The Capstan Shafts

by Gregory McIntosh
The Capstan Shafts is the guise prolific songwriter Dean Wells has been recording under since 1999. Hailing from Lyndonville, VT, Wells has most often been compared to Guided by Voices Robert Pollard, and with 18 releases in eight years on various labels, the association could stem from his productivity as much as from his sound. Though Environ Maiden, released in October 2007 on Rainbow Quartz, did much to heighten his profile in terms of consumer awareness, Wells continued to eschew the traditional approach of playing live to promote his catalog, instead choosing to hole up at home to make more albums.