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CANDIDATES IN THE PRIMARY ELECTIONS FOR THE
IllljllOth CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT I
AND STATE SENATE DISTRICT 46
WILL FACE THE ATHENS NEWS MEDIA IN A POLITICAL DEBATE
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Get in on the live action as members of
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in the Internet age, the Athens
CIff Cl I music scene moves slowly.
Lacking the trust funds and music industry
connections that New York or Austin might
have, our musicians advance their careers
piece by piece, scraping up enough cash and
audience support to headline the 40 Watt one
month, release a demo six months later, and
perhaps play an out-of-town show, if things
are going particularly well, after a year.
Since forming in 2000, Maserati has exem
plified this model of gradual growth and steady
determination. The group has remained active
enough to build an international audience and
release three full-lengths, but its productivity
has been intermittent—its June 28 perfor
mance will be its first local concert this year.
By keeping their band a part-time affair,
Maserati's members have staved off burnout.
Such moderation has benefited the band's
music greatly: with each album, Maserati's
style has morphed and matured. An instru
mental group since its inception, the quartet
cut its teeth playing dynamic, riff-heavy rock.
The crunchy guitars then softened into lush,
arpeggiated lines reminiscent of U2. These
days the band has all but abandoned con
ventional rock, crafting repetitive pieces that
would fit nicely into a playlist of krautrock,
ambient music and techno.
Flagpole recently got in touch with guitar
ist and founding member Coley Dennis to dis
cuss Maserati's upcoming recordings and the
gradual changes the band has seen throughout
its lifetime.
Flagpole: Tell me a bit about the new album.
Coley Dennis: Well, it's not a full album; it's a
split LP that we're doing with some friends of
ours from Pittsburgh/New York called Zombi.
We recorded the basic tracks and made rough
mixes at Andy Baker's studio with him in May.
We were really lucky to catch him while he
was home from Taiwan for only a month. We're
going back in July to finish it up with Joel
Hatstat, so I doubt it will be released before
the end of this year. Most likely, [it will come
out] early next year on Temporary Residence.
FP: How are the songs shaping up stylistically?
CD: I think it's a nice progression from
Inventions. It definitely has some of the feel
that that record has, but with a bit more
space and psych elements—maybe something
akin to early Tangerine Dream records or
something.
FP: Your first couple of records were com
pared to bands who relied on conventional
rock dynamics, namely U2 and Mogwai. On
Inventions, I heard some more psychedelic
influences at work, like Harmonia and Manuel
Gottsching. Did the band's listening habits
change between Language of Cities and
Inventions? How did those changes work their
way into the music?
CD: Yeah, our tastes changed quite a bit
from the time we did Language and when we
started Inventions. [Drummer] Jerry [Fuchs]
brought in a lot of different things we had
never heard, like Ash Ra Tempel, Aphrodite's
Child, and Cluster, along with some more
obscure krautrock bands. There was a really
great time there when we were listening to
the stuff he had been excited about as well as
things we had been into like Eno, Pink Floyd
and Can and really feeling inspired...
I remember we were on tour in Europe the
first time, and Jerry put on Ash Ra Tempel's
Echo Waves, and it fucking blew my mind! I
knew right then I wanted to try and push us
to create something that raw and hypnotic.
I mean, that track is 25 minutes long and
finally kicks in at around 22 minutes or so!
It's almost impossible to write something
at that length and be able to keep up the
momentum, let alone give you the pay off.
I think at some point we'd like do a really
ambient, psychedelic record like Vangelis'
Bladerunner soundtrack or Eno's Music for
Airports or something.
FP: Maserdti has been making music for a
relatively long time. What has been your main
motivation to keep the project going?
CD: I think we just love playing music
together, hanging out together, whatever. If
the band broke up tomorrow, I know we would
all spend time with each other in some form
or another. As far as motivation, I think we're
up for the challenge to re-invent our sound.
FP: What has kept the band (or most of the
band, at least) in Athens for all these years?
CD: I think Athens is a really easy town to get
by in, especially for a band like us who just
kind of pokes its head out once in a while
to put out a record or tour. I think we really
enjoy having separate lives now where the
band isn't the controlling factor in our lives
anymore. It's really nice to be able to come
back to [the band] when we're feeling moti
vated to get something done, not just bored
in the practice space.
FP: Aside from tweaking your sound and chang
ing some members, how would you say Maserati
has changed over the years?
CD: I think we've become a lot more focused
in the past few years. I guess you're kinda
forced to be when your members live all over
the country, and you have like one or two
days to piactice for a tour or write songs—
unless, of course, we end up at Agua Linda for
margaritas!
Phillip Buchan
—
WHO: The Buddy System,
Summerbirds in the Cellar, Maserati
WHERE: 40 Watt Club
WHEN: Saturday, June 28
HOW MUCH: $7 (21+), $8 (18+)
V J
24 FLAGP0LE.COM-JUNE 25,2008
NEWS & FEATURES I CALENDAR I MOVIES I A&E I MUSIC I COMICS & ADVICE I CLASSIFIEDS
ADAM BUEB