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THE BAND
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Michael Merenda Chris Merenda Ruth Ungar Merenda Jacob Silver Tao Rodriguez-Seeger
They travel America in a large diesel van filled with drums, amps, an upright bass, fiddle, guitars and banjos. They have crafted a show that connects rock and traditional Appalachian music in a very organic way. Fine song writing pulls these players to the front of the pack, and their bold arrangements risk the outer boundaries of frenzy and calm. In a word, dynamic, they are known as The Mammals. The Story of The Mammals Tao Rodriguez-Seeger, Michael Merenda and Ruth Ungar first played together at an impromptu rum-drinking bash at Tao's house in October of 2000. By the spring of 2001, after trying out some bad band names, (The Co-Ed Naked Stringband, The G-String Pickers) they settled on the name, The Mammals, inspired by a passage from "As I Lay Dying" by William Faulkner. The band has evolved since its birth in the spring of 2001, picking up new sounds, styles, and band members along the way. Their first CD “Born Live” (Humble Abode Music) is a rough-hewn collection of their early live concert recordings and gives the impression of a self-made boot-leg. They were a quartet at this time, with Alicia Jo Rabins on fiddle. Teaming up months later with producer/engineer, Max Feldman, The Mammals, now a trio, entered the home-recording studio to create a more polished but equally energetic gem, “Evolver” (Humble Abode Music.) This ear-catching CD has sparse but fiery string-band tunes, catchy original folksongs, and a few classic covers. While touring behind "Evolver" in 2002 and 2003, The Mammals began performing with Ken Maiuri on drums, and Pierce Woodward on bass, developing new 5-piece arrangements on the road. In January 2004, the Mammals’ put together another live concert EP called “Migration” (Humble Abode Music) and in April released the quintet studio recording, “Rock That Babe” (Signature Sounds). This CD features the much requested Cuban song "Chan Chan," and the scathing political sing-along "The Bush Boys," as well as traditional banjo-centric favorites and more contemporary-sounding original songs. On New Year's Eve 2004, Chris Merenda joined The Mammals, replacing Ken on drums, and about a year later, when bassist Pierce Woodward left, he was replaced first by Dan Rose, and then Jacob Silver. Jacob has been touring with The Mammals since May of 2005 and appears on The Mammals most recent studio recording, "Departure" (Signature Sounds.) They also released another fun and energetic live CD called "Bootleg Six-Pack" (Humble Abode Music) in 2007. |
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