Olivia Mancini & the Housemates

(from www.oliviamancini.com) ?Infectious,? ?Both classic and fresh,? and ?A must get,? say critics who have heard Washington, D.C.-based Olivia Mancini & the Housemates' debut album, This Kind of Life. And the best part? The band with ?a taste for '60's pop, rock and soul,? and tunes ?rife with trumpets, handclaps and cheery harmonies? are just getting started. The band came together in the spring of 2005 when a group of friends ? Edward Donohue (guitar), Kristin Forbes (bass, vocals), Randy Scope (drums)...

?Infectious,? ?Both classic and fresh,? and ?A must get,? say critics who have heard Washington, D.C.-based Olivia Mancini & the Housemates' debut album, This Kind of Life. And the best part? The band with ?a taste for '60's pop, rock and soul,? and tunes ?rife with trumpets, handclaps and cheery harmonies? are just getting started.

The band came together in the spring of 2005 when a group of friends ? Edward Donohue (guitar), Kristin Forbes (bass, vocals), Randy Scope (drums), and Dan Swenson (trumpet, organ, vocals) ? agreed to help Olivia (vocals, guitar) put together some songs she had been working on. Naming the group was easy: Most of the musicians already were housemates.

Produced by Randy, This Kind of Life was released in December of 2007 to strong reviews.
The group's upbeat single, ?I Wouldn't Worry,? has been picked up by radio stations from Florida to D.C., and recent performances at Washington's 9:30 Club and on XM-Sirius' Worldspace Satellite Radio have increased the band's buzz.

On stage, the Housemates are having a blast, and you can't help but have fun with them. With ?unstoppable drums,? ?bursts of trumpet,? and ?raucous guitar,? critics dare you to ?Just try not to shake your butt.? The band provides a swiftly moving vehicle for Olivia's ?engaging? voice. The ?hardest working woman in D.C. rock? pleads, teases, sneers, and soars in equal measure, but always makes sure you are right there with her.

The group will travel this March to SXSW and has plans to tour in late spring. Plans are already in the works for their next record. Check their website, www.oliviamancini.com, and MySpace page, www.myspace.com/oliviaandthehousemates, for updates.

There's never dull moment with the Housemates: June saw the release of Randy and Olivia's Washington Social Club's sophomore effort, Bigger Than Your Boyfriend. Ed's Donny Hue and the Colors (featuring Randy, Dan, and Olivia) released the critically acclaimed Folkmote in July. Dan's Holy Attack, now with Olivia on guitar, is working on its debut LP, engineered by Ed. Meanwhile, Kristin (ex-Travis Morrison) rocks regularly with her own Kristin Forbes Band.