The Mammals
Encyclopedia
The Mammals are a contemporary folk rock
band based in the Hudson Valley
, area of New York
, in the United States
.
Current band members are Michael J. Merenda, Jr.
, Chris Merenda, Ruth Ungar
, Jacob Silver and Tao Rodríguez-Seeger
.
The Mammals often include guests in their live shows, such as Rosie Newton; Peter Siegel; Tao's sister, Penny Blossom Seeger; Jay Ungar
and Molly Mason, and Pete Seeger
. Aoife O'Donovan
performs backing vocals on their CDs.
Mike Merenda is the band's main singer/songwriter
and vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist
, playing guitar
, banjo
, ukulele
and percussion
. His songs often address political and environmental concerns; topics such as government upheaval, war, the environment, and presidential catastrophe. Merenda's song The Bush Boys has caused The Mammals to be censored
at some festival venues. His songs often tell stories drawing on personal events, such as the songs Haircut Money and 69 Pleasant Street.
Ruth Ungar
performs on vocals, fiddle
, and ukulele. She is a songwriter for the Mammals, and her songs center on themes of fair trade
and the environment. Her song "Four Blue Walls", inspired by the play Danny and the Deep Blue Sea was featured on an album by Canadian band The Duhks
.
Tao Rodríguez-Seeger
sings and plays guitar, banjo, and harmonica
. He sings in both Spanish and English; American folk songs such as Chan Chan
by Compay Segundo
and John Henry
.
Chris Merenda is the Mammals drummer and the younger brother of Mike. In addition to percussion he plays the guitar, banjo, piano
and sings vocals. He occasionally plays the ukulele. Chris has released two solo records titled The Regimen (2003), Hello Freedom (2005) and The Wheel (2009).
Jacob Silver plays electric and upright bass.
The Mammals went on an indefinite hiatus in 2008.
, traditional
and progressive bluegrass
, old time music, celtic
and rock and roll
.
Mike Merenda said
In 2007 the Mammals toured Australia, including performing at the National Folk Festival
and Denmark
including performances at Tønder Festival
.
They tour the United States
on their "Western Migration Tour", visiting cities on the West coast and in the Midwest and southern United States and during the summer months they play at many folk festivals, including Newport Folk Festival
, Telluride
, Philadelphia Folk Festival
, and Magnolia Fest in Florida. When possible, The Mammals pair up with the Duhks
to form Platypus.
They have been supporting acts for Nickel Creek
(2006), Los Lobos
(2006), and Arlo Guthrie
for Alice's Restaurant
40th Anniversary Masacree Tour.
and Robin McMillan. Silver is also in the bands Wild Band of Snee and Throwing Stars. Rodríguez-Seeger recorded an album with Puerto Rican folk singer Roy Brown
and Tito Auger
, lead singer for Puerto Rican rock group Fiel A La Vega
"Que Vaya Bien".
Ungar and Mike Merenda married in October 2006 and perform together and with Jay Ungar and Molly Mason in the Jay Ungar and Molly Mason Family Band.
Ungar performs in Sometymes Why and the Wayfaring Strangers.
Ungar, Mike and Chris Merenda have solo CDs. Chris Merenda also fronts an indie rock band called Chewy.
compilation, ...At This Stage. The most recent two albums have been released on Signature Sounds:
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
band based in the Hudson Valley
Hudson Valley
The Hudson Valley comprises the valley of the Hudson River and its adjacent communities in New York State, United States, from northern Westchester County northward to the cities of Albany and Troy.-History:...
, area of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Current band members are Michael J. Merenda, Jr.
Michael J. Merenda, Jr.
Michael J. Merenda, Jr. is a singer-songwriter with the American folk band, the Mammals. He plays guitar, banjo, ukulele and percussion. He also has a solo career and performs with the Jay Ungar and Molly Mason Family Band....
, Chris Merenda, Ruth Ungar
Ruth Ungar
Ruth Ungar is a singer songwriter who performs with many folk bands. She also plays fiddle, ukulele and guitar. She is the daughter of Jay Ungar and Lyn Hardy and is married to Michael J. Merenda, Jr.- Bands :...
, Jacob Silver and Tao Rodríguez-Seeger
Tao Rodríguez-Seeger
Tao Rodríguez-Seeger is an American contemporary folk musician. He plays banjo, guitar, harmonica, and sings in Spanish and in English. He is known as a founder of The Mammals and is the grandson of folk musician Pete Seeger....
.
Band history
After jamming together in 2000, Merenda, Ungar and Rodríguez-Seeger formed the Mammals in 2001. They first performed as a quartet with Alicia Jo Rabins on the fiddle. In 2002 and 2003 they became a trio, adding bassist Pierce Woodward, and drummer Ken Maiuri on some of their performances. Chris Merenda, Mike's brother, joined the band in late 2003 replacing Maiuri on the drums. Woodward left the band in 2005 and was replaced with Dan Rose, who was replaced with Jacob Silver as the Mammals current bass player.The Mammals often include guests in their live shows, such as Rosie Newton; Peter Siegel; Tao's sister, Penny Blossom Seeger; Jay Ungar
Jay Ungar
Jay Ungar is an American folk musician and composer. -Biography:Ungar was born in the Bronx , the son of immigrant Jewish parents from Eastern Europe. He frequented Greenwich Village music venues during his formative period in the 1960s...
and Molly Mason, and Pete Seeger
Pete Seeger
Peter "Pete" Seeger is an American folk singer and was an iconic figure in the mid-twentieth century American folk music revival. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, he also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of The Weavers, most notably their recording of Lead...
. Aoife O'Donovan
Aoife O'Donovan
Aoife O’Donovan is an American singer and songwriter. She is also the lead singer for the progressive bluegrass/string band, Crooked Still, and a member of the female folk-noir trio, Sometymes Why. Her first professional engagement was singing lead for the folk group The Wayfaring Strangers...
performs backing vocals on their CDs.
Mike Merenda is the band's main singer/songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
and vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist
Multi-instrumentalist
A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays a number of different instruments.The Bachelor of Music degree usually requires a second instrument to be learned , but people who double on another instrument are not usually seen as multi-instrumentalists.-Classical music:Music written for Symphony...
, playing guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
, ukulele
Ukulele
The ukulele, ; from ; it is a subset of the guitar family of instruments, generally with four nylon or gut strings or four courses of strings....
and percussion
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
. His songs often address political and environmental concerns; topics such as government upheaval, war, the environment, and presidential catastrophe. Merenda's song The Bush Boys has caused The Mammals to be censored
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
at some festival venues. His songs often tell stories drawing on personal events, such as the songs Haircut Money and 69 Pleasant Street.
Ruth Ungar
Ruth Ungar
Ruth Ungar is a singer songwriter who performs with many folk bands. She also plays fiddle, ukulele and guitar. She is the daughter of Jay Ungar and Lyn Hardy and is married to Michael J. Merenda, Jr.- Bands :...
performs on vocals, fiddle
Fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
, and ukulele. She is a songwriter for the Mammals, and her songs center on themes of fair trade
Fair trade
Fair trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries make better trading conditions and promote sustainability. The movement advocates the payment of a higher price to producers as well as higher social and environmental standards...
and the environment. Her song "Four Blue Walls", inspired by the play Danny and the Deep Blue Sea was featured on an album by Canadian band The Duhks
The Duhks
The Duhks is a band from Winnipeg, Canada.The members play a blend of Canadian soul, gospel, North American folk, Brazilian samba, old time country string band, zydeco, and Irish dance music. Hailing from Winnipeg, Manitoba, their music draws heavily on all of the North American musical traditions,...
.
Tao Rodríguez-Seeger
Tao Rodríguez-Seeger
Tao Rodríguez-Seeger is an American contemporary folk musician. He plays banjo, guitar, harmonica, and sings in Spanish and in English. He is known as a founder of The Mammals and is the grandson of folk musician Pete Seeger....
sings and plays guitar, banjo, and harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
. He sings in both Spanish and English; American folk songs such as Chan Chan
Chan Chan (song)
"Chan Chan" is a son composition by Cuban bandleader Compay Segundo, revolving around two central characters, 'Juanita' and 'Chan Chan'. The song was one of Compay's last compositions and was written in 1987...
by Compay Segundo
Compay Segundo
Compay Segundo was a Cuban trova guitarist, singer and composer.-Biography:...
and John Henry
John Henry (folklore)
John Henry is an American folk hero and tall tale. Henry worked as a "steel-driver"—a man tasked with hammering and chiseling rock in the construction of tunnels for railroad tracks. In the legend, John Henry's prowess as a steel-driver was measured in a race against a steam powered hammer,...
.
Chris Merenda is the Mammals drummer and the younger brother of Mike. In addition to percussion he plays the guitar, banjo, piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and sings vocals. He occasionally plays the ukulele. Chris has released two solo records titled The Regimen (2003), Hello Freedom (2005) and The Wheel (2009).
Jacob Silver plays electric and upright bass.
The Mammals went on an indefinite hiatus in 2008.
Musical style
The Mammals play a style heavily influenced by traditional Appalachian folk music and their own motto is "Trad is Rad". Their influences are folkFolk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, traditional
Traditional bluegrass
Traditional bluegrass, as the name implies, emphasizes the traditional elements of bluegrass music, and stands in opposition to progressive bluegrass. Traditional bluegrass musicians play folk songs, tunes with simple traditional chord progressions, and on acoustic instruments of a type that were...
and progressive bluegrass
Progressive bluegrass
Progressive bluegrass is one of two major subgenres of bluegrass music. It is also known as newgrass, a term attributed to New Grass Revival member Ebo Walker. Musicians and bands John Hartford, New Grass Revival, J.D. Crowe and the New South, The Dillards, Boone Creek, Country Gazette, and the...
, old time music, celtic
Celtic music
Celtic music is a term utilised by artists, record companies, music stores and music magazines to describe a broad grouping of musical genres that evolved out of the folk musical traditions of the Celtic people of Western Europe...
and rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
.
Music is music. 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 conventions.
Mike Merenda said
We've been called a band that takes old music and makes it sound new. On this album [Departure] we take new music and make it sound old. We play these instruments because they're the instruments we know how to play, but what's exciting is to take them out of the realm of expectation.
Performances
The Mammals have performed nationally in the USA, and internationally in Canada, Australia and Denmark.In 2007 the Mammals toured Australia, including performing at the National Folk Festival
National Folk Festival (Australia)
The National Folk Festival - Australia’s premier folk festival event – is a colourful and diverse family orientated celebration attended by over 50,000 people.It is the best Easter week-end in Australia!...
and Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
including performances at Tønder Festival
Tønder Festival
Tønder Festival is a large annual folk music festival in Tønder, Denmark. It is always held at the last weekend of August.It was founded in 1975....
.
They tour the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on their "Western Migration Tour", visiting cities on the West coast and in the Midwest and southern United States and during the summer months they play at many folk festivals, including Newport Folk Festival
Newport Folk Festival
The Newport Folk Festival is an American annual folk-oriented music festival in Newport, Rhode Island, which began in 1959 as a counterpart to the previously established Newport Jazz Festival...
, Telluride
Telluride
Telluride may refer to:*Telluride, Colorado*Telluride , an ion of tellurium, and derivative compounds* A song by Tim McGraw on Set This Circus Down** A cover of the song by Josh Gracin on We Weren't Crazy...
, Philadelphia Folk Festival
Philadelphia Folk Festival
The Philadelphia Folk Festival is an annual folk music festival near Schwenksville, Pennsylvania in the vicinity of Philadelphia. Begun in 1962, the four-day festival is sponsored by the non-profit Philadelphia Folksong Society. The event hosts contemporary and traditional artists in genres...
, and Magnolia Fest in Florida. When possible, The Mammals pair up with the Duhks
The Duhks
The Duhks is a band from Winnipeg, Canada.The members play a blend of Canadian soul, gospel, North American folk, Brazilian samba, old time country string band, zydeco, and Irish dance music. Hailing from Winnipeg, Manitoba, their music draws heavily on all of the North American musical traditions,...
to form Platypus.
They have been supporting acts for Nickel Creek
Nickel Creek
Nickel Creek was an American progressive acoustic music trio consisting of Chris Thile , Sara Watkins and Sean Watkins . The band was founded in 1989 and released 6 albums between 1993 and 2006...
(2006), Los Lobos
Los Lobos
Los Lobos are a multiple Grammy Award–winning American Chicano rock band from East Los Angeles, California. Their music is influenced by rock and roll, Tex-Mex, country, folk, R&B, blues, brown-eyed soul, and traditional Spanish and Mexican music such as cumbia, boleros and norteños.-History:The...
(2006), and Arlo Guthrie
Arlo Guthrie
Arlo Davy Guthrie is an American folk singer. Like his father, Woody Guthrie, Arlo often sings songs of protest against social injustice...
for Alice's Restaurant
Alice's Restaurant
"Alice's Restaurant Massacree" is a musical monologue by singer-songwriter Arlo Guthrie released on his 1967 album Alice's Restaurant. The song is one of Guthrie's most prominent works, based on a true incident in his life that began on Thanksgiving Day 1965, and which inspired a 1969 movie of the...
40th Anniversary Masacree Tour.
Side projects
Rodríguez-Seeger and Silver also perform together in The Anarchist Orchestra with Laura CorteseLaura Cortese
Laura Cortese is an American singer, songwriter, and fiddler. She was born in San Francisco and attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, where she is currently based....
and Robin McMillan. Silver is also in the bands Wild Band of Snee and Throwing Stars. Rodríguez-Seeger recorded an album with Puerto Rican folk singer Roy Brown
Roy Brown (Puerto Rican musician)
Roy Brown Ramírez is a composer, singer and a fervent believer in the cause for the independence of Puerto Rico. Some of his songs have been performed by several renowned international artists.- Early years :...
and Tito Auger
Tito Auger
Alfonso "Tito" Auger Vega is a Puerto Rican musician most known for being the lead singer of the Rock en Español band Fiel a la Vega. Auger is also the band's main songwriter, together with Ricky Laureano....
, lead singer for Puerto Rican rock group Fiel A La Vega
Fiel a la Vega
Fiel a la Vega is a Rock en Español band from Puerto Rico formed in 1994. Band members Tito Auger and Ricky Laureano come from the northern city of Vega Alta, while brothers Pedro Arraiza and Jorge Arraiza come from the city of Vega Baja, which is next to Vega Alta.-Early years :Childhood friends...
"Que Vaya Bien".
Ungar and Mike Merenda married in October 2006 and perform together and with Jay Ungar and Molly Mason in the Jay Ungar and Molly Mason Family Band.
Ungar performs in Sometymes Why and the Wayfaring Strangers.
Ungar, Mike and Chris Merenda have solo CDs. Chris Merenda also fronts an indie rock band called Chewy.
Discography
They have released four albums, two EPs, and are featured on the Wheatland Music FestivalWheatland Music Festival
Wheatland Music Festival is a music organization, festival, and traditional arts institution founded in 1973. The Wheatland Music Festival takes place every September during the weekend after Labor Day in Wheatland Township, Mecosta County, Michigan. The first Wheatland Music Festival was held...
compilation, ...At This Stage. The most recent two albums have been released on Signature Sounds:
- Born Live (2001)
- Evolver (2002)
- Migration (EP) (2004)
- Rock That Babe (2004)
- ...At This Stage (various artists) (2004)
- Departure (2006)
- Bootleg Six-Pack (EP) (2007)
External links
- Official site
- Mike Merenda's personal page
- Jacob Silver's personal page
- Ruth Ungar's personal page
- http://www.chrismerenda.net
- The Mammals collection at the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
's live music archive - The Mammals on Myspace