Biography
Does hailing from Texas automatically brand you an "alt-country" band when you leave? Such was the dilemma three Texan friends faced after reuniting in Boston, adding a local Bostonian, and taking the name CASSAVETTES. But after three years, three albums, an armful of awards, and energetic shows with The Allman Brothers, Kings of Leon, and Dr. Dog, just to name a few, does it really matter what people label your music?
Known for energetic, powerful live shows that crackle with the electricity of The Replacements, Old 97s, and The Rolling Stones, Cassavettes (pronounced kass-uh-vets) has turned more than a few heads, locally and beyond -- scooping up “Best Local Band” in the Boston Phoenix reader’s poll, nabbing a Boston Music Award nod for “Outstanding Americana Act” and "Best Roots Act" in the Boston Phoenix Best Music Poll 2009, and making a splash at South By Southwest 2007 and 2008 in Austin, Texas, the Midpoint Music Festival 2007 in Cincinnati, Ohio, and the Dewey Beach Music Conference 2008 in Dewey Beach, Delaware.
Extensive touring from the northeast to Nashville and back to their native Texas, as well as hometown gigs headlining The Paradise Rock Club and Middle East Downstairs, helped the group solidify a live persona, which was captured on the recent live album, "Animal Friends." Now, Cassavettes are bringing that raw energy to the studio with Dave Minehan (Paul Westerberg; The Neighborhoods) and Todd Thibaud at the helm. The new record is due out in fall 2009.
Crossbreeding the sounds of The Band and Neil Young with contemporary influences like Superdrag, Nada Surf, and Ryan Adams, the band mixes the sound into a blend of rock, folk, country, and blues. While they’ve drawn comparisons to everyone from The Byrds to Tom Petty to Young himself, the Weekly Dig called Cassavettes’ music difficult to “pin down” -- and that’s exactly how the band likes it. Cassavettes blurs genres musically, while keeping the storytelling element prominent in folk and country lyrics. The Boston Globe said this gives Cassavettes "charm to spare."
Cassavettes has shared the stage with the diverse likes of...
- The Allman Brothers Band
- Bob Weir & Ratdog (ex-Grateful Dead)
- Kings of Leon
- Dr. Dog
- The Toadies
- Superdrag
- Letters to Cleo (reunion show)
- Jesse Malin (Ryan Adams; D Generation)
- Drag the River
- Earlimart (Elliot Smith/Grandaddy)
- Illinois
- Hymns (toured with Beck, The Lemonheads, and Ben Kweller)
- David Dondero (named one of top 10 living songwriters by NPR; Bright Eyes collaborator).
Among Cassavettes' recent accomplishments:
- Selected to participate in South By Southwest (SXSW 2007, 2008), Midpoint Music Festival 2007 in Cincinnati, Dewey Beach Americana Fest 2007 and 2008, Dewey Beach Pop Fest and Music Conference 2008 in Dewey Beach, Dela., San Antonio Indie Fest 2007, NEMO 2006, WBCN's Rock N Roll Rumble 2007
- Boston Globe CD PICK OF THE WEEK, December 2-9, 2006, for "It's Gonna Change"
- Boston Phoenix BEST MUSIC POLL 2009 nominee for "Best Roots Act"
- Voted BEST LOCAL BAND by Boston Phoenix readers in the 2006 Best of Boston Poll
- BOSTON MUSIC AWARDS "Outstanding Americana Act Of The Year" 2006 nominee
- 2007 WBZ-TV A-LIST AWARDS nominee for BEST ALBUM, "It's Gonna Change"
- Headlined Boston's biggest rooms including The Paradise Rock Club and The Middle East Downstairs
- Finalist in OriginalSessions/Rolling Rock National Band Search, spring 2007
- The song “On Our Own” charted in Neil Young’s top 30 “Songs of the Times” list
CONTACT:
Creamer Management, creamermgt@aol.com
Cassavettes, cassavettesband@hotmail.com
Instrumentation
Scott Jones: bass guitar, backing vocals
Mike McCullagh: vocals, guitar
Matt Snow: drum kit, backing vocals
Glenn Yoder: vocals, guitar
Discography
"Shake Down the Sun" LP
Recorded: Dec. 2008-March 2009 at Woolly Mammoth Studios, Waltham, MA
Release date: Fall 2009
"Animal Friends" LP
Recorded: Feb. 1, 2008 in front of a live audience at The Milkhouse Studio, Allston, MA
Release date: May 16, 2008
Key notes: A live album recorded with our closest friends and fans; received airplay before its release on several radio stations
"It's Gonna Change" LP
Recorded: August-October 2006 at Hi-N-Dry Studios in Cambridge, MA
Release Date: Dec. 9, 2006
Key Notes: Boston Globe's CD Pick of the Week, Dec. 2006; 2007 WBZ-TV A-List Awards nominee for Best Album; Regular airplay for first single "On Our Own" on nationwide college radio, in every state; “On Our Own” charted in Neil Young’s top 30 “Songs of the Times” list of over 4,500 songs; heavy local play on WBCN, WFNX, and WBOS; strong podcast and Internet radio play.
"Whitewash the Blues" EP
Recorded: July 2005 at know.ledge.one Studios in Boston, MA
Release Date: August 2005
Key Notes: Several tracks including "Empire Central," "Marie," "Carolyn, Don't Leave Like This" and "Research Boulevard" have received considerable airplay on Boston's WFNX (101.7 FM), WBCN (104.1 FM), WTBU (89.3 FM), and WERS (88.9 FM).
Links
| http://www.myspace.com/cassavettes |