NEW YORK, NY. (Top40 Charts/ Jive Records) - "Let It Rain," the lead track from Living Things' forthcoming album, Habeas Corpus will go to alternative radio on Monday, November 17. The album is scheduled to follow February 17, 2009 on Jive Records.
"I've always looked at rain as being divine semen," mused Lillian Berlin, lead singer/lyricist/guitarist. While talking about the song he added: "There's a quote from Mark Twain, who's a big influence on me as a writer. 'A banker is a fellow who lends you his umbrella when the sun is shining, but wants it back the minute it begins to rain.'"
Go to https://www.livingthingsmusic.com to hear "Let It Rain."
The scream of four angry young men has evolved into a record that brands flesh by way of a more elegant, textured fury. Habeas Corpus' lyrical point of view covers life, love, money, religion and war in these turbulent times. "In some ways I've looked at this whole record as a celebration of the uncertain times ahead," said Lillian.
Living Things are Lillian and his brothers Eve and Bosh Berlin on bass and drums respectively, plus guitarist Cory Becker, a longtime friend from their hometown, St. Louis, Mo.
Habeas Corpus is the second album released from the band. Their major-label debut was the critically praised Ahead of the Lions, issued October 2005. (In 2004 an earlier album, Black Skies in Broad Daylight was spiked when the band's DreamWorks label was absorbed into IGA.) The band also issued three EPs Turn In Your Friends And Neighbors (SKG/2003), The Blackout Generation (Loog/2003) and Resight Your Rights (DreamWorks/2004).
Produced by Michael Ilbert and Living Things, Habeas Corpus was recorded in Berlin, Germany at Hansa Studios where the band was in residence for nine months, overlooking the remnants of the Berlin wall.
Eve offered: "Berlin is like a scar that reminds us of how serious bombs, weapons and dictators are. For us to be writing our own version of soul music inside Hansa, knowing that once upon a time the most evil powers gathered there for concerts in the ballroom, yet there we were, looking out the windows and seeing that good prevailed. Berlin is a great city now. Being there was a reinforcement of how things can change if we take the blindfold off and don't let power and greed ruin us."
In addition to "Let It Rain," the Habeas Corpus songs are "Snake Oil Man,""Cost of Living," "The Kingdom Will Fall," "Mercedes Marxist," "Oxygen," "Shake Your Shimmy," "Dirty Bombs," "Brass Knuckles," "Island In Your Heart," "Post Millennium Extinction Blues," and "Drugstore Bummin' (Everybody's Slummin')."
Eve wrapped it up with: "As Americans, we really value our Constitutional right to express ourselves. When somebody says 'rock'n'roll,' to me it means freedom, being who you are, running wild and letting it all hang out."
