Cowgill

Though Boston's Cowgill might be a new outfit (they've only existed since 2011), the indie folk meets experimental rock ensemble sound like seasoned vets on their debut effort, Side One Of Planted. Armed with trumpets, violins, pianos, trombones, and mandolins along with the standard guitars and drums, Cowgill offer a quick listen here of highly eclectic instrumentation and atypical song structures. It's the kind of disc that brings to mind the legends, but it still finds a niche all its own and never follows any predictable lines.

The disc opens with “Plans,” a song chock full of lush song craft. It starts with a calm piano melody and when the warm guitar kicks in, you're reminded of Wilco – definitely a great thing. Next comes “The King Of Wales,” an upbeat and rhythmic track with pop nods and Beatles-like undertones. “I Think I've Been Breathing” is the middle track and disc highlight, a fast moving tune with vibrant energy and the most rowdy avenues explored. The mandolin and violin sound incredible in this song, and it very nearly finds its way into jam band territory. “Red Carpet” is the softest point of the disc with Paul Cowgill's quiet vocals, and it helps illustrate just how talented Cowgill is. Side One Of Planted ends with “Extra Gravity,” a playful indie rock tune with strong melodies and carefully calculated musicianship, providing a memorable way to end this accomplished listen.

While it may only contain five songs, this EP finds Cowgill making the most of every moment here. Each track is creative and intriguing in its own right, the kind of listen where each subsequent spin will reveal pieces you missed the previous time. I played this three times in a row and discovered new sounds and textures each time.

Following this fully DIY effort, Cowgill will return later this year with Side Two Of Planted, and if this side is any indication of what is to come, expect another batch of folk spirited indie rock with a large amount of imagination. - The Daily Vault

WASHINGTON, September 11, 2012 –Most music seems to get viewed through the prism of indie rock these days. Yet most bands today don’t specifically gravitate towards a defined genre as was true in previous pop music eras. Instead, they end up being described as indie rock with a twist of something else. This, unimaginatively, is actually the best way to describe Cowgill and their recent Monday night show at the Velvet lounge.

This is not to say that Cowgill is unimaginative or uninteresting in any way. It’s quite the opposite, actually. The band throws so many things up against the wall – and successfully at that – they escape any sort hand-waving dismissal that jaded critics might want to dispense.

Cowgill doesn’t really defy classification though, as it’s fairly easy to point what they’re doing or attempting in each of their songs. That becomes even more prominent when they make use of their influences and pull things together. What actually makes Cowgill interesting is how they bring these divergent sounds together during their set.

Cowgill hails from Boston, which gives us a clue about their eclectic tastes and why they don’t necessarily settle on a basic sound. Bands from cities with large metropolitan areas have a tendency to incorporate a lot of influences into their sound, especially when they come up from the indie rock circuit. So while Paul Cowgill might be recognized as the focal point of the band, the other aspects of the band end up drawing just as much attention.

Ostensibly, the band is labeled as an indie folk rock band, and that’s certainly justifiable given Cowgill’s instrumental and vocal stylings, which come out in full force on their recorded material. There’s definitely a James Taylor-like vibe to the way Paul Cowgill plays, which gives the band a lighthearted and easygoing foundation from which to build.

Still, during their live set, the band takes on a slightly different angle than the normal folk fare we're used to seeing and hearing. The multiple dimensions of this band come out in full force during their live performance.

For example, one of the more intriguing aspects of the band’s whole musical attack is the use of Leeann Hackett’s violin playing and Dan Weissman’s use of the mandolin. The use of both instruments has been becoming more prominent within indie rock circles, but usually not in this context. During their set, Hackett and Weissman give this band a definite bluegrass sound that seems to come straight out of southern Virginia or the Kentucky or West Virginia hills.

Weissman helps on the other side of spectrum too by contributing to the band’s horn section along with keyboardist Mike Truskowski. They play the trumpet and trombone respectively, which is slightly reminiscent of the way Cake would handle their own impromptu horn section. While this variable instrumentation is not a major factor during their set the way the violin and mandolin are for Cowgill. But for both bands, it’s effective how the instruments are brought in at the right time to punctuate various songs and change the mood, making the music all the more memorable when they do.

When Cowgill got around to the two covers they performed – Radiohead and the Beach Boys – it put something a thematic capstone on their set. Neither of those bands are out of the ordinary for Cowgill to cover, since they’re just the right age to love Radiohead, and since Brian Wilson’s influence is all over Paul Cowgill’s style of playing as well as his lyrics. Yet this also speaks to Cowgill's aspirations to achieve a genuine pop music complexity.

Often, it’s important for band to do serviceable work by simply pulling out a bunch of instruments, going through the motions, and calling it a day. But, while being eclectic is nice, it doesn’t mean anything if musical structure isn’t taken into account. To its everlasting credit, Cowgill spends a great deal of effort incorporating their various parts into a coherent whole, making for the kind of show that makes a distinctly above average impression. - Washington Times Communities

When you think of the mandolin, chances are you either think of bluegrass, or R.E.M.’s “Losing My Religion”. One doesn’t really think of it an instrument that is played aggressively. But that’s exactly what Dan Weissman did during Cowgill’s set recently at DC’s Velvet Lounge. Weissman’s fiery mandolin playing gave singer Paul Cowgill’s folk-rock songs an extra bit of venom. On songs such as “I’ve Think I’ve Been Breathing” and “King of Wales”, Weissman seemed acted like the Neil Young or Pete Townshend or the mandolin. His solo on a cover of Radiohead’s “Paranoid Android” was both a homage to the original, but also proved that Cowgill can put a spin on a well-worn classic.

Though Weissman was a highlight of the show, it was frotman Paul Cowgill’s song that really stole the show. The band’s songs are a mixture of world folk, rock and indie influences makes for an intriguing mix. Paul Cowgill’s singing and acoustic guitar hold the songs together, but fairly often the band veers off into unexpected directions. The trumpet playing of Mike Truskowski and violin playing of Leanne Hackett give songs such as “Red Carpet” and the previously mentioned “I’ve Been Breathing” a Russian feeling.

Paul Cowgill proved himself to be an energetic frontman. When he wasn’t singing, he was jumping and strumming his acoustic guitar wildly. The band’s music never ventured into conventional rock territory (the bass and keyboard were the only electric instruments) but Cowgill gave a spirited performance that suggested they had studied many rock shows.

While Cowgill’s studio efforts are quite good, it’s in the live setting where they truly make their mark. - Leading Us Absurd

Interview with Cowgill
- by Josh Johnson

Boston's Cowgill, named after lead singer and guitarist Paul Cowgill, have built up quite a following in their hometown. That following has recently expanded due to the six-piece band's first major tour, which hit Brooklyn, Chicago, and Washington DC. In addition to their extensive touring, Cowgill released their debut album, "Side One of Planted," which features five songs that show off all of the band's different influences. Read on to learn more about Cowgill's name, future albums, and the Boston music scene. And if none of that interests you, there are also masturbation jokes, so there's something for everybody.

Congrats on your debut release, "Side One of Planted." Has your experience as a band changed since it came out?

Ryan Rivers: Well, we now have side one of an album to share our music with people (friends, adoring fans, the world, etc.). So now there are more nodding heads in the audience. Cowgill rocks.

Leeann Hackett: Also, while we're writing this, we're getting close to finishing up our first world tour together (well...East of the Mississippi), and we've gotten a lot tighter as a band, and we've gotten to be way better friends.

The record dabbles in several genres, like folk, pop, and rock. Who are some of the band's biggest musical influences?

Joe Pess: 'Serpentine Fire'!!!

Paul Cowgill: Seriously. That song is killer. Also Stevie Wonder, The Beatles, Dave Matthews Band, Radiohead, The Head and the Heart, Marvin Gaye, and Dirty Projectors.

What made you decide to use Paul's last name as the band's name? Did you try out any other names before deciding to go down the Van Halen route?

Mike Truskowski: Yes. We tried Paul Cowgill and the Thundercats, but we thought it had too many 't's in it.

Dan Weissman: And honestly, we want to be known for our whisper as much as for our thunder. So we brainstormed over a few band meals, and nothing beat out Cowgill. It's kinda nice since it's also just two words together. Like bandwagon. Or rainbow. And decidedly NOT Cowgirl.

What's your favorite thing about the Boston/New England music scene?

Leeann: College chicks.

Paul: Rock Shop Boston

Ryan: Its penchant for sweeping generalizations mixed with a longstanding tradition of theremin playing.

Do you have any plans regarding a future release?

Paul: I'm planning on masturbating tonight-oh! You mean the album. This winter, bitches!

Mike: Yeah I think the idea is to keep releasing things as "sides" of albums for the next few. Five songs just seems like a perfect amount for people to take in at one time. And recording music is crazy expensive.

Do you have any other information you wish to share?

All: Just want to quickly put in a shameless plug for our website, where you can buy our T-shirts (we wish we could wear them without being douchebags, since they're really soft and cool). And you know, that's also where you can sign up for our mailing lists, buy our music, and all that good stuff. - The Deli New England

“If people like us in Boston, they don’t need to worry anytime soon. Slash ever.”
THANK GOD.

In their time as a band, folk-rockers Cowgill have released an album (Side One of Planted), performed for Occupy Boston, and played just about every local venue you can name. Twice. Oh, that “time as a band” bit? Just over a year. We spoke with half of the sextet—Paul Cowgill, Dan Weissman, and Ryan Rivers—in advance of their pre-tour sets at the Harvard Medical School Quad and Plough and Stars.

You formed in June of 2011. What’s this first year been like?
Paul: We’re about to go on our first tour of the U.S. It’s a short tour; out to Chicago and back. And we got to play at all of our favorite clubs. Middle East Upstairs, Great Scott …
Dan: We recorded that album, remember?
Paul: Yeah! That was kind of nice.

Some people worry when they see that “reliable local band” branching out. Do you see yourself playing more and more outside of Boston?
Paul: I think we’d love to keep playing one or every two months in Boston, then, between some of those shows, do mini-tours like this. If people like us in Boston, they don’t need to worry anytime soon. Slash ever.

There seems to be a lot of genre fusion going on at the local music level.
Paul: I think when people look back in the future, that’s going to be what the 2000s and 2010s were: kids with a bunch of MP3s on their computers, seeing no reason to stick to one genre anymore.

Anything else you want to mention about your upcoming shows?
Dan: They’re going to be a lot of fun.
Ryan: Since I didn’t say anything this entire time, I just want to say, that, uh, I greatly enjoy Cowgill. And I think it’s a great thing.

COWGILL

WED 8.8.12
HMS QUAD
260 LONGWOOD AVE.
BOSTON
12PM/ALL AGES/FREE

THU 8.9.12
PLOUGH AND STARS
912 MASS AVE.
CAMBRIDGE
10:30PM/21+/FREE

@COWGILLMUSIC
COWGILLMUSIC.COM - DigBoston

Some of the music that I like the most is the kind that will make me start tapping on whatever I can lay my hands upon while boosting my energy levels. Usually when a band is able to make me feel the energy within the first few seconds of the first song that I hear I end up liking the songs. The First song ‘Plans’ opens with a slow piano melody then the guitar picks up a few beats in where the two sounds blend really well together. This opening few seconds of Side One of Planted by Cowgill caught my attention with it’s beat and tempo of these two instruments. Then the vocals of Paul Cowgill come into the song that at first wasn’t to my liking but as the song played I grew to like the way his voice sounded.
Planted has beats that ooze fun and good times that have incorporated quirky beats, up and down tempos, and lyrics that are small stories being told. The vocals of Paul Cowgill has a variety of vocal ranges that like with the first song ‘Plans’ has a lower, slower pitch to them at the start but by the end he raises his vocals and picks up the speed of his singing. Paul Cowgill will sing a few notes high pitched, then quickly going into a low, flat sound, as well as having the songs sounding like a mix of indie rock, pop rock, and alternative rock. I got to admit that Paul Cowgill has a good, strong voice and he has the ability to make the songs sound fun when he’s singing but the at times the lyrics he sung seemed to just be put in to give the song some extra sound. He’s put the energy into his vocals that I like to hear but there are times that the lyrics themselves are just him going no no no, yeah yeah yeah, oh la na yeah and so on. At times I will like this, at times I won’t, it’s one of those things that can really make a song a lot of fun to sing along with or it can make the song just sound like it’s someone singing yeah, yeah, yeah over and over again. Paul Cowgill falls on the edge, some of the times that I listened to the songs I enjoyed the repeating of the few one word lyrics, but there were also times that it just got tiresome.
For the most part I enjoyed the instrumentals more than I did the vocals. They contain good beats that give the songs their true power of being fun. Their presence in the songs is not overwhelming nor do they just take backstage to the vocals. These instrumentals are played where once the lyrics have been learned it would be easy enough to take them away and still keep up with the beat of the song. Each song is a different song, the beats being played actually sound different from the last song, and the vocals are being sung in different ranges from slow to quick to even some loud yelling, it all combines for a set of fun songs. It’s especially noticeable when listening to the song Red Carpet after having 3 songs of a high energy, quick beats, but this song comes out of nowhere with it’s slower tempo, the low key vocals (which by the way this is the best song for Paul Cowgill with his singing) and easy played beats. With only 5 tracks on this album Cowgill has been able to give a set of songs that are fun to listen to with enough energy in the songs to make me tap along with them as they play and wait for Side Two to be released. - Shakefire.com

I always have a soft spot for folk music (gee, can’t you tell?) and really enjoy elements of folk fused with rock.
That being said, a Boston based band is combining folk with indie-rock, piling some guitar and trombone into the mix, and releasing their newest single. The band is Cowgill, and the single is “Plans”. Others are noting the incredible musical range that Cowgill possesses, and I have a feeling this is quite the catalyst for their tunes. Take a listen for yourself!
After being introduced to the music of Cowgill, I inquired about interviewing the band as they embark on their journey. The band consists of Paul Cowgill (Vocals, Acoustic Guitar), Mike Truskowski (Piano, Backup Vocals, Trombone), Dan Weissman (Mandolin, Backup Vocals, Trumpet), Leeann Hackett (Violin), Ryan Rivers (Bass Guitar) and a “temporarily rotating cast on drums”. Their release party for Side One of their album, Planted, is May 17 at the Middle East Upstairs.

Cowgill
Farah Joan Fard: Cowgill…named after the place? Or cows? I see the cow on your site banner. I’m originally from New Hampshire, so I appreciate cows, but am curious to the story of your band name! I know I could also have cited your vocalist/guitarist, but…again, I’m a curious cat. The decision process of a band name is always interesting.

Cowgill:We took all of our names, and tried to think of the craziest band name we could come up with by combining all of them. And after we did that, the weirdest was still just Paul’s last name. Strange.

Haha no, but what actually happened was Paul felt pretty ridiculous using his last name as our band name, so we tried to think of one for a long time, but couldn’t think of anything we all liked. Some of the not-so-great ones from our brainstorm a while back are No Bills, Hasty Outro, Venetian Mutes, Track II, Unrecycling, Tracks and Stacks, Dogskill, Nomenclature, Trick Poems, and Doggerel.

FJF: What brought you all together? I enjoy the dynamics and range of instruments used here.
Cowgill: Paul started looking for bandmates in about May of 2011. Paul and Mike have been roommates who make music together for fun, going on four years now. He and Dan met over “delectable kosher-for-passover brownies” (to quote Dan) last April. Towards the end of April. Paul found Leeann the violinist on Craiglist, and same for Danielle, the drummer who plays on the album, but has since left the band. Leeann knew Ryan the bassist from high school, and he’s a senior at Berklee right now with Joe, the new drummer.

FJF: How did you get a residency at P.A.’s Lounge?
Cowgill: It was actually pretty easy. They posted the availability on Craigslist, and we sent them an email. But it must have helped that we had a website and Facebook fans and whatnot. Oh, and the booking agent used to be the booking agent at Precinct, and we had done a show there through him before, so he already knew who we were when we shot him the email.

FJF: That’s definitely important to note-the website and Facebook fans. It’s getting to be a requirement to book a show, the Facebook fans!
So, you formed just last summer, or am I incorrect? How much do you practice together? You have gotten quite far in that amount of time! How did you do it?
Cowgill: We’ve basically tried as hard as we can since day one, and maybe it’s as simple as that. And all the songs were already written by “day one”, so that definitely helped. If our Kickstarter campaign hadn’t been successful, that would have set us back by a few months as we tried to scrape together money to record an album in some other way. So that’s probably the biggest thing that allowed us to be where we are today (thanks again, Kickstarter backers!). Also, Paul does nothing other than work on keeping the band moving forward, doing his day job, and hanging out with friends. Well, that actually doesn’t sound that earth-shattering. He spends a lot of time reading blogs about the best things to do be doing to raise the profile of the band at each step along the way. So maybe it’s not just that we’re working hard, but that we’re working hard at the right things.

Oh, and we usually practice about twice a week.

FJF: Do you think the Boston music scene is changing?
Cowgill: Well, we can definitely think of one guy who thinks it is (and we think we agree with him), and that’s David Day, who just left DigBoston to work full time on the Together Boston festival. Which is coming up really soon – it’s from April 2nd through the 8th – and you should all check it out if you can. It’s trying to be a SXSW for Boston with a bit of a more electronic skew. So if they succeed, that should gradually push the music scene here in a more of electronic direction. We’re not at all an electronic-y band at this point, with our pretty stereotypically folk rock instrumentation, but who’s to say we won’t pull a Radiohead and dabble in that later on?

But yeah, so our point is that we tend to associate Boston music - LaParadiddle

Local band Cowgill has announced plans to release side one of their debut album “Planted” on May 17, holding a “Release Party” performance at the Middle East Upstairs in Cambridge.
Cowgill – vocalist/guitarist Paul Cowgill, Dan Weissman on trumpet and mandolin, keyboardist and trombone player Mike Truskowski, violinist Leeann Hacket, bassist Ryan Rivers, and drummer Joe Pess – combines indie rock, folk rock and a little bit of pop to create a unique sound all their own, described as a mash-up of Fleet Foxes, The Shins, and The Beatles.
The sextet came together in 2011 through a series of events where one member stumbled upon another. “I’ve lived with Mike for three years now and I met Dan through a friend of a friend,” recalls Cowgill. “We found our violinist on Craigslist and she knew the bassist who went to college with our new drummer.” The sextet has been working on material for their new album ever since.
Cowgillw’s members each have a unique background. Hacket, for example, is a Music Therapist for the elderly and blind children, while Rivers and Pess attend Berklee College of Music. Weissman is an architecture and design student who has always been involved in music. Ultimately it is music, and the influence that it has on their lives, that ties them all together.
Earlier this year they released their first single, “Plans”, and are happy with the response from their fan base. “I think it’s been really good; we’re new to this. It’s just funny and hard because you don’t really have anything to compare it too,” says We’ll know for sure once the whole [album] comes out,” says Paul. They would follow it with the release of their second single “Extra Gravity” on April 19th.
With the release of the two singles, Cowgill aims to show off their eclectic sound and break the rigid lines of music genres.
“We are trying to straddle the line between indie and folk,” Cowgill explains. “…We’re really focused on cool lyrics and interesting structure like indie rock, but make it less mopey and take you through interesting soundscapes.”
They set themselves apart by incorporating a full drum set and brass section, unusual in the folk rock scene. Some even consider Cowgill, with their lush sound, to be more of a baroque pop band.
“When you just say indie and folk it doesn’t cover that we have a pop influence – but not like a Katy Perry, Top 40 kind of thing,” Cowgill explains. “The goal of our music is to make people happy, not depressed.”
Before the band considers their sound, they look into lyrics and structure. “Usually I make up the structure of the chord changes and spend a few days thinking about mood, etc.,” explains Cowgill. “Then I bring it to the band and we think about arrangement together.”
Like the lyrics and composition of their songs, the title of their debut album also has a lot of meaning. “We spent a while thinking about that. ‘Planted’ is one of the lyrics from the fourth song of the album called ‘Red Carpet’,” says Cowgill. “It had a lot of word play, which fits with the album. I think it’s a cool title for a debut album because the goal here is to break free of the rooted life style that we’re in.”
With their album production in full swing, the band plans to finish recording by September or October of this year. In the meantime, the band is doing all they can to get their name out there. “We are trying to build up a name for ourselves in the local market but our goals are national and international even though it’s pretty early on,” says Cowgill.
Of their live show, Cowgill says “It’s kind of all over the place. Some things that will come through in our live shows are our crazy use of horns, and covering songs like Paranoid Android from Radiohead.”
Cowgill is trying to plan a three-week tour in August and will be looking to their growing fan base for support. Starting on May 8, fans can create and promote a campaign on www.gigfunder.com for Cowgill to earn monetary support for a tour. - Blast Magazine

A new outfit from Boston with a penchant for indie-rock mixed with playful folk music, Cowgill work with atypical beats complemented by gentle pianos, wandering tempos and singing that is constantly changing in pitch and volume. Sometimes resembling alt-rock, other times pop-rock and yet other times remaining unclassifiable, this is a great first trip to the plate by a band with an enormous amount of talent. - InForty.com

Yeah, we know: indie folk isn’t some groundbreaking hyper-secret closely guarded by we music types. (For that, see REDACTED at REDACTED for a bowel-quaking session of jowl-rock from REDACTED THE MAN). Matter of fact, we usually let y’all know the moment we hear ’bout any locals slingin’ the acoustic all indie-like. Enter Cowgill, a recently-formed, Boston-based six-piece bringing their indie folk/traditional rock blend to Great Scott tonight. They’re no jowl-rock, but that’s okay. ‘Cause jowl-rock is, like, a fake thing we made up. Jury’s still out on the bowel-quaking, though.

[Tue 7.3.12. 1222 Comm. Ave., Allston. 617.566.9014. 9pm/18+/$8. @CowgillMusic. greatscottboston.com] - DigBoston

Cowgill is generating a little buzz in Beantown hot on the heals of their recently released debut long-player, Side One of Planted. The band’s gumbo feels equal parts rock and folk, with just a little gypsy splash for flavour. The final product often recalls vintage Waterboys (hardly a bad thing) and should have no problem finding favor with fans of the rootsier side of rock’s tracks. MOKB is mighty happy to make the acquaintance of Cowgill, and premiere their latest single, I Think I’ve Been Breathing. - My Old Kentucky Blog

We've got the new band, Cowgill, on our hands, and they're fully equipped with everything from trombones to mandolines to guitars. They're also bringing along "Extra Gravity" to bring us back down to Earth after they levitate us with the new single. The song is generously seasoned with lyrics about mustard, salt, and cinnamon-- so they either really like food or they're in to edible metaphors. The folky new sextuplet from Boston will offer us their debut album entitled Planted on 5/17. - Baeble Music

Bostonion pop band Cowgill have released their debut single, “Plans,” and you can grab a copy of it for free here.
Cowgill - Plans
Formed in Boston in June of 2011, Cowgill serves up fresh indie rock with a folk rock instrumention. Self-described as a combination of Radiohead, The Beatles, and Fleet Foxes if “they decided to rock out a bit more,” Cowgill does not shy away from the highest sonic aspirations.
“Plans” actually sounds like none of the above, harking closer to Wilco’s current discography with its lush arrangement of strings, acoustic guitars, and plodding drum lines. - MP3.com

Mondays are for seeing the woods and the trees

Cowgill – Plans (via bandcamp)

Margot & The Nuclear So and So’s – Shannon (via soundcloud)

Safe Barracks – Raise Your Sights (via soundcloud)

Dylan Connor – Lynchburg Lemonade (via bandcamp)

Partly Faithful – Partly Faithful (via soundcloud) - The Music Slut

It's a bit behind schedule, but here's my annual list of recorded releases I'm most looking forward to this year. A handful of 2012 Tuesdays have already passed, but the lag time allowed me to sneak in a bunch of just-announced full-lengths. I've included those that have already hit shelves (or servers), along with some rumored speculation and a couple of wishful thoughts to wrap it up. If something's not here, it's either due to apathy, ignorance, or forgetfulness. Your mission? Fill in the gaps. What'd I miss? What do I need to hear? What do you really hope shows up this year? Leave a comment here or on Facebook, gimme some info, lemme know.

Click the label names for more info, or to buy/pre-order. Boston-area releases are noted with a couple asterisks. I may keep this post updated as more albums get announced, at least until late summer when I'll run a whole new list for autumn...

My most anticipated 2012 album releases...

So far this year...
Chris Brokaw (Come/Codeine/The New Year) - "Stories" 12-inch [on Limited Appeal]
Flights - "Anywhere But Where I Am" [1/1 via Bandcamp]
** Kingsley Flood - "Colder Still" EP [1/10 / self-released]
** Caspian - "Live at Old South Church" EP [1/10 on Mylene Sheath]
Guided by Voices - "Let's Go Eat the Factory" [1/17 on Fire/GBV]
Cloud Nothings - "Attack On Memory" [1/24 on Carpark]
First Aid Kit - "The Lion's Roar" [1/24 on Wichita]
Nada Surf - "The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy" [1/24 on Barsuk]
Palomar - "Sense & Antisense" [1/24 - self-released]
Hospitality - self-titled debut [1/31 on Merge]
Imperial Teen - "Feel the Sound" [1/31 on Merge]
The Jealous Sound - "A Gentle Reminder" [1/31 on Music Is Subjective]
Leonard Cohen - "Old Ideas" [1/31 on Sony/Columbia]
Capybara - "Dave Drusky" [2/7 on The Record Machine]
Sharon Van Etten - "Tramp" [2/7 on Jagjaguwar]
The Twilight Sad – "No One Can Ever Know" [2/7 on FatCat]
** Neptune - "msg rcvd" [2/13 on Northern Spy]
50 Foot Wave - "With Love From The Men's Room" CD [2/14 on Throwing Music]
Field Music - "Plumb" [2/14 on Memphis Industries/Midheaven(US)]
Heartless Bastards – "Arrow" [2/14 on Partisan]
Honeychurch - "Will You Be There With Me" [2/14 via Bandcamp]
Shearwater - "Animal Joy" [2/14 on Sub Pop]
Tennis - "Young & Old" [2/14 on Fat Possum]
Rosie Thomas - "With Love" [2/14 on Undertow & Bandcamp]
Whistle Peak - "Half Asleep Upon Echo Falls" [2/14 on Karate Body]

Out today ...
Archers of Loaf - "Vee Vee" (2-disc remaster) [2/21 on Merge]
Dirty Three - "Toward The Low Sun" [2/21 on Drag City]
Guy Capecelatro III - "North For the Winter" [2/21 on Dromedary]
Damien Jurado - "Maraqopa" [2/21 on Secretly Canadian]
Lambchop - "Mr. M" [2/21 on Merge]
Frankie Rose - "Interstellar" [2/21 on Slumberland]

Next week...
Fanfarlo - "Rooms Filled With Light" [2/28 on Atlantic]
Geoff Farina (Glorytellers/Karate/Secret Stars) - "The Wishes Of The Dead" [2/27 on Damnably]
New Multitides - self-titled [2/28 on Rounder]
England in 1819 - "Alma" [2/28 - self-released via Bandcamp]
Eux Autres - "Sun Is Sunk" (EP) [2/28 on Bon Mots]
School Of Seven Bells – "Ghoststory" [2/28 on Vagrant/Ghostly Int'l]

March...
** The Dirty Dishes - "The Most Tarnished Birds" EP [3/4 via Bandcamp]
Andrew Bird - "Break It Yourself" [3/6 on Mom + Pop]
Ceremony - "Zoo" [3/6 on Matador]
Tim Foljahn - "Songs For An Age of Extinction" [3/6 on Kiam Records]
The Magnetic Fields – "Love At The Bottom Of The Sea" [3/6 on Merge]
Now, Now - "Threads" [3/6 on Trans-Records]
Jennifer O'Connor - "I Want What You Want" [physical release 3/6 on Kiam Records]
Said The Whale - "Little Mountain" [3/6 on Hidden Pony/EMI]
Jonathan Segel (Camper Van Beethoven) - "All Attractions" [3/6 Kickstarter funded]
Yellow Ostrich - "Strange Land" [3/6 on Barsuk]
The Wedding Present - "Valentina" [3/12 on Scopitones]
The Darker Hues - "Nothing Tastes Like Failure" [3/8 - self-released ]
James Iha (ex-Smashing Pumpkins) - "Look To The Sky" [3/14 on EMI Japan]
Margot & the Nuclear So and So's - "Rot Gut, Domestic" [3/20 on Mariel Recording Co.]
Lee Ranaldo - Between the Times & the Tides [3/20 on Matador]
The Shins – "Port Of Morrow" (3/20 on Columbia/Aural Apothecary]
Paul Weller - "Sonik Kicks" [3/27 on Yep Roc]
Autochrome - [3/30 via Bandcamp]
Various - "Sunshine Off The Tracks" [3/31 on Wild Kindness - a benefit for GEMS]

April...
The Futureheads - "Rant" [4/2 - all a cappella]
Lightships (Gerard from Teenage Fanclub) - "Electric Cables" [4/3 on Geographic/Domino]
M. Ward - "A Wasteland Companion" [4/10 on Merge]
The Dandy Warhols - "This Machine" [4/24 on The End]

Later in 2012...
** Ryan Lee Crosby - new self-titled album - [Spring]
Codeine - "When I See The Sun" (Box Set / Vinyl Reissues) [5/8 on Numero Group]
Rebecca Gates (The Spinanes) - "The Float" [5/18 on Parcematone/12XU]
** Cowgill - "Side One of Planted" [5/17 - Kickstarter-funded]
** Hallelujah the Hills - "No One Knows What Happens - Bradley's Almanac

The Candy Opinion: Well constructed indie rock to be technical. Plenty of heart and passion added to make this one fine song, reminds us a little of UK indie rock from way back, however as that was mainly class stuff, no harm with the comparison.
Web: Official HERE. Listen: Plans. (mp3). - Beehive Candy

When Boston’s Cowgill formed in the summer of 2011, Paul Cowgill made a totally appropriate, if not somewhat ironic choice. As the group’s wistful lead singer and songwriter, there was no denying the heart of the band laid with him, hence the namesake. But in truth, it’s the musicians and instrumentation that encompass Paul Cowgill’s folksy pop melodies that truly differentiates this indie-rock sextet.

This is not to accuse Cowgill of megalomania. The lead man’s soulful voice is the backbone of every song, as was on display Monday night at the Middle East Upstairs. He has the ability to sing with the genteelness of a folk idol while retaining a controlled manic energy just beneath the surface, waiting to erupt into one of his many pop-laden choruses.

“We’re going to bring it down for a second, but it gets faster,” said Cowgill to the large Monday night crowd. The description could be a mission statement regarding the group itself. Featuring laid back instrumentation such as mandolin and violin, the band can be sonically underwhelming at first. But the bluegrass-folk arrangements of Leeann Hackett (violin) and Dan Weissman (mandolin, trumpet, backup vocals) are clearly the band’s greatest asset.

Take the night’s opening number, “Plans”, a brooding folk-pop number that recalls The Beatles as much as it does Dave Matthews. The combination is interesting on its own. But when Weissman rips through a mandolin solo with a ridiculous tone reminiscent of Eric Clapton on “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”, the song becomes something else all together. On the slow and pretty “Las Vegas”, Hackett plays a charming violin line over the layered interplay of guitar, mandolin, and piano, providing the song it’s soulful through line. And it would be remiss of me not to mention Mike Truskowski (backup vocals, piano, trombone), whose harmonies consistently bolster Cowgill’s powerful pop choruses.

One of the final songs of the night told the whole story, as the band seamlessly transitioned from a haunting, folksy three-part harmony into a raucous twelve-bar blues. As each member took a turn soloing over the surprisingly placed cover of “Sweet Home Chicago”, Paul Cowgill looked on in jubilant approval. And then just like that, the medley returned to the quiet folk of which it started, with Cowgill’s voice once again the star.

-Jon Hillman - Allston Pudding

Boston-based indie rock band Cowgill have announced that their debut album, Planted, will drop May 17th. Cowgill is made up of Paul Cowgill (Vocals, Acoustic Guitar), Mike Truskowski (Piano, Backup Vocals, Trombone), Dan Weissman (Mandolin, Backup Vocals, Trumpet), Leeann Hackett (Violin), Ryan Rivers (Bass Guitar) and a temporarily rotating cast on drums. The band's sound ranges in the territory of The Decemberists, The Shins, Fleet Foxes, Dr. Dog and The Airborne Toxic Event, combining indie rock and folk rock. Download their first single, "Plans", below. - Earbuddy

Boston has always been indie rock’s best-kept secret. Launching the careers of acclaimed artists such as The Lemonheads, Guster, and The Hush Now, you never know which band will break next. Well, look no further!….Meet COWGILL, one of the more brilliant groups to grace your ears in recent memory.
DOWNLOAD COWGILL’s “PLANS”:
http://download.themusebox.net/cowgill/plans.mp3

Formed in June 2011, COWGILL is the perfect combination of indie rock and folk rock, recommended if you like The Decemberists, The Shins, Fleet Foxes, Dr. Dog and The Airborne Toxic Event – combined with the catchy hooks and melodies of The Beatles. With the release of their debut single, “Plans,” the group is ready to take on the world with guitar, mandolin(?), and trombone(!) in hand as they fight for the hearts of music fans.

http://cowgill.bandcamp.com/track/plans - Skope

We have for you in today's Song of the Day, "Plans," by Boston's Cowgill. I'm really digging this one and as a result, it has already repeated a few times on my media player of choice. The song is from their Side One of Planted album which is scheduled for release on May 17. Cowgill formed in June of 2011 and based on this song, we'll be hearing a lot from them. Scroll down to the bottom of the post and grab it from our MP3 Grab. - Quirky NY Chick

Cowgill’s “Plans” ends gloriously with a mixture of Spanish-style guitar picking and a jazz piano over Paul Cowgill’s wistful vocals. ”We got just a cause,” He repeats as the drums, piano and guitar wrap around him. If you like the Shins or the Decemberists, give a listen to Cowgill.

Cowgill will unveil “Side One” of their debut full-length, Planted in May 2012.

Check out “Plans” here. - Leading Us Absurd

What day is it? Wednesday. And you know what that means. What else? It means that anyone that has a Wednesday residency for the month of March will probably be doing their thing tonight. One such group is today’s featured Cowgill. They are doing the Wednesday thing all month at PA’s Lounge, and this works well for them because they have a new song. Here it is and you can hear it live tonight, next Wednesday or the one after that. You have plenty of opportunities here.

Cowgill – “Plans”
[Download It!]

“Plans” strides quietly – yet purposefully – into your listening area and sets to work on their construction of muted brooding and wire-taut tension. They’re not on any mercy mission this time, Princess – Cowgill’s composition and arrangement will not set your teeth on edge, although it will give you a slight crawly sensation on the back of your neck. And they are not sorry – not one bit, so don’t bother asking to stop their pacing.

This track wears a hole into the carpet with that pacing, plodding around in a circular chord structure that seems perpetually downward. When prodded to make some change, “Plans” kicks into a higher gear, punctuated by rhythmic accents and infused by the energy of a fluid guitar solo. The vocal performance maintains the song’s sense of terse melancholy, as if it labors in some self-imposed prison.

The best part of this track is how it constructs its own prison and then gives the listener the option of experiencing it from inside or outside of the cell walls. Cowgill is either unable or unwilling to leave the prison, but they still rattle their cup against the bars and sing into the large hallway, biding you to come a little closer and share in whatever-it-is that they are going through. - Boston Band Crush

"One thing you should want to hear is Cowgill, which is why you must go to Precinct tomorrow night."

"Paul Cowgill ... puts himself out in the middle of this track with an earnest, soul-baring vocal performance. Even though there are a few more pieces to this arrangement than just guitar and vocals, the intimate quality of the vocal makes it seem like a sparse minimum of buffer zone between Cowgill and the listener. Like barely any - we’ll even venture to go with 'none.' This track takes on a few different permutations of its basic shape without ever surrendering it..."

"'The King Of Wales'" plays like an explanation of sorts, and Cowgill sings with the air of a man who expects you to understand something more after hearing it. The thing is - we feel like we do, but then again we’re not entirely sure of what that is. Does 'The King...' tell a story? Yes and no - Cowgill is highly literate at some points, but is also capable of dropping into a simple chorus of “nah-nah-nah-nah” in a few measures’ time. The malleable essence of this track keeps it engaging through the very last royal drop." - C.D. On Songs - Boston Band Crush

"Cowgill ... turned out to be a hero of the night." "...their arrangement was grand. The crowd below was serenaded by down home vocals interwoven with wisps of violin, piano, tide moving drums and acoustic guitar. The most intriguing piece of the puzzle was the girth of electric licks coming from a mandolin. Fun and serious, Cowgill gave a performance that I would not soon forget." - Need Less Fuzz