May 12
$16.00

Known for their unpredictable live shows, The Mammals move from style to style without blinking an eye: old time music, roots rock, folk, pop. They’ve been garnering critical praise since 2001, and especially after accompanying Arlo Guthrie on his 40th anniversary “Alice’s Restaurant” tour last year.

Genetics are partially to blame for the near perfect sound of this band: Tao Rodriguez-Seeger (guess who his grandfather is?) and Ruth Ungar (daughter of Jay Ungar, best known for his musical contributions to Ken Burns’ “Civil War” PBS series) are founding members. 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 a number of dubious try-outs (The Co-Ed Naked Stringband, The G-String Pickers), they christened the band The Mammals, inspired by a passage from As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner.

Their first CD, “Born Live,” is a rough-hewn collection of early live concert recordings that gives the impression of a self-made bootleg. 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.” This ear-catching CD has sparse but fiery string-band tunes, catchy original folk songs, 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 five-piece arrangements on the road. In January 2004, the Mammals put together another live concert EP called “Migration” and last year released the quintet studio recording “Rock That Babe” on the Signature Sounds label. This CD features the much-requested Cuban song “Chan Chan” and the scathing political sing-along “The Bush Boys,” which includes the memorable lyrics: “Democrats had the higher amount, but lost because Florida could not count,” 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.

“Departure,” their second recording for Signature Sounds, is their most recent release, hitting the street in February 2006. While the instrumentation is similar to that of their last CD, there is no traditional music on this album. There aren’t really any foot-stompers. And the politics, while still present in many of the songs, are more subtle, lurking powerfully below the surface. “I don’t think of it so much as ‘We’re a political band’ as much as we are a politically aware group of artists,” says Merenda. “The political environment of our country, and the world for that matter, has been anything but subtle during the past six years, and that atmosphere, those stories, are undoubtedly going to make their way into our songs.” While you can still catch the band’s folky roots showing through in parts, the new album features noticeably more rock moments.

“People think that The Mammals have pushed and broadened the boundaries of folk music. I think we’ve barely even started. There are no boundaries. There are only conventions.” It’s that wild-eyed attitude that has characterized the band from the beginning, and continues to attract new audiences today. Wielding the combined power of Appalachian fiddle-banjo alchemy, their own contemporary lyric poetry, and a dynamic rock-n-roll rhythm section, The Mammals look to the future with warm-blooded enthusiasm.

Come see why the Mammals have been called “one of the best hopes for the future and vitality of American folk music.” Their own motto is “trad is rad,” and it doesn’t take more than a moment to realize how true they are to their word.

Photo by Jordan Lewis Reed   >CLICK FOR LARGER PHOTO<

From the recording studio and concert hall to the streets of Harvard Square, Polly Fiveash and Anand Nayak have developed into a duo with an irresistible chemistry, a rare depth of musicianship, and mesmerizing original material. Polly’s gorgeous singing, original melodies and beautiful, thought-provoking poetry have a way of getting under your skin and staying put. Anand’s guitar playing has become known as the backbone of roots string band Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem (gracing our stage more than once), and that's just one of his formidable cache of styles, not to mention his writing, arranging and performing skills. Together, Polly and Anand create an atmosphere that is both intense and fun. Their songs, though stylistically diverse, have a personal core that links them together. Sometimes political, sometimes dreamy, they are full of unforgettable images carried along on simple song forms and melodies. The music of this duo is personal and original, respecting tradition without being tied to it.