Music
Press
...sounding like reanimated Zombies on their new Movers and Shakers, former Nashville songwriter-frontman Mark Casson and bassist-vocalist Shannon Hines Casson collapse their voluminous record collection into 10 unabashedly groovy songs whose sonic DNA tangles strands of R&B, glam, Britpop and bubblegum... growling Stevie Wonder clavinet duels with Burt Bacharach flugelhorn (“The Top of the Tree”), burbling “Pale Blue Eyes” guitar does the shimmy with girl-group bounce and hand claps (“Love Hearts in My Eyes”) and Mark Casson’s Ziggy-esque vocals reverberate over Peter Hyrka’s sweeping Moody Blues strings (“Waiting in the Wings”). The effect is ultimately more celebratory than derivative... how could you not love a whistled chorus, whatever its pop provenance?
--Nashville Scene (Nashville, Tenn.)
- Nashville Scene
...the Cheeksters have the sort of back-story that should be turned into a screenplay: Amercian exaptriate in London strikes up a conversation witha stranger on a train, sparks fly and they marry and form a band, eventually landing in Asheville. And their album "Movers and Shakers" would be the perfect soundtrack for just such a film--I’m thinking 2003’s "Love, Actually" here-- 10 bouncy pop songs that sound as if they should be blaring in a boisterous pub.
David Menconi ( Raleigh News and Observer)
- Rlaeigh News and Observer
a slick, jangly, near-seamless confection....ripe with jazz touches, a modern mixing of atmospheric Wurlitzer and gorgeous cello on “Waiting in the Wings,” and the danceable, throwback feel of “Love Hearts in My Eyes.” Mark’s vocals are often sized up as Bowie-reminiscent, but his range allows for soaring falsetto and almost menacing tenor (both within a few measures on “One Time"). Whatever Movers lacks in angsty complexity, it more than makes up for in consistency and a sense of sheer joy.
–-Mountain Xpress (Asheville, N.C.)
- Mountain Express
...Casson’s natural British pop sensibility is apparent off the bat with the infectious "What The Pretty Girl Did", a kind of Kinks-meet-Merseyside bouncy number. The ragtime-y title track follows and continues the disc’s appeal. Other standouts include "The Top of the Tree", in which Casson channels Gilbert O’Sullivan; the anthemic "Waiting in the Wings", swelling strings and all; and "Love Hearts In My Eyes", in which Hines contributes a sultry vocal over a winning indie pop beat.
--Absolute Powerpop (CD of the Day for Feb. 6, 2008)
- Absolute Powerpop
Discography
Movers and Shakers (2007)
Thrill of a Lifetime - EP (2006)
1965 (2005)
Skating on the Cusp (2002)
Hey, What's Your Style (1994)
747 (of Love) EP 1995
Stranger Things Have Happened (1992)
Photos
Bio
The Cheeksters formed soon after Mark Casson and Shannon Hines met by chance on a train in London. Shannon (from Tennessee) and Mark (British) hit it off both musically and romantically. They started playing music together-got married - and their debut album "Stranger Things Have Happened” was recorded in Knoxville, Tennessee in 1992 and was followed by "Hey, What’s Your Style" in 1994.
The Cheeksters relocated to Nashville Tennessee (a journey which was partly deliberate but largely accidental) where, after a few line-up changes, they hooked up with musician and producer Brent Little. Little shared Casson’s and Hines’s passion for great music , and it wasn’t long before The Cheeksters were recording "Skating on the Cusp" using Little’s analogue studio to lay down the tracks. The album released in 1997 received high critical acclaim and ensured that The Cheeksters were a regular headline act in the hotspots of music city.
The Cheeksters moved to Asheville, North Carolina in 2000. Making trips on the weekends to Nashville- they released "1965" in 2005. With Little’s diverse instrumental and engineering skills,and Mark’s top- notch songwriting, it was widely acclaimed as their most accomplished work to date.
Mark and Shannon continued to make trips down to Nashville to record- At the end of 2007 The Cheeksters released "Movers and Shakers" This 10- song album is a power-house of fresh, well-crafted pop songs,which carries on the great collaboration at Cream Puff Recorders in Nashville.
This year The Cheeksters are touring in support of "Movers and Shakers" with their five- and sometimes six-piece band (including horn player).
The Cheeksters infectious and fun-filled shows captivate audiences wherever they perform-
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