ZERO RAIN

Zero Rain Takes You Somewhere Else by Michael Koykka Columbus' newest crop of well-groomed bad boys has done it again. Zero Rain, a quartet from the eye of the Buckeye state (I don't even CARE what buckeye means anymore) has crafted 12 songs with pain, guitar solos, and hooks enough for a dozen CDs. But the question on America's mind is...does Zero Rain hold water? Anyone familiar with their loud and proud live shows may occasionally find themselves scratching their heads. Singer James Housteau, who in concert sings with so much passion and volume that he often doesn't seem to need a microphone, finds himself buried here, mired in chorus-type studio effects and a lack of bottom-end equalization. This seems to be a hallmark of Indie recording sessions - this reviewer himself had the same problem a few years back. It's the difference between a $200 microphone and a $2000 one, but the catchy melody lines more than make up for any recording shortcomings. Drummer Chris Winder and Bassist Steve Gross have no such problems - subtle mastery of their instruments allows them to move the songs along without calling unwanted attention to their separate parts. It's the hallmark of a professional when you realize they could be playing twice as fast and three times as heavy, but refuse to because it would diminish the song. Speaking of three times as heavy, lead guitarist Dave "David" Gallagher adds his own personal touch to Housteau's post-Nirvana pop. By "personal touch" I mean the sensation of watching a building being demolished - from the inside. Whenever a song threatens to get...well, pretty, count on Dave's stacks of Marshall’s to kick things up a notch or two. This is evident by the way he smashes the acoustic guitar intro in "Change" like John Belushi in Animal House. His solos are spit-polished, and are evidence of long hours indoors practicing his craft and not meeting girls. The tunes are well above average for a local bar band. The song that should be their first single is undoubtedly "3", a fun song that you can sing the chorus to even when you've had more to drink than the band playing it. Guitarist Gallagher sends Richter scales off the charts with his power chords as the whole room sings in infectious one-note harmony. The softer songs come off just as well, though. "The Elusive Maggie Brown" could have been written by a college-age Michael Stipe, if he were only interested in major radio airplay at the time. Likewise "Somewhere Else," a gently catchy song that wouldn't be out of place in a movie starring Freddie Prinze Jr. and Jennifer Love Hewitt as the geeky girl at summer camp that blossoms in her 17th year, but he still won't look at her, and what does a girl have to do, skinny dip or buy him beer with a fake I.D. for pity's sake? The song has a bittersweet quality; the sweetness of love coupled with the bitterness of singing a tricky vocal part that must have taken about 300 takes to finish. The song that packs in the late-night party crowd is undoubtedly "Once Around the Sun." If someone with a few Guinness’s in them doesn't find their feet moving the rest of them to a beer stained dance floor, they're probably either dead or a Republican. Like "3", the combination of Gallagher's wrecking-ball guitar and a blissful shout-along chorus make for a drunken free-for-all classic track. Zero Rain has done themselves proud with their newest CD. Buy it, listen to it, and then see them live. You won't be sorry you did. Purchase online at http://www.zerorain.com SOMEWHERE ELSE 1. Change 2. Moonbeam 3. 3 4. Timebomb 5. The Elusive Maggie Brown 6. In The Meantime 7. Somewhere Else 8. Once Around The Sun 9. Extra-Ordinary Girl 10. Someone To Love 11. Zen 12. Hold On

Asking as many questions as they try to answer, Zero Rain emerged as a dynamic presence on the Columbus music scene during the year 2000. Never content with the status quo, singer-songwriter, James Housteau, and drummer, Chris Winder, form a creative core that first brought them together in 1998 and sustained them through several early versions of the band. From the ashes of Fallout Shelter, James and Chris sought to fill out a new sound with guitarist, Dave Gallagher, and bassist, Steve Gross - something that had equal parts of "classic" and "modern" rock but with the essential, but often overlooked, melodic twist. Together, they share a vision of infectious hooks, focused lyrics, and, of course, pure rock-n-roll. This driving energy and honesty form a catalog of songs that paint undeniable truths of our collective human experience. With the release of their debut album, Somewhere Else, in July of 2000, the goal of Zero Rain has been absolutely singular: take their music to the masses. With songs that have people singing along by the second chorus, it is not unusual to overhear at every show they play the perverse but gratifying statement, "I can't get that song out of my head!" And that is exactly what Zero Rain aims to do, stay in your head - a song at a time. With the dawn of 2001, Zero Rain is pushing ahead with an aggressive new plan for the New Year. The new agenda includes the release of a 6 song EP as a follow up to their 2000 debut release of "Somewhere Else." They plan to head back into the studio in early spring and ride their collective creativity until the anticipated July release date. The EP will include new material written since the last release. Zero Rain has been trying out new material at their live shows and is encouraged by the feedback. Some tracks to look forward to are "American Dream", a melancholy look at American mediocrity and "You Should Know", a contagious, upbeat freshman effort from Steven Gross that has been captivating audiences. The new material has put an exciting horizon on the New Year. In the future, Zero Rain is pushing to expand their reach, depth, creativity and impact on the new world of music. They are looking to broaden their tour schedule to include the east coast while still remaining focused on its current arena of venues. Look for Zero Rain on the road, on the radio and on the web. They're pushing for the stars. Stay tuned. It's just getting interesting.