Who are you, Masonic? Courtesy of the band’s MySpace site.
By Todd Lavoie
Precious few things in this world make for better simple pleasures than picking up a CD on a whim at the record shop, slapping it in the stereo, and having it slap you back – in the best possible way, of course.
Call me silly, but I love the thrill of discovery, the element of surprise which comes with taking a chance on the unknown and finding it to be quite the adept kisser of earholes. As of late, I’ve been reveling in the newness of an Austin, Texas, band called Masonic. I’d bought their 2007 self-released Things I Am Guilty Of full-length on a recent trip to their hometown, based entirely on a glowing recommendation written by a staffer at the full-afternoon-requiring shopper’s paradise known as Waterloo Records. Sure, I’d expected to like it: the blurb referenced both Stereolab and the Jesus and Mary Chain, as I recall, which is never a bad thing – but I seem to have already moved beyond the mere “liking” stage and am now somewhere firmly ensconced in infatuation territory. Or maybe this feeling is more like evangelism: after all, I feel compelled to stand at a busy street corner and sing Masonic’s virtues to anyone who’d listen. Since I’m not a big fan of public speaking, however, I guess I’ll direct my hosannas to the written word instead.
Masonic’s Web site and MySpace page, while both current and apparently regularly updated, do not provide a great deal of information about the band. The same goes for the liner notes of last year’s Things I Am Guilty Of CD. Thus, I cannot tell you how the band was formed, or how long they have been around. (And if anyone out there knows more about these folks, thanks in advance for sharing!) I have yet to hear their earlier self-released recordings (Never Stood a Chance, Without Warning, and Too Far Too Fast Too Soon), so I will focus on the most recent release.