The Cassettes

The Cassettes (also known as The Cassettes Musical Explorers Society) are a Washington, DC based "Mystic Country"/Steampunk 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. The son of Romanian refugees who fled from the Iron Curtain in search of the America 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 in the 1960s, and his mother, an author, film critic and Elvis 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", and also as "synth-infused country stomp".

As originally formed, the troupe consisted of members of Dead Meadow (Steve Killie, Stephen McCarty) and Weird War, and remained together long enough to produce two albums which pulled from classic rock n' roll influences of such bands as Badfinger, Wings, Big Star, 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.