The Cassettes

The Cassettes

The Cassettes are a Washington, D.C. group active since 1999, described as a mystic country and steampunk band. They are based around a loose, collaborative line-up that includes Saadat Awan, Shelby Cinca, Christina Frances, Stephen Guidry, Arthur Harrison, Steve Kille, Dr. Klem, Nick Kraly, Stephen McCarty, Hugh Nicholas and Jennifer Potter.

Style and line-up

The group is identified as a vaudeville steam-punk act with a sound that draws on country, folk and indie elements rather than hardcore or punk. Their music uses a mix of conventional and unusual instruments, including squeezebox, moog, drums, tablas, theremin, banjo, bass and saw. Shelby Cinca fronts the band, with Stephen Guidry on squeezebox and moog, Saadat Awan on drums and tablas, and Arthur Harrison on theremin.

Shelby Cinca and related work

Shelby Cinca previously serves as the voice and guitar in Washington, D.C. groups Frodus and Decahedron. He also works as a recording engineer and records Dead Meadow's first two full-length albums. His background in both performing and studio work shapes The Cassettes' recording approach.

Recordings and production

The band uses home recording for some songs, including Sway Along. For larger-sounding pieces such as Lady Faire and Burgalar in the Bungalow, they work with outside producers and different recording settings. Among those involved are Chad Clark of Silver Sonya, known for work with Beauty Pill and The Dismemberment Plan's Emergency and I and Change, T.J. Lipple of Aloha, and Jonathan Kreinik, who is associated with Frodus' Conglomerate International and Trans Am's Futureworld. Kreinik also spends more than a month in New York City working on a recording intended to capture the sound of Arthur Harrison, described as the band's occasional vocalist and theremin player.