Tip of your tongue

Mnemonic (ni-mon-ik)  n. a pattern of letters or words used as an aid to memory—Oxford Dictionary of Current English

A new band is ringing in the new year, as well as ringing in the eardrums of music enthusiasts in the biggest little city. And like their namesake, Mnemonic hopes to burn a lasting impression into the gray matter of Reno show-goers.

Bassist Chris Finley sums up Mnemonic’s synergistic sound and style as “dysfunctional family members functioning properly.” In other words, the band’s quest for “a new and unique modern sound” lands them somewhere between Tool’s Enema and Nine Inch Nails’ The Downward Spiral.

Mnemonic sprouted its roots in August 2001 when vocalist/guitarist Brian Stoudt and percussionist Brian Walden signed Finley on. Stoudt says Finley “brought in the idea of using a sampler to create not just a show, but an entire production” and transitioned the band from a Nirvana-style grunge sound to the deep passionate resonations more akin to Tool.

When asked what the recipe behind Mnemonic’s sound is, Finley said: “The way we approach turning lyrics into song basically revolves around the idea of using simple and catchy, or mnemonic, rhythms as a basis” and “keeping the feeling of power and aggression [of industrial and metal influences], but still keeping a melodic tone.”

The band members’ influences are wide-reaching, Finley says.

“Something that adds to our music is our diversity and tastes in music,” Finley says. “We have certain styles of music that we all agree on, and then each one of us has our own distinct styles of music we listen to that adds to the uniqueness of our sound.”

Stoudt says he’s confident about the success of his up-and-coming band.

"[Mnemonic] is pretty much in its infancy right now, but once we get to smooth things out a bit, we’ll deserve a spot in the Reno music scene,” he says. “I want to cater to all-ages shows because those are the people who can come out to a show and not have to drink to have a good time. They just get crazy and are in it for the music to begin with.”

When asked where Mnemonic hopes to be in a year, Stoudt says he hopes they’re on the road.

“I would love to be touring, just playing outside of Reno,” he says.

This summer, Mnemonic plans to get a head start with a small tour through Arizona, Utah, California, Oregon and Washington. By then, the band will have its first CD under its belt. Mnemonic plans to finish the album Jan. 16 at Puss Cavern Studios in Sacramento, and a tentative release date is planned for mid-February.

“The CD is going to have a CD-ROM on it, which, when you pop our CD into the computer, it will function like a Web page," Stoudt says. "It’s really cool."