By Jenna French
Local bands come and go, wavering between near fame and anonymity. But a fairly new band, Reading, seems to have potential.
The band had a record-release party at ear X-tacy on Sept. 3 for their first album, “Binary,” which was released Aug. 30.
Even though the band members had only a small section of the store to perform in, it was clear that Reading knows how to put on a good live show and make a lasting impression on fans.
Some songs were reminiscent of early Cake, and the sound of the keyboard lent a unique twist to conventional rock music. Reading played about five songs, enough for a taste of what would be on the CD – but then they stopped, leaving everyone wanting to hear more.
Recording the CD took about four days total, plus a week to do the mixing for the final cut. Since most CDs take months to record and edit, this type of efficiency is surprising – especially for a band that’s been playing together less than a year.
The band hand-packaged and numbered every single CD, which took about 10 hours. Band members said they felt it would give a more personal touch to every CD because the consumers would know how much work went into making the final product.
The crowd at ear X-tacy seemed excited about the performance. A fan of the band, Colin Hayes, first heard about Reading from his co-worker, lead singer Mat Shalenko.
He said he appreciates the band for their sound, which he describes as the sound of “older Louisville, from the early to mid ’90s.” Following the release party, the band performed at the Rudyard Kipling.
Although a fairly new band, Reading has got plenty of experience.
Lead singer and guitarist Shalenko describes Reading’s sound as “post-freedom rock” and compares them to Jesus Lizard and Sonic Youth. His singing is reminiscent of that of Cake’s lead singer John McCrea. Shalenko is formerly of Red-Taled Hawk.
Lisa Wilson provides keyboards and backing vocals and is a former member of The Maekates. She graduated from the University of Louisville Speed School in 2002 with a degree in Chemical Engineering.
Her musical background with various bands and the marching band in high school has contributed to her talents on keyboards, she said.
Damien Martin, formerly of Accidental Kindness, plays bass. John Wurth is on drums, and his musical background includes The Playful Eight and Plaid.
The band has been together for a little over a year. Before they started, not one person knew all the others. Shalenko and Wilson were working on a project together, and Martin had his own going. After combining efforts, Wilson asked Wurth to contribute, and the band was formed. From there, it was history. Well, it’s not old enough to be history yet – but it could be.
Reading’s debut album is available at ear X-tacy, Underground Sounds or the band’s Web site, http://www.readingtherockband.com. Reading performs Sept. 27 at Uncle Pleasants. Tickets are available online. Check out their Web site for more info.
