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Música Obscura

Digitized Vinyl, Tapes, and CDs for Your Listening Pleasure

Posts tagged with "austin"

Cotton Mather - The Big Picture (2001)

Saturday, 22. September 2007, 14:41:39

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01 - Last Of The Mohicans
02 - Marathon Man
03 - Baby Freeze Queen
04 - 40 Watt Solution
05 - Glory Eyes
06 - Monterrey Honey
07 - AMPs Of Sugarland
08 - Panama Slides
09 - Pine Box Builder
10 - Story Of Anna
11 - Condo Lights
12 - Ramon Finds Waterfalls
13 - Waterfalls
14 - Running Coyote Advances


Label: Rainbow Quartz/Laughing Outlaw

The following was borrowed from a review at http://home.iprimus.com.au/laurapalmer/cotton.htm
There putting strange things in the water supply down Austin, Texas way if Cotton Mather's second release in anything to go by. From the word go on "Last of the Mohicans", with a rip of feedback and a wailing FX-box, Cotton Mather's psychotic acid rock raises a pretty yet raucous kind of hell. But it's singer Robert Harrison's voice which draws the most attention. Somehow he's channelled John Lennon's spirit and reprocessed it through a Texan sneer, attitude, regret and anxiety wielded as one with hummable harmonies to boot.

There's only so far you can ride on nostalgia though, and thankfully Cotton Mather mix it up enough to avoid falling into the precipice where Oasis have dived before. "Monterray Honey" sees the band expanding from the traditional four piece, using a succulent harmonium rift that drifts across the tune like a blast of nitrous oxide. This is dreamy pop, celebratory yet thoughtful, and sometimes, like in "Pine Box Builder", down right scary, dark undertones rising to the surface.

There is something vaguely unsettling about hearing a band come so close to sounding like a contemporary Beatles, and it may hinder Cotton Mather's progress in the future. For now though it's enough to let this album wash over you. Some records are for thought and depth; others like The Big Picture, you have to just sit back and enjoy the harmonies.

Links:
http://www.rainbowquartz.com/artists.asp?BC=CM
http://www.popnews.com/popnews/cottonmather/
http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=cotton_mather

Encoded at 320K from CD. Includes CD artwork.

http://rapidshare.com/files/57468107/cmather_big_picture.rar

Password: music

Also see Kontiki and Cotton is King

11 comments

Cotton Mather - Kontiki (1997)

Friday, 31. August 2007, 23:55:39

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01 - Camp Hill Rail Operator
02 - Homefront Cameo
03 - Spin My Wheels
04 - My Before And After
05 - Private Ruth
06 - Vegetable Row
07 - Aurora Bori Alice
08 - Church Of Wilson
09 - Lily Dreams On
10 - Password
11 - Animal Show Drinking Song
12 - Prophecy For The Golden Age
13 - She's Only Cool
14 - Autumn's Birds


Kontiki is Cotton Mather's 2nd album. If you liked the Austin, Texas power pop bands first album Cotton is King, wait until you hear this one! Some of these songs sound like the missing Revolver sessions. Right down to the backward guitar and vocals. Some of the songs are much more experimental than King, but all the "hooks" and great melodies are still waiting for you. Cotton Mather was formed 1991, named of course after the famous 17th century Puritan preacher and author. They disbanded in 2003.

From TrouserPress.com:
Harrison and Williams recorded Kontiki with some friends and brought the tapes to producer Brad Jones (Jill Sobule, Steve Earle), who helped them chisel out a record. The swirling opening chords of "Camp Hill Rail Operator" sound as though they are being piped in from Venus; tape splices and sound collages punctuate standouts like "Homefront Cameo," "Password" and "My Before and After" ("Cracked the code on the Rosetta Stone / Said the word for 'alone' is 'alone'"), Revolver-shaped nuggets so catchy that surgery may be required to extract them from your brain. The inevitable Beatles comparisons are rendered irrelevant by the quality of the songs and the imaginative recording techniques; Kontiki is an innovative power-pop gem that stands up, and stands out, on its own merits.

Links:
Wikipedia
Eternally Yours Blog - Great article, a must read!
Robert Harrison information
Trouser Press
Future Clouds & Radars - Robert Harrison's new Band

Favorite songs: Camp Hill Rail Operator, My Before and After, Spin My Wheels, and Lily Dreams On.

Encoded at 320K from CD. Includes CD artwork.

http://rapidshare.com/files/52564408/cmather_kontiki.rar

Password: music

Also see Cotton is King

5 comments

Cotton Mather - Cotton Is King (1994)

Monday, 27. August 2007, 01:24:49

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01 - Lost My Motto
02 - Mr. Should
03 - Cross the Rubicon
04 - Payday
05 - Miss Information
06 - Ivanhoe
07 - April's Fool
08 - The World's Boutique
09 - Saving Myself
10 - The New King of Trash
11 - The Words of Shaman Roger
12 - The End of the Line


Cotton Mather is a powerpop band from Austin, Texas formed in 1991. With their strong vocal harmonies and accessible melodies, they have drawn comparisons to the Beatles, Squeeze, and Guided By Voices. This CD is out of print and hard to find. These guys are really good, I recommend them highly!

Band:
Whit Williams - Guitar, Vocals
Greg Thibeaux - Drums, Percussion, Guitar, Vocals
Matt Hovis - Bass Guitar
Robert Harrison - Vocals, Guitar, Piano

Favorite Songs: April's Fool, Cross the Rubicon.

Links:
Wikipedia
April's Fool Music Video on YouTube
trouser press
Biography at Rainbow Quartz Records

Encoded at 320K from CD. Includes all CD artwork and 12 page booklet.

http://rapidshare.com/files/49829554/cmather_cik.part1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/49830738/cmather_cik.part2.rar

Password: music

Also see Kontiki

9 comments