 |
||||||
"A Wheel Within A Wheel" Biography from Misra Records: At the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, amongst the mobile homes, mail pouch barns, and satellite dishes lies Athens, Ohio. Athens shares some bonds with its more famous namesake down in Georgia - a university, a cool record store and extremely cheap rent. But this isn't the South, humid with lackadaisical charm and mint juleps. 175 miles south of Akron and 135 miles east of Dayton, caught somewhere between the notions of the mid-west and the heartland but with a soul that's closer to Austin, another city that's an oasis for modern creative folks, Athens, Ohio is an offbeat and curious little town. For Southeast Engine, it's home. The band, with singer/guitarist Adam Remnant and drummer/percussionist Leo DeLuca at its core, have been kicking around Athens for years, making records and releasing them DIY or through friends, opening any decent show that comes through town (which lead to a friendship with the Wrens, which led them to us and us to them). The locals just call 'em The Engine. They're somehow at the heart of Athens. At the heart of Southeast Engine is the voice of Adam Remnant, a young, married middle school teacher who's just lost his job. But don't worry about Adam. He's written one of the best records in years. The title of A Wheel Within A Wheel (the band's third full length – their second album, Coming To Terms With Gravity, has just been quietly reissued by Misra as well) refers to the first chapter of the Book of Ezekiel where its author describes in cryptic and revelatory detail a vision of God as four living creatures each with four heads and four wings and each seemingly connected to a wheel within a wheel. The passage has made its influence felt – from the traditional folk song “Ezekiel Saw the Wheel” and to the writings of C.G. Jung – who interpreted the vision in relation to his theory of the wheel as an archetype or a symbol of God. The title may also refer to the Book of Isaiah, which is designed in the pattern of the wheel and is thought to be a microcosm or a symbol of all creation. It shares a unique distinction with the book of Revelation in that these two books alone contain the seven verses where God revealed his eternal nature as the first and the last. But this album isn't a Biblical study or religious proselytizing. It's the struggle of one man to walk through life and come to terms with the things he sees and encounters and somehow resolve his faith in something greater and his own role in all of it. He doesn't treat it like a science problem, debating the quid pro quo of the seeming lack of divinity amidst the divine creation. He feels, he believes and yet he challenges God, he demands responses and makes assessments. He loves, he fears, he believes, he's angered, he sings and he searches for meaning. In the final line of "Let It Be So," he realizes his role is to do exactly what he's been doing, "to learn how to love you, that's the happiness I pursue." Of course, if the music were crap, you wouldn't be reading this on our stationary. It's not. It's just as fragile and divine, cautious and inspired as its subject matter. From the galloping charge of the album's opener "Taking the Fall" through moments tender, angry, playful and poignant, the music Southeast Engine conjures (engineered by the band's multi-instrumentalist, Josh Antonuccio) is the centerpiece of the record. The lyrical themes of the album are its treasure, but the miracle of A Wheel Within A Wheel is its blending of wholesome, pristine Americana with the artfulness of modern post-anthems. From the heart of the heart of the heartland, it's time for this band to place those wheels on an axel and travel. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ History: Southeast Engine was formed in 2000 by Adam "Rem" Remnant (lead vocals, guitar) and Leo DeLuca (drum kit, percussion). Both attended the same high school in Dayton, Ohio and grew up in "The Gem City" during its musical heyday of the 1990s. Underground bands like Guided By Voices, Brainiac, and Swearing At Motorists made significant and long-standing impressions upon the two youngsters. Around 2000, the pair moved to Athens, Ohio and were equally inspired by the Appalachian old-timey and folk music of the area. Thus, Southeast Engine is a unique hybrid of the Dayton, Ohio musical underground and the Athens, Ohio folk scene. Longstanding member, Michael Lachman (keyboards, Wandering Genie) began playing with the band soon after its formation. The three are now joined by Jesse Remnant (Adam's younger brother) on bass guitar and harmony vocals. Josh Antonuccio played on, engineered, and helped produce the group's last two records at 3 Elliott Studio in Athens, Ohio. Conrad Dillon played on, engineered, and helped produce the group's first 2 records at 178 N. Congress St. in Athens, Ohio. The Wrens (Absolutely Kosher Records) have been pivotal to Southeast Engine's progression. The two bands played together for the first time in 2005. Charles Bissell, songwriter for The Wrens, really took to Southeast Engine's music and lead the band to Cory Brown of Absolutely Kosher / Misra Records. The band signed to Misra in February of 2007 and released A Wheel Within A Wheel later that year. From the Forest to the Sea is the title of the group's next album. Recording will commence in an abandoned 1800s high school auditorium in the heart of Appalachian Ohio. -John William Field |
||||||
