Acetone (as´-è-tohn´) defies categorization
Campus Times
February 20, 1998
Acetone, a retro rock group from Los Angeles, headed by Mark Lightcap
on vocals and guitar, performed at Rhino Records in Claremont last Saturday.
The trio also includes Richie Lee on bass, vocals and an occasional guitar;
and Steve Hadley on drums.
During a time in which musical expression is instantaneously categorized,
or when popular trends engulf the music industry, a band named Acetone prefers
to pursue its own image.
Acetone's blend is comprised of vocalist/bassist Richie Lee, guitarist/vocalist
Mark Lightcap and drummer Steve Hadley. The band's sound and style is unique,
making it difficult to categorize at all.
"When you categorize yourself, you may as well quit," said
Lee. "That's probably one of the worst things you can do. If you can
describe yourself before you start [something], why do it?"
Such attitudes are what have kept Acetone strong and ongoing for 11
years. Last Saturday, Feb. 14, the band appeared for a live in-store performance
at Rhino Records in Claremont.
The trio has some history behind them, working together since 1987,
when Lee and Lightcap studied together at California Institute of the Arts
in Valencia, Calif.
"We felt irresistibly drawn to one another," said Lightcap,
sarcastically. "We realized we liked to play and so we just figured
we should play together."
Hadley, a high school acquaintance of Lee's, joined the band as its
drummer during that time.
Agreeing to pursue a spot in the music industry, the band was challenged
to choose a name for itself.
"We made it up," Lee said. "To us, it was not a real
word, so we played around with ways to pronounce it."
"We stayed with Acetone (pronounced as´-è-tohn´),
but it's funny to hear the way some people pronounce it. Some people say
Acetone (ace-tohn), but others say Aketone (ak-tohn)," Lightcap said.
Whatever its pronunciation, Acetone has struck the industry and its
public with popularity.
When it introduced its first album in 1993, the band named the LP "Cindy,"
introducing the personalities and statements of its members.
On "Cindy," some of their first songs were featured, including
those primarily written by Lee.
"We write our own songs," said Lee. "Usually I get ideas
from watching movies. I rent a lot of movies.
"I write the songs based on experiences of one of the movie's protagonists."
According to a press release, the first album was released by the Vernon
Yard label, and "ranges in style from evocative pop to garage-inspired
rock and low-end drone."
"I enjoyed 'Cindy' the most," said Greg Velez, 31, who learned
of Acetone when they opened for The Verve two years ago. "They use
words that blend. I notice some rock and blues in their music, and some
jazz."
Following their debut, Acetone began work on their next project, the
1994 EP, "I Guess I Would," and soon produced a second LP entitled
"If Only You Knew," also from the Vernon Yard label.
Lightcap said the two albums sold a projected 60,000 copies together,
and have encouraged the band in their overall growth.
Along with The Verve and, most recently, Spiritualized, Acetone has
also toured with artists such as Garbage, Oasis and Mazzy Star.
"We get more better at what we do," said Lee. Joking about
his grammatically incorrect response, he added, "We also get worse
at speaking."
Last last year, Acetone produced yet another album, introducing it as
a self-titled release under Neil Young's Vapor Records.
Because "Acetone" was released through Vapor Records, the
band hopes the collection will sell at a greater rate than their other projects
have.
Lightcap is aiming to sell 100,000 copies.
"Acetone" includes "Might As Well," "All The
Time" and "So Slow," as featured songs.
"They are not my favorite band, but I do appreciate their music,"
said Velez, who arrived at Rhino Records specifically for the purpose of
seeing Acetone perform once again.
"Their last album is on my list of albums to get," Velez added.
"They seem like very trained musicians and professionals. I see them
lasting a long time, either as a band or going solo."
Acetone has no limitations to the art of music and language. Growth
and success come from loving the profession and accepting the challenge,
not from being greatly recognized nor popular.
"Not quitting is sometimes a challenge," said Lee. "Being
together for 11 years, we've got some heavy down spots, but aside from that,
the music is so rad it keeps us together.
"You need to weather some serious insult to do this job."
