Chevelle's brand of music has proved the value of versatility

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Drummer Sam Loeffler has spent 15 years on a bus with his brother, helping to reinterpret their brand of family rock.

Chevelle performs Tuesday at The Country Club on Washington Road. They've made five albums.   Special
Special
Chevelle performs Tuesday at The Country Club on Washington Road. They've made five albums.

Formed in 1995, Chevelle, a trio featuring Sam, his brother Pete and brother-in-law Dean Bernadini, has evolved from a radio-ready rock act into an ensemble willing to experiment. The band, which performs Tuesday at The Country Club, recently released its fifth album, Sci-Fi Crimes . True to its title, the album features songs about flying saucers, haunted houses and an ode to a stolen guitar.

"We can do more than just breaking-up-with-girl songs," Loeffler said in a recent telephone interview. "I mean, we've written some of those songs, but with this record the real deal was not to make something that sounds like every other rock record."

Part of the band's approach involved considering how their favorite albums were produced. He said Chevelle took an old-fashioned approach to laying down tracks, ensuring that everything remained unaltered and reproducible live.

He contends Sci-Fi is the album every rock band should make, but few do.

"Things really do need to start going the other way," Loeffler said. "I mean, we've all seen bands that can't duplicate the record. We didn't want that. We didn't want this to sound like a Pro Tools or Autotune record. We didn't want it to sound like a computer."

He said it took 12 days to lay down just the drum tracks and then weeks to get the rest of the music down.

"We just played until it was right," Loeffler said.

Loeffler said that Chevelle has always been a band that lets its music speak for itself. He said there's little banter during a Chevelle set.

"There's been this movement lately where bands are out there trying to present this lifestyle theory between songs," he said. "That's not why people go see a band. It shouldn't be."

Loeffler said that while all three members have creative input, the songs are written and arranged by his brother Pete.

"He has this theory that if you have one person that puts everything together, it becomes more cohesive," he said. "It certainly affects the way we sound."

Although the trio is comfortable onstage making music, Loeffler admitted that spending extended time with his brother can cause tension. He admitted that sometimes a band of brothers isn't immune to sibling rivalry.

"It is a blessing and a curse," he said. "I mean, there are a lot of good things about it, but we also definitely know how to push buttons. Being in a band with your family, it isn't the easiest thing to do. I probably wouldn't even recommend it. But it works for us."

See them

WHAT: Chevelle

WHEN: 7 p.m. Tuesday

WHERE: The Country Club, 2834 Washington Road

COST: $27; www.augustacountry.com

10 other rock acts with automotive names:
1The GTOs
2 The Datsuns
3 The Fabulous Thunderbirds
4 Suzanne Vega
5 REO Speedwagon
6 Flash Cadillac and the Continental Kids
7 Alice 'Mini' Cooper
8 The Shark Devilles
9 Booker T and the MGs
10 The Beatles
- Steven Uhles,
staff writer

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KNECKBONE
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KNECKBONE 03/18/10 - 05:28 am
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god i hate pro tools.if you

god i hate pro tools.if you can't play get a job at mcdonlds.ha ha

miles_kilpatrick
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miles_kilpatrick 03/22/10 - 03:31 pm
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Check out Point #1...in my

Check out Point #1...in my opinion Chevelle's best album by far...
http://www.amazon.com/Point-1-Chevelle/dp/B00000IP2T

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