Music Style Modern Rock

Musical Influences beatles, janes addiction, 311,

Artist History ZERO RAIN was formed in July of 1998 when James Housteau (Lead Vocals and Guitar) moved from Youngstown, Ohio to the Capital City, Columbus, to further his musical career. In searching for the right musicians to form a new band, James found Chris Winder through friends and connections in the local music scene. Chris Winder had recently moved to Columbus from the Va. Beach Va. area where his band Falling Sky Friday had just disbanded due to creative differences and college graduations. After one audition James knew that Winder was the one that he needed to regulate the beats for his modern alternative heart felt sound. With a number of different bass players Chris and James played in trios in around all of the Ohio markets under the name fAlloUt ShelTeR. In February of 1999, the band was searching for ways to improve their live sound. Fortunately, they were able to find well known Columbus guitarist Dave Gallagher. The three guys played shows around Ohio with numerous Bass players until they found Steve Gross In August of 1999. Steve was the missing piece of the puzzle. An energetic Bass player that had an amazing stage presence. Since August of 1999 the band has played numerous shows that have electrified audiences in every venue that they have stepped on stage in. The guys are also very excited about their upcoming Album Somewhere Else that will be released July 14th, 2000. Be sure to catch them in support of Somewhere Else at an East Coast venue near you.

Group Members James Housteau- Lead Vocals, Rythym GuitarChris Winder- DrumsDave Gallagher- Lead Guitar, VocalsSteve Gross- Bass, Vocals

Albums Somewhere Else

Press Reviews 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.

Location Columbus, OH - USA

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