This is my happy face
© Copyright-Urban Cheese Records
(634479199103)
Record Label: Urban Cheese Records
SPECIAL: 10% discount if you buy more than one copy of it today!
No items available in your wishlist
Urban Cheese Records is happy to announce the release of This is My Happy Face, the third -- and best -- CD from Seattle's The Cocktail Revisionists.
The Band:
Leslie Kooy - Vocals
Patrick Stirrat - Guitars, keyboards, vocals
Neel Daniel - Bass guitar, lead guitar, vocals
Brian T. Lumb - Drumbs
The Record:
It is hard to believe it, but this is the band's first CD in nearly 4 years, following 2002's A Murder of Crows. We hope you'll agree that it was worth the wait.
Recorded between July 2004 and December 2005, this is by far the band's most ambitious effort. Adding to the chemistry of the four core members, the band invited several Seattle-area musicians into the studio during the recording sessions: Michael T. Kirby (organ & piano); Amy Windus (cello); Clark Fredricksen (trumpet); Pete Glase drums & percussion); and Steven R. Brooks (guitar & vocals).
The result is a 13-song masterpiece of indie pop/rock.
The Buzz:
"Intoxicating modern rock with a dash of '60s pop styling." -- Ben Hunter, Askew Reviews
"There's a good mix here. It's a nice combination of sounds. Good for any mood. I dare say, something for everyone ... I think you'll have fun with this one"
-- Amy Lotsberg, Collected Sounds
History of the Band:
Formed in 2000 from the wreckage of two Seattle-area bands (Blockhead and Surreal), the Cocktail Revisionists are four friends who are truly in love with music, who share a passion for creating honest, timeless indie pop/rock.
This Is My Happy Face, their sardonically titled third -- and best -- release, is a clear illustration of this passion.
Like a child of mixed parentage, The Cocktail Revisionists' diverse influences have come together to produce something truly beautiful. Combining quirky pop, old-school rock and jazz influences (with an apparent fondness for booze), they've come up with a pathos-driven sound that's both heartbreaking AND hopeful. Very much of the now, yet also fueled by an often '60's-style textured melodiousness, they straddle the line between pleasure and pain in a way we can all relate to.
The Cocktail Revs deliver their message in a gorgeously melodic way that's consistently filled with a generous helping of wit and perception.
They don't bother to offer a lot of answers, but they sure as hell know how you feel.
Discography:
This is My Happy Face (2006) - Urban Cheese Records
A Murder of Crows (2002) - Urban Cheese Records
Non-specific Gravity (2001) - Urban Cheese Records
Read more...
Please
log in to review the album.
Sincere, Intelligent Songwriting with the Skilled Musicianship to Back It Up
author: Mike Mihalik, Seattle, WA
Where can you find an album full of songs with catchy hooks that also comments on such topics as dysfunctional relationships, Hamlet-like inaction, and depression? Add some social and political commentary, throw in a love song about not being able to write a love song (sung completely in French), and you’ve got the latest album from the Cocktail Revisionists, “This Is My Happy Face”.
As can be expected from this talented Seattle-area band, “This Is My Happy Face” has sharp, witty lyrics overlaid on melodies and harmonies that may seem deceptively straightforward, but expose depths of complexity upon multiple listenings. You’ll find yourself humming Cocktail Revisionists songs waiting in line at the bank, doing laundry, or sitting in front of your computer at work trying to get through a mountain of e-mail.
“This Is My Happy Face” is an example of what we should all demand from our music–sincere, intelligent songwriting with the skilled musicianship to back it up.
Read more...
A Triumphant Return!
author: MJ
This is My Happy Face showcases the growth and musical dexterity of a truly talented group of musicians. The songwriting is superb, recording quality is excellent and the guest musicians are a true treat (A wonderfully played and recorded cello is featured in songs such as 'Things will Change', sometimes (presumably unintentionally) providing the hook and the foundation of the song (check out ‘Skin and Bone’).
The intro to 'This Little Hell' exemplify the quick witted yet experienced production talent we have come to expect from CR, especially if you have followed the bands previous releases, all of which have been self produced.
Mastered by Mark Guenther at Seattle Disc Mastering (credited for working with many bands influential to the Seattle sound) and complete with professional photography replication and packaging, the CD is set to succeed in the retail environment without a hitch.
Though my heart is still with the bands first release 'Non-Specific Gravity' (if you just bought this CD and want to hear more, I highly recommend this debut release), what grabs me most about TIMHF is the way they pull off pop, punk and even straight rock without a flinch, all the while remaining true to the signature simplicity that is trademark of all CR releases.
-MJ Hays
Big If Records
Read more...