Having been formed by bandleader-singer-guitarist Ethan Miller in 2004, as
a melodic offshoot of blazing new-psych innovators Comets On Fire, Howlin
Rain soon caught the attention of uber-producer Rick Rubin, who signed
them to his American Recordings label and involved himself deeply in their
subsequent musical evolution thereafter. Rubin worked closely with Ethan
for over a year and a half as he shaped and perfected the material being
written for" The Russian Wilds." Finally, the band entered the studio with
producer-engineer Tim Green (The Fucking Champs, Nation of Ulysses). This
link brings you to an audio collage of the band singing a capella in the
studio set to a slide show of them in concert. Feel free to post:
http://youtu.be/tGBccZ5SX8c



"The Russian Wilds" is a sprawling, Pynchon-esque labyrinth and a
colorful, feeling-filled catalyst for hungry minds. It’s the masterwork
earlier studio sets and Howlin Rain’s barn-burning live shows have hinted
at given blood and bone by a group in their fighting prime. “There was a
point when we were really trying to blend Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Ladyland,
Steely Dan’s Gaucho and Bruce Springsteen’s Darkness On The Edge of
Town,” says Ethan Miller. “I love the Boss’ singing, where he’s just blowing
out his voice even when it’s just a pop ballad moment. And we were inspired
by some of the grooves and close mic stuff on Gaucho, and by how Electric
Ladyland runs the gamut from super long jams to blues numbers to drifting
psychedelic pieces. There’s a sense of audacity to these records - a band
chasing down strong, invisible connections - and there’s moments like that
on our record. We didn’t always do the smartest or safest things [laughs].”