Ty Cobb
First things first: The members of Ty Cobb aren't baseball enthusiasts. Nor are Paul and Ryan Cobb as notoriously dangerous as the Philadelphia Athletics player who shares their band's moniker. The Philly duo just thought the name sounded right when they heard it.
"We were in a bar and we were playing one of those trivia touch screen games," says Paul. "And the question came up that asked 'Who was the only player to beat up a fan with their own crutch?' It was Ty Cobb. And we just laughed. We thought that it sounded like a good, strong American name. But don't worry; we don't beat people with crutches."
It should be no surprise that the duo's name came about over a couple of beers. Even though their sound is reminiscent of boundary-pushing alternative guitar bands such as Guided by Voices, the Pixies and The Flaming Lips, Paul and Ryan's creative process is a relaxed one. You can see it in how the partnership was forged, and in their latest project, a delectable four-track EP "7y Co66."
The first release on the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's imprint label Abstract Dragon, "7y Co66" showcases the duo's ability to craft alluring melodies and intriguing guitarwork that discerning music fans can't resist. NME has already embraced the two, hailing the EP as "utterly lovable." And they're smart to do so. Because from the playful pop of "Wondering" to the painfully beautiful, piano-based "When You Smile," Paul and Ryan prove that they can do plenty good with the use of a four-track, a good tune and something to say.
The two met over ten years ago through a girl -- Paul's sister, to be exact -- the singer of a grunge rock band. Ryan and Paul played guitars in her band, but began creating music on the side that didn't quite fit into the group's rock sound.
"We just put everything on that machine," says Ryan. They began recording their songs on a four-track in Paul's basement, just to see what would happen. Neither had sung before, but the process was a fluid one. "We were writing a lot of tunes and just kept cranking them out. It was very easy. We felt that something good was brewing."
They also learned a thing or two about songwriting. Again, they went with their collective gut and let things flow naturally.
"Some lyrics might not plug into an entire song, but they might tell their own little story," explains Paul. "There are just those lines that come up when you're writing a song that you just can't get rid of. That happens a lot in our music."
The prolific duo quickly had recorded enough to make a few albums. They took the best of it and self-released the 20-track "Trophies for Lovemaking" with the songs as-is, in their raw four-track state. It's a wide-ranging achievement recalling The Velvet Underground, Americana road tunes, Beatles-esque pop and much more. A homespun, grainy quality binds the songs together. And that's just the way the guys like it.
"Most bands record to a four-track and then record songs for real. But we kept those initial takes. We just liked the way they sounded. You can't go back and make the stupid little sounds that the four-track made," says Paul. "Besides, we were writing so much, we didn't have time to go back and re-record songs."
Paul and Ryan equally share vocal duties and both play whatever instruments are needed -- from guitars to drums to keyboards to piano. They record what happens, and worry about being able to play it live later. The unrestrained process allows for moments of great inspiration, musical insight and experimentation. This open nature has also allowed Ty Cobb to become a pure musical partnership, able to expand and stretch utilizing both musicians' array of talents. And it leads to an interesting by-product: The creators can actually enjoy their own music.
"I'll play our CD all of the time, because I like to hear it," says Ryan. "It's not always me singing, so it's almost like listening to another band."
Critical acclaim of "Trophies" quickly had the two sharing the stage with hipsters such as Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Strokes, Free Heat and Apples in Stereo. To keep up, Ty Cobb expands into a five piece rock band for its live sets, adding even more range and dynamics to the music the Ryan and Paul create at home.
Mutual admiration and friendships developed among groups. And when members of BRMC got hold of a copy of "Trophies for Lovemaking," they quickly found themselves addicted to it.
"We got slipped a CDR by Ryan Cobb after a show they opened for us and The Strokes in Philly," recalls BRMC's Rob Turner. "It was one of those CDRs that wouldn't read right, but we finally figured out how to get past the first four, visible songs and found there were 20 on the disc, all great. We didn't listen to much else on the road after that. So we wanted to help give them a chance to get their music out there."
Beyond supporting the release of "7y Co66," BRMC also took the band on a UK tour in December 2002. Since Ryan and Paul couldn't take all five members of the band overseas, the two played to their biggest crowds - sometimes nearly 1600 people a night -- backed by their trusty four-track. Again, fans and press flipped out and NME called the shows "the coolest tour of 2002."
With a start like that, who knows what the future will bring.
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