This is fine.
There’s a handful of really really great tape labels out there, and one that is near and dear to our hearts is Lost Sound Tapes, run by Jon Manning. He’s done an incredible job of curating, and I almost always find myself in love with a handful of his releases each year, like Olivia’s World and Lisa Prank this year! So, I reached out and asked him to pop off with some of his favorite releases…and here we are. Enjoy!
Every time we get a new one from Chris Cohen, you know I have to share it! He’s well on his way to the release of his new album,Chris Cohen, which is his third record out on his own and is out this Friday 3/29. “No Time To Say Goodbye,” may be my favorite that has been released so far from the gentleman for this album.What I’m most impressed by with this song is how Chris Cohen tackles a classic pop song structure with choral hook in such a Cohen-fashion. The title of the track is sung as a ‘chorus,’ in perfect falsetto gets lodged into your head. Lucky for us in Austin, Cohen is stopping by the Mohawk to play a set next week! The show is Thursday, April 4 and tickets are hella cheap. Scoop yours so you get the chance to hear these gorgeous new tracks live.
We here at ATH are pretty big fans of Chris Cohen, so it’s safe to say we’re stoked for the upcoming release of another LP from him, which is coming out on 3/29. From that record, he’s shared another perfect soft pop track for us with “Sweet William,” which is accompanied by a silly and entertaining video. The song bounces along with a twee synth / distorted keyboard riff, killer bass line and barely-there percussion. Cohen’s mellow vocals come in like a wave of warm sunlight and the track pulses forward shifting at the two minute mark when the electric guitar rips through to a great solo. The video also escalates along with the music, as Cohen’s fever dream / sleepwalking / trip is pushed to its climax, with his spirit guide handing him a notebook with what appears to be lyrics to a song–perhaps this one. Take a peek below and then go pre-order his new self titled album, which will be out in about a month on Captured Tracks.
We all had hints that a new Chris Cohen record was on the horizon, and I’m just grateful that it’s closer on the horizon than I expected. I’ve been infatuated with Chris since Overgrown Path (2012), and this new single strikes a similar chord. Chris writes with such simplicity, or seemingly so, that you end up being caught up in the song’s emotional pull rather than focus on the instrumentation. We have that here, though the melodies Cohen pulls from his voice are so sublime that they pull you in like tractor beams. The next album is self-titled and it will be released by Chris’ longtime label Captured Tracks on March 29th.
We haven’t heard from Chris Cohen since 2016’s As If Apart, so I’m scrambling to reabsorb all those old songs from his first two LPs. Today we’ve got a brand new single from Chris, and what a special gem it is. It walks that fine line between NPR-core (the indie rock your dad thinks is cool) and artfully branded pop music. It’s got a nice little sax solo that adds texture to the track, wrapping itself around Cohen’s mellowed vocal tones. The percussive element gives the track a jazz club vibe…and while I’m laughing in my head at the inclusion of the instrumentation, it’s what makes Chris’ work so intriguing; he captures this curmudgeon with his songwriting like so few ever do. Let’s hope there’s more to come from Chris in 2019.
I should have known by the involvement of Chris Cohen that I was going to adore Sam Evian. He’s working on the follow-up to Premium, and if this is any indicator, we’re in for something quite special. His vocals take on that ethereal quality, almost feathery in their presentation…they just ride the horizon of the mix perfectly. Drum work is steady, handled by Cohen, and the arrangements texturize the track in a way that few other artists imitate. Somewhere in the realm between Papercuts and the returned Clientele lives Sam Evian…and it’s beautiful to be a part of it.
In the late 90s, thanks to a few friends, my musical tastes gradually began to change. I fawned over tunes by the Glands, Beulah and Grandaddy…and for some reason Sam Evian‘s new single brings that period to mind. There’s this incredible craftsmanship, no doubt aided by his collaboration with Chris Cohen, but even with that, it still maintains this lighthearted quality that allows you to lose yourself completely, overtaken by a general pleasantness. It’s smooth pop, with hints of California sunshine; I think I could play this song all day long. Look for the collaborative EP with Chris Cohen to be released by Saddle Creek on October 6th.
Angel Olsen brought the hype to Austin– selling out not only one, but two nights at the Mohawk. With her entourage, she touring act Chris Cohen, coordinated suits and matching bolo ties, and the overall trappings of a lovely evening. Read on after the jump to hear my thoughts on how the night unfolded.
Tonight and tomorrow you have the chance to catch one of the biggest names in the indie rock world at one of the best venues in town. Angel Olsen was originally slated to only play one night at The Mohawk, but due to overwhelming demand and a fast sell out, another night was added to soothe the desires of our town to catch this lady and her band touring in support of 2016’s boldMy Woman.Perhaps we’ll be treated to full evenings with some back catalogue hits from the spectacularBurn Your Fire For No Witness, or maybe even a few fromHalf Way Home. (I’ve got my fingers crossed that by some strange chance I’ll get to hear “Lonely Universe”). Regardless of potential setlists, you can bet that if you’re lucky enough to be at The Mohawk tonight or tomorrow night, you’ll be in for a songwriter in her prime– surely Olsen’s unmistakably powerful vocals will dominate the night, followed closely behind by the ferocious guitar that has accompanied her on her more recent albums. Tickets may be sold out, but there’s always craigslist, right? Word on the street is they may be going for a pretty penny– and you can see why by checking out the video for “Shut Up Kiss Me” below. Do you really want to miss out on this?
Oh, and Chris Cohen will be providing the opening act for both evenings, so that gives you another reason to show up and show up early after the 6:30 door times as to not miss out on his even-tempered indie rock. Check out “Torrey Pine” below as well.
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You’ve all been waiting, anxiously. Waiting for our arbitrary list of the opinion of four folks who run this site, and what we think were the best albums of 2016. It’s really really important. We’re going to make our site great again with this list. We’re going to win, bigly. But really, it’s just a list of the stuff we loved the most that we covered throughout this year on our site. The comment section is open, so feel free to tell us where we’ve gone wrong or what we’ve got right or anything else fitting. Read more
