The Diamond Mines

By Martin Sattell

Photo by Hank Hauptmann

Bands that break up often cite "artistic differences" as the reason for doing so. The fact that musicians employ this cliché in a negative sense is slightly misleading - shouldn't a band benefit from diversity in its stylistic inclinations? For Allston's self-proclaimed psych/punk/folk/rock outfit, The Diamond Mines, their artistic differences serve as points of creativity, not of division.

The band was born out of the December 2003 union between vocalist/guitarist Been Wiser and guitarist Sean Caddell. Its membership continued to grow with the addition of Wiser's college friend, Ben Husk, on drums and saxophonist Ben Jaffe, whom Wiser met on the Harvard Square street performers circuit. Current bassist Kevin McGrath joined the band's lineup as a replacement for Nicholas Ward, who transferred to Ho-Ag.

Prior to forming The Diamond Mines, the five had played in a slew of bands ranging from Jaffe's previous association with ska group Skavoovie & the Epitones to Wiser's previous hardcore endeavor, Disaster Strikes. They've collectively dabbled in punk, emo, bluegrass, garage, and free jazz in addition to the two aforementioned genres, enabling The Diamond Mines to cultivate a comprehensive sound that has made them a unique presence on the Boston scene.

Given the various styles of music the band members are able to play, it comes as no surprise that it is difficult to place The Diamond Mines in just one specific genre. They themselves have trouble doing so. "All the punk bands we play with think we're indie and all the indie bands we play with think we're punk," observes Jaffe. "Depending on who I'm talking to, I'll tell them something different."

McGrath disagrees. According to him, The Diamond Mines are surely an American rock band, but their shared experience in punk bands is still detectable in their music.

Wiser is quick to add to McGrath's take on their sound, assuring that the band has exceeded their punk precedents stylistically. "I've been in punk bands. It was cool, but it's not hard enough," says Wiser. "If I play 10 different songs, I'm not going to want to play them all in the same key."

Given the presence of Jaffe's tenor saxophone in the band, one would expect a healthy dose of ska in The Diamond Mines' repertoire. Unlike the horns of ska, however, Jaffe's tenor sax does not command a central role. Much of his contributions to The Diamond Mines' songs involve doubling, which augments their tonal qualities and sonic textures.

When asked about The Diamond Mines's live show, the band is equally at a loss for how to describe itself. "I've never seen us so I'm not quite sure," quips Caddell. But they are often able to gauge by the reaction of the crowd that they're doing something right. "One of the things that I love about our shows is that people legitimately dance to our songs," he adds.

Jaffe explains that fans often call out for their perennial favorites to be played, likening the scenario to Iron Butterfly concerts when people would yell out for the band to play "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida."

Because of their versatility, The Diamond Mines are able to form fit their set to each show they play. If they are playing with a hardcore band, they select a few more energetic songs from their extensive catalog; if it they are playing with a more pop-minded group, the band members opt for upbeat tunes.

No matter what songs they decide to play, from ballads to hard rock, The Diamond Mines consistently entertain. "The music on the CD doesn't sound like a crazy, frantic band, but when we get down from the stage, we're generally sweaty," says Wiser.

The CD of which Wiser speaks is 2005's 1 2 3 4 5, a six song EP, that Caddell prefers to call an EEP - an "extended extended-play." Since its release, the band has worked on many new songs and is excited at the prospect of recording again.

Moreover, the band is slated to appear on a compilation for 95 North Records that is due out sometime later this year. "It's like everything we do; all the band's we're with don't sound like us," says Caddell. Although they will be accompanied by many bands from the New York area on the disc, The Diamond Mines continue to maintain both individuality and independence.

www.thediamondmines.net