Category: Haunt the House
The Noise reviews Mark Cutler, Allysen Callery, Haunt the House, and Dan Baker.
You can read the article here.
MARK CUTLER – Dreamland
Singer/songwriter Mark Cutler is in Rhode Island’s Men of Great Courage and in this side project, he is more coffeehouse then nightclub. This side of Cutler is more folk and more introspective, but the passion still prevails in every song. “Circle to a Square,” a slow Americana ballad, “I’ll Play for You,” “Soul Flame,” and the title tune, “Dreamland” with a nice harp, are all very personal confessions of a very talented artist to his audience; and his gentle voice is well suited for this intimacy. There is even some banjo on this Americana flavored CD. Mark Cutler delivers some nice acoustic ballads. This is a good listen. (A.J. Wachtel)
DAN BAKER – Pistol In My Pocket
Got misery? Dan Baker does, in spades. His latest CD speaks of lost love, mournfulness, and general-type unhappiness. I mean, when an album contains tracks titled “She’s Not Gonna Call” and “Threw Me Down a Well” you’re kind of clued in early this is not going to be a compilation of cheerful, danceable ditties, and this isn’t.
Recorded live in the vast, echoing space of an empty Masonic temple, Baker and band have at it, down, dirty… and good. The arrangements are lean and spare, with sometimes-skeletal acoustic guitar carrying the load alone. For others, his band adds the right shades of angst. Dan’s voice yowls and growls in a manner that echoes early Neil Young, but like Neil’s, it’s a voice that delivers pain perfectly. (Tim O’Brien)
ALLYSEN CALLERY – Mumblin’ Sue
While the hypnotic intertwining of Callery’s fancy finger-picking lulls you into a meditative state, it’s her petal-soft lilt that really does a number on your heart-strings, plucking them with the same fervor as she does her guitar. The music is stoic yet still yearningly bitter-sweet. The lyrics, poetic and steeped in country wisdom, relate stories of heartache seen through sadder-but-wiser eyes. The power isn’t only in the words themselves, but in they way they’re sung—in a melancholy, reverberating sean-nós style. Something tells me she could be singing in Swahili or Cantonese and anyone with ears would still have some idea of what she was singing about. (Will Barry)
HAUNT THE HOUSE – Rural Introspection Study Group
Will Houlihan’s solo foray is a modest collection of guitar ballads and blues. There’s no gainsaying his personal approach to the material, of which the best of show is the bluesy “Vampyre,” along with the heartfelt “Eden.” (Francis DiMenno)
Red Line Roots profiles Haunt the House
You can read the article here.
There are those who try and fake vigor and enthusiasm. The world is full of “douche face” guitar solos, crappy rhyming schemes in songs, and jackasses dressed in late 19th century garb singing about the farmland when they live in a 3 story brownstone in Allston. This is not of those people. Will Houlihan absolutely exudes passion for his music and songs.
Rural Instrospection Study Group
There is a beautiful simplicity to this release. Its so emotionally full, but the sound has this hollow “man alone in an empty room with a guitar” vibe to it. The music is really quite incredible. There’s some hints of Jeff Buckley there. The second track ‘Vamprye’ leads off with a shrill, shocking, but incredibly beautiful vocal falsetto.I just really really want to listen to this over and over again. It’s a short 6 tracks, but still feels like a complete and well presented thought. Something that is loose, but still consciously purposeful. Spooky, powerful, and affecting. With the way Houlihan sings and arranges his work its no surprise he goes by the moniker “Haunt the House”.
While Haunt the House is Will and his performing act, he also has a myriad of folks join him on stage to perform as this act. Always a treat, always more emotion driven and more beautiful than the last time you see them. They are constantly evolving the craft and perfecting how to really get that evocative and stirring sound. Recently I had the pleasure of seeing Will perform at a Brown Bird Tribute show. Quoting my recap ” so f*cking beautiful, I have nothing else I could possibly say to better describe it”. That’s really it. I hate to use this again, but the music is haunting, the name fits. This is music who’s purpose is to make you feel feelings. It simply evokes something inside of you that makes you feel moved.
Haunt the House at The Met
with Pearl and the Beard and Sugar Honey Iced Tea
The Met
Pawtucket, RI
8pm
All ages
Haunt the House at The Grange
The Grange
Broadway St
Providence, RI
9pm
Haunt the House and Allysen Callery as part of the Thursday Night Series at the Salvation Cafe
Artist William Schaff
Salvation Cafe
Newport RI
8pm
Each night we will be broadcasting 90.3 WRIU – Boudin Dan’s Radio show.
Food Drive for each show for the RI Food Bank and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center.
(1 of 52 Hunger Network)
$10.00 – Limited Tickets
Haunt the House at Local 121
with Divey and Burlapen
Local 121
121 Washington St
Providence, RI
Haunt the House and Allysen Callery at Club Passim
with Low Anthem, Dan Blakeslee and many others
Club Passim
Cambridge, Mass
Haunt the House at The Malted Barley
with Vudu Sister
The Malted Barley
Westerly RI
9pm
Free
Haunt the House at Perks and Corks
with Adam Sylvestri
Perks and Corks
Westerly, RI
8pm
Free
Allysen Callery, Haunt the House at Common Fence Point
Horn of Plenty Music, a harvest of the finest New England musical talent featuring singer-songwriters Michael Troy, Allysen Callery, Haunt the House, and The Throttles.
The Folk Support Group will accompany the dinner hour with a mix of old-time, bluegrass, Irish & original tunes. The Kitchen will feature an enhanced menu of holiday soups & home-made baked goods prepared by our volunteer chefs and bakers.
Common Fence Music
933 Anthony Road
Portsmouth, RI
7pm
$20 Advance/$23 at Door