The Volta Sound

Cleveland, OH's the Volta Sound -- Mike Cormier (vocals, acoustic guitar, tambourine), Ben Yawns (guitar, trumpet, trombone), Matt Cassidy (electric guitar, vocals), Todd "T.D." Vainisi (combo organs), David Geddes (bass), and Mike Prieto (drums) -- officially came together as a group in mid-2000. They are one of several bands associated with the local Davenport Records label, founded by Cassidy in nearby Kent, OH (near Akron and Cleveland). In addition to the Volta Sound, the other groups in this loose-knit collective share common members and often play together on the same bill. Guitarist Ben Yawns -- real name Ben Gmetro -- is a member of another Davenport band, the Dreadful Yawns, a country-rock/chamber pop type outfit similar to L.A.'s Beachwood Sparks in that they often go off on extended Pink Floyd-esque space rock forays. Cassidy is himself a member of both the shoegazer-influenced New Planet Trampoline (along with Gmetro) and indie rockers 9-Volt Haunted House; he was formerly the leader of the Phoebe Cates. Meanwhile, guitarist Cormier and his friends formed the Volta Sound specifically to play the space rock-influenced material that Cormier had written for himself to sing. The Volta Sound soon built up a considerable following in the Cleveland area, opening for bands traveling through on tour such as the Brian Jonestown Massacre. In 1999, the band's first four-track recordings were compiled for the limited-edition release of Everything's Alright. As their reputation grew outside the Midwest, several U.S. labels began vying to sign the band, but the winning imprint was Orange Sky Records, a new division of the Dionysus reissue label. The Volta Sound's official debut, My All American Girl, was issued in spring 2002, just as the band began their first Southwestern U.S. tour.
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