This entry contains information applicable to United States law only.
[Latin, Almost as it were; as if; analogous to.] In the legal sense, the term denotes that one subject has certain characteristics in common with another subject but that intrinsic and material differences exist between them.
A quasi contract is an obligation invoked by law in the absence of an agreement. Its purpose is to create a legal duty where, in fact, no promise or agreement was entered into by the parties.
When an administrative agency makes rules and regulations, it is acting in a quasi-legislative capacity.
Portland, OR-based indie pop duo Quasi teamed singer/guitarist/keyboardist Sam Coomes and drummer Janet Weiss, who not only previously joined forces in the band Motorgoat but also married and divorced. After a 1993 split single with Bugskull, little was heard from Quasi until 1996, when the duo issued the Early Recordings collection. In 1997, Weiss joined Sleater-Kinney for their classic Dig Me Out album, but she also continued collaborating with Coomes, and that same year saw the release of the Quasi album R&B Transmogrification. Its 1998 follow-up, Featuring "Birds," was among the year's most acclaimed independent outings, and in 1999 Quasi resurfaced with Field Studies. By the new millennium, Weiss and Coomes found a new label home with Touch and Go. The Sword of God appeared in 2001, marking Quasi's sharpest material since their inception. Two years later, the band's snide sense of humor was found once more on the political-heavy Hot Shit. In 2006, the band returned to the studio and, with the help of producer Dave Fridmann, released the rollicking When the Going Gets Dark. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
In 1990, Coomes, Weiss, and Brad Pedinov formed the band Motorgoat. The band released two self-released cassettes and one 7" single before dissolving in 1993. Quasi started recording as a duo in 1993. They played with various additional musicians in early live appearances, but eventually settled on playing live as a duo as well. They self-recorded and self-released a cassette and a CD in 1993. They recorded R&B Transmogrification in the Portland band Pond's basement recording studio and released it on Up Records in 1997. They released two more albums with Up: Featuring "Birds" in 1998 and Field Studies in 1999; both albums were recorded at Jackpot Studios in Portland, Oregon.
Although Coomes and Weiss remain busy with other bands, Quasi tours fairly regularly. In 2007, they toured the U.S. with Touch & Go labelmates Ted Leo and the Pharmacists. Just prior to that tour, Quasi announced that bassist Joanna Bolme, who had toured with Quasi in 2006 and plays with Weiss in Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, was a permanent member of the band.
In addition to her work in the Jicks, Weiss was the primary drummer for the group Sleater-Kinney, and has recently played with Bright Eyes and John Doe, while Coomes has been working with Pink Mountain and on his solo project, Blues Goblins. He has also played with Jandek, and has appeared on several Built to Spill albums. According to a recent post on their website, Coomes stated they are beginning to work on new material following the end of touring.
Quasi has been somewhat political since its inception, but their opposition to the 2003 Invasion of Iraq showed through in a straight-forward way with the release of Hot Shit! in 2003, particularly in the songs "White Devil's Dream" and "Master and Dog."
