Southeast Engine Cd Release

From Athens, Ohio rolls in Southeast Engine, a five piece band of earthly tones. Friday, February 27^th will mark the Morgantown release of their forth full length studio album entitled “From the Forest to the Sea,” a twelve track effort, a disc nearly two years in waiting.

Some nine years ago, two high school friends in Dayton, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Adam Remnant   and drummer Leo DeLuca, formed Southeast Engine in the Athens college scene, which seems to exponentially grow from year to year in terms of both size and talent. Athens would provide the inspiration for the band’s Americana/ Appalachian folk style, yet, having grown up in Dayton during the mid 1990s underground music boom, the pair also sites Guided By Voices, Brainiac and Swearing at Motorists as some of their earliest local influences.

Joined by keyboardist Michael Lachman and eventually Adam’s younger brother Jesse on bass, the band release its first record “Love is a Murder, a Mystery of Sorts,” in 2003, which gives some insight into the hard working nature of the band. And indeed these boys are still very hard working with upcoming tour dates as far west as Texas and all up and down the east coast right around the corner.

Rounding out the band’s stellar line up is local boy wonder and legend Billy Matheny who is also a member of Moon, where he joins the likes of other Morgantown hit makers such as Mark Poole and Woody O’Hara, as well as his own band, Billy Matheny and the Frustrations. Sliding nicely into place, Billy is known as the band’s utility musician and, of course, meets his responsibility with picture perfect accuracy.

At first listen, Adam’s vocal reminds one very much of Ben Kweller, the great indie success story from Texas. There is just something in the way Adam ends his phrases, with a calculated whine descending into a fading note, that exudes both charm and a sense of the curious pursuit for understanding.

Biblical imagery certainly has a place on this record. With song titles such as “Quest for Noah’s Ark” and “Preparing for the Flood,” the band seems to have stayed in line with its struggle for discovering purpose and place in the universe on this record. In fact, “From the Forest to the Sea” is entirely centered around a main character who is continuously trying to juggle the knowledge of a greater purpose with his earthly desires. This is a great means of relating to the audience and the battle between the physical and the eternal that lives within us all. Perhaps this character will find balance? The only way to find out, clearly, is to buy the band’s record!

Southeast Engine’s Morgantown CD release is February 27^th at 123 Pleasant. One Hundred Hurricanes will open the show, followed by Southeast Engine, with Librarians delivering the knock out punch. For information regarding ticket prices and the like, check out 123 Pleasant on Myspace. All three bands are also easily found on myspace.com.

For a complete list of tour dates, biographical information or to purchase “From the Forest to the Sea” as well as previous releases visit the band’s website at southeastengine.com.

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