Olivia Mancini & the Housemates: News
Some videos of live performances. - June 4, 2008
Band favorite katie L. Thompson documented a prized moment in Housemates' history when she caught us playing Jealous Type at a bashing party in Harrisonburg earlier this year. Click to see Katie's blog - http://tinyurl.com/57xbsh. Best part: Thomas Dean of Order of the Dying Orchid and visual consultant fame and Nikki West of Carlsonics/Nethers/Hat busting loose on shakers.
T-shirts now available by emailing us. - June 1, 2008
This is a very low-tech approach to selling t-shirts. But we've got 'em, and we figure you might want 'em. Please see our "Buy" section for a description and our Photos section for some pictures of what you might be buying.
Housemates/Colors return from tour. - March 17, 2008
TITLE: The Housemates & Colors Go to SXSW 2008
CHARACTERS: Ed Donohue, fearless leader of the Donny Hues; lead guitar player in the Housemates.
Randy Scope: Intrepid drummer of both bands.
Mike Scutari: The brains of the operation; organ, percussion, vocals in both bands.
Olivia Mancini: Bassist for the Colors ("magenta"); singer/guitar in the Housemates
Thomas Dean: Unstoppable.
John Ruscher: Traveling companion; witness; "Best Dancer."
SOUNDTRACK: Wesley Willis.
SCENE 1
State College, PA.:
The Colors play well. The Housemates need work. Olivia hits herself in the face with her guitar and "Let's Do This" falls apart. Jeff and Jesse at Chronic Town are more than generous hosts, allowing us to camp out at their hookah lounge and partake of their cereal bar in the morning.
SCENE 2
Bowling Green, OH:
Through a blizzard, the mighty Colors and Housemates travel. Randy "Michigan Winters" Scope takes the wheel for most of the harrowing drive. Howard's H Club pulls it out on a snowy Friday night. We play two rocking sets, make some new friends, and witness Band Marino's singer's death at the hands of his Flying V-wielding guitar player.
SCENE 3
Detroit: Randy's birthday party. Everyone has a great time and when Randy leaves to go see the Oscillating Fan Club play at another club, Mike, Thomas, Ed and Olivia regale the crowd with semi-versions of half-known crowd- pleasing covers. The jam session was excellent. The music was perfect. Happy birthday, Randy. Thanks to Chris for letting us stay.
SCENE 4:
Bloomington, IN: The thing about touring down to Austin the second week in March is that it is always Spring Break. We make good friends with our opening act, radio host, and kind accomodateur, Eric Radoux. www.myspace.com/ericradoux.
SCENE 5:
St. Louis. My sister lives in St. Louis. But she wasn't there, you know, because she was on Spring Break, with everyone else. The Way Out was terrific. The music was excellent. Thanks to Mike with the Ellis-Island-altered-last-name for the pumpkin spice shots. And to Scott for the excellent sound. And to Dana for having us. And to Megan and Phil for being a great audience/would-be hosts.
SCENE 6
Dallas, TX: The show never happens. We meet John Ruscher at the coffee house where the show would have been and have dinner at "On the Border" before heading to Austin. We meet v. nice waitress and Man Man fan named Elena who cannot compensate for the food at the restaurant she works for, even though she apologizes for it. Elena, what happened? We thought you were going to come meet up with us at SXSW!
SCENE 7
Austin (2 days): Bev's house. Bev is an angel and it is one of my strong regrets that I didn't have a chance to really, truly thank her for being the most accomodating and understand host...of six people...some of whom, but not all, she had ever met...over a period of five days...in her two-bedroom house...during the town's biggest festival of the year. Thanks, Bev. I'll return the favor in DC any time, you just let me know.
(The shows were excellent. The music was perfect.)
SCENE 8
San Marcos, TX: $1 margaritas: Good thing or Bad thing?: Discuss.
Well, whatever. We had a really awesome time in San Marcos. We played hard. We partied hard. Nikki, we still have your jacket. Mark, thanks for having us at your party, and thanks for bringing the guitar to Austin.
SCENE 9
Austin: Seven shows in, we are exhausted and happy. The Rancho Relaxo folks were great, thanks again for having us. Thanks to Kora Records for the great day party at Trophy, and to the High Strung for the backing vox at the Parlor. Thanks to Meredith Bragg for the loaner amp, and to Brian Minter for the shots and for being so good looking. Thanks to all the Terminals for reclaiming Ed's guitar from Quack's and bringing it back to DC. Thanks to the Black for being good enough to make Tom Dean breakdance in the dirt at your show. Thanks to the Miller Lite girls for the photo op. Thanks to the Chain Drive for being our favorite place to play.
SCENE 9
Washington, DC: The Colors and Housemates have scattered to their respective homes, to reunite at another date. Tune in next year...
CHARACTERS: Ed Donohue, fearless leader of the Donny Hues; lead guitar player in the Housemates.
Randy Scope: Intrepid drummer of both bands.
Mike Scutari: The brains of the operation; organ, percussion, vocals in both bands.
Olivia Mancini: Bassist for the Colors ("magenta"); singer/guitar in the Housemates
Thomas Dean: Unstoppable.
John Ruscher: Traveling companion; witness; "Best Dancer."
SOUNDTRACK: Wesley Willis.
SCENE 1
State College, PA.:
The Colors play well. The Housemates need work. Olivia hits herself in the face with her guitar and "Let's Do This" falls apart. Jeff and Jesse at Chronic Town are more than generous hosts, allowing us to camp out at their hookah lounge and partake of their cereal bar in the morning.
SCENE 2
Bowling Green, OH:
Through a blizzard, the mighty Colors and Housemates travel. Randy "Michigan Winters" Scope takes the wheel for most of the harrowing drive. Howard's H Club pulls it out on a snowy Friday night. We play two rocking sets, make some new friends, and witness Band Marino's singer's death at the hands of his Flying V-wielding guitar player.
SCENE 3
Detroit: Randy's birthday party. Everyone has a great time and when Randy leaves to go see the Oscillating Fan Club play at another club, Mike, Thomas, Ed and Olivia regale the crowd with semi-versions of half-known crowd- pleasing covers. The jam session was excellent. The music was perfect. Happy birthday, Randy. Thanks to Chris for letting us stay.
SCENE 4:
Bloomington, IN: The thing about touring down to Austin the second week in March is that it is always Spring Break. We make good friends with our opening act, radio host, and kind accomodateur, Eric Radoux. www.myspace.com/ericradoux.
SCENE 5:
St. Louis. My sister lives in St. Louis. But she wasn't there, you know, because she was on Spring Break, with everyone else. The Way Out was terrific. The music was excellent. Thanks to Mike with the Ellis-Island-altered-last-name for the pumpkin spice shots. And to Scott for the excellent sound. And to Dana for having us. And to Megan and Phil for being a great audience/would-be hosts.
SCENE 6
Dallas, TX: The show never happens. We meet John Ruscher at the coffee house where the show would have been and have dinner at "On the Border" before heading to Austin. We meet v. nice waitress and Man Man fan named Elena who cannot compensate for the food at the restaurant she works for, even though she apologizes for it. Elena, what happened? We thought you were going to come meet up with us at SXSW!
SCENE 7
Austin (2 days): Bev's house. Bev is an angel and it is one of my strong regrets that I didn't have a chance to really, truly thank her for being the most accomodating and understand host...of six people...some of whom, but not all, she had ever met...over a period of five days...in her two-bedroom house...during the town's biggest festival of the year. Thanks, Bev. I'll return the favor in DC any time, you just let me know.
(The shows were excellent. The music was perfect.)
SCENE 8
San Marcos, TX: $1 margaritas: Good thing or Bad thing?: Discuss.
Well, whatever. We had a really awesome time in San Marcos. We played hard. We partied hard. Nikki, we still have your jacket. Mark, thanks for having us at your party, and thanks for bringing the guitar to Austin.
SCENE 9
Austin: Seven shows in, we are exhausted and happy. The Rancho Relaxo folks were great, thanks again for having us. Thanks to Kora Records for the great day party at Trophy, and to the High Strung for the backing vox at the Parlor. Thanks to Meredith Bragg for the loaner amp, and to Brian Minter for the shots and for being so good looking. Thanks to all the Terminals for reclaiming Ed's guitar from Quack's and bringing it back to DC. Thanks to the Black for being good enough to make Tom Dean breakdance in the dirt at your show. Thanks to the Miller Lite girls for the photo op. Thanks to the Chain Drive for being our favorite place to play.
SCENE 9
Washington, DC: The Colors and Housemates have scattered to their respective homes, to reunite at another date. Tune in next year...
To the nice woman who bought a pink Housemates' t-shirt on Thursday at the Black Cat... - January 27, 2008
I hope this message will find you somehow. I forgot to mention when you bought the pink shirt instead of the red one that that particular shirt needs to be ironed or put in the dryer before you wash it or the ink will fade. (For potential t-shirt buyers of the future, this is not standard op for our t-shirt selection, just a little time-crunch fluke.) Anyway, I'm sorry. If it happens that you've washed it and it is ruined, please contact us and I will send you a new one. Thanks for buying it in the first place.
This seems a good time to mention that we'll have our shirts up for sale on the site in the near future.
This seems a good time to mention that we'll have our shirts up for sale on the site in the near future.
Housemates back from tour. - January 27, 2008
Dear friends. Thank you for a lovely East Coast jaunt. We hit all the big cities...Brooklyn, Philly, DC, Harrisonburg, VA, and Charlottesville. The Housemates and Donny Hue and the Colors shared a stage and a van like they were all one band. Truthfully, they are almost all one band. 6 players comprise two totally different sounding groups. More band for your buck. In the case of the Luna Lounge, it was plenty band for the $5 we made.
Photographic evidence exists in our Photo Gallery. Unfortunately, one tour highlight was not, as far as we know, caught on film: Tom Dean booking a second Harrisionburg gig via text message, while on stage at our first show of the evening at the WXJM studio.
Thanks to everyone who came and all the clubs and parties and owners of the floors who had us. We had a great time.
Photographic evidence exists in our Photo Gallery. Unfortunately, one tour highlight was not, as far as we know, caught on film: Tom Dean booking a second Harrisionburg gig via text message, while on stage at our first show of the evening at the WXJM studio.
Thanks to everyone who came and all the clubs and parties and owners of the floors who had us. We had a great time.
Some recent changes are revealed. - January 26, 2008
Jon Roth is no longer with us. Randy has switched to drums and Dan has grown an extra arm to tackle trumpet, vocals, organ and guitar.
The Housemates @ 9:30 Club - January 25, 2008
9:30 has invited the Housemates to play. Thanks, 9:30! And thanks in advance to all who may decide to attend this special show. w/ the Ambitions and Cobra Collective.
Bud Light Loves the Housemates! - January 25, 2008
The Housemates have been selected by On Tap Magazine, the magazine of the bars, and Bud Light as their official Artist of the Month! This involves a nice write up in the Feb. issue of On Tap (and the debut of our new press photo by Margaret Allen Photography), but strangely...no free Bud Light. Some members of the band are more dismayed by this than others.
Album credits. - December 14, 2007
A lot of labor and a lot of love went into the making of This Kind of Life. Inexpensive packaging doesn't leave much room for the thank you's that are so important. Fortunately, the internet offers a boundless forum for such things. Please read on.
Very very thank you so much to:
Randy Scope.
For every album, there is someone without whom "this record wouldn't have gotten done." For this one, it is Randy Scope: producer, engineer, guitar player, percussionist, effects guy, vocal coach, soul of patience and dedication. And he's also a new dad.
We recorded the instruments in a power-packed, two-day session. All the vocals and all the overdubs were completed over nights and weekends with Randy in the engineer's chair. Then he mixed the thing. Randy did it all while playing in three bands, keeping a day job, and keeping up his duties as Randipulator. And it sounds great. Thank you, Randy.
The band.
Ed Donohue, Kristin Forbes, Jonathan Roth, and Dan Swenson gave their all in recording this record under stressful circumstances. We banged out everything in two 5-hour sessions, requiring very serious concentration and good humor on everyone's parts. They made these songs worthy of being recorded with creative parts executed with spirit and precision. The Housemates are great musicians and wonderful people. Their patience should also be noted; it took about 10 months for them to hear the fruits of their labor. Thanks, guys.
Katie Cleary.
The talent behind the album art and the lyrics on "Requiem for a Planet" and "Let's Do This." For these, Katie deserves a big round of applause, but in her other unheralded role as consultant on everything Housemates she has outdone herself. Always the first to congratulate on a job well done, to critique a job less well done, to come up with an alternative idea, to present a new approach, to work around a problem, to get down on her hands and knees on a North Carolina porch and make wood block prints for our demo, Katie is invaluable. Thank you, Katie. Couldn't, wouldn't have done it without you.
My parents and my wonderful family members.
Who have come to endless numbers of shows for endless numbers of bands. Always with smiles on their faces, always buying merch even though I tell them they don't have to, always paying the cover even though I owe them a lifetime of giving me everything I ever needed or wanted. "Thanks" is not nearly enough, so I'll add an "I love you."
The Lost Spectacles.
Or Meredith Bragg, Michael Khoo, and Brian Minter. I'll play with you guys any time you'll have me.
Everyone who has carried equipment, consulted on outfits, given heartfelt encouragement, and danced at shows good and bad. I.e., my friends.
I am lucky that you are too many to name, but you are much thanked and appreciated.
Love,
Olivia
Very very thank you so much to:
Randy Scope.
For every album, there is someone without whom "this record wouldn't have gotten done." For this one, it is Randy Scope: producer, engineer, guitar player, percussionist, effects guy, vocal coach, soul of patience and dedication. And he's also a new dad.
We recorded the instruments in a power-packed, two-day session. All the vocals and all the overdubs were completed over nights and weekends with Randy in the engineer's chair. Then he mixed the thing. Randy did it all while playing in three bands, keeping a day job, and keeping up his duties as Randipulator. And it sounds great. Thank you, Randy.
The band.
Ed Donohue, Kristin Forbes, Jonathan Roth, and Dan Swenson gave their all in recording this record under stressful circumstances. We banged out everything in two 5-hour sessions, requiring very serious concentration and good humor on everyone's parts. They made these songs worthy of being recorded with creative parts executed with spirit and precision. The Housemates are great musicians and wonderful people. Their patience should also be noted; it took about 10 months for them to hear the fruits of their labor. Thanks, guys.
Katie Cleary.
The talent behind the album art and the lyrics on "Requiem for a Planet" and "Let's Do This." For these, Katie deserves a big round of applause, but in her other unheralded role as consultant on everything Housemates she has outdone herself. Always the first to congratulate on a job well done, to critique a job less well done, to come up with an alternative idea, to present a new approach, to work around a problem, to get down on her hands and knees on a North Carolina porch and make wood block prints for our demo, Katie is invaluable. Thank you, Katie. Couldn't, wouldn't have done it without you.
My parents and my wonderful family members.
Who have come to endless numbers of shows for endless numbers of bands. Always with smiles on their faces, always buying merch even though I tell them they don't have to, always paying the cover even though I owe them a lifetime of giving me everything I ever needed or wanted. "Thanks" is not nearly enough, so I'll add an "I love you."
The Lost Spectacles.
Or Meredith Bragg, Michael Khoo, and Brian Minter. I'll play with you guys any time you'll have me.
Everyone who has carried equipment, consulted on outfits, given heartfelt encouragement, and danced at shows good and bad. I.e., my friends.
I am lucky that you are too many to name, but you are much thanked and appreciated.
Love,
Olivia
TKOL is here. - December 12, 2007
God bless the UPS, the new disc has arrived just in time for Christmas. I know one band who just lucked out on some no-brainer gifts.
Stay tuned for This Kind of Life distribution details. For now, you can get a copy of the album by emailing band@oliviamancini.com or by downloading digitally at: www.digstation.com/OliviaManciniandtheHousemates.
Stay tuned for This Kind of Life distribution details. For now, you can get a copy of the album by emailing band@oliviamancini.com or by downloading digitally at: www.digstation.com/OliviaManciniandtheHousemates.