Slim Cessna's Auto Club


Slim Cessna's Auto Club is an alternative country band formed in 1992 in the American city of Denver, Colorado. The band is considered to be one of the cornerstones of the "Denver Sound" - music which includes elements of country blues, gospel and folk. The 'Auto Club' is sometimes labeled as Americana and as Southern Gothic as well, due to the juxtaposition of apocalyptic and religious imagery with stories concerning alcohol abuse, violence, and relationships gone awry.

History

Formation

Original lineup

The constant in the band has been Slim Cessna, formerly a member of The Denver Gentlemen along with David Eugene Edwards and Jeffery-Paul of 16 Horsepower.

Naming of the band

The name "Slim Cessna's Auto Club" originally came about as a tribute to Cessna's friend who had a car collection:
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Early years

The band has gone through somewhat of a genre "identity crisis" - starting out as a traditional country music band, then evolving their sound into something more nebulous and less easily classified.
In a 2009 interview, Cessna described the music as more "folk" than "alt country" and simply "American." John Rumley likened it to 1970's rock music, while Munly was unsure whether SCAC could be considered a "rock band."

Career

Early works

Slim Cessna's Auto Club is the debut studio album of the band. It was self-released in 1995, then re-released by Alternative Tentacles in 2001.
American Country Music Changed Her Life is the first live album recorded by SCAC. It was self-released in 1998 and is currently out of print.

Record deal with Alternative Tentacles (2000-2011)

''Always Say Please and Thank You'' (2000)

Always Say Please and Thank You is the second studio album by SCAC. It was released by Alternative Tentacles on September 11, 2000. Not only is this their first album to be released by the record label, it is the first album that long-time collaborators Jay Munly and Lord Dwight Pentacost make an appearance on. Rebecca Vera also plays cello on two tracks.
The band lineup for this album was: Slim Cessna, Munly Munly, Lord Dwight Pentacost, Ordy Garrison, Daniel "Danny Pants" Grandbois, and John Rumley.
It was produced by Bob Ferbrache at Le Studio Absenta.
The cover artwork was created by Rob Clayton and the design by Jason Rosenberg.
The album was re-released by SCAC Unincorporated some time in 2015.

''The Bloudy Tenent Truth & Peace'' (2004)

The Bloudy Tenent Truth & Peace is the third studio album by SCAC, released by Alternative Tentacles on August 24, 2004. In many news articles, the "&" in the title is often discarded and not mentioned, perhaps incorrectly.
The band lineup for this album was: Slim Cessna, Munly Munly, Lord Dwight Pentacost, Reverend Adam Glasseye, Tim Maher, and Judith Ann "Judithann" Winter.
The artwork was created by Victoria Cessna, Slim's wife at the time.
It was recorded, mixed, and produced by Pete Weiss and Matt Jugenheimer at Zippah Studios in Brookline, Massachusetts.
It was re-released by SCAC Unincorporated some time in 2015.

''Jesus Let Me Down, the Live Tragedie in Four Acts'' (2005/2010)

Jesus Let Me Down, the Live Tragedie in Four Acts is the second live album recorded by SCAC. It is a live recording of The Bloudy Tenent Truth & Peace album release show, recorded at the Gothic Theater in Denver on August 21, 2004.
The double-CD version was released by Smooch Records on January 1, 2005. Alternative Tentacles released the vinyl version sometime in 2010, which contains a 8-page play on the four-act "tragedie." It was later re-released by SCAC Unincorporated, although the exact date is unknown.
The album was produced by Bob Ferbrache at Absinthe Studios.
The cover artwork for the CD and vinyl formats was designed by former member Jon Killough. The artwork features the band members Slim Cessna, Munly Munly, Lord Dwight Pentacost, Daniel "Danny Pants" Grandbois, and John Rumley.

''Cipher'' (2008)

The band released their fourth studio album, titled Cipher, on Alternative Tentacles on March 25, 2008. This album has received the most critical acclaim out of the entire SCAC discography.
The artwork for this album was created by Heather Reynolds. The lettering was completed by former member Jon Killough. The photography was taken by Gary Isaacs. The cryptography might have been conceived by Munly.
The band lineup for this album was: Slim Cessna, Munly Munly, Lord Dwight Pentacost, Ordy Garrison, John Rumley, and Shane Trost.
It was re-released through the band's own independent label, SCAC Unincorporated, on June 2, 2017, although it is currently out-of-print.

''Buried Behind the Barn'' (2004/2010)

Buried Behind the Barn is a compilation of demo and previously unreleased songs recorded between 2000 and 2001. In 2004, only 200 copies were self-released. Alternative Tentacles gave it a wider release on March 16, 2010. The cover artwork was designed by former member Jon Killough. It was re-released by SCAC Unincorporated Records some time in 2015.
The lineup for this album was: Slim Cessna, Munly Munly, Lord Dwight Pentacost, Ordy Garrison, Daniel "Danny Pants" Grandbois, and John Rumley.
It was recorded at Le Studio Absentia, in Westminster, Colorado, and produced by Bob Ferbrache, a former member of SCAC.

''Unentitled'' (2011)

Their fifth studio album, Unentitled, was released through Alternative Tentacles on March 1, 2011. It was later re-released by SCAC Unincorporated, although the exact date is unknown.
The band lineup for this album was: Slim Cessna, Munly Munly, Lord Dwight Pentacost, Daniel "Danny Pants" Grandbois, Chad "Chadzilla" Johnson, and John Rumley.
It was recorded and produced by Bob Ferbrache at Absinthe Studios in Westminster, Colorado.
The cover artwork for the album was created by Heather Reynolds.

Record deal with Glitterhouse Records (2013-present)

''SCAC 102: An Introduction For Young And Old Europe'' (2013)

April 2013 saw the release of "SCAC 102 An Introduction For Young And Old Europe" on Germany's Glitterhouse Records, which included a selection of fifteen songs from their studio albums. Five of the songs were re-recorded for this release. "SCAC 102" also included a live performance DVD which was filmed in April 2012 at the Lion's Lair Tavern in Denver, Colorado.

''The Commandments According To SCAC'' (2016)

In September 2016, Slim Cessna’s Auto Club released their sixth studio album, titled “The Commandments According To SCAC," on SCAC Unincorporated and on Glitterhouse Records The album was recorded with a new bassist, Ian O’Dougherty.

SCAC Unincorporated Records (2015-present)

Inception

In March 2015, the band created their own record label, SCAC Unincorporated. The label is home to all recordings by SCAC, Denver Broncos UK, and Munly's side projects.
Slim Cessna said that the reason for creating this label was because he wanted to "take control" of the band's musical catalog.

Releases

All of the band's albums, except for their self-titled album, were given a re-release in March 2015.
The first official release by the label, also in March 2015, was a re-issue of "SCAC 102 An Introduction For Young And Old Europe."
The label's second release, in October 2015, was the debut album by DBUK, Songs One Through Eight.
The third release was The Commandments According to SCAC in 2016.
The fourth release was DBUK's sophomore album Songs Nine Through Sixteen on January 25, 2019.
The fifth release will be from Munly and the Lupercalians. In February 2020, it was announced by Westword that the new album would be titled Kinnery of Lupercalia: Undelivered Legion and would be released in the latter half of the year.

Touring

The band has embarked on several tours across the United States and Europe, with and without supporting bands. They have toured with Nathaniel Rateliff & Night Sweats and Kid Congo & the Pink Monkey Birds.
Their Spring and Summer 2020 tours with The Legendary Shack Shakers and The BellRays were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They are re-scheduled for 2021.

Other endeavors

Side projects

Denver Broncos UK

The Denver Broncos UK is an experimental folk quartet that first recorded together in 2006. The band originally formed with just Munly, Lord Dwight Pentacost, and Slim Cessna as members. The current members are: Munly, Dwight, Slim, and Rebecca Vera.
The band is now more commonly referred to as DBUK to dispel any notion that they are connected to the Denver Broncos football team or the Bronco's fanbase in the United Kingdom.
They have released two albums: Songs One Through Eight and Songs Nine Through Sixteen. A double-album titled Songs One Through Sixteen was released in November 2018 through European record label Glitterhouse Records.
They also recorded a cover of "Top Yourself" by The Raconteurs for the album Rockin' Legends Pay Tribute to Jack White, released in November 2013.

Munly and The Lupercalians

'Munly and the Lupercalians' was founded by Munly around 2006–2007. The original lineup of the band included many, if not all, members of his first side project, The Lee Lewis Harlots. The current lineup contains most of the current members of Slim Cessna's Auto Club: Munly, Slim Cessna, Lord Dwight Pentacost, Rebecca Vera, and Andrew Warner. On stage, each band member, except for Munly, wears a costume that identifies them as a potential member of the fictional town of 'Lupercalia.'
The goal is to produce a multi-album set tentatively titled The Kinnery Of Lupercalia, which is all about the town and its colorful residents. Its residents have been described as "families who interact with each other" and Lupercalia as an "imagined community of Legions & clans where we are not sure who is a deity and who is not."
Although an unauthorized demo album was released in 2009, the first official album by the band, Petr & the Wulf, was released in October 2010 through Alternative Tentacles. It was re-released through their own independent record label, SCAC Unincorporated, around 2015. The work is loosely based on the Peter and the Wolf composition by Sergei Prokofiev, and is said to be a prequel to the stories of Lupercalia told over a span of four albums.

Other appearances

In 1996, SCAC appeared twice on More Than Mountains: A Benefit For Colorado Conservation, a compilation album released by W.A.R Records. "Champagne Like A Lady" and "Blindman" were included.
The song "Earthquake" was featured on the Smooch Records compilation album Radio 1190: Local Shakedown, Vol. 1 in 2000. Many of the songs on Buried Behind the Barn were also featured on Crossbreeding Begins at Home, another Smooch Records compilation album, which received a limited release of 200 copies in January 2004. "Angel" was featured on Radio 1190: Local Shakedown, Vol. 2 in 2004.
Munly and Slim Cessna were featured in a segment of "Seven Signs: Music, Myth, and the American South", a film by JD Wilkes of Th' Legendary Shack Shakers. Munly recited the original story titled "Döder Made Me Do It" and joined Slim in performing an acoustic version of "Children of the Lord".
The band performed a cover of "Ain't My Problem Baby" for Axels & Sockets, the third and final installment of The Jeffrey Lee Pierce Sessions Project, released by Glitterhouse Records on May 2, 2014.
They recorded in-studio performances for Daytrotter/Paste Magazine in 2012 and 2017 in Rock Island, Illinois.

Members

Current members

Slim Cessna

Slim Cessna was born on February 10, 1966 in Colorado. He has been SCAC's only constant member since 1992, performing vocal and frontman duties onstage. He was born and raised in Colorado, but has also lived in Providence, Rhode Island and moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania around 2003, before eventually moving back to Denver. He is a former member of The Denver Gentlemen and The Blackstone Valley Sinners. He is a founding member of The Denver Broncos UK and a member of Munly & The Lupercalians. He has pursued solo endeavors as well. In April 2020, he became engaged to historian Andrea Anderson, host of "Queens of the Mines", a podcast that chronicles the contributions of pioneering women during the California Gold Rush. He has two children from a previous marriage: one daughter, Amelia and one son, fellow SCAC member George Cessna.

George Cessna

George "Snake" Cessna, born on November 24, 1991, formally joined the band in 2019, replacing bassist Ian O'Dougherty. He is frontman Slim Cessna's son. He is the frontman and songwriter for his own band Snakes and formerly of The Sterling Sisters. He also has a career as a solo artist. He is in a relationship with artist Allie DeStefano.

Munly Munly

, often credited as 'Munly Munly', was born on August 31 in Quebec, Canada. He had completed three albums as a solo artist before joining the band in 1998, around the same time as Lord Dwight Pentacost, after being friends with Slim Cessna for a few years. He is a key member of the current lineup of the band. In addition to vocals and instruments, he serves as a sidekick to Cessna on stage. He mostly plays the banjo, but has also played the guitar, ukelele, and mandolin. He has also served as SCAC's primary songwriter since Always Say Please and Thank You. He is a founding member of The Denver Broncos UK, Munly and the Lupercalians, and Munly and the Lee Lewis Harlots, who were active from 2000 to 2007. He was also one-third of "The Road Home," a band with Scott Kelly and Noah Landis of Neurosis, in 2015. He has been in a long-term relationship with fellow member, Rebecca Vera, since 2004.

Lord Dwight Pentacost

Lord Dwight Pentacost was born on August 29 in rural Illinois. He joined the band in 1998, around the same as Munly Munly. He plays guitar and banjo and occasionally provides backing vocals for the band. Former member John Rumley designed his double-neck guitar. When he first joined the band, he went by 'Reverend' instead of 'Lord', since he was licensed to perform weddings. He lived in Boston, Massachusetts and Chicago, Illinois before moving back to Denver, Colorado. He is a founding member of The Denver Broncos UK and a member of Munly and the Lupercalians. He is married to Heather Reynolds, who is responsible for creating album cover art and promotional photography for SCAC, DBUK, and Munly and the Lupercalians.

Rebecca Vera

Rebecca Vera was born on July 21, 1972 in Elgin, Illinois. She joined the band in 2016, playing pedal steel. Before joining SCAC, she had played cello and provided backing vocals for 16 Horsepower, fellow member Munly Munly's solo efforts, and his first side project, Munly and the Lee Lewis Harlots. In 1998-1999, she collaborated with Jeffrey-Paul Norlander on an "industrial techno" project, titled Hoitoitoi, where she sang and played the violin in addition to the cello. She currently plays cello, pedal steel, and harmonium, and provides backing vocals for The Denver Broncos UK and Munly and the Lupercalians. Besides music, she has also pursued a career as a veterinary technician since 2002. She has been in a long-term relationship with Munly since 2004.

Andrew Warner

Andrew Warner, born August 9, joined the band in Summer 2016, replacing drummer Todd "The Peeler" Moore. He also plays drums in the bands Munly and the Lupercalians, Bad Luck City, Snake Rattle Rattle Snake, and Cloak of Organs. He is married to artist Emi Brady.

Past members

Studio albums

The band filmed a video for "Hold On" in 1995.
Other videos have been published on Youtube.
Their 20th Anniversary show was recorded live and self-released on DVD in 2012.
Glitterhouse Records posted several songs from the "SCAC 102" album release show in April 2013.
A SCAC show performed at the Levitt Pavilion in Denver was recorded and uploaded on Facebook.