar 31st Allston, Ma. Great Scott April 2nd NYC, Mercury lounge Apr 3rd Washington DC, DC9 Apr 4th Chapel Hill, Local 506 Apr 5th Atlanta, Drunken Unicorn Apr 6th Memphis, Hi-tone Apr 7th Bloomington , Buskirk-Chumley Theater

See you there!

Hey all, we are proud to announce that March 4th saw the release of our new album Magnificent Fiend. It is available in “earth friendly” (recycled) soft pack on cd and high quality vinyl with a beautiful old school jacket as well as on line via digital download. We are currently finishing up our run of gigs and parties at South by South West. Thanks to all we’ve played with, played for and hung with out here in Texas, its been good times. March 27th we embark on our East Coast tour with England, Ireland and Scotland to follow. Check the dates in the shows section and see you there!

Hey Everyone,
Howlin Rain are proud to announce that we are part of 3 Lobed Recording’s new “Oscillation III” subscription series. We will have our own disk, (1 of 9 total), called “Wild Life”. “Wild Life” is 2 monster jams clocking in at about 15 minutes each. The first is an improvised wailing twin guitar, rock meditation on McCartney’s song of the same name and the other is a completely improvised piece with heavy jazz fusion and free, Latin jazz rock overtones called “Black Sangria”. Howlin Rain have been graced here by the presence of my Comets on Fire brothers Ben Chasny on guitar and Utrillo Kushner on drums so these recordings have a little different feel and vibe than usual.

“Wild Life” comes in its own full color cd wallet and is adorned with 2 beautiful paintings by my wife Raeni Miller.

“Wild Life” is only available to the public by subscription to the entire series via 3 Lobed. Here is the link:

http://www.threelobed.com/tlr/oscillation.html

There are only 550 sets available through 3 Lobed, however, Howlin Rain will be selling a good chunk of our individual disks at the merchandise table at our live shows. This will be the only place where the Howlin Rain disk is available individually. They will not be sold in stores.

In other news, Howlin Rain’s 2nd album, “Magnificent Fiend” will be released on vinyl/cd/digital March 4th. It’s been a long time coming and we will be heading to your neighborhood touring the hell out of this thing not far behind!

That’s all for now but more to come soon!!!

with love,
eThan

The term ‘howlin’ rain’ is a pretty intense one, no’ The words evoke imagery of immutable nature, personified and forlorn, while the truncated howlin’ is bursting with Southern-fried soul. Not to mention Howlin’ Wind was the name of the debut album by Graham Parker and The Rumour in 1976, setting the bar considerably aloft for anyone foolhardy enough to associate themselves with the idea of weather vocalizing its mournfulness.

The band Howlin’ Rain, out of Oakland, California, have seen the challenge laid before them and accepted with a quiet, self-assured grace. Not only do they live up to the expectations of their moniker, but they bring an updated and unforeseen rock sensibility to it. Thing is, this album’s kind of a testament to the ability of one person to realize their dream. Ethan Miller, the brainchild of the group, had it in mind to create something groovy and organic with fellow members of the New Weird America, and do that he did. Recruiting other technical-but-heartfelt players from the California scene, he succeeded in constructing a band that is by turns mellow and punchy, but never contrived and always inspiring.

On their second album, Magnificent Fiend, the Howlers are found unearthing the roots of classic folk and jam rock while casting a modern passion on the execution of their trenchant melodies. There are Hammond organs, people! And they’re not merely present as a background player, but they are rocking with an energy typically reserved for the guitar. We’re talking elements of gospel having a romp in the sack with psychedelia. Groovy beats with their legs wrapped around gut-wrenching folk, if ever there was such a thing.

Magnificent Fiend opens with a dreamy horns-and-piano intro, then jumps in full-force with ‘Dancers at the End of Time,’ a track that’s by turns rife with unbridled energy and melodically refined. If you don’t find yourself tapping your toes to this one, check the heart monitor ’ you’re flat-lining. Miller makes good on the band’s name, howling and demanding his raw-throated entreaties be heard ’ the in-your-face dynamism of this song easily make it the album’s best standalone track, though that by no means indicates that the rest don’t measure up.

‘Calling Lightning Pt. 2’ is a tad mellower than its predecessor, but just as adept at grabbing the listener by their britches and making them pay attention; ‘El Rey’ showcases the band’s ability to make even a slow jam punch and thrive with the combined talents of its creators.

Most impressive, though, is how well-orchestrated the instruments all are; this is the kind of album that takes the listener on a slightly different sonic journey each time, depending on what element they choose to focus on. This is not simple music by any means, and it’s a testament to the musicians’ willingness to employ the ‘less is more’ rule that the instruments don’t end up stepping all over each other. The parts are adeptly woven through each other, leaving plenty of space for each to breathe- and for the listener to hear and enjoy a new, distinct part each time they hit play.

These boys may be out of Oakland, but with lyrics like ‘Who will resurrect us? Jive, ass and teeth, once we’ve all drunk all our fill of fire,’ they’ve got enough groove and honest-to-god gumption to knock all the teenybopping California bands off the map. If this is the future of rock in the Golden State, let Los Angeles slide into the sea ’ but for chrissakes, save the Bay Area.

-Rose McMayhem

Thanks Everybody for a great West Coast tour. It was great to see old friends, make new ones and roll with Black Mountain. We have our show coming up Feb. 22nd in Big Sur which will celebrate the victorious return of Ben and Elisa (Six Organs of Admittance)from their national tour. Check out a great article on Ben in the January 08 issue of WIRE magazine and a beautiful review of Shelter From the Ash by David Fricke in the new Britney issue of Rolling Stone. Otherwise we’re putting our heads down and practicing for our coming tours both near and far. Lots of dates are going up daily for the Rain. Please check out our shows section! See you soon.

Hey everybody. We’re proud to introduce the newly updated howlinrain.com. From now on, you’ll be able to access a ton of news updates, tour dates, and information on what’s going on in the world of Howlin Rain. For those who are unaware, Howlin Rain’s sophomore release Magnificent Fiend is set to drop March 4 on Birdman/American, and there will be a flurry of killer live dates and new happenings in between. You can pre-order the new record here

Cheers.