The Cassettes (also known as ''The Cassettes Musical Explorers Society'') are a

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, based "Mystic Country"/

Steampunk Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that incorporates retrofuturistic technology and aesthetics inspired by 19th-century industrial steam-powered machinery. Steampunk works are often set in an alternative history of the Victorian era or ...

band formed in 1999.

History

The Cassettes were originally formed as an outgrowth of front-man Shelby Cinca’s four-track recordings: odd pop nuggets that diverged from the teeth-gritting angst of his previous project,

Frodus Frodus (a.k.a. Frodus Conglomerate International, Frodus Sound Laboratories, FCI, Frodus Escape Plan, Frodus Deposit Insurance Corporation) was an American post-hardcore band formed in 1993 in Washington, D.C. by vocalist/guitarist Shelby Cinca ...

.Spano, Charles & Reges, Margaret " The Cassettes Biography,

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

, retrieved 2010-06-19 The son of

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

refugees A refugee, conventionally speaking, is a displaced person who has crossed national borders and who cannot or is unwilling to return home due to well-founded fear of persecution.

who fled from the

Iron Curtain The Iron Curtain was the political boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1991. The term symbolizes the efforts by the Soviet Union (USSR) to block itself and its s ...

in search of the

America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

of Jazz Era music and films, Cinca was indelibly influenced by both his pianist father, who played in clubs off the coast of the

Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Roma ...

in the 1960s, and his mother, an author, film critic and

Elvis Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

fan. The songs of the Cassettes undoubtedly reflect this heritage and themselves had served as a sort of sonic refuge from the hectic touring schedule of the punk rock lifestyle. The band members have described the band's sound as "steampunk",The Cassettes release LP, cover Dillinger Escape Plan whose tour kicks off in NYC tonight
, BrooklynVegan.com, March 11, 2010, retrieved 2010-06-19 and also as "synth-infused country stomp".
, districtofsound.com, November 18, 2008, retrieved 2010-06-19 As originally formed, the troupe consisted of members of

Dead Meadow Dead Meadow is an American psychedelic rock band formed in Washington, D.C. in 1998 and currently composed of vocalist and guitarist Jason Simon, bassist Steve Kille, and drummer Mark Laughlin. The band have released seven studio albums, two liv ...

(Steve Killie, Stephen McCarty) and

Weird War Weird War, briefly known as Scene Creamers, is an indie rock band based out of Washington, D.C. The current lineup consists of Ian Svenonius on vocals, Michelle Mae on bass guitar, Alex Minoff on guitar, and Sebastian Thomson on drums. Weird W ...

, and remained together long enough to produce two albums which pulled from classic rock n' roll influences of such bands as

Badfinger Badfinger were a Welsh rock band formed in Swansea, who were active from the 1960s to the 1980s. Their best-known lineup consisted of Pete Ham (vocals, guitar), Mike Gibbins (drums), Tom Evans (bass), and Joey Molland (guitar). They are recog ...

Wings A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expresse ...

Big Star Big Star was an American rock band formed in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1971 by Alex Chilton (vocals, guiar), Chris Bell (vocals, guitar), Jody Stephens (drums), and Andy Hummel (bass). The group broke up in early 1975, and reorganized with a new l ...

,Spano, Charles " ''The Cassettes '' Review,

, retrieved 2010-06-19 and T. Rex. The albums were released both in the United States and abroad. However, this initial group of collaborators members were unexpectedly called onto other travels and they parted ways with good wishes upon the eve of their debut album's release. In the months after the release of the eponymous first album and just before the release of the already completed second album, The Cassettes' line-up began to evolve. In late 2002, Shelby contacted D.C.-area musician Saadat Awan, who had years before pledged his percussion skills to the band, should he ever be needed. Having spent periods of his childhood with his parents in

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

, Awan had begun delving into the art of tabla, a percussion instrument used for centuries in the music of the South Asian subcontinent. He was quickly put to work learning the drum lines from the earlier music and before long had augmented the band's sound with his own vocals and

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playing. At this time Shelby made a decision to steer the future of the band's sound towards a more experimental sound influenced by

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

' ''

White Album White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

''.Reges, Margaret " Neath The Pale Moon'' Review,

, retrieved 2010-06-19 In an attempt to approach things differently he switched to playing a

Resonator Guitar A resonator guitar or resophonic guitar is an acoustic guitar that produces sound by conducting string vibrations through the bridge to one or more spun metal cones (resonators), instead of to the guitar's sounding board (top). Resonator gui ...

and focused on

fingerpicking Fingerstyle guitar is the technique of guitar picking, playing the guitar or bass guitar by plucking the strings directly with the fingertips, fingernails, or picks attached to fingers, as opposed to flatpicking (plucking individual notes with ...

to compensate for lack of bass guitar and to augment Saadat's unique rhythmic stylings. The band's 2006 album was described by

writer Margaret Reges as "a rollicking air-balloon ride over a landscape dotted with greasy resonator guitars, screaming accordions, and trippy theremins". Having moved to Washington D.C. from the depths of

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

sometime in 1998, close friend and kindred soul Stephen Guidry was recruited to record on some demo songs being produced in the Norwegian Cabin (a studio locale in Arlington, Virginia). His journey away from the swampy flatlands had originally been for the sake of university scholarship, but it was the music that kept him in the District (though his mind often wandered back to his family farm at Pointe Blue). Within a few months, he had joined the band as an official member on analogue synthesizer and Cajun-style

accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German ''Akkordeon'', from ''Akkord''—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a reed ...

. The trio would be in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

within the year, touring in support of O'er the Mountain (2003). In the meantime, however, even before their trip to Europe, at their second show in the states as a trio, there had been a moment of prescience as an indirect result of Stephen having forgotten his power supply somewhere in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. Arthur Harrison (who also played with Stephen in the DC based

cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or d ...

troupe, The Parlor Scouts) was in the vicinity of the show and happened to have one of his

theremins The theremin (; originally known as the ætherphone/etherphone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox) is an electronic musical instrument controlled without physical contact by the performer (who is known as a thereminist). It is named aft ...

in his car, was recruited on the spot to fill in for Stephen's missing keyboard sounds. Although his exact history is shrouded in mystery, Harrison had been making electronic music in the DC area since at least the 1980s and had spent years perfecting his oscillators and theremins. He was performing with just these instruments at a

planetarium A planetarium ( planetariums or ''planetaria'') is a theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky, or for training in celestial navigation. A dominant feature of most planetarium ...

when he was met by Stephen and later, Shelby. As proved by his impromptu performance, the affinity between the group was unmistakable and Arthur would end up officially joining the band at the end of 2003. The Cassettes continued to hone their sound, diligently recording new material, refining previously recorded works, and consistently playing on the eastern seaboard of the United States. In 2006 they signed to

Buddyhead Records ''Buddyhead'' is a music website and independent record label created by Travis Keller in the summer of 1998, located in Hollywood, California. Buddyhead engaged in criticism of popular culture and the music industry. It's legendary gossip column ...

after completion of their 3-years in making the album entitled "'Neath The Pale Moon" which brought long-time Frodus producer Jonathan Kreinik (Conglomerate International) back into the fold to refine The Cassettes' synth-infused country stomp. In 2008, after earlier albums had been released only on CD, the band released their first cassette, ''Countach'', packaged with a toy car and horse.Rae-Hunter, Casey (2008)
Let's Go to the Tape: How to reel in listeners in the digital age
, ''

Washington City Paper The ''Washington City Paper'' is a U.S. alternative weekly newspaper serving the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. The ''City Paper'' is distributed on Thursdays; its average circulation in 2006 was 85,588. The paper's editorial mix is focused ...

'', December 26, 2008, retrieved 2010-06-19 Cinca said of the release: "The artwork and even the music I would say is inspired by connecting to our 'inner children' to kind of make the album we would have wanted to make when we were 12." 2010 saw the release of a rarities album entitled "Writing Analog Letters" on the band's own label Chapeau Records as well as the purchase of their "'Neath The Pale Moon" from their previous label Buddyhead. An updated re-release of said album appeared on the band's Bandcamp page and the band began playing again in 2011 as well as announced plans to record a new albumFischer, Jonathan L. (2010)
Shelby Cinca Sees More Cassettes Music, Monolithic Domes in His Future
, ''

'', August 27, 2010, retrieved 2011-01-07 at Guidry's family farm in November 2011. In April 2011, the band released a 7-inch EP and digital download entitled "I've Been Gone Far Too Long..." on Flannel Gurl Records.

Members

*Shelby Cinca - Electric Guitar,

, Vocals, Bass, Keyboard *Saadat Awan - Drums,

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, Vocals *Stephen Guidry -

Moog Synthesizer The Moog synthesizer is a modular synthesizer developed by the American engineer Robert Moog. Moog debuted it in 1964, and Moog's company R. A. Moog Co. (later known as Moog Music) produced numerous models from 1965 to 1981, and again from 20 ...

, Piano,

Accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German ''Akkordeon'', from ''Akkord''—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a reed ...

, Jews harp, Vocals * Nick Kraly -

Bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...

, Vocals Previous Members: *Arthur Harrison -

Theremin The theremin (; originally known as the ætherphone/etherphone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox) is an electronic musical instrument controlled without physical contact by the performer (who is known as a thereminist). It is named afte ...

, Vocals *Jason Hutto - Guitar, Vocals *Steve Kille - Bass, Vocals *Stephen McCarty - Drums, Vocals *Jennifer Potter - Guitar, Vocals *Thomas Bernath - Bass

Discography

Full Lengths

* "Neath The Pale Moon" CD/

Compact Cassette The Compact Cassette or Musicassette (MC), also commonly called the tape cassette, cassette tape, audio cassette, or simply tape or cassette, is an analog magnetic tape recording format for audio recording and playback. Invented by Lou Ottens ...

/MP3 (2006

, 2008 Rogue Records, 2010, 2011 Chapeau) * "Writing Analog Letters (A Collection)" MP3 (2010 Chapeau) Self-released * "Countach"

/MP3 (2008, 2011 Chapeau) Self-released * "Neath The Pale Moon" Double Pack (2008 Rogue Records) Australian Release () * "O'er The Mountain" CD (2003 Alice Records, Italy / 2006 ''iTunes release''

) * "s/t" CD/LP (2002 Lovitt Records)

Singles/EPs

* "I've Been Gone Far Too Long..." 7-inch vinyl single/Digital EP (2011 Flannel Gurl Records) * "Snö" digital-single (2010 Chapeau Records) * "Countach: The Remixes" digital-EP (2008 Swedish Columbia) * The Cassettes/Disco Drive split 7-inch vinyl (2003 Bachelor Records, Germany) * "Lights" 7-inch vinyl single (2000 Carcrash Records, Sweden) * "Alright With The Days" 7-inch vinyl single (2000 Jetglue Records)

Compilations

* "Play" Children's Music Compilation (2007 Desoto Records) - Track: "Truck On (Truck)" * "Wedding Compilation" (2006

Lujo Records Lujo Records is an American independent record label that was founded in 2001 by Erik Aucoin in Louisiana.Lujo Records Lujo Records is an American independent record label that was founded in 2001 by Erik Aucoin in Louisiana.Hank Williams Hank Williams (born Hiram Williams; September 17, 1923 – January 1, 1953) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. Regarded as one of the most significant and influential American singers and songwriters of the 20th century, he reco ...

Sr.) * "All I Want For Christmas" (2004

Lujo Records Lujo Records is an American independent record label that was founded in 2001 by Erik Aucoin in Louisiana.