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Experimental Experience Local Musician Tamples In New Territory With New Musical Project
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The Jon Cohen Experimental have a “buffet of influences”
When I spoke to Jon Cohen, he and the rest...The Jon Cohen Experimental have a “buffet of influences”
When I spoke to Jon Cohen, he and the rest of the Jon Cohen Experimental, which consists of drummer Sebastian Cote and bass player Ken Martin, were in the misty city of Charlottetown, P.E.I. prepping to play a venue called The Alibi.
The trio of Montreal music scene veterans decided to kick off their first tour in two years on the East Coast to warm themselves up for their upcoming coast-to-coast tour.
“We’ve had a really good turn-out,” Cohen told me. “This is our first tour in a long time, and we’re seeing where we can tighten up our live show and how we can make it as good as possible. The best way to do that is to tour.”
The group is about to release a new album titled Behold. Aside from the trio which, according to Cohen, makes up the true core of the Experimental, a laundry list of renowned local musicians have contributed their talents to the album, including Evan Cranley of Stars and Murray Lightburn of The Dears.
“It was really nice to have different people come in and lend in their voices to something the three of us had been working on for so long,” Cohen said. “[We] were almost losing perspective of where it was going, so to have other people bring in a fresh approach to [the album] that we were so familiar with, and that was getting a little stale on our side, really breathed new life into the recording.”
Though there is such a diversity of perspective on Behold, Jon Cohen’s own personal experiences have the strongest presence on the album. Over the past ten years, he has played with bands such as The Dears and The Social Register, among many others. With so much experience under his belt, moving on to create his own project seemed a natural transition; and, naturally, Cohen has a myriad of influences to work with.
Cohen’s subdued, moody crooning brings back what the alternative music world lost with the passing of Elliott Smith, and an array of references can be heard in the Experimental’s musical arrangements. Their sound offers a unique combination of styles and references; Cohen’s guitar playing is soaked in reverb and distortion, yet still manages to deliver a melodic, pop-rock feel.
“It’s a buffet of influences, and that’s the beauty of this record,” Cohen said. “There’s a string through the entire record that keeps the whole thing together, but each song takes you to a completely different space and style. [The references are] very hard to pinpoint, but it still all seems very familiar. It’s progressive, but it’s mainstream at the same time. That’s the best part; being able to say, ‘What did you hear?’”
The Jon Cohen Experimental play a concert to celebrate the release of Behold on Thursday Sept. 16. The band will be playing at the bottom of a large, empty swimming pool in Bains Mathieu (2915 Ontario St. E.) while visual artists paint their interpretation of the music during the set. They will also be playing during POP Montreal on Sept. 30.
This article originally appeared in The Link Volume 31, Issue 05, published September 14, 2010.
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Reviews: ndie-rock The Jon Cohen Experimental Behold (INDEPENDENT)
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indie-rock
The Jon Cohen Experimental
Behold
(INDEPENDENT)
3.5 / 5
Monsieur Cohen has earned ...indie-rock
The Jon Cohen Experimental
Behold
(INDEPENDENT)
3.5 / 5
Monsieur Cohen has earned his stripes in Montreal’s indie trenches over the last decade as the multi-instrumentalist go-to guy for such artists as The Dears, The Social Register and JF Robitaille, while forming this here project back in ‘06. What we’re listening to is the trio’s second album – laid to warm and fuzzy analog tape at Dave Draves’ Little Bullhorn Studios (Howe Gelb, Wooden Stars, Kepler, Kathleen Edwards) – a thoroughly enjoyable collection of mellowed and aged pop-rock songs. Guests include Krista Muir, Angela Desveaux, as well as members of Stars, The Stills and Elephant Stone. September 16th at Bain Mathieu.
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Article on The Silhouette (McMaster University)
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Considering his tours of duty with a number of Montreal bands including The Dears and The Social Reg...Considering his tours of duty with a number of Montreal bands including The Dears and The Social Register it is not all that surprising that Jon Cohen’s solo endeavor, the appropriately named The Jon Cohen Experimental, incorporates a number of sounds, inspirations and techniques. As Cohen explains, his experience with the now much-talked about Montreal indie music scene affected him on more than just a musical level, “It was good for me because it opened me up to a lot of different styles and different personalities, egos. It was a good learning experience [that prepared me for] being a leader.”
In spite of what these opportunities offered, Cohen decided to work independently—when he “started to feel like just a session musician,” he chose to take on more responsibility as the head of his own project. Cohen appreciates the new found power. “I just felt like I had equally strong skills for composing and writing music and I have always been more satisfied writing music and being in control of the process,” he explains, “when you have a job, especially one you like, would you rather be an employee or a manger.” He is also however, well aware of the downsides, but remains undaunted by being at the helm, “It’s your responsibility, so everything reflects on you in the end and that’s a pitfall, but I don’t really care about that much though, because it’s just an experience.”
The small, incestuous nature of the Montreal music scene Cohen describes has meant shifting band members—the only remaining member of the original line-up other than himself, is Ken Martin, “It shifts a lot but there are core members, [Ken has] been with me from the start, I always turn to him first... we think of who would be good to play with us, and the shifting group of performers contribute to the product. Though Cohen writes on his own, the creative process is not entirely solitary, and he explains the recording process is an essentially open exchange, “in as sense everybody does their part. It’s really not like a dictatorship. It just happens to be that I write the songs, but the songs are so flexible and malleable.” Cohen explains the new shape of the product is not completely different, but does often have a new face.
This process is the likely source of the many personalities of The Jon Cohen Experimental’s sound. Though a wide-ranging musical taste may also be the culprit he is reluctant to name names, since, for the most part he attempts to avoid imitation, “I tend not to try to emulate any of the music that I listen to, in fact, if something goes right I turn left,” says Cohen. One name he does mention is outside of his own artistic medium—director Stanley Kubrick. “[He] has been a strong influence on my music in terms of his attention to detail,” explains Cohen. “He can be very serious but also has a humorous side to him.” This double-sided quality is evident in Cohen’s music and even he is often uncertain about when the music is meant to be light or sober, and even with multiple listens of his self-titled debut album he has yet to figure it out. “Sometimes I find it’s very serious and then I find that it is almost becoming a parody of itself,” he says.
Songs that bounce from multi-layered psychedelia to pop melodies to soft introspection and back again are standard fair. After a song is written and recorded it continues to change for Cohen and he includes the audience in this process. The live shows are a testing ground, but he admits that using audience reaction as a measure has its drawbacks, he says he tries not to be too swayed by it. “It’s fifty-fifty to some extent the audience participation with music has a lot to do with how you feel and the other fifty percent is also how the band is connecting together.”
In spite of Cohen’s consideration for his audience, any attendees should not expect a heavily interactive experience, as for now he lets the music do the talking. “I don’t feel like I have anything to say that is substantial. I’m not big on onstage banter,” he says. He could perhaps be considered a selfish, withdrawn performer, but for Cohen such claims are not necessarily a problem—he does not neglect his audience, just takes a sort of airline safety approach to performing, describing it as “a necessary kind of selfish—take care of yourself before you can take care of others.” Cohen says he has become hooked on the live performance part of The Jon Cohen Experimental, which is good considering he has booked a lot of them over the next two weeks in Ontario and Quebec—apparently trying to take care of as many Canadians as possible. The Jon Cohen Experimental play live at the Casbah, Sunday November 12.
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Adapt Magazine record review
http://www.adaptmagazine.com/wordpress/2006/11/15/the-jon-cohen-experimental
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JCEX sur 10 jours du faubourg
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The Jon Cohen Experimental est un projet monté par l’auteur-compositeur Jon Cohen. Après avoir été m...The Jon Cohen Experimental est un projet monté par l’auteur-compositeur Jon Cohen. Après avoir été membre de groupes populaires comme The Dears et The Social Register Jon Cohen a formé son propre groupe après plus d'une décennie de service à la scène musicale Montréalaise. Le résultat? Un premier album éponyme, magnifiquement ciselé qui a crée un buzz parmi les amateurs de musique sophistiquée. Tout de suite, The Jon Cohen Experimental ont joué partout au Québec et en Ontario sur différentes scènes et dans des festivals tels que Pop Montréal. Ils ont été présentés sur des émissions radio comme Brave New Waves et The Signal. En 2007, The Jon Cohen Experimental ont recus une nomination “meilleur album pop avec GAMIQ” (l'initiative Indépendante de Musique du Québec) suivi par une autre en 2010. Aujourd'hui, The Jon Cohen Experimental explosent avec leur deuxième album judicieusement intitulé "Behold", enregistré et coréalisé avec Jon et son extraordinaire réalisateur de disques David Draves (Julie Doiron, Gentleman Reg, Kathleen Edwards, Skydiggers). Ce magnifique disque comporte le talent de musiciens comme Angela Desveaux, Evan Cranley (Stars), Liam O'Neil (Stills) et Murray Lightburn (The Dears).
Jon Cohen: (Guitars/Synths/El Vocco) Ken Martin:(Bass/Softvox) Seb Cote:(Drums/Synths/Vox populi)
Les 10 jours sont heureux de présenter cet artiste unique en son genre.
Lien :
www.myspace.com/thejoncohenexperience
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Jon Cohen likes not being able to put just one label on his music.
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SYDNEY — Jon Cohen likes not being able to put just one label on his music.
Topics : Pop Montreal ,...SYDNEY — Jon Cohen likes not being able to put just one label on his music.
Topics : Pop Montreal , Quebec Indie Music Awards.Saturday , Cape Breton , Ferry Street , Dolbin Street
While pop is at the heart of his band’s sound, there’s plenty of other influences at play for the Montreal-based Jon Cohen Experimental.
“I like to say that it’s genre-defying and I think that’s mostly because I’ve been such a music junkie my whole life and listened to so many different styles of music that it’s all been kinda put in a blender,” said Cohen, during an interview with the Cape Breton Post.
Jon Cohen Experimental — featuring Cohen and bandmates Ken Martin and Sebastian Cote — will perform Saturday night at the Upstairs club, located at the corner of Ferry Street and Dolbin Street in Sydney. Doors will open at 8 p.m.
The Cape Breton stop is part of the first leg of a tour in support of their latest release, Behold, which was unofficially released earlier this year in Montreal, but is now being officially released across the country.
Cohen — who has played with a diverse range of bands over the years, including The Dears, The Social Register, JF Robitaille — formed his own group, Jon Cohen Experimental, in 2006. Since then, the band has toured Canada and played in festivals such as Pop Montreal and NXNE. They have also charted on college radio and were nominated for best pop album with GAMIQ, the Quebec Indie Music Awards.
“Take a chance and listen to something great. If you come on down, you’re going to love it,” - Jon Cohen, Jon Cohen Experimental
Saturday’s show will be the group’s first performance on the island and Cohen is excited to make his Cape Breton debut. He hopes local music fans will give Jon Cohen Experiemental a listen.
“Take a chance and listen to something great. If you come on down, you’re going to love it,” he said. “Expect to be really surprised and really inspired and to be entertained. I’m sure that we’re going to have a great time.”
For more information on the band and to hear a few of their songs go to www.myspace.com/thejoncohenexperience.
ljgrant@cbpost.com
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Call & Response: The Jon Cohen Experimental
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Call & Response is a series of Q&As with bands, artists and random people we dig that live in Montre...Call & Response is a series of Q&As with bands, artists and random people we dig that live in Montreal, visit here, or have some dubious connection to the city.
The Jon Cohen Experimental is a local trio fronted by, well, I guess it's pretty obvious from the name. What you might not know is that Jon Cohen has been a member of influential local acts such as the Dears and JF Robitaille and the band's latest album, Behold, features guest appearances from members of The Stills, Stars, Angela Desveaux, and others high profile musicians from our city's scenes. The new album finds the band weaving a tight but relaxed sound that meshes pop and indie rock with extended psychedelic instrumental jams. There's an organic feel to how the songs on Beholdunfold, and they're loaded with harmonies and vocal hooks. In preparation for their show this Thursday at Bain Mathieu I decided to chat with Jon and his experiment. As we do in this series, I put to him the world's most pressing questions:
You've got a great jam-band feel on this album? Was it hard to make an album sound this relaxed?
Yes, it was. It takes a shitload of work and frustration to sound this relaxed...really. I'm not so sure about the jam band reference though. We are pretty surgical when it comes to making and recording this music. No note left unplucked and no beat unrehearsed. If a bandmember wants a solo, they have to write a three-page thesis on why they feel it would be beneficial to the song.
Where is the best place to listen to your music?
Deep in the subconscious.
What do you love most about Montreal?
Music and arts, women and diversity.
On some songs I hear Pink Floyd, others I hear the Beach Boys. In a cage match of your influences, who comes out on top?
Brian Wilson is too out of shape and depressed to get Roger Waters or David Gilmour pinned down and Sid is dead. I would stay away from Mike Love or Al Jardine because they are crazy and unpredictable. Much like our music, it would be a standstill.
What do you love most about Poutine?
It's quick and dirty.
What do you hate most about Poutine?
When the people who make it don't understand proper cheese/fry/gravy ratio.
You've played previously with some big name local bands (The Dears, JF Robitaille, etc.). How does it feel striking out under your own name?
Feels good to create something where I have more control and where I write the songs. It's music I can be proud of and it gives me lots of motivation to continue.
Do you remember your first gig?
The first time I ever played a live show was at my high school talent show with my friend Lionel and a drummer. We played 'Alive' by Pearl Jam and 'Psychotherapy' by the Ramones. Then we stage dove into the unsuspecting audience and were forbidden to play again. Then girls started talking to me for the first time ever. It was better than anything I could have ever imagined.
If your music was a famous historical figure, who would it be and why?
My music would be the bastard child of Ghandi and Stevie Nicks...a healthy blend of debauchery and spirituality.
Describe the atmosphere at a Jon Cohen Experimental show. More Experimental or more Jon Cohen? Or something else?
A Jon Cohen experimental show offers you the unique opportunity to lose yourself in a deep thought-provoking mood altering ejaculation of sound and dance. Go where no one has gone before.
How did you spend your 16th birthday?
I invited some friends over and we drank beer and watched A Clockwork Orange. I don't think I was ever more terrified in my life.
Listen to The Jon Cohen Experimental here
or get the full experience at these upcoming shows:
Sept 16th @ Bain Mathieu (2915 Rue Ontario Est)
Free show in the bottom of a swimming pool with mind-bending visuals as a backdrop
Sept 30TH @ Club Balatou 11PM
Part of Pop Montreal
The band's sophomore album Behold is available here
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Montreal indie scene veteran Jon Cohen brings experimental pop rock Upstairs September 11
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Montreal indie scene veteran Jon Cohen brings experimental pop rock Upstairs September 11
in ARTS b...Montreal indie scene veteran Jon Cohen brings experimental pop rock Upstairs September 11
in ARTS by Suzanne MacNeil — September 9, 2010 at 8:08 am | 0
John Cohen embodies a sizeable piece of the Montreal scene, being a key member of The Dears, The Social Register, JF Robitaille and other notables for a good couple decades. After paying his musical dues in other bands, he channelled his own creativity into The Jon Cohen Experimental in 2006. Since then, has put thousands of kilometres of Canadian highway behind him while touring, been featured in numerous radio shows including CBC’s Brave New Waves, and made key festival appearances at Pop Montreal and NXNE. The John Cohen Experimental’s self-titled debut album was nominated by l’Initiative Indépendante de Musique du Québec (Gamiq) for best pop album in 2008.
Cohen’s fall 2010 tour comes as he introduces his sophomore album Behold. He is joined on the recording by fellow workers in song Angel Desveaux, Evan Cranley of the Start, Liam O’Neil of the Stills, and Murray Lightburn of the Dears, all contributing to a moody, thoughtful, and occasionally spiritually ambient take on experimental pop-rock. The Montreal Mirror hinted at a comparison to an early Brian Eno type of sound.
The current touring lineup includes Cohen’s fronting with vocals, guitar, piano, and keys; Ken Martin on bass and backing vocals; and Sebastian Côté on drums, percussion, electronics, and backing vocals.
The Jon Cohen Experimental’s Sydney show will take place at The Upstairs Club on Saturday, September 11. Doors open at 8:00pm, with $5 cover. Check them out at myspace.com/thejoncohenexperience.
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Top 5 reasons you should definitely attend the Jon Cohen Experimental Pop Montreal showcase
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Top 5 reasons you should definitely attend the Jon Cohen Experimental Pop Montreal showcase this Thu...Top 5 reasons you should definitely attend the Jon Cohen Experimental Pop Montreal showcase this Thursday night 11pm?
1: Access into the mysterious Afro-Beat club BALATTOU (I don’t know about you but I’ve always wanted to go in there but was too intimidated!)
2: Our music will have horns, so naturally, it will be horny. Possibly also a fantastic picture show (if shane watt can get his projector working again)
3: I will attempt a few scissor kicks on stage during some song finales (warning: I might injure myself….but it will be fun to watch!)
4: Cheap booze, good friends, carribean ambiance, fresh faces, mixed crowd, cheap booze!
and last but not least….drumroll please!!!
5: Khaira Arby (from Timbuktu) will blow us all away! — http://www.myspace.com/khairaarby
Pop Montreal lineup
Zsofia Zambo – 9pm
Fredom or Death – 10pm
Jon Cohen Experimental – 11pm
Khaira Arby – 12pm
Balattou Club – [map]
4372 Boulevard Saint-Laurent (corner Marie Anne)
(514) 845-5447
www.myspace.com/thejoncohenexperience
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Montreal Mirror Album Review
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THE JON COHEN Experimental (independent) Launnie Anderssohn/ex-Dears guitarist dips into shroomy amb...THE JON COHEN Experimental (independent) Launnie Anderssohn/ex-Dears guitarist dips into shroomy ambiance, producing sweet mood music and excellent rockers like the early-Eno-esque “Just Me Against the World.” 7.5 (LC)
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New music Sept. 16, 2010: , John Cohen Experimental, Bilal, Chromeo, Jonas
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he Jon Cohen Experimental
Behold
Independent
As a former member of the Dears, among other b...he Jon Cohen Experimental
Behold
Independent
As a former member of the Dears, among other bands, Jon Cohen has planted deep roots in the Montreal scene. You reap what you sow: his trio's second album features a roll call of local illuminati, including Rishi Dhir (Elephant Stone), Angela Desveaux and Liam O'Neil (the Stills). This would count for little if it weren't for Cohen's skill with understated funk and modernist new-wave hooks. The heated soul in his vocals on Brain Pollution make one wish Cohen would break out of his half-whisper more often, but whether he plays it hot or cool, there's a lot of talent here, and only a fraction of it is in the guest list.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
The Jon Cohen Experimental launches Behold tonight (Thursday, Sept. 16) at 7 at Bain Mathieu, 2915 Ontario St. E. The group also performs Sept. 30 at 11 p.m. at Club Balattou, 4372 St. Laurent Blvd., as part of Pop Montreal.
JORDAN ZIVITZ
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Review of Behold on Exclaim
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The Jon Cohen Experimental Behold
REVIEWS POP & ROCK
By Daniel Sylvester
Jonathan Cohen has sp...The Jon Cohen Experimental Behold
REVIEWS POP & ROCK
By Daniel Sylvester
Jonathan Cohen has spent the greater part of the last decade kicking around in Montreal bands such as the Social Register, JF Robitaille and the Dears. Behold, the second independently released LP form Cohen's three-piece, deftly shows off his tenure without coming off too referential. On songs like the excellently un-executed "Hold the Fire" and the '70s AM gold of "Don't Be the Cloud," Cohen sounds restrained, comfortable and most importantly, like no one else in the Canadian music scene at the moment. Although Cohen has called in a decade's worth of favours to make this album, including production from the criminally underrated Dave Draves, along with guest appearances by Angela Desveaux, Murray Lightburn (the Dears) and members of Stars and the Stills, he utilizes their contributions the same way he approaches every song on this album: with restraint, much deliberation and even more innovation.
(Independent)
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CHRW top 10 records
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>>> Top 10's
Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday
DJ Name: Li...>>> Top 10's
Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday
DJ Name: Lisa Desgroseilliers Show: Paroles Et Chansons
1 Kain Nalle Part Ailleurs
2 Dany Bedar Live Acoustique en Studio
3 Marie-Chantal Toupin Non-Negociable
4 Corneitle Les Marchands de Reves
5 Pierre Lapointe Dans le Foret des Mal-Aimes
6 Vincent Vallieres Le Repere Tranquille
7 Nolwenn Leroy Histoires Naturelles
8 Diam's Dans Ma Bulle
9 Marie-Mai Inoxydable
10 Malajube Trompe L'Oeil
DJ Name: Tom Lyall Show: Omnibrow
1 AA Sound System Laissez Faire
2 Faust Faust IV
3 The Jon Cohen Experimental The Jon Cohen Experimental
4 Drive-By Truckers A Blessing And A Curse
5 Tom Waits Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers and Bastards
6 Rebekah Higgs Rebekah Higgs
7 Cometsa On Fire Avatar
8 Foxtail Farms For Sale
9 Lindsay Buckingham Under The Skin
10 Don ald Fagen Morph The Cat
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Emoragei Review
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S/T
THE JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL
(Independent)
La première fois que cet ensemble montréalais a rejo...S/T
THE JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL
(Independent)
La première fois que cet ensemble montréalais a rejoint mes oreilles, j'ai été absolument emballé. Leur rock prenait des allures de Pink Floyd planant (Just me against the world ou encore Let go) comme ils le faisaient si bien au début des années 70, et d'autres fois, on se sent plutôt lancés dans un rock plus jazzé, mais également assez musclé (Intro into a lonely chamber, en début d'album) où les riffs sont des plus intéressants. Mais la référence des Floyd est omniprésente, autant au niveau de la voix que chez les guitares aériennes. Si vous vénérez Dark side of the moon et Meddle, vous aimerez Jon Cohen. Ils ont aussi le talent de faire apparaître un refrain « killer » (Right to fight) qui emballe complètement un morceau… et l'auditeur ! La seconde fois que j'ai écouté cet album, il m'a énervé par son manque de tonus : j'avais l'impression que mon lecteur jouait trop lentement tellement c'était mou… La troisième fois, les bonnes vibrations sont revenues et j'ai de nouveau apprécié ce quatuor qui se présente en toute simplicité, avouant aimer faire de la musique, tout simplement. À vous de faire votre propre opinion !
Desc. : Cool rock planant
R.S.V.A. : Pink Floyd, Pink Floyd, Pink Floyd
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GAMIQ nomination for best indie pop album
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Liste nominations GAMIQ 2007 Nominees List
Artiste de l'année / Artist Of The Year
Arcade Fire
...
Liste nominations GAMIQ 2007 Nominees List
Artiste de l'année / Artist Of The Year
Arcade Fire
Malajube
Patrick Watson
Tricot Machine
Vulgaires Machins
Xavier Caféïne
Auteur-compositeur de l'année / Songwriter Of The Year
Damien Robitaille
Dumas
Patrick Watson
Tricot Machine
Vincent Vallières
Xavier Caféïne
Carrière internationale de l'année / International Career Of The Year
Arcade Fire
Champion
Malajube
Patrick Watson
The Dears
Spectacle de l'année / Show Of The Year
Arcade Fire
Champion
Dumas
Les Breastfeeders
Patrick Watson
Révélation de l'année / Breakthrough Artist Of The Year
Les Amis Au Pakistan
Numéro
Pascale Picard
Patrick Watson
Tricot Machine
Meilleur album chanson / Best Chanson Album
3 Gars su'l Sofa / Des cobras, des tarentules
Damien Robitaille / L'homme qui me ressemble
Jean Leclerc / Mexico
Pépé / 100% bœuf
Tricot Machine / Tricot Machine
Meilleur album électro / Best Electro Album
Amon Tobin / Foley Room
Ghislain Poirier / Bounce le remix vol.2
Kid Koala / Your Mom's Favorite DJ
Lesbians On Ecstasy / We Know You Know
Numéro / L'idéologie des stars
Meilleur album expérimental / Best Experimental Album
(swedish) Death Polka / Judith Judith
L'Orkestre des Pas Perdus / Projet 9
Les Amis Au Pakistan / Espace libidinal
Les Georges Leningrad / Sangue Puro
The Banjo Consorsium / A Turning One
Meilleur album folk/country / Best Folk/Country Album
Carl-Éric Hudon & Dany Placard / Hudon-Placard
Les Fréres Cheminaud / Les hommes des tavernes
Les Frères Goyette / Minimiser les dégâts
Psychocaravane / À l'abri du convoi
The United Steel Workers of Montreal / Kerosene & Coal
Meilleur album hip-hop / Best Hip-Hop Album
2 Faces / Moi, 2 Faces & Dirty
Accrophone / J'thème
Black Taboo / Crosse-toé ça rend sourd
Damien / Plus que jamais
Omnikrom / Trop banane!
Meilleur album indie pop / Best Indie Pop Album
Alfa Rococo / Lever l'ancre
Dumas / Fixer le temps
Pascale Picard / Me, Myself & Us
Patrick Watson / Close To Paradise
The Jon Cohen Experimental/Self-Titled
Vincent Vallières / Le repère tranquille
Meilleur album indie rock / Best Indie Rock Album
Arcade Fire / Neon Bible
GrimSkunk / Fires Under The Road
Pawa Up First / Introducing New Details
The Besnard Lakes / The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse
The Dears / Gang Of Losers
Meilleur album métal/hardcore / Best Metal/Hardcore Album
Anonymus / Chapter Chaos Begins
Ghoulunatics / Cryogénie
Les Ékorchés / Les Ékorchés
Unexpect / In A Flesh Aquarium
Voïvod / Katorz
Meilleur album punk / Best Punk Album
Akuma / …Des cendres et du désespoir
Éric Panic / Le combat est au jardin
Fifth Hour Hero / Not Revenge… Just A Vicious Crush
MAP / Repose en paix
Vulgaires Machins / Compter les corps
Meilleur album rock'n'roll / Best Rock'n'roll Album
Bloodshot Bill / Trashy Greasy Rockin' Billy
Les Breastfeeders / Les matins de grands soirs
Les Prostiputes / Sexe en stéréo
WD-40 / Saint-Panache
Xavier Caféïne / Gisèle
Meilleur album world/trad / Best World/Trad Album
Fanfare Pourpour / Karusell Musik
Les Charbonniers de l'enfer / À la grâce de Dieu
Marco Calliari / Mia Dolce Vita!
Michel Faubert / La fin du monde
Tomás Jensen & Les Faux-Monnayeurs / Pris sur le vif
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The Jon Cohen Experimental @The Alibi - September 10
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The Jon Cohen Experimental
@The Alibi - September 10
The Jon Cohen Experimental is the brainchi...The Jon Cohen Experimental
@The Alibi - September 10
The Jon Cohen Experimental is the brainchild band of Montreal musician-songwriter Jonathan Cohen. Having been a key member of bands such as The Dears, The Social Register and others, Jon formed his own group in the spring of 2006—a response to over a decade of service to the Montreal music scene. The group is Jonathan Cohen vocals, guitars, piano and keys; Ken Martin: bass, backing vocals; Sebastian Côté: drums, percussion, electronics and backing vocals. Their new album is Behold.
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~of Montreal ~CRACK TALKS. money walks. say what ? » ~Don’t Be The Cloud/THE JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL yes, outta MONTREAL, have a listen !! – bet addiction will hit you, too.
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« ~of Montreal
~CRACK TALKS. money walks. say what ? »
~Don’t Be The Cloud/THE JON COHEN EXPERIMEN...« ~of Montreal
~CRACK TALKS. money walks. say what ? »
~Don’t Be The Cloud/THE JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL
yes, outta MONTREAL . . . have a listen !! – bet addiction will hit you, too.
sample: ‘Don’t Be The Cloud’, BEHOLD, THE JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL !!
while we were in Montreal last May 2010 – we came across this great little music venue called CASA del POPOLO – on St. Laurent – or St. Lawrence as we used to call it – back in the day – before the French language rights issue – cast it’s chilly spell. that was like the hood – like exactement – the Lower East Side – of Montreal.
the first thing that greeted you inside the doorway – was this converted cigarette dispensing machine . . .
for your two buck coin – or tooney – as Canadians call their 2 dollar coins . . . they only have bills starting at the $5 denomination . . .
(singles, or $1 coins are called ‘looneys’ . . . get it: looney and twoonies. Looney tunes – I swear to god.)
(ya gotta know what Looney tunes are, right ? you know Bugs Bunny. Elmer Fudge ? T.V. before reality shows ?)
you can choose a limited edition handmade artist zine – or even some artist produced buttons !!
yes, check these guys, out: distroboto
anyways – CASA del POPOLO, in keeping with its Montreal location – seemed to be more of a European bar/coffeehouse than the kind of more down-to-earthy coffee shop with cupcakes and muffins that our CAKE SHOP is – but just like our NYC Lower East Side – Cake Shop – their music venue was also in the deep dark basement . . . with its own bar downstairs, too.
check out: CASA del POPOLO, Montreal
check out: CAKE SHOP, NYC
some small cartoon drawing in a local alternative newspaper – spread on a table – did momentarily catch my eye.
shark bite, Montreal style ?
don’t tell her I said so, but Kate loved it there. she would have gone back every night . . . if other matters at home weren’t more compelling.
here’s the poster for the 3 bands that were playing that night – and did we luck out or what – THE JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL was 2nd on the bill !!
frontman, songwriter and lead singer/guitar/synths – JON COHEN sets up. we had no idea what we were in for.
this guy was just an amazing fireball of intensity – Montreal spawns a few of these every now and then – even back in the day – when my crew ruled the streets and cafes.
you can read more about him: here/indie music reviews/adequacy.net
the band begins to play . . and immediately the room is quiet. transfixed and on fire, all at the same time . . .
a very cool but smooth and beat worthy – SEBASTIAN COTE is on the drums, and a wonderfully intellectual and extremely musical KEN MARTIN plays the bass.
JON COHEN plays and lites fires at the same time. live – it was surreal. intense is not the word. and yet golden.
spun out and surprising.
after the gig – JON COHEN at right, with his bass player – KEN MARTIN.
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH. 13 MAI, 2010. MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA.
found this little early clip:
THE JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL/’Hold the Fire’/technorati
but . . . here’s their, pretty much only video clip, on YouTube:
yep, most def, HIT: THE JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL – PLAYS – ‘BRAIN POLLUTION’ – LIVE AT DUNCAN GARAGE SHOWROOM/YouTube
hit this link, to watch: the recent – JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL INTERVIEW/PKG on YouTube
o.k. but, I’m still stuck on: Don’t Be The Cloud !!
I could run that song thru my head on a loop 24/7 – for real.
if artlovers had a sound track – that would be it – for this month, anyways. love it. just can’t get enough of it.
you can find their home page, here: THE JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL on myspace
~Don’t Be The Cloud/THE JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL | Posted in Indie Music Reviews, The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | November 20th, 2010, 6:30pm
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Chart Attack: Who The Hell Are You? Jon Cohen Experimental
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It's Wednesday, and that means another installment of Who The Hell Are You?, where we profile indie ...It's Wednesday, and that means another installment of Who The Hell Are You?, where we profile indie bands, labels and organizations. This week, we're talking to Jon Cohen Experimental's Jon Cohen. If you'd like to see your musical entity featured in future weeks, write to chart@chartattack.com with the subject heading "Who The Hell Are You?" or something to that effect.
Who are you?
Jon Cohen Experimental (I'm Jon Cohen).
Where are you from?
Montreal, Canada.
When did you start playing music?
I have been playing music for around a decade now. I played guitar in The Dears, bass in JF Robitaille's band, The Social Register, guitar and keys in The John Lennox Band and Launie Anderssohn. This is the first project where I am writing the music and spearheading the whole affair.
Describe your music in 100 words or less.
Pretty, Introspective, naive, well-played, pompous, gorgeous, lush, haunting, rip-off, highly influenced, friendship-based, mistakes, mistakes, mistakes, pop, experimental but also an experiment, serious with humour, meditative, like a painting, lyric-based, melody-driven, analogue, blood, sweat and tears (not the band), heavy at times, mostly soft, multi-faith, feel-good, personal, worldly but not in a world music way, catchy, feverish, my life's work, a gift.
How was your recent release recorded?
In a beautiful, warm, creaky old studio called the Treatment Room in Montreal's Mile End District on old analogue equipment with old amplifiers and organs, over the winter/spring of 2006.
How committed are you to making music a full-time career?
Sounds like a job interview. I'm committed to making myself and those around me as happy as I can. I'm committed to the moment.
What are your day jobs?
Window washer by day, soundman by night.
Where can people find your music, either on the web or in stores?
Our CDs are on consignment for now at smaller record stores around Montreal. If you need a copy, I'll mail you one. It's simple. As for the web, go to our MySpace page, IndieCan or Isound.
What's something that you'd like our readers to know about?
We want to get people interested in what we are doing by playing shows. Touring is really the only thing I wanna do, which is why we are also in the market for a booking agency and shopping around for just the right label. We are on our first tour as a three-piece this fall. Come to the shows and find out for yourself how unusually beautiful it can be. The tour dates are on our MySpace page.
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Album review The Jon Cohen Experimental Behold
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The Jon Cohen Experimental
Behold
Unsigned
B-
THE SECOND RELEASE from the Montreal-based band ...The Jon Cohen Experimental
Behold
Unsigned
B-
THE SECOND RELEASE from the Montreal-based band The John Cohen Experimental is easy to listen to, with plenty of nods to indie-pop-rock heritage. You can clearly hear the ghost of Elliot Smith in their vocal style. The Jon Cohen Experimental’s Behold is a nice album. However, when I say “nice”, I mean pleasant enough—but nothing more. While the album is well done, I kept listening for something exciting, catchy, or, as the band’s name implies, experimental. But I never found it. No infectious riffs or melodies, no resonating lyrics, nothing new—most tracks go in one ear and out the other.
The album ends much stronger than it begins, and it’s actually the slower tracks that stick out. Worth listening to are the title track “Behold”, “Lucky Number Seven”, and, if you’re a Flaming Lips fan, “Don’t Be the Cloud”. But don’t take my word for it: listen for yourself at the band’s upcoming show at Zaphod Beeblebrox on Oct. 21. —Meaghan Parker
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Dark Days: Jon Cohen's Behold chronicles broken love
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f albums are like time capsules, Jon Cohen's latest, Behold, is the kind you want to bury deep in yo...f albums are like time capsules, Jon Cohen's latest, Behold, is the kind you want to bury deep in your backyard.
ENLARGE PHOTO
The album, which hits stores September 16, is a scrapbook of Cohen's two and a half year long relationship, chronicling his own doubts and fears of being alone and the inevitable self-loathing that follows any break-up.
"It represents ... a dark period for me in terms of deciding whether or not to continue with this relationship," he says. "Behold was kind of like seeing a shrink for six months; it's both the cause of a lot of unhappiness, but the result of a lot of happiness and pride."
Hailing from Montreal, Cohen's spent a decade in the city's vibrant music scene, playing in bands such as The Dears and The Social Register. In 2006, Cohen decided it was time to break out on his own, so he tracked down a few friends and formed the Jon Cohen Experimental.
Now 34, Cohen says he's ready to leave his band-hopping days behind and focus solely on the Jon Cohen Experimental, a decision he says has yet to regret.
"It's like tilling your own land; even if you have a small patch, when you reap the fruit and vegetables, it's so much sweeter," he says. "It helps build a lot of confidence ... When it's your own, it feels so much more special."
Not that he wasn't willing to share. Cohen brought in longtime musician friends Angela Desveaux, Murray Lightburn of The Dears, Evan Cranley of Stars and Broken Social Scene, and Liam O'Neil of Stills to provide additional vocals.
"These musicians are like pearls; they brought exactly what was needed to the song ... they're not overpowering," he says. "I thought it would bring a good element to the music and show that music in Montreal is all about collaboration."
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The Jon Cohen Experimental plays Moncton's Paramount Lounge, 800 Main St., Moncton September 9 at 8pm. $5 cover. 860-6927. They play at Sackville's Bridge Street Café, 8 Bridge St., September 13 at 7pm. Pay what you can. 536-4428. Catch them in Fredericton September 14 at 8pm at the F-Studio, 380 Mazucca Lane. $8 cover, $6 students. 455-3686.
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Last minute plans: The Jon Cohen Experimental
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For those looking to get arty on your Friday night I've got a good suggestion (at least it sounds go...For those looking to get arty on your Friday night I've got a good suggestion (at least it sounds good to me) for you. The Jon Cohen Experimental pulls in to play The Drake Hotel tonight at 10:00pm. Tickets are $5.
The Jon Cohen Experimental is the brainchild of surprise, Jon Cohen. He should be familiar to music fans from his role in bands like The Dears and The Social Register.
Andrew Rodgriguez opens.
Jon Cohen Experimental's Myspace
Andrew Rodriguez's Myspace
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Jive talkin' : The wide-ranging Jon Cohen Experimental laugh off goofy comparisons
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ive talkin'
Jamie O'Meara
The Jon Cohen Experimental: "Pick and choose your own influence...ive talkin'
Jamie O'Meara
The Jon Cohen Experimental: "Pick and choose your own influences"
photo: Liam Maloney
The wide-ranging Jon Cohen Experimental laugh off goofy comparisons
I can feel Jon Cohen's eyebrows arching on the other end of the phone. I've just clumsily told him that his acoustic-based indie rock/pop outfit, The Jon Cohen Experimental, sounds like The Bee Gees - they don't even remotely, but I swear that there's the barest suggestion of a suggestion of the brothers Gibb on new song Stroke (of the Night) - and I'm doing my best to backpedal away from that mischaracterization when he gently lets me off the hook.
"For me, it's great to hear these references that I would never expect," says Cohen diplomatically. "Like, The Bee Gees? It's really funny to hear that, but from my perspective, what you put into the grinder and what comes out, well, you often have no idea."
Cohen has, in the past, performed with a vast array of Montreal's best and brightest ("Yeah, I've prostituted myself"), including The Dears, The Social Register, JF Robitaille and more. Probably one of the bigger benefits of having worked with so many others is that when it comes to doing your own material, there's a rich bank of buddies from which to withdraw favours, which Cohen does in liberal fashion on his second and latest, Behold, enlisting the aid of members of The Stills, Stars and The Dears among many others.
"The best part of making this record was working with people who I was a bit nervous to work with, because at that point I didn't feel like I could sort of measure up, but it gave me the confidence to say, 'Hey, I can do this, and these people are great, and I'm
great, so let's do this.'"
The launch for Behold will take place in Bain Mathieu - yes, in the pool - under the auspices of the Dix Jours du Faubourg multidisciplinary music and arts festival (Sept. 9-19). "They're trying to promote an area of Montreal called the Faubourg, just to show that there are a lot of artists coming out of there... It's like saying there are things happening in NDG or Hochelaga - there are musicians out there, and not just on the Plateau."
Shaughnessy Village represent!
"Not quite as obscure as that," he laughs. "It's a cool little festival that they're putting on and they wanted us to be a part of it. The whole thing is that they wanted to incorporate other artist mediums - there are going to be people painting to our music, so that should be pretty interesting."
The Bain Mathieu show will feature the band in their fundamental trio form (whereas their upcoming Pop Montreal performance, Oct. 1, will also showcase the talents of some of those who lent their names to Behold) and, ensuring maximum value for your concert dollar, admission is free.
"What you'll get is a band that's fresh off an [East Coast] tour and shit hot," jokes Cohen. "And there will be visual artists painting live renditions of our music as we play. Honestly, I don't have any clue what that means, but there will also be projections and, of course, the swimming pool let's not forget. So bring your bathing suits - it's going to be wet and wild!"
The Jon Cohen Experimental
w/ Drop Of A Dime
At Festival Dix Jours du Faubourg, Bain Mathieu (2915 Ontario E.), Sept. 16, 7 p.m.
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The Jon Cohen Experimental: Be not the godless mob - go east, young men
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The National Beat: Music news
The Jon Cohen Experimental: Be not the godless mob - go east, young m...The National Beat: Music news
The Jon Cohen Experimental: Be not the godless mob - go east, young men
Given the volume of Canadian indie bands touring at any given moment, it's surprising that more of them don't venture into Canada's Eastern Coast enclaves, which compared to touring in the prairies, is a walk in a rather picturesque park. When it comes to those brave and brazen few who do take the initiative, well, there's no respect involved - most folks just think they're nuts.
Jon Cohen agrees.
"I know," says The Jon Cohen Experimental's namesake and singer/guitarist, "and when I tell people, their first question is always 'Why?' And I say because I love it, man! It's beautiful out there, the people are awesome, and why not? Ontario and Quebec are pretty saturated with great bands, so we're going to take it out there, take it to the people."
Cohen, for his part, couldn't be happier about the Eastern exploration he and band mates Ken Martin (bass) and Seb Coté (drums) are on the cusp of undertaking. "We've got an eight-day maritimes tour starting in Quebec City and then going to Fredericton, Moncton, Charlottetown, Sydney, Halifax, Sackville and then Montreal - it's going to be great."
What the Montreal-based trio are, in fact, taking to the aforementioned people is the whimsical, psychedelic-tinged indie rock/pop of the band's sophomore album, Behold (www.myspace.com/thejoncohenexperience), a thoughtful and artful construction that deftly slips obvious description. Cohen says that the reason for this might lie not with any apparent, direct influences, but rather, more simply, with the lifetime of musical experience he brings to the drafting table (and in that sense "The Jon Cohen Experiential" might be a more fitting identifier... just sayin').
"In general, the writing has really been an issue of harnessing 15 years of listening to music, and going into it and working and re-working these songs until they reach my liking and fulfill my criteria. And then from there on it's anybody else's guess."
The Jon Cohen Experimental will come from away and go where you're at on the following dates:
Sept. 8, Quebec City, L'Agitée
Sept. 9, Moncton, The Paramount
Sept. 10, Charlottetown, The Alibi
Sept. 11, Sydney, Upstairs
Sept. 12, Halifax, The Paragon Theatre
Sept. 13, Sackville, The Bridge Street Cafe
Sept. 14, Fredericton, F Studio
Sept. 16, Montreal, Bain Mathieu
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Quoi faire a Quebec?
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Jon Cohen Experimental
Avec Void's anatomy et invités
Mercredi 8 septembre 2010 | 20h00 | Contribu...Jon Cohen Experimental
Avec Void's anatomy et invités
Mercredi 8 septembre 2010 | 20h00 | Contribution Volontaire Source : Myspace
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Membre de Zap Québec
The Jon Cohen Experimental est un projet monté par auteur-compositeur Jon Cohen. Après avoir été membre de groupes populaires comme The Dears, The Social Register et bien d'autres, Jon Cohen a formé son propre groupe en réponse à plus d'une décennie de service à la scène musicale Montréalaise. Le résultat? Un premier album éponyme, magnifiquement ciselé qui a crée un buzz parmi les amateurs de musique sophistiquée. De suite, The Jon Cohen Experimental ont joué partout au Quebec et en Ontario dans tout genre de venues et festivals tels que Pop Montréal. Jon Cohen et son groupe (composé de trois membres) éffondrent les limites de structures musicales. Le produit est un style intelligent, captivant et redoutablement mélodique livré avec une précision inoubliable qui nous attire et nous engage. Musique profonde, plannante et dynamique qui est à la fois familière et rafraîchissante.
Avec eux, le groupe Void's anatomy !
(Source : Myspace)
Date : Mercredi 8 septembre 2010
Heure : 20h00
Coût : Contribution Volontaire
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Automated Interview Machine #1 - Jon Cohen Experimental
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We're in the process of revamping the Locals Ten interview series - we're trying a few new things ...
We're in the process of revamping the Locals Ten interview series - we're trying a few new things out with it - including new questions - and a new page to automatically generate interviews.
Jon Cohen Experimental frontman Jon Cohen was kind enough to sit down and beta test some of the new questions and random generation for us - so here is the first of a potential series called Automated Interview Machine:
23 What should everyone shut up about? -Submitted by Ross. L Sanchez
Everyone should just shut up in general...They should sit down, relax, take a deep breath and listen, just listen.
53 If you could tour with any band in the world, past or present, who would it be? -Submitted by Canadian Psycho
We would tour with Pink Floyd. If we got even an iota of their light show , sound and crowds would make for a magical tour!
33 What has been your strangest celebrity encounter? -Submitted by Ross. L Sanchez
Meeting an ultra skinny Perry Farell backstage and feeling very creeped out by his presence. Love his music though..
63 Who got you started? Was it with a different instrument?- Stolen from JoeTrainortrio.com
I got into music through heavy metal, my first guitar was called a St-Laurent , jet black with a small peavey amp. I was listening to slayer, anthrax and pantera so lots of riffage. My mom got me started.
47 Are you a full-time musician? If not, what is your other job? -Submitted by Mantis
I am a seasonal and seasoned musician, used to be full time, now on again off again. I also work in a school of Thai Massage. It’s a nice balance between the two lifestyles.
21 What have been your career highs and lows? -Submitted by Ross. L Sanchez.
My career high is definitely this album we just released called “Behold”. I am very happy with it and the response has been tremendous. Lows was about two years ago. We could not get a gig if our lives depended on it, and I was seriously considering pulling the plug on the whole project.
51 What were you doing in 1998? -Submitted by 0+2=1
Partying like it’s 1999!
60 Imagine you’re watching a concert and one of the band members spontaneously combusts. You get called to the stage to replace that band member. Who’s the band? - Stolen from JoeTrainortrio.com
Rolling Stones , and it would probably be Keith Richards who combusted...In fact, I believe it’s already happened twice!
27 What do you think of when you think of Moncton? -Submitted by Ross. L Sanchez
Love Tara, the Eric’s trip album I practically slept with at night and.....Julie Doiron....I just can’t shake it!!
39 How do you feel about/would you ever want your music featured on commercial radio? - Submitted by Mannequin
Good Question, I would.. I think commercial radio could use a dose of quality music that isn't catered to the lowest common denominator. The Jon Cohen Experimental can provide that. At the same time it would help put food on our table.
2 Considering how lame genre labeling is; how would you describe your music? - Submitted by Kyle
Music for the subconscious...
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Check Out The Jon Cohen Experimental this Thursday at The Paramount Lounge with We Are Action and Ghostown Belle
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Spotlight: The Jon Cohen Experimental
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bout The Jon Cohen Experimental FRANCAIS À SUIVRE The Jon Cohen Experimental is the brainchild band ...bout The Jon Cohen Experimental FRANCAIS À SUIVRE The Jon Cohen Experimental is the brainchild band of Montreal musician & songwriter Jonathan Cohen. Having been a key member of such diverse and popular bands as The Dears, The Social Register, JF Robitaille, and many more, Jon formed his own group as a response to over a decade of service to the prolific Montreal music scene. The band was formed in the spring of 2006 when Jon began carving out his own musical path. Jon and his band toured Canada and played in festivals such as Pop Montreal & NXNE. They were also featured on radio shows like CBC's Brave New Waves and The Signal. They charted on college radio and were nominated for best pop album with GAMIQ (l'initiative indépendante de musique du Québec). The Jon Cohen Experimental’s unique, genre-defying music can be described as a thought and mood-provoking blend of pop rock, which pulls from a variety of musical traditions offering a unique take on modern alternative music. Jon’s lyrical content makes poetic commentary on human nature’s destructive habits and its potential for greatness. All the while touching on modern life, spirituality and the human condition. The JCE are currently finishing up their sophomore record entitled "Behold" to be released this May and features some of Montreal's most prolific, members of the Dears, The Stills, Angela Desveaux and the mighty Ship, Krista Muir, Sunfields, Stars and Elephant Stone among others" . Keep an ear out and behold! ___________________________________________________________________________ The Jon Cohen Experimental est un projet monté par auteur-compositeur Jon Cohen. Après avoir été membre de groupes populaires comme The Dears, The Social Register et bien d'autres, Jon Cohen a formé son propre groupe en réponse à plus d'une décennie de service à la scène musicale Montréalaise. Le résultat? Un premier album éponyme, magnifiquement ciselé qui a crée un buzz parmi les amateurs de musique sophistiquée. De suite, The Jon Cohen Experimental ont joué partout au Quebec et en Ontario dans tout genre de venues et festivals tels que Pop Montréal. Ils ont été présenté sur des émissions radio comme Brave New Waves et The Signal. En 2007, The Jon Cohen Experimental ont recus une nomination “meilleur album pop avec GAMIQ” (l'initiative Indépendante de Musique du Québec) suivi par une autre en 2010. Aujourd'hui, The Jon Cohen Experimental explosent avec leur deuxième album judicieusement intitulé "Behold", enregistré et co-réalisé avec Jon et son extraordinaire realisateur de disques David Draves (Julie Doiron, Gentleman Reg, Kathleen Edwards, Skydiggers). Ce magnifique disque comporte le talent de musiciens comme Angela Desveaux, Evan Cranley (Stars), Liam O'Neil (Stills) et Murray Lightburn (The Dears). Le lancement officiel de l’album en automne, sera suivi par une tournée Can/États-Unis. Le son unique du Jon Cohen Experimental contient des mélodies délicieuses et provocatives. Leurs chansons transgressent tous genres musicaux sans perdre leur “hook”. C’est une musique qui emprunte d’une de plusieures traditions et offre à ses auditeurs une experience différente de ce quils sont habituées. Les paroles de Jon Cohen evoquent nos pensées profonde sur la condition humaine, la vie moderne et la spiritualité sous forme de commentaire poétique. Elles profètetent sur le potentiel énorme de l’humanité, sa capacité autant pour la bonté que pour le mal. Jon Cohen et son groupe (composé de trois membres) éffondrent les limites de structures musicales. Le produit est un style intelligent, captivant et redoutablement mélodique livré avec une précision inoubliable qui nous attire et nous engage. Musique profonde, plannante et dynamique qui est à la fois familière et rafraîchissante. Read more: http://www.myspace.com/thejoncohenexperience#ixzz0wL3LNAZf
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Critiques: The Jon Cohen Experimental Behold
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20 juillet 2010
The Jon Cohen Experimental
Behold
genre : Rock
étiquette : Indépendant
date de ...20 juillet 2010
The Jon Cohen Experimental
Behold
genre : Rock
étiquette : Indépendant
date de sortie : Mai 2010
C'est quoi?
C'est Behold, le deuxième album du trio montréalais The Jon Cohen Experimental. Fort d'une expérience musicale considérable au sein de formations telles que les Dears, Jon Cohen s'entoure, pour ce deuxième effort, de ses complices habituels, mais aussi d'invités de marque; pensons ici à Murray Lightburn, à Krista Muir ou encore à JF Robitaille.
De l'orfèvrerie?
De bon calibre, même. Si la pop progressive à caractère un peu psychédélique traverse ce disque de bord en bord, elle le fait d'une manière telle qu'elle réussit à nous donner un sentiment nostalgique sans jamais devenir passéiste. Un peu de Plants and Animals mélangé au côté un peu plus paresseux des Kinks, auquel on aurait ajouté une touche subtile et réjouissante de claviers. Ceux-ci viennent d'ailleurs donner une couleur éthérée aux deux pièces les plus intéressantes de l'album, Behold et Don't be the cloud.
À écouter sous un arbre dans un pré?
En regardant les nuages. C'est d'ailleurs le défaut de la qualité de ce disque. Quelques aspérités auraient peut-être permis à la musique de gagner en mordant ce qu'elle finit par perdre avec son côté aérien. Mais comme c'est assumé et fait avec adresse, ça passe la rampe. Je vais le réécouter, celui-là.
Une écoute avec des écouteurs, sur une colline, de François Lemay
Bande à part
7,5/10 Internautes
9/10
2 appr
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Review Of "Behold"
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The Jon Cohen Experimental
Behold
Reviews breadcrumbsplit POP & ROCK
The Jon Cohen Experimental -...The Jon Cohen Experimental
Behold
Reviews breadcrumbsplit POP & ROCK
The Jon Cohen Experimental - Behold
By Daniel SylvesterJonathan Cohen has spent the greater part of the last decade kicking around in Montreal bands such as the Social Register, JF Robitaille and the Dears. Behold, the second independently released LP form Cohen's three-piece, deftly shows off his tenure without coming off too referential. On songs like the excellently un-executed "Hold the Fire" and the '70s AM gold of "Don't Be the Cloud," Cohen sounds restrained, comfortable and most importantly, like no one else in the Canadian music scene at the moment. Although Cohen has called in a decade's worth of favours to make this album, including production from the criminally underrated Dave Draves, along with guest appearances by Angela Desveaux, Murray Lightburn (the Dears) and members of Stars and the Stills, he utilizes their contributions the same way he approaches every song on this album: with restraint, much deliberation and even more innovation.
(Independent)
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The Jon Cohen Experimental
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The Jon Cohen Experimental with JF Robitaille & Loon Choir @ Avant-Garde Bar
Posted by Ming Wu on J...The Jon Cohen Experimental with JF Robitaille & Loon Choir @ Avant-Garde Bar
Posted by Ming Wu on January 7, 2011 1 comments
This is probably my first show to attend in 2011.
It was at the Avant-Garde Bar.
Playing was:
The Jon Cohen Experimental
JF Robitaille
Loon Choir
It was a pretty interesting night of music.
Ranging from pop-rock (Loon Choir), acoustic folk (JF Robitaille) to experimental (Jon Cohen).
Here are the rest of the photos
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The Jon Cohen Experimental: Inspirer, relâcher
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The Jon Cohen Experimental: Inspirer, relâcher
Valerie Thérien
17 août 2010
Après avoir fait part...The Jon Cohen Experimental: Inspirer, relâcher
Valerie Thérien
17 août 2010
Après avoir fait partie des Dears de 1999 à 2003, Jon Cohen se sentait prêt à lancer sa propre aventure. The Jon Cohen Experiment est ainsi né en 2006. Le guitariste montréalais a dû s’ajuster dans son nouveau rôle de chanteur, mais avec deux albums en banque, dont le p’tit nouveau, Behold, Jon croit aujourd’hui être arrivé à maturité.
« Dans le temps des Dears, j’écrivais, mais je n’avais pas en tête d’avoir mon propre groupe, précise-t-il. J’avais besoin de trouver la confiance nécessaire en d’autres musiciens. Je n’aspirais pas à être frontman, mais j’ai commencé à penser à ça en écrivant plus, en formant mes muscles de composition! Je suis très critique de ce que je fais alors je ne sors pas des disques aux six mois!»
Musique PPP
La pop de Jon Cohen Experiment s’écoute mieux les yeux fermés. Tantôt plus planante, tantôt plus psychédélique, c’est le genre de musique qui transporte ailleurs, mais qui ne s’éloigne jamais vraiment trop de ses repères. Bref, si tu n’es pas déjà dans les vapes, ça devrait faire l’affaire!
Alors que le premier disque du groupe (complété par les musiciens Seb Côté et Ken Martin) a été enregistré rapidement, ils ont voulu faire les choses autrement pour Behold. « En revenant d’une tournée dans l’Ouest canadien, j’avais des pièces incomplètes. Je les ai retravaillées et retravaillées. Je voulais une approche différente. Je me suis dit “OK, j’ai une trentaine de chansons. Je vais les sortir de leur cocon, les jouer live et voir comment elles vont développer en les laissant respirer. Quand elles arriveront à maturité, je vais les encapsuler”. »
Là où le son est différent
Ce deuxième gravé a été enregistré à Ottawa, au studio Little Bullhorn du producteur David Draves. C’est en entendant un album d’Angela Desveaux, produit dans ce même studio, que Jon a voulu suivre dans les pas de la musicienne folk. « Sur son album, il y avait un son assez particulier que je ne pouvais pas associer à d’autres groupes de Montréal, mentionne-t-il. C’est vraiment un son qui m’a capté, un son différent de Montréal. Pour nous, de sortir de la métropole pour enregistrer, ça nous a donné une différente approche, même si Ottawa, ce n’est pas exactement exotique!»
Behold profite d’une belle brochette d’invités, des artistes que Jon admire et d’autres avec qui il a travaillé auparavant: Murray Lightburn, Krista Muir, Angela Desveaux, JF Robitaille et Rishi Dhir. Le musicien explique que ce sont des voix qui ajoutent un je-ne-sais-quoi à l’album. « Il y a des parties spécifiques auxquelles je pensais pour telle ou telle personne. Je me suis fait une wish-list. C’était une question de figurer ce qui serait bien pour le musicien et de voir où ça irait. »
Rien de bizarre là-dedans!
Et finalement, pourquoi « Experimental » dans le nom du groupe?
« C’est plus «experimental» dans le sens de chercher quelque chose. Quand tu expérimentes, tu rentres dans l’inconnu. Pour moi, c’était ce genre d’exploration de l’inconnu avec ce nouveau groupe. »
- N’as-tu pas peur que les gens croient que tu fais de la musique expérimentale?
- Non, pas vraiment. Honnêtement, de nos jours, on ne peut pas savoir ce qu’un groupe fait juste par son nom. And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, par exemple, ils font quoi? C’est la musique qui parle aux gens, pas vraiment le nom. Je pense que les gens vont chercher plus loin qu’un nom.
The Jon Cohen Experimental sera en spectacle au Café Campus de Montréal le 20 août, à l’Agitée de Québec le 8 septembre, puis au Bain Mathieu (2915 Ontario Est) le 16 septembre.
myspace.com/thejoncohenexperience
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Record Review of Behold by The JCEX
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Jon Cohen is a Montreal-based musician who recently released his debut album. The Jon Cohen Experime...Jon Cohen is a Montreal-based musician who recently released his debut album. The Jon Cohen Experimental is basically a fancy name for him going all-out on this project, writing all songs and playing nearly all instruments on the album. Far from everyone could pull this off, but Behold shows that Cohen set himself an appropriate task, commensurate with his talent.
I say this risking an ambush in unfamiliar territory, but the album is not groundbreaking in sound. Distorted, or otherwise muffled guitars sit beside grand pianos, stifled vocals and the odd electronic touch — what at least seems like a familiar recipe. But in its songwriting, Behold really hits home.
Treading between alienation, melancholia and inspiration, Cohen is a musician with the gift of being able to express one emotion, idea or state of mind clearly and in one song. And that’s how the album comes together; as a contemplated body of work with each song distinct from but still related to the others.
The infectious riff of opening track ‘Hold the Fire‘ would do well on its own. Accompanied by lyrics that describe a young man’s struggle to decide whether to savour or spread inspiration, though, it becomes a great piece of music. All-too-human misunderstandings are dealt with on the pensive, piano-ridden ‘Brain Pollution,’ which comes after.
On the title track, Cohen introduces the heartfelt idea of life slipping out of our hands too quickly in a well-suited ballad. And just when we were getting too serious, the cocky ‘No More Videos, Just Teasers‘ restores the balance between contemplation and plain old neck-jerking rock. Speaking of which, a video is rumoured to be on the way for beautiful track ‘Don’t Be the Cloud’. Don’t think he’d settle for a teaser. Sven Carlsson
Buy Behold
The Jon Cohen Experimental on MySpace
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THE JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL + ANDREW RODRIGUEZ
[+ Show ]
THE JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL + ANDREW RODRIGUEZ
FRIDAY OCTOBER 22 DOORS @8PM_$5 UNDERGROUND
A former...THE JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL + ANDREW RODRIGUEZ
FRIDAY OCTOBER 22 DOORS @8PM_$5 UNDERGROUND
A former member of The Dears, musician + songwriter Jon Cohen teams up with established musicians of the Montreal indie scene to form The Jon Cohen Experimental. Their specialty indie folk-pop has won over the college charts, landing them performances at Pop Montreal + NXNE. Tonight they appear in the Underground, performing in support of their sophomore release, Behold.
After departing from indie band Bodega, Andrew Rodriguez has kept busy touring in Melissa Auf Der Maur's band and helping out on recordings by Sam Roberts. Now venturing on his own, Rodriguez has gained attention for his solo debut, Here Comes the Light.
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Mad science The Jon Cohen Experimental take their labour of love from the lab to the stage
[+ Show ]
Mad science
The Jon Cohen Experimental take their
labour of love from the lab to the stage
...Mad science
The Jon Cohen Experimental take their
labour of love from the lab to the stage
THE RIGHT CHEMISTRY: The Jon Cohen Experimental
by LORRAINE CARPENTER
After a decade spent bolstering the creations of other songwriters with his reliable guitar work, Jon Cohen decided to take up the pen himself. Within three months, he had written the songs and recorded an album with a rag-tag group of friends, “on a whim.” The independent debut by the Jon Cohen Experimental was done, in 2006.
“This record has been a totally different story,” Cohen says of his sophomore opus, Behold. “Three years in the making, a very long, painstaking process of reworking and reworking the same songs over and over again till I started hating them.
“I’ve always chased the sound in my head, and it can be disastrous to try to reproduce something so pristine. When you do that, you end up first of all not achieving that at all but achieving something else that has a certain clarity and precision.”
Focusing less on capturing raw energy and more on perfecting his voice and layering sounds to build an intricately crafted expanse of song, Cohen went at it with producer Dave Draves and a long guest list of VIPs, among them members of the Dears, the Stills and Stars.
“I wanted to involve people from my musical past, musicians that I really admire and respect, people who are my friends and who can bring their voices to this and expand on what I’ve done. That’s been the best part of making this record.”
A close second has been connecting with his bandmates Kevin Martin and Sébastien Côté, who climbed aboard for the few shows that were mounted for the first LP.
“We never really put too much emphasis on the live show, and that’s been to our detriment,” explains Cohen, looking to rectify this with the new record, as difficult as it will be to reproduce such ambitious rock live.
“We do really mesh—I was going to say chemically, which sounds disgusting,” Cohen laughs, “but the chemistry is really good between us when we explore each other musically—again at the risk of sounding disgusting. That’s what we discovered is the strongest part of this band.”
WITH ELEPHANT STONE AND PANORAMIC
& TRUE AT CASA DEL POPOLO TONIGHT,
THURSDAY, MAY 13, 8:30 P.M., $10
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The Jon Cohen Experimental
[+ Show ]
The Jon Cohen Experimental
w/Action Adventure and The Lucy Grays
by Tara Thorne
"Anything anybod...The Jon Cohen Experimental
w/Action Adventure and The Lucy Grays
by Tara Thorne
"Anything anybody needed I would provide," says Jon Cohen of his decade on the Montreal music scene. "You know, 'There's 100 guitarists on every street corner, but we need a harp. Let's call Jon.'" After turns in The Dears and The Social Register, Cohen put his own name out in front in 2006, with augmentation. "I have this record by Michael Cohen, I don't know where I got it, a garage sale or something, and it's such a depressing record---I didn't want to call the band Jon Cohen. But it's not experimental music, it's not bleeps and circuitry sounds. It's more the sense that this whole band is an experiment, the life associated with the music is an experiment." Cohen's latest is Behold, a gauzy folk blend, which features appearances from scene friends like Murray Lightburn and Evan Cranley from Stars. "I've really reached a plateau and with this band we showed we can make a great record. And having guests on a record, I've discovered, is the most enjoyable thing you can do."
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JCEX Blurbs
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The Jon Cohen Experimental: ce band local nous chante la pomme au Bain Mathieu
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The Jon Cohen Experimental: ce band local nous chante la pomme au Bain Mathieu
2010-09-14 17:57 par...The Jon Cohen Experimental: ce band local nous chante la pomme au Bain Mathieu
2010-09-14 17:57 par: Marine Anaïs
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Aimez-vous les bands indie trash qui vous donnent envie de crier à tue-tête et de faire des moves de bras louches à la Duchess Says? Nous aussi. Sauf qu’on n’a pas toujours envie de recevoir nos amis à souper sur fond de tachycardie musicale. C’est là que The Jon Cohen Experimental entre en jeu. Ces musiciens n’ont rien à envier à la nouvelle vague montréalaise. Histoire de profiter des contacts qu’ils ont accumulés au fil de la décennie, le trio s’est entouré de collaborateurs comme The Stills, Stars et The Dears, dont Jon Cohen est un «ancien combattant».
Avec ses accents pop planants, le deuxième album du groupe, Behold, séduit à coup de mélodies bien ficelées. Soudain, on a comme une envie d’aller gambader dans le parc en robe fleurie, à compter les pétales des marguerites, ou encore de remettre le LSD à la mode. Et quoi de mieux pour partir sur un trip d’acide que de faire un concert dans le fond d’un bain?
Histoire de promouvoir sa douce musique juste assez psychédélique, Jon Cohen et ses deux acolytes se produiront au Bain Mathieu ce jeudi dans le cadre des 10 jours des Arts du Faubourg. Les arts visuels et la musique y cohabiteront pour le plaisir de vos yeux et de vos oreilles!
Bain Mathieu | 2915, Ontario E.
Jeudi 16 septembre à 19h
myspace.com/thejoncohenexperience
TAGS
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Critique de Behold par The Jon Cohen Experimental
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ICHE DU DISQUE
Ma cote:
Behold
Jon Cohen Experimental
(Indépendant)
Cote de Voir:
CRITIQ...ICHE DU DISQUE
Ma cote:
Behold
Jon Cohen Experimental
(Indépendant)
Cote de Voir:
CRITIQUE DE VOIR
ARTICLE - 30 septembre 2010
Olivier Lalande
Le Jon Cohen en question a officié chez les Dears, The Social Register, JF Robitaille et autres grosses pointures locales, mais ne cherchez pas de traces d'indie machin dans son véhicule actuel. Second album dudit projet (chargé d'invités: Murray Lightburn, Krista Muir et Evan Cranley, entre autres), Behold penche vers une pop progressive bien seventies, tout en ambiances feutrées et voix «overdubbées». On pense souvent au Alan Parsons Project (Hold the Fire, Brain Pollution) ou à Steely Dan (Peace to Pieces). Il y a bien un côté passéiste ici (trois mots: solos de saxophone), mais Cohen a un style de composition épuré et direct (bien senti dans la ballade Don't Be the Cloud) qui lui permet d'éviter le pastiche.
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Vive La musique
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Wash and Roll with Jon Cohen
none
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More eclectic than it is experimental,
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The Jon Cohen Experimental – Behold
November 8, 2010 by Adam Costa
Category: Albums (and EPs)
...The Jon Cohen Experimental – Behold
November 8, 2010 by Adam Costa
Category: Albums (and EPs)
The Jon Cohen Experimental - Behold
It’s a well known fact that Montreal has produced some stellar musical talent since the turn of the century. From Arcade Fire and Islands to Stars and Wolf Parade, the Quebec province’s largest city has become a hotbed for burgeoning artists, allowing a chic indie aesthetic to thrive much in the same way that Seattle’s grunge phenomenon of 20 years ago had the nation salved up like haphazard lumberjacks.
A fixed member of Montreal’s ever expanding scene, songwriter Jon Cohen has spent the last 15 years vacillating between positions in a number of high profile Canuck acts, including orchestral pop band The Dears. With a lengthy resume established and several tours of duty served, Cohen decided in 2006 to venture down a new path, defecting from his previous collaborations in order to start a band all his own. The resulting Jon Cohen Experimental – a name which is perhaps not quite as apt as it may seem – has spent the last four years building a reputation for sometimes stirring and often perplexing brand of pop/rock. Eclecticism runs high indeed on the group’s latest effort, Behold, but if you’re expecting some foray into the avant-garde, you’d do better to dig out an old John Cage or Frank Zappa record. There’s plenty worth beholding on Cohen’s sophomore LP, but it probably comes closer to the indie pop of The New Pornographers than it does the to the experimentalism of someone like, say, Harry Partch.
Utilizing a core trio set-up (Sebastian Cote on drums and Ken Martin on bass), Cohen manages to conjure a surprising number of moods and textures out of his guitar and keyboard before those on the lengthy guest list begin to arrive. “Stroke (of the Night)” is a tour de force for the band, the song veering from jaunty folk-pop to electronic psychedelia while Cohen sings, “Protons to the left and neutrons to the right / I feel the electricity tonight,” in a druggy falsetto. By the time the three-part horn section (including The Stars’ Evan Cranley) shows up in the tune’s middle third, what began as a lost Wish You Were Here-era Pink Floyd track sounds more like a blissful Polyphonic Spree jam. Though the presence of such varied influences is impressive, one of Cohen’s greatest strengths is how seamlessly he melds them together into something that is not only engaging, but also practical.
The same is true of “Lucky Number Seven,” in which the core band members suffuse a mysterious acoustic guitar chord progression with the sort of symphonic swells that Sufjan Stevens has made his trademark. “It’s one love that we know / it’s two faces that we show,” sings Cohen over layers of escalating vocal harmony and robust brass timbres. Along for the ride is a sitar, which Cohen tastefully applies so as to avoid pandering to any Indian stereotypes.
While not every track is instantly accessible, credit is due to Cohen for crafting a disc that respectfully pays homage to a number of subgenres in the popular music canon. “No More Videos Just Teasers” comes off like a Cars track from the height of New Wave, with Cohen singing in a passively cool tone, “Attention spans are getting short / and drugs are cheaper at the port.” “Brain Pollution” exudes a CSNY/Laurel Canyon appeal thanks to wordless vocal harmonies and sprightly guitar melodies, while “Don’t Be the Cloud” appears to be channeling Yoshimi period Flaming Lips with laser beam synths and transcendental imagery (“Don’t be the cloud / or as loud as thunder / and if you like to sleep in late / don’t be the sunrise either”). The title track – which features Stars member Angela Desveaux – is a mellow duet designed for the coffeehouse crowd where wistful sentimentality (“You gotta behold / now that you’re getting old”) goes down a little easier with a latte in hand.
Cohen’s Myspace page address labels his group as the Jon Cohen Experience, which – Jimi Hendrix allusion notwithstanding – is a far more fitting title for the music on Behold. While completely void of any ear splitting improvisations or oddball gestures, the album does offer a dearth of pop tunes that, though sometimes emotionally flat, never fail to entertain. Who knows though: Maybe an interest in Harry Partch-esque microtone scales and hybrid musical instruments will be the next indie fad.
File Under: indie-pop, Montreal, The Dears, The Social Registe
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Jon Cohen experiments in Sudbury
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Jon Cohen experiments in Sudbury
Montreal performer Jon Cohen is bringing his musical “journey” t...Jon Cohen experiments in Sudbury
Montreal performer Jon Cohen is bringing his musical “journey” to Sudbury Jan. 12. His show, at Myths and Mirrors, is set to begin at 8 p.m. Supplied photo.
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Dec 29, 2010
By: Sudbury Northern Life Staff
After performing with a number of Montreal-based bands, vocalists and guitar players, Jon Cohen said he is happy to be on his own musical journey.
The Jon Cohen Experimental began in 2006. His tour is making a stop in Sudbury Jan. 12 at Myths and Mirrors on Frood Road. The show is set to begin at 8 p.m.
While the music itself isn’t particularly “experimental,” Cohen said his approach to a solo career is.
“It’s an opportunity for me to reinvent myself,” he said.
Cohen said he made the transition in order to focus on his personal music career, instead of using all his energy on other people’s projects.
“I’ve got a lot to say musically, and I’ve a got a voice,” he said.
The Montreal “born and bred” artist currently works with a drummer and a bass player. He said his “core” musicians have worked with him on both his solo albums.
But for his current North American tour, Cohen is flying solo.
“This tour is very experimental,” he said. “It’s going to take me to new places musically and logistically.”
He said he expects to be a “very different person” by the time the three-and-a-half month tour wraps up.
As for his Sudbury venue, Cohen said he likes “to play in different spaces — not your typical dark and gloomy bar.”
Even though he’ll be performing on his own, he said the audience shouldn’t expect “less bang for their buck.”
“Expect something innovative, psychedelic — a journey of spirit, music, mind and body,” Cohen said.
“But don’t expect enlightenment,” he added, with a laugh.
Cohen’s music, which he described as a musical “buffet,” transcends a variety of genres. His “poetic” lyrics cover everything from the destructive habits of humans to modern life.
He said it’s never been classified as a certain type of music, which is OK in his books.
“My whole approach to music is not to be pigeonholed,” he said. “As soon as I’m starting to feel like I’m nailing on a sound, I naturally want to veer away from it.”
For more information about The Jon Cohen Experimental, visit www.myspace.com/thejoncohenexperience. Tickets to his show in Sudbury cost $5, and can be purchased at the door.
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Don’t Be The Cloud/THE JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL
[+ Show ]
~CRACK TALKS. money walks. say what ? »
~Don’t Be The Cloud/THE JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL
yes, outt...
~CRACK TALKS. money walks. say what ? »
~Don’t Be The Cloud/THE JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL
yes, outta MONTREAL . . . have a listen !! – bet addiction will hit you, too.
sample: ‘Don’t Be The Cloud’, BEHOLD, THE JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL !!
while we were in Montreal last May 2010 – we came across this great little music venue called CASA del POPOLO – on St. Laurent – or St. Lawrence as we used to call it – back in the day – before the French language rights issue – cast it’s chilly spell. that was like the hood – like exactement – the Lower East Side – of Montreal.
the first thing that greeted you inside the doorway – was this converted cigarette dispensing machine . . .
for your two buck coin – or tooney – as Canadians call their 2 dollar coins . . . they only have bills starting at the $5 denomination . . .
(singles, or $1 coins are called ‘looneys’ . . . get it: looney and twoonies. Looney tunes – I swear to god.)
(ya gotta know what Looney tunes are, right ? you know Bugs Bunny. Elmer Fudge ? T.V. before reality shows ?)
you can choose a limited edition handmade artist zine – or even some artist produced buttons !!
yes, check these guys, out: distroboto
anyways – CASA del POPOLO, in keeping with its Montreal location – seemed to be more of a European bar/coffeehouse than the kind of more down-to-earthy coffee shop with cupcakes and muffins that our CAKE SHOP is – but just like our NYC Lower East Side – Cake Shop – their music venue was also in the deep dark basement . . . with its own bar downstairs, too.
check out: CASA del POPOLO, Montreal
check out: CAKE SHOP, NYC
some small cartoon drawing in a local alternative newspaper – spread on a table – did momentarily catch my eye.
shark bite, Montreal style ?
don’t tell her I said so, but Kate loved it there. she would have gone back every night . . . if other matters at home weren’t more compelling.
here’s the poster for the 3 bands that were playing that night – and did we luck out or what – THE JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL was 2nd on the bill !!
frontman, songwriter and lead singer/guitar/synths – JON COHEN sets up. we had no idea what we were in for.
this guy was just an amazing fireball of intensity – Montreal spawns a few of these every now and then – even back in the day – when my crew ruled the streets and cafes.
you can read more about him: here/indie music reviews/adequacy.net
the band begins to play . . and immediately the room is quiet. transfixed and on fire, all at the same time . . .
a very cool but smooth and beat worthy – SEBASTIAN COTE is on the drums, and a wonderfully intellectual and extremely musical KEN MARTIN plays the bass.
JON COHEN plays and lites fires at the same time. live – it was surreal. intense is not the word. and yet golden.
spun out and surprising.
after the gig – JON COHEN at right, with his bass player – KEN MARTIN.
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH. 13 MAI, 2010. MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA.
found this little early clip:
THE JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL/’Hold the Fire’/technorati
but . . . here’s their, pretty much only video clip, on YouTube:
yep, most def, HIT: THE JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL – PLAYS – ‘BRAIN POLLUTION’ – LIVE AT DUNCAN GARAGE SHOWROOM/YouTube
hit this link, to watch: the recent – JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL INTERVIEW/PKG on YouTube
o.k. but, I’m still stuck on: Don’t Be The Cloud !!
I could run that song thru my head on a loop 24/7 – for real.
if artlovers had a sound track – that would be it – for this month, anyways. love it. just can’t get enough of it.
you can find their home page, here: THE JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL on myspace
~Don’t Be The Cloud/THE JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL | Posted in Indie Music Reviews, The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | November 20th, 2010, 6:30pm
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The Jon Cohen Experimental — Behold
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Jon Cohen has over a decade of service to the Montreal music scene, and the veteran musician assembl...Jon Cohen has over a decade of service to the Montreal music scene, and the veteran musician assembled his own band in 2006.
The Jon Cohen Experimental's critically acclaimed self-titled debut was written and recorded in a matter of months. But their Behold sophomore album took three years to create.
The not-exactly-experimental music is a fusion of indie-pop and psych-pop that conjures up some Beatles and Pink Floyd, some Elliott Smith and some New Pornographers.
Cohen's high, cottony-soft vocals tend toward David Gilmour, with occasional hints of Owen Pallett. His lyrics are surreal and insightful, as hinted at on opener "Hold The Fire": "I had to bury a dream/That I had written on a patch of snow/And now compassion, compassion is the muscle that/I exercise like a flame to help it grow."
Cohen called in some favours here, as folks from (among others) his old band The Dears, The Stills and Stars make guest appearances.
Horns augment "Stroke (Of The Night)," "Nightmare/Over" and "Lucky Number Seven." The latter also employs a simmering sitar that pairs so well with Cohen's voice it's a shame other songs don't use it.
"No More Videos Just Teasers" is a new-wave indulgence with a great fuzzy bottom end, while "Brain Pollution" is the album's closest approximation to an earworm, with a synth-y, almost disco-like density and hooky vocal harmonics.
Behold consists of tight, well-crafted songs (three years in the making, remember). Ultimately, though, it lacks enough hooks to stick in memory.
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Mad science
[+ Show ]
by LORRAINE CARPENTER
After a decade spent bolstering the creations of other songwriters
with...by LORRAINE CARPENTER
After a decade spent bolstering the creations of other songwriters
with his reliable guitar work, Jon Cohen decided to take up the pen
himself. Within three months, he had written the songs and
recorded an album with a rag-tag group of friends, “on a whim.”
The independent debut by the Jon Cohen Experimental was done, in
2006.
“This record has been a totally different story,” Cohen says of his
sophomore opus, Behold. “Three years in the making, a very long,
painstaking process of reworking and reworking the same songs
over and over again till I started hating them.
“I’ve always chased the sound in my head, and it can be disastrous
to try to reproduce something so pristine. When you do that, you
end up first of all not achieving that at all but achieving something
else that has a certain clarity and precision.”
Focusing less on capturing raw energy and more on perfecting his
voice and layering sounds to build an intricately crafted expanse of
song, Cohen went at it with producer Dave Draves and a long guest
list of VIPs, among them members of the Dears, the Stills and
Stars.
“I wanted to involve people from my musical past, musicians that I
really admire and respect, people who are my friends and who can
bring their voices to this and expand on what I’ve done. That’s been
the best part of making this record.”
A close second has been connecting with his bandmates Kevin
Martin and Sébastien Côté, who climbed aboard for the few shows
that were mounted for the first LP.
“We never really put too much emphasis on the live show, and
that’s been to our detriment,” explains Cohen, looking to rectify this
with the new record, as difficult as it will be to reproduce such
ambitious rock live.
“We do really mesh—I was going to say chemically, which sounds
disgusting,” Cohen laughs, “but the chemistry is really good
between us when we explore each other musically—again at the
risk of sounding disgusting. That’s what we discovered is the
strongest part of this band.”
WITH ELEPHANT STONE AND PANORAMIC & TRUE AT CASA
DEL POPOLO TONIGHT, THURSDAY, MAY 13, 8:30 P.M., $10
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Staff top picks for 2010
[+ Show ]
Sarah
Wednesday
The Mahala Rai Banda
The Dears
Look At What The Light Did Now (Feist documentary...Sarah
Wednesday
The Mahala Rai Banda
The Dears
Look At What The Light Did Now (Feist documentary)
Fashion POP
Thursday
Van Dyke Parks
Liars
Karkwa
The Jon Cohen Experimental
Friday
Macy Gray
The XX
Songwriting and Arranging with Van Dyke Parks
Uncle Bad Touch
Pat Jordache
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The Little Tramp, Jon Cohen, plus stories, snowshoes, and vintage hockey
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JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL
Montreal musician Jon Cohen, who has played with such bands at The Dears and...JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL
Montreal musician Jon Cohen, who has played with such bands at The Dears and The Social Register, kicks off his Canadian tour at Avant-Garde Bar this Thursday. Cohen and his band of three form the Jon Cohen Experimental, a moody pop-rock band sure to please Ottawa indie lovers. A rich, diverse take on modern alternative music, the JCEX will surely transport listeners to another place — a warm, fantastical place — and stay with you for days. (Plus, the first 20 at the door get a free copy of his new CD!) Concert opens with JF Robitaille and Ottawa’s own Loon Choir. Thursday, Jan. 7. 9 p.m. $8. Avant-Garde Bar and Gift Shop, 135 1/2 Besserer St., 613- 321-8908. www.avantgardebar.ca
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The Jon Cohen Experimental kicks off its national tour in Ottawa at the Avant-Garde Bar
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Photo courtesy of thejcex.com
Post by Gloria Song. The Jon Cohen Experimental will be performing at...Photo courtesy of thejcex.com
Post by Gloria Song. The Jon Cohen Experimental will be performing at the Avant-Garde Bar, 135 Besserer Street, on Thursday, January 6, with openers JF Robitaille and Ottawa’s own Loon Choir.
It’s always this time of year that people compile their “best of 2010” lists. A friend of mine asked me a few weeks ago about the best albums of 2010. After some thought, I would have to say that I would include Behold, the latest album put out by the Jon Cohen Experimental, on my own personal list of my favourite music discoveries of this past year. It’s the kind of music that you’ll be humming when you wake up in the middle of the night, wondering why you’re awake, and why that particular tune is in your head.
The Jon Cohen Experimental is the personal project of Jon Cohen, who has been in the Canadian music scene for over a decade, having played in other great bands such as The Dears. He’s seen Canadian music evolve over the years and “explode”, to use his words. “It’s totally changed in its approach,” he explains. “When I was growing up, my idea of Canadian music was, like, Tom Cochrane and 54-40, very relegated to one type of music. Now, it’s all over the map, and it’s world class music in a sense. And there’s much more infrastructure to support us now…There really is a huge infrastructure of not just musicians, but of networks, people supporting musicians. You feel like you’re under their umbrella at all times.”
Despite being somewhat of a veteran in Canadian music, Cohen is still humble and sincere. He speaks openly about his efforts to gain enough self-confidence in his solo work. “Three or four years ago, when I was first releasing my own records and flying on my own wings, I was so lacking in confidence,” he admits. But determination and the support of the aforementioned network of musicians have changed this over the years. His album Behold is a wonderful testimony to this, with its contributions from many great Canadian musicians including the Dears’ Murray Lightburn, Stars’ Evan Cranley, Angela Desveaux, and Ottawa producer Dave Draves. “Happily I found people were so into helping and lending their voices,” Cohen comments. “I did not expect it at all from these guys who play in huge bands. But they were all so enthusiastic. They were all like, ‘You know, these are great songs, and I’m so happy to put my imprint on it.’”
It’s no surprise that other renowned musicians showed such support. Cohen’s music masters an interesting balance: it’s familiar enough in its pop arrangements to keep it catchy, but unconventional enough in its own way to make you take notice. Songs like “Peace to Pieces” contain unusual vocal harmonies that make you say, “Huh. I would never have thought to have done it that way, but, wow, it really works.”
You have the chance to experience the Jon Cohen Experimental this Thursday when they start their North American tour in Ottawa on January 6 at the Avant-Garde Bar. Though a solo show, Cohen promises something more than “just a guy with a guitar playing the bare bones songs”. He alludes to a Casiotone Orchestra, audio loops and projections, but refuses to tell me more. “It’s gonna be something special,” he says mysteriously. “I’ll just make you come out to the show.”
And if that’s not motivation enough, there will also be a free copy of the album Behold for the first 20 people to arrive at the door. So come check out one of my personal “best of 2010’s” and help the Jon Cohen Experimental set a good tone for their tour with their first stop.
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The Jon Cohen Experimental – Behold [Review]
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or those who follow the Montreal band The Dears.
Feels like members who used to be in the band seem...or those who follow the Montreal band The Dears.
Feels like members who used to be in the band seem to leave and make their own band.
You may have noticed an ex-member named Jon Cohen.
He has his band called The Jon Cohen Experimental.
The band released an album called “Behold”.
Its ten track of indie pop-rock experimentation sound.
Don’t forget that Jon Cohen Experimental will be playing Ottawa on Jan 6th with JF Robitaille and Loon Choir.
For other cities across Canada and the USA check out the tour dates on his website.
There is a Ottawa connection on Behold since it was produced by Dave Draves.
With musical guests like:
Murray Lightburn from The Dears
Angela Desveaux
Elephant Stone
Krista Muir
Evan Cranley from Stars and Broken Social Scene
Liam O’Neil from The Stills
There is that BSS- sound in tracks in Hold The Fire and No More Videos Just Teasers.
To mellow acoustic track on Behold, which reminds me of a Elephant Stone song.
To rocky Montreal feel in Brain Pollution.
There is something on Lucky Number Seven that I can’t in head, more like a indie British alterna-rock style track.
To a mellow poppy sound on the last track Don’t Be The Cloud
Best tracks:
Hold The Fire
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Jon Cohen to play Lion’s Lair 3/20
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Jon Cohen to play Lion’s Lair 3/20
Posted by Matt | Filed under Upcoming Shows
Montreal guy Jon Co...Jon Cohen to play Lion’s Lair 3/20
Posted by Matt | Filed under Upcoming Shows
Montreal guy Jon Cohen used to play with Canada’s The Dears and the Social Register but now performs under his own moniker, The Jon Cohen Experimental.
He’s at The Lion’s Lair Sunday March 20th, and given the tight confines this should be really good. The LL is punching above its weight with this booking.
The Jon Cohen Experimental has a new record out, it’s called “Behold” produced by Dave Draves (Gentlemen Reg, Angela Desveaux, Julie Doiron, Octoberman, Kathleen Edwards) with musical guests like Murray Lightburn from The Dears, Angela Desveaux, Elephant Stone, Krista Muir, Evan Cranley from Stars and Broken Social Scene, Liam O’neil from The Stills and many more.
Good pedigree there.
Tags: Jon Cohen, The Lion's Lair
Read more » | Comments (0) | March 3rd, 2011
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The John Cohen Instrumental with Jeremy Latta at Raw Sugar Cafe
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The John Cohen Instrumental with Jeremy Latta at Raw Sugar Cafe
Written by Francois on Thursday, Ju...The John Cohen Instrumental with Jeremy Latta at Raw Sugar Cafe
Written by Francois on Thursday, June 3, 2010.
The Jon Cohen Experimental is the brainchild of Montreal musician and songwriter Jonathan Cohen who has been a key member of bands such as The Dears, The Social Register, JF Robitaille, and more. The Jon Cohen Experimental’s unique, genre-defying music can be described as a thought and mood-provoking blend of pop rock, which pulls from a variety of musical traditions offering a unique take on modern alternative music. Jon will be gracing Raw Sugar with a solo and visual delight of a show involving artist Shane Watt on projector and backdrops drawings.
When: Friday, June 11, 9pm
Where: Raw Sugar Cafe (692 Somerset W.)
Cost: Doors – $7
Websites:
http://www.myspace.com/thejoncohenexperience
http://www.myspace.com/ursamajorandminor
Jeremy Latta’s electronic pop music is dreamy. Latta may just be Ottawa’s best kept secret and while he rarely (see never) plays live shows, he will be at Raw Sugar for a rare solo performance, opening for Montreal’s Jon Cohen. Promises to be a wonderful double bill.
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Amelia Curran + The Jon Cohen Experimental + Justin Rutledge @ Inspecteur Epingle
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MONDAY, MAY 31, 2010
Amelia Curran + The Jon Cohen Experimental + Justin Rutledge @ Inspecteur Ep...MONDAY, MAY 31, 2010
Amelia Curran + The Jon Cohen Experimental + Justin Rutledge @ Inspecteur Epingle
Inside Inspecteur Epingle on the evening of May 29th, a folk-eclectic musical sandwich was found. Psychedelic/progressive/pop Montreal locals, The Jon Cohen Experimental, joined folk singers Justin Rutledge (Toronto) and Amelia Curran (Halifax). Justin Rutledge began the evening. Best known for his songwriting, he sings about love and makes many references to nature and places throughout his lyrics. He sings about rivers, pine trees, olive trees, California, the sun and Alaska. After his first song, he addresses the audience, “Some of you might know that I don’t play Saturday night music, but I’ll see what I can do”. The day of the week was of little concern to the audience; it was clear that his performance was the most anticipated amongst the crowd. Although not often seen, he plays his folk music with an electric guitar. He does it beautifully. Many songs from his new album The Early Widows were played, including those co-written with Canadian writer Michael Ondaatje. His song "Mrs. Montgomery" was written for a character in one of Ondaatje’s theatre projects. Promoting his new album, Justin drew the attention of the audience over to the mech table announcing, “There’s some stuff for sale if you’d like to throw your money away,” (laughs) “I should get a spokesperson”. He closed his set with a slow song about a girl, serenading the songs' character with the names “jellybean” and “Boston-cream”. I think he might be the only person who can get away with using these as terms of endearment. Also included in his set were songs "Heart Of A River", "Greenwich Time", and his old classic "Too Sober To Sleep", which has recently been covered by Canadian country/folk artists Carolyn Mark & N.Q. Arbuckle.
The second band to perform, The Jon Cohen Experimental, brought an eclectic sound of music I can best classify as ‘instant foot tapping music’! While their melodies and their instrumentation felt to me like a meeting of Modest Mouse and Of Montreal; they certainly have a distinct sound of their own, with each song differing from the next. One minute electric sounds fill the air, the next, whistling. With only the instrumentation of electric guitar, bass, and drums, it sounded like more than three musicians occupying a stage. Jon Cohen sings lead vocals that blend softly over the music. He is accompanied with some 'oooh ooooh, ahhhh ahhhh's' by the fellow musicians. Included in their set list was, "Stroke (Of The Night)", "Behold", the title track of their album and "Don’t Be The Cloud". Local folk /alternative/pop artist Charlotte Cornfield, who is credited with providing additional vocals on their album, was invited on stage to accompany Jon for their last song, "Don’t Be The Cloud". It was a delight!
Amelia Curran gave the last performance of the evening. After her lastest visit to Montreal on February 10th (her first visit), folk music lovers of Montreal were left eager for more. Singing songs off her new album Hunter-Hunter, including "Bye Bye Montreal", "All Hands On A Grain Of Sand", "Tiny Glass Houses", "Last Call", "The Wreckage", and the crowds’ favourite, "The Mistress", Amelia overlays her gentle strums with the lyrics of a true songsmith. Describing her songwriting, Amelia says, “I write a lot of songs about generally being ashamed of myself”. Amelia jokes near the end of her set, “I have no censor”. Many addresses to her father and her Catholic schooling were made between each song, each gaining laughs from the audience. The crowd appreciated her sense of humour and her knack for songwriting alike. Her best-received song was, "The Mistress", from which she earned a standing ovation. It gave me chills. Given the song’s theme, she did promise her audience that she is “actually a really nice person”. This is true. Amelia is a 2010 Juno winner and an East-coast gem. If you aren’t left in complete awe of her songwriting, you will certainly share many laughs.
Justin Rutledge: http://www.myspace.com/justinrutledge
Carolyn Mark: http://www.myspace.com/carolynmark
The Jon Cohen Experimental: http://www.myspace.com/thejoncohenexperience
Charlotte Cornfield: http://www.myspace.com/charlottecornfield
Amelia Curran: http://www.myspace.com/ameliacurran
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Jon Cohen Experimental is Buzzing
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Montreal's Jon Cohen Experimental put out an unusual album called Behold, and it's been circling a...
Montreal's Jon Cohen Experimental put out an unusual album called Behold, and it's been circling around in my head like a magical bee for the past few weeks. Featuring members of The Dears, The Stars, and The Stills, among others, the record often seems dreamlike, oweing in part to layered, hushed vocals. Although parts of the album may faintly recall the whimsy of The Flaming Lips, mores cues seem to be taken from early to mid-period Pink Floyd (more David Gilmour vocally than Syd Barrett or Roger Waters), but overall, it sounds like when seventies rock musicians began to expand their conciousness. You get the feeling that any instrument could find its way into the mix, and in fact 17 different players lend their expertise. Lyrically, I detect a wicked anti-corporate stance, personal politics of choice against a dehumanizing society, a crafty vote for going against the grain while utilizing a musical palette that is catchy yet still slightly going against the grain - not too far from what The Dears or The Stars do in their own way. My favourite so far is Hold the Fire, featuring sold in-your-face drums, melodic fuzzy bass, shimmery and spiky guitar, and smooth, warm vocals. Jon Cohen Experimental will play in Winnipeg at the Cavern Club January 14.
Hold the Fire - Jon Cohen Experimental
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Redos and Renos
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Redos And Renos
George Ireland’s beautiful vocal chords assist fish in celebrating New Years'.
P...
Redos And Renos
George Ireland’s beautiful vocal chords assist fish in celebrating New Years'.
Published January 6, 2011 by Fish Griwkowsky in Wildlife
As an elderly person I get easily bewildered, and so it was the Facebook invite for Jon Cohen
Experimental that threw me off the porch. This is dreamy pop music you need to see, and the online invitation is for the entire tour, not specifically for the ARTery show which for the record is Jan. 21, right around the time the Smokey Draws! art exhibition will be up there on the walls. The opening act is still in the works due to some sweaty artistic wrestling you don’t care about, and the ARTery is itself shut down right now for renovations, in particular putting in floors so beautiful you’ll be able to (though by no one’s recommendation) lick toothpaste off of them. There are actually a heap of hopeful redos around town right now in the attempt to fingerbang harder for your entertainment buck. Across from the Strath you may have noticed Hudson’s is being gutted, but this is merely a “sprucing up” and will remain a foothold for newborn suburban drunks on Whyte Ave.’s barf-covered front line. I am sentimental about the Purple Nutsack finally leaving us in favour of a new The Pint, which is confusing in terms of which direction a step that is, though I’ll certainly miss that wickedly testicular logo and playing pool for shooters with desiccated women in ’80-metal jean-jackets; true story. Change, as ever, waits for none of us, even steadfast fans of Whitesnake.
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Review of the JCEX
[+ Show ]
Jon Cohen Experimental - Behold
Behold is the sophomore album by The Jon Cohen Experimental, ...Jon Cohen Experimental - Behold
Behold is the sophomore album by The Jon Cohen Experimental, but its eponymous mastermind is no stranger to making records, cutting his teeth in the vibrant post-millennial Montreal scene with stints in a handful of well-regarded indie bands, including The Dears and The Social Register. Building on the success of their 2006 self-titled debut, Experimental’s latest offering cycles through a broad spectrum of upbeat and baroque yet resiliently soulful pop songs held together by Cohen’s often double-tracked and always soft-spoken vocals. The band works comfortably out of a distinctly Canadian style that wouldn’t feel out of place on Arts & Crafts’ carefully curated roster. Unfortunately, Behold’s generously layered production is stifling and claustrophobic on “Don’t Be The Cloud.” That said, Cohen’s band strikes a perfect balance between these studio flourishes and a sense of spontaneity elsewhere, such as “This Wind of Mine,” channeling the cool, yet playfully manic spirit of Blitzen Trapper.
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A Nice Man’s Band: Cohen is talented and friendly and by gosh, I like him
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A Nice Man’s Band
Cohen is talented and friendly and by gosh, I like him
by James Brotheridge
THE...A Nice Man’s Band
Cohen is talented and friendly and by gosh, I like him
by James Brotheridge
THE JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL
O’HANLON’S
18 TUESDAY
Jon Cohen is overwhelmingly positive. Almost comically so. Evidence? My phone interview with the musician took a bit of wrangling, as he’d dropped his phone and broken it. Then, speaking to me thanks to a phone card, he said of the tour so far: “Yesterday was basically our second night, so, so far, so good. Apart from the phone thing, things have been pretty good.”
Then, in the same breath: “Our car died today. Every day is a challenge. But in a good way. It’s a good stress, not a bad stress.”
Maybe it isn’t optimism so much as his newfound determined nature. Cohen’s been kicking around the Montreal music scene for years now, playing with his own group, the Jon Cohen Experimental, since 2006. However it’s only been with the release of 2010’s Behold that he’s really tried to make a go out of the music business.
“I’m 34 years old,” he says. “I’m no longer in my 20s. People are starting families at my age. I just thought, I know I have a great talent with music and that I love people and that I love to network and that I love to travel. So I want music to be the vehicle to achieve my dream, and not just the end result.”
He continues, “I’ve never really fully committed myself to saying, ‘You know what? I am a great musician and I want to bring this to other people. I want other people to be part of this as well.’”
Behold is a good record to get behind. Cohen’s extremely well-produced indie-pop is catchy and accomplished, showing the fully developed sound of a guy fully comfortable in the studio. (“I think I was born at a studio, because whenever I’m at a studio, I can be there for days without noticing the time go by,” he says.) Guest spots from members of The Dears, Stars, and Broken Social Scene sweeten the deal.
Right now, Cohen’s on a multiple-month tour that’ll include a stop at South by Southwest. Since he doesn’t have his bandmates with him, he’ll be performing with what he calls his “Casiotone orchestra.”
Even if these are the acts of a man who really wants to succeed, he also seems like a kind-hearted guy, the type of fellow who’s committed to giving out 20 copies of his album at each of his concert dates.
Further evidence: I ask him about an interview I read with him from another paper, where the writer compared his music to the Bee Gees — a description that doesn’t hold a lot of weight, which the writer admits — and Cohen is super gracious about it.
Since then, though, Cohen has started to see some Bee Gees influences work their way into his music.
“Maybe he implanted the seed, so now it’s just coming into full bloom,” he says.
My theory is that he’s so nice, he actually held onto that description and, subconsciously perhaps, made it come true. What a man.
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Mining for gold Two acts deliver stunning new records
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Montreal-based performer Jon Cohen, who used to play with Canada’s The Dears and the Social Register...Montreal-based performer Jon Cohen, who used to play with Canada’s The Dears and the Social Register, now performs under his own moniker: The Jon Cohen Experimental. “We have a new record out called Behold,” Cohen said, “and we’ve been touring the album this summer and fall across the Maritimes, Quebec, and Ontario, playing festivals like Pop Montreal and NXNE and to all kinds of audiences.” He’ll play Tuesday, March 8, at Las
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THE JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL experimenting with the human condition
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THE JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL
experimenting with the human condition
By Tannis Baradziej
A convers...THE JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL
experimenting with the human condition
By Tannis Baradziej
A conversation with Jon Cohen is like a chatting with Eckhart Tolle and Roger Waters wrapped into one. Add a dash of Canadiana indie rock and you have his latest solo project: the Jon Cohen Experimental.
With an awareness of how the human condition affects him, Cohen’s approach to writing music is an honest reflection on the simultaneous emptiness and beauty of humanity.
“When I write music, I’m just trying to get a glimmer of truth and hold onto that for enough time,” Cohen says. “I’m trying to grasp a bit of truth and put it down to a two-inch tape.”
It’s this attitude that lends to the construction of melodies, fleshed out by Cohen’s gentle crooning of lyrics that guides the listener to open their eyes to the ego-driven world around them, and embrace who they are as individuals.
Hailing from Montreal, Cohen – formerly of the Dears – is keenly aware that there is nothing experimental about his music, per se. With a strong, psychedelic, ’60s feel infused throughout Behold, the listener cannot help but draw comparisons to Pink Floyd or the Beatles.
“The Jon Cohen Experimental isn’t experimental in the sense of the music, but more in the sense that I’m putting myself through all these experiential stages in my life and documenting it as a musical form,” Cohen explains.
No, that doesn’t mean he’s ingesting mind-altering substances to create his sound. Rather, as he puts it, his music is inspired by the human condition and his interactions with people he meets on the road.
And he’s bringing that music to Calgary later this month.
A seasoned musician, Cohen has made wonderful use of his experience in – and connection within – Canada’s music industry. Showcasing artists from the Dears, Stars and the Stills, this album is a veritable smorgasbord of Montreal talent.
Alas, Cohen says, such talent won’t be appearing with him at Broken City. In fact, no one will.
“I’m putting together a kick-ass show. It won’t just be a guy with a guitar – I’ve invited my Casio orchestra along with me,” he laughs. “I don’t have any mouths to feed that way.
“I’m not a starving artist, but a broke artist,” he says, explaining that his lifestyle – which includes meditation and a clean apartment amidst writing and performing music – is probably crushing the image that some may think most musicians might try to put forth.
Cohen's undertakings avoid living up to the artifices expected of musicians, instead inviting the human condition to inspire his approach to songwriting. And it does: Cohen’s subject matter is sometimes bitterly realistic, such as in “Behold”: “While the suits shake hands/Wave hello and good-bye/They're stabbing us with knives/Enriching their wives.” Yet, he also sings, “Time is running out/So be what you’re about,” in the delicately poignant song, “Don’t Be the Cloud.”
Indeed, Cohen shows awareness of the fleetingness of time. At 34 years old, the musician knows he isn’t getting any younger, but he’s committed himself to devoting the time required to produce meaningful music.
“I don’t go for quantity. I’ll write 12 to 15 songs over three to four years… some people do that in a week.
“Through (making this album), I went through a relationship, a few jobs and a couple apartments at the same time,” he reflects.
According to Cohen, the album was well worth the time spent writing and producing it. The songs have been met with “an amazing array of different reactions,” he says, and that feedback is what keeps him going.
Cohen says he’s not concerned with making money or creating hits, but with making connections. Meeting people, he says, is the reason he tours and the way he rejuvenates his passion for music.
“I’m in this to find myself. It’s an inner journey, and what I’m finding out is you find yourself through other people, and the way I meet people is by playing music.”
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jon cohen experimental w/ raleigh and axis of conversation
[+ Show ]
jon cohen experimental w/ raleigh and axis of conversation
January 20th, 2011 @ 9:00 pm to Januar...jon cohen experimental w/ raleigh and axis of conversation
January 20th, 2011 @ 9:00 pm to January 21st, 2011 @ 3:00 am
at Broken City (613 11th Ave SW Calgary, AB)
The Jon Cohen Experimental is the brainchild band of Montreal musician & songwriter Jonathan Cohen. Having been a key member of such diverse and popular bands as The Dears, The Social Register, JF Robitaille, and countless others. Jon formed his own group as a response to over a decade of service to the prolific Montreal music scene. Jon and his band toured Canada and played in festivals such as Pop Montreal & NXNE. They were also featured on radio shows like CBC’s Brave New Waves and The Signal. They charted on college radio and were nominated for best pop album with GAMIQ (l’initiative indpendante de musique du Qubec). The Jon Cohen Experimentals unique, genre-defying music can be described as a thought and mood-provoking blend of pop and rock. Take a look at some of the many top notch reviews here -
http://www.thejcex.com
In Support of Jon Cohen we have Calgarys Raleigh. This up-and-coming trio’s music brings to mind flights of fancy and road trips through the mountains. Sweet melodies and light orchestration this music can put you into a trance your never want to come out of. To sweeten the deal, Calgarys post-pop masters Axis of will share their breathing collection of syllables, strings and noise that will keep on repeat in your head for weeks.
http://www.myspace.com/thejoncohenexperience
www.myspace.com/raleighsound
www.myspace.com/axisofconversation
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=185216388174329
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Experimental experience Ex-Dears member Jon Cohen strikes out solo
[+ Show ]
Experimental experience
Ex-Dears member Jon Cohen strikes out solo
Published January 13, 2011 by ...Experimental experience
Ex-Dears member Jon Cohen strikes out solo
Published January 13, 2011 by Sean Marchetto in Music Previews
DETAILS
The Jon Cohen Experiment with Raleigh and Axis of Conversation
Broken City
Thursday, January 20 - Thursday, January 20
More in: Rock / Pop
Three years after the release of his debut solo album, Montreal’s Jon Cohen is riding into Calgary on the surprisingly accessible pop sounds of his sophomore followup, Behold. Cohen’s arrival at Broken City, his first performance here since his days with The Dears, will be a solo show with projections, electronic loops and, he mischievously promises, his mysterious little orchestra. The full band won’t join him until it begins its tour along the B.C. coast, a trip that will eventually see the Jon Cohen Experimental descending into California and towards Phoenix, then heading into Austin for SXSW, eventually touring its way home sometime in April.
Behold features 10 straight-ahead pop songs ranging from the lackadaisical “Don’t Be the Cloud” to the urgent and anxious “Brain Pollution,” a catchy tune complete with backup singers and “Ba-ba-ba-oom” choruses. When asked about reactions to the music, given the band’s name, Cohen laughs. “It’s not experimental in the musical sense. It’s not about John Cage or Laurie Anderson…. It might be a little misleading to call it experimental, but I like that. It catches people off guard and they can be pleasantly surprised by it.”
Despite the delightful pop sounds of the Experimental, the group challenges notions of what it means to be a band, especially in this age of artistic collectives. Although Behold is clearly Cohen’s project, its recording involved a shifting state of membership, one that took advantage of the many musical relationships Cohen built up since leaving The Dears in 2002, drawing in Angela Desveaux, Dears guitarist Murray Lightburn and members from bands such as Stars, among others.
“I play guitar, piano, keyboards and drums for other people. I’ve played everything from 12-string guitar to electronic triangle, harpsichord, strings, anything that can be plucked, but with this album it was not so much about the instruments, but about the person. I wrote the parts with people in mind. I thought maybe Liam (O’Neil of The Stills) could do something here. This would be a great part for this personality. Being a multi-instrumentalist is good, you can always flesh the song out, thinking maybe it needs more flugelhorn here, but I approached it differently. And it was the best experience, to open it up to anyone who felt they could add to it.”
This open process contrasts the methods of plenty of solo artists, who hire session players to fill in and then keep a tight rein on improvisation. Instead, Cohen allowed his various collaborators free rein, resulting in an album full of little flourishes, from the guitar work on “Peace to Pieces” and “Stroke (of the Night)” to the fuzzed out sounds of “No More Videos Just Teasers.”
“The album was about working and reworking songs, eventually deciding to involve my musical peers and put the call out there to see who would be willing to lend their voices. It was great to have that positive reinforcement with so many people contributing. It was the best part of making the album. I had always had trouble with confidence, in part because I was always playing music for other people, but when you decide to take the helm and assume leadership, you put a lot of pressure on you to do well by and for yourself.”
The Jon Cohen Experimental is promising free copies of its latest CD, Behold, to the first 20 attendees of his Thursday, January 20 performance.
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Jon Cohen Experimental w guests not to be missed!
[+ Show ]
The Jon Cohen Experimental w/ guests Go to Broken City's Microsite » Thursday, January 20th, 2011
T...The Jon Cohen Experimental w/ guests Go to Broken City's Microsite » Thursday, January 20th, 2011
The Jon Cohen Experimental is the brainchild band of Montreal musician & songwriter Jonathan Cohen. Having been a key member of such diverse and popular bands as The Dears, The Social Register, JF Robitaille, and many more, Jon formed his own group as a response to over a decade of service to the prolific Montreal music scene. The band was formed in the spring of 2006 when Jon began carving out his own musical path. Jon and his band toured Canada and played in festivals such as Pop Montreal & NXNE. They were also featured on radio shows like CBC's Brave New Waves and The Signal.
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Jon Cohen Experimental
[+ Show ]
The Jon Cohen Experimental is the brainchild band of Montreal musician & songwriter Jonathan Cohen...
The Jon Cohen Experimental is the brainchild band of Montreal musician & songwriter Jonathan Cohen. Having been a key member of such diverse and popular bands as The Dears, The Social Register, JF Robitaille, and many more, Jon formed his own group as a response to over a decade of service to the prolific Montreal music scene.
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JON COHEN'S SOLO TOUR GOES HEAVY ON THE EXPERIMENTAL
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JON COHEN'S SOLO TOUR GOES HEAVY ON THE EXPERIMENTAL
Touring alone has its benefits. Sure, hitting ...JON COHEN'S SOLO TOUR GOES HEAVY ON THE EXPERIMENTAL
Touring alone has its benefits. Sure, hitting the road without any accompaniment might make weeks spent on the highway seem that much lonelier. But the trade-off is the chance to strip down your songs to what you can create alone on stage, testing to see if the arrangements still hold up, tweaking here and there, night after night, to test your own new works and maybe reanimate the old ones in new ways.
"If the songwriting is good, it can survive any transformation," says Jon Cohen, taking a call in Toronto, about three dates into his Canada-crossing tour. It's his fourth treck of the year as Montréal-based the Jon Cohen Experimental. It's also the first one he's done solo, crossing the country via Greyhound bus: the tour's early itinerary has Cohen travelling with a friend, but by the time he makes it to Alberta, they'll have long since parted ways.
"We're going to split up after Windsor, and then I'm really going to be on my own," he explains, "I'm a little bit ... I wouldn't say nervous, but anxious at the idea, but at the same time, excited about developing this little set I've been working on. And, so far, the reception's been amazing. I feel like I'm finding a whole new musical side of myself that I didn't know I had, and would not have known I had, had I taken the band with me."
Cohen's been "trying this Owen Pallett thing out," using a bass guitar to channel the dreamy, ethereal-thundercloud that rumbles over the songs on Behold, his second solo release. It's melodic, jangling jam-pop, with understated vocals hovering just above the surface. Murray Lightburn of the Dears (Cohen's old band) pops up on the recording, as do members of Stars and the Stills. Cohen notes that he's giving away free copies of Behold to the first 15 or so people to show up to the show, and though his solo interpretations will stray from the recorded songs, he's found the transition from full band set-up to what's Greyhound friendly for one has been surprisingly smooth.
"I've been amazed at how easily the songs on Behold have been able to metamorph into this new set much more so than the new material I'm bringing into the set. It was like butter," he chuckles, "Instantly transformable, and recognizable, and it kinda breathed some new life into them by doing that. And now I, once again, really enjoy playing them. You can imagine after four tours, playing the same stuff over and over again, one could start to grow a little sick of it."
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Greyhound Pilgrimage A solo Jon Cohen hits Edmonton twice within a week and is travelling old school.
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Greyhound Pilgrimage
A solo Jon Cohen hits Edmonton twice within a week and is travelling old schoo...Greyhound Pilgrimage
A solo Jon Cohen hits Edmonton twice within a week and is travelling old school.
Published January 13, 2011 by Trent Wilkie in Music Preview
Not a florist, but a hard working musician — Jon Cohen (with the rose) thinks Edmonton’s so nice, he’s coming here twice.
Emblazoned in large font on Jon Cohen’s blog page is “No Relation to Leonard.” This statement does more than just clarify Cohen’s lineage, it is a testament to him setting himself apart from his past and striking out on his own. After being an integral part of The Dears and The Social Register, he has set himself apart from his peers. This is prevalent in Behold, his second album, as it is a mixture of new age sensibilities with pop rock creativity. Upon first listen I thought Cohen would have been from the West Coast or at least have strong roots there. Finding out he was a veteran of the Montreal scene was a bit of a surprise, but then again, certain philosophies know no borders.
“I try not to go too much in one direction,” explains Cohen. “I’m representing myself. I’ve never really prescribed too much to anything and that is to my advantage. I’ve dabbled in everything, from drugs to spirituality, from capitalism to community, to hard core to no core. I’m just trying to sample everything and the same with my music. I’m not limiting myself to anything.”
Visiting Edmonton for the second time in his life — twice within a week, no less — Cohen is doing so on his own. Well, he’s not doing it alone per se — he’s got a strong body of work with him. And with that body of work comes growth from both the artist and music itself.
“A good artist shouldn’t just evolve their style from album to album, but also their approach,” Cohen says. “After a certain while, you feel your music has reached a certain place where it is content with itself. But, even a great message or idea at the force of saying it over and over again loses its meaning. Your job as a performer is to rekindle that meaning. It is tricky. I’m travelling solo on a kind of pilgrimage. I’m learning a lot along the way.”
The use of the word pilgrimage is not an exaggeration for Cohen. Not being able to pry his band away from their lives for a three month winter tour has forced Cohen out on his own. What he finds and how he finds it will be of his own volition. What may seem extremely scary to some frees Cohen to visit with himself and his life. This is something that very few musicians do anymore.
“It’s a funny thing,” says Cohen. “My music is a lifestyle and a career and it’s neither a high paying career nor the easiest lifestyle. I’m going to find something; I’m looking for something and I’m not sure what that is. I’m doing it unconventionally by visiting 37 cities on a Greyhound bus. It’s an experiment so see if it is possible for a musician whose career depends on travel to do it without being incubated in a van. With that said music is a vehicle for me to make connections with all types of people and inevitably bring happiness to me. Whether or not that is going to happen with financial benefits is still to be seen, but it doesn’t matter. Anything that brings you closer to people on a wide scale cannot be wrong.”
With all this talk of introspection and philosophical relevancy, I threw a simple question to Cohen to gauge his focus. In five words, describe Edmonton. He said:
“They brought us Gretzky, man.”
With sage like candour, Cohen has his pulse on the wrist of the nation and he hasn’t even hit Winnipeg yet.
Jon Cohen
With Brendan Kelly and guests
Haven Social Club (15120 - Stony Plain Road)
Saturday, Jan. 15, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $10 at the door
With Smokey
ARTery (9535 Jasper Ave.)
Friday, Jan. 21, 8:30 p.m.
Tickets: $12 at the door
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MUSIC PREVIEW IN JANUARY 13, 2011 ISSUE
Raise Your Hand If You’re Celebrating Malanka
It’s New Years Eve! ... for Ukrainians. Celebrate the night with Waldin, Zwozdesky and the ESO
by Jerry Ozipko
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This ain’t hollywood Featuring John Cohen – Jan 10th
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This ain’t hollywood Featur...HOME FEATURED BANDS CLUBS FORUM FAQ ABOUT CONTACT RSS FEED
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This ain’t hollywood Featuring John Cohen – Jan 10th
Category: Clubs In Hamilton / Tag: Behold, David Draves, Gentleman Reg, Jon Cohen, Jon Cohen Experimental’s, Julie Doiron, Kathleen Edwards, Montreal musician & songwriter Jonathan Cohen, Pop Montreal, pop songwriting / Add Comment
This ain’t hollywood
345 James St. North
Hamilton
Ontario
Canada
opener is jf robitaille from montreal
doors 9pm, cover 7$
The Jon Cohen Experimental is the brainchild band of Montreal musician & songwriter Jonathan Cohen. Having been a key member of such diverse and popular bands as The Dears, The Social Register and
many more, Jon formed his own group in the spring of 2006 as a response to over a decade of service to the prolific Montreal music scene. The result was a beautifully crafted self-titled debut album that although
released independently, still created a buzz amongst indie cohorts. Jon and his band charted, toured and played festivals such as Pop Montreal. They were also featured on radio shows like CBC’s Brave New Waves and
The Signal. They were nominated for best pop album in 2008 with GAMIQ (l’initiative indépendante de musique du Québec).
Today, The Jon Cohen Experimental have just unleashed their sophomore album aptly titled “Behold“. It was recorded by maverick producer David Draves (Julie Doiron, Gentleman Reg, Kathleen Edwards) and features
some great musicians like Angela Desveaux, Evan Cranley (Stars) , Liam O’Neil (Stills) and Murray Lightburn (Dears). The record will be released this coming September 16th in a large empty swimmng pool at Montreal’s Bains Matthieu with visual artists litteraly “painting” the band’s incredible music live! This will be followed by a coast-to-coast tour
this fall 2010.
The Jon Cohen Experimental’s unique, genre-defying music can be described as a thought and mood-provoking blend of pop rock, which pulls from a variety of musical traditions offering a unique take on modern alternative music. Jon’s lyrical content makes poetic commentary on human nature’s destructive habits and its potential for greatness. All
the while touching on modern life, spirituality and the human condition. Jon and his band (consisting of three core members) push the limits of pop songwriting structure, embarking on an experimental style that
draws in audiences with insightful lyrics and skillfully crafted melodies delivered with raw precision. The Jon Cohen Experimental offers a dynamic sound that is both familiar and refreshing.
“Ex-Dears guitarist dips into shroomy ambience, producing sweet mood music and excellent
rockers like the early Eno-esque “Just me against the world”.
-Lorraine Carpenter/Montreal Mirror-
“Si vous vénérez Dark side of the moon et Meddle vous aimerez Jon Cohen. Ils ont aussi le
talent de faire apparaître un refrain “killer” (Right to Fight) qui emballe completement un
morceau… et l’auditeur.”
-NicolasPelletier/Emoragei-
Discography: Self-Titled LP (2006/Independent)
Live at the Duncan Garage (2008)
Behold (2010/Independent)
Current Lineup: Jonathan Cohen: Vocals, guitars, piano and keys.
Ken Martin: Bass, backing vocals.
Sebastian Côté: Drums, percussion, electronics & backing vocals.
Contact Info: www.myspace.com/thejoncohenexperience
joncohen_98@yahoo.com
(514) 270-5713
(514) 574-3142 (Cell)
Sonicbids: http://www.sonicbids.com/epk/epk.aspx?epk_id=158894
SUGGESTED LISTENING: TRACK 1, 3, 10
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Jon Cohen -- formerly of the Dears, and now of Jon Cohen Experimental -- is but a poor, wayfaring stranger
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? While Jon Cohen is probably best-known as a former member of Montreal's the Dears, it's his new ba...? While Jon Cohen is probably best-known as a former member of Montreal's the Dears, it's his new band, the Jon Cohen Experimental, that will probably allow him to best make his mark. The Experimental is a mix of indie-rock and trance-inducing loops that make a hypnotic, accessible combination.
Cohen is currently traveling throughout the United States and Canada by Greyhound bus, performing a solo tour that hits RecordBar on Tuesday, March 29. He spoke to us last week from a pay phone in Austin's bus terminal before a set of shows during SXSW.
The Pitch: So, why are you traveling by bus?
Jon Cohen: Logistically, it just makes a lot of sense. I have a full band in Montreal, but I couldn't really bring them with me on this three-month journey across Canada and the States. It's just impossible to be driving all day and then playing all night, and then driving all day again. There's just no time to sleep. And with gas being so expensive nowadays, and people being more conscious about their carbon footprint, I just wanted to try something different. It almost feels like it's my own personal tour bus.
What instruments do you have with you?
I've got this whole setup with drum machines and drum pads and keyboard and this huge pedal board. I play bass on top of that, and sing, so I build the song up from scratch and then I kind of build it up to a climactic point, and then I deconstruct it completely and then I just keep building it up again. It creates this sort of dancey, poppy, atmospheric thing.
What that entails is a huge suitcase that's luckily on wheels, a backpack, and a bass in a soft case, which I usually carry onboard with me. But the suitcase itself is way too heavy for Greyhound, so it's really up to them if they'll let me on or not. If not, I've got a spare bag I can transfer the weight to. It's this whole convoluted system that I've become a master of over the past three months.
How do these shows differ from the full band Jon Cohen Experimental?
The shows on this tour are unique in that I'm being this whole solo thing right now, where I'm basically a one-man band. I've never done this before -- well, I did it a few times before, but never to this level, anyway. The difference is basically, I'm on my own, and I'm definitely in new and interesting and exciting places, playing to new audiences. So, it's exciting, it's exhilarating, it's frightening -- but it's good. It's putting me to the test. I'm happy I did this.
I don't know if I would do another extreme tour like this again, but at least it's opening a whole new slew of doors and possibilities for me, as to how I want to do this again and how I want to tackle it in the future. Musically, basically, I've done 50 shows in the last three months, and you learn a lot from doing that. Playing to completely different audiences each night, you learn how to approach the sound, which affects the presentation, and so on. It's different. It's always different. Let's put it this way: It's a lesson in adaptation.
You say new places. Are you playing places you've never played before?
Yeah, definitely. I was just in Arizona. I played two shows in Arizona, and I'd never played Arizona before. So that was really interesting. Even up in Canada, I've played some places that have just called out to me, and I had no idea why. Some of them have turned out to be really amazing -- these little towns, just kind of hidden out of the way. It's not so much how renowned the towns are, but how great was your experience? What was your crowd like? What was your experience at the bar like? I've played some bigger places that have not been as much fun as some of these out-of-the-way towns like Tempe, Arizona, or something like that.
Does traveling by bus allow you time to explore the towns you're in?
Yeah, it is, because, essentially, I'm a slave to the Greyhound bus schedule. If the bus is not leaving until the next morning, then I've got a day to play with. And, so as to not burn myself out too much, I've allowed myself two or three days a week off, wherever I end up. It's not up to me, but wherever I end up, I kind of become a tourist before the show or whatever. I've also been doing a lot of couch surfing. It's not so much about having a place to stay but having a friend there, somebody who'll show you around town and give you all the tidbits about the place and just give you an insider's take.
So, instead of becoming a tourist, you become a citizen of that town for a little while, and you get to learn a lot more about it and see a lot more of it and meet a lot more interesting people in it than you would just passing through. Even just playing with a band, passing through, I felt like an astronaut. We'd play a show, we'd leave, that was it. This allows me a lot more freedom to explore. It's not exactly a traditional way of touring.
You can read about more of Cohen's touring experiences on his blog.
Tags:
Dears, Incoming concerts, Jon Cohen Experimental
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BEHOLD: MUSIC FOR SUNDAYS, WARM SUMMER NIGHTS
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INPRINT: MUSIC FOR SUNDAYS, WARM SUMMER NIGHTS / WEDNESDAY JANUARY 19TH, 2011
by Pyper Geddes in Ev...INPRINT: MUSIC FOR SUNDAYS, WARM SUMMER NIGHTS / WEDNESDAY JANUARY 19TH, 2011
by Pyper Geddes in Events, InPrint, Music
One listen to the Jon Cohen Experimental will leave you wanting more (and more and more). Their unique, genre-defying music can be described as a thought- and mood-provoking blend of pop rock which pulls from a variety of musical traditions offering a unique take on modern alternative music.
With such an easy listening sound, this is the kind of music that long Sunday drives and warm summer nights are made of.
The Jon Cohen Experimental are currently touring their new album, Behold, produced by Dave Draves (Gentlemen Reg, Angela Desveaux, Julie Doiron, Octoberman, Kathleen Edwards) and featuring musical guests such as Murray Lightburn from The Dears, Angela Desveaux, Elephant Stone, Krista Muir, Evan Cranley from Stars and Broken Social Scene, Liam O’Neil from The Stills and many more.
The Jon Cohen Experimental will be stopping by the Minstrel Café and Bar (4638 Lakeshore Rd.) on Jan. 26 and I would highly recommend enjoying his performance over something from the Café’s delicious menu and a bottle of vino (perhaps the perfect accompaniment for anything really).
Cohen plays at 8 p.m. and a $5 entertainment charge per person will be added to your bill at the end of the night.
Get a taste for the Jon Cohen Experimental at www.myspace.com/thejoncohenexperience.
Read the complete article in today’s edition (Wednesday, Jan. 19th) of the Kelowna Capital News.
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Cohen plays Nelson
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cohen’s got a lot going on. i don’t even know the name of all his instruments, but suffice it to say...cohen’s got a lot going on. i don’t even know the name of all his instruments, but suffice it to say he had 10 loop pedals and watching him sync everything into a cohesive, beautiful song, gave me anxiety. he clearly knew what he was doing, however. what makes this show all the more cool is knowing the man arrived from Montreal, toting several cases of gear, on a Greyhound bus. godspeed, jon.
thanks to Margaret-Anne at the Fishbowl. you gots a cozy house, even if great apes drink your beer.
January 29, 2011 | Categories: hear | Tags: bc wedding photographer, british columbia wedding photographer, Independent music photographer, the jon cohen experimental | 1 Comment »
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North Of Northwest: The Jon Cohen Experimental
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FEBRUARY 25, 2011
North Of Northwest: The Joe Cohen Experimental
Considering Jon Cohen’s ext...
FEBRUARY 25, 2011
North Of Northwest: The Joe Cohen Experimental
Considering Jon Cohen’s extensive musical resume - he’s logged over a decade in the Montreal music scene, including a stint in Canadian indie fixtures The Dears - it’s no surprise that his Jon Cohen Experimental sounds less experimental and more confident and true.
On Behold, The Jon Cohen Experimental’s second album, the not-quite-eponymous threesome blends an eclectic range of musical ideas into a sound that is textured and nuanced but still quite cohesive. The overall feel is of dreamy psych-pop, harmonious and spring-like, cherry blossoms against a blue sky and lazy clouds drifting overhead. Fuzzy guitars buzz like bees. Look long enough, though, and you’ll find shapes in the clouds, wispy whispers of almost any genre you can imagine.
Standout earworm “Brain Pollution” begins with an Asian flair, then morphs into a harmony-laden singalong that combines the dreaminess of Arcade Fire with the pop sensibilities of Broken Social Scene and achieves much of the grandness of either group with less than half the members. “Peace to Pieces” has a funky 70s vibe, but scrapes off the layers of bombast that can burden classic rock to retain the band’s signature airy feel.
If the music exhibits the confidence of a man who’s found wisdom, the lyrics echo the sentiment. Cohen’s words are philosophical and replete with metaphor: “You’re not the river / If you got nowhere to flow / You’re not the monk / If you’ve still got hair to grow,” he sings in “Don’t Be The Cloud.” “Don’t be the cloud / Cause time is running out / So be what you’re all about.” This seize-the-day sentiment is echoed in “Peace to Pieces”: “Have you ever had a dream / Just to watch it fall apart / Then by all means please grab yourself a paper and pen / Write it down, mail it in.” Another entreaty is to retain your personal vibrance amidst the drudgery of the status quo: “I hope that… you’re always causing ripples / In a pool that represents your life.”
Say what you will for the enthusiasm of youth; Cohen and his band make a persuasive argument that maturity and a little bit of wisdom have a place in pop music too. There’s a pleasantness in the Experimental’s consistency, the comfort of not having to sit through the misses that often accompany the hits of the wildly searching. And of course there’s always joy in hearing good music, and what it comes down to is that that’s what this is.
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The Jon Cohen experimental plays the Ella St. Social Club in Portland March 3, the Cobra Lounge in Seattle March 4, and an in-store at Tacoma’s Rocket Records March 5.
Behold is available now on Zunior.
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Posted By Brittney
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Don't be the Cloud and Jon Cohen
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~Don’t Be The Cloud/THE JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL
yes, outta MONTREAL . . . have a listen !! – bet add...~Don’t Be The Cloud/THE JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL
yes, outta MONTREAL . . . have a listen !! – bet addiction will hit you, too.
sample: ‘Don’t Be The Cloud’, BEHOLD, THE JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL !!
while we were in Montreal last May 2010 – we came across this great little music venue called CASA del POPOLO – on St. Laurent – or St. Lawrence as we used to call it – back in the day – before the French language rights issue – cast it’s chilly spell. that was like the hood – like exactement – the Lower East Side – of Montreal.
the first thing that greeted you inside the doorway – was this converted cigarette dispensing machine . . .
for your two buck coin – or tooney – as Canadians call their 2 dollar coins . . . they only have bills starting at the $5 denomination . . .
(singles, or $1 coins are called ‘looneys’ . . . get it: looney and twoonies. Looney tunes – I swear to god.)
(ya gotta know what Looney tunes are, right ? you know Bugs Bunny. Elmer Fudge ? T.V. before reality shows ?)
you can choose a limited edition handmade artist zine – or even some artist produced buttons !!
yes, check these guys, out: distroboto
anyways – CASA del POPOLO, in keeping with its Montreal location – seemed to be more of a European bar/coffeehouse than the kind of more down-to-earthy coffee shop with cupcakes and muffins that our CAKE SHOP is – but just like our NYC Lower East Side – Cake Shop – their music venue was also in the deep dark basement . . . with its own bar downstairs, too.
check out: CASA del POPOLO, Montreal
check out: CAKE SHOP, NYC
some small cartoon drawing in a local alternative newspaper – spread on a table – did momentarily catch my eye.
shark bite, Montreal style ?
don’t tell her I said so, but Kate loved it there. she would have gone back every night . . . if other matters at home weren’t more compelling.
here’s the poster for the 3 bands that were playing that night – and did we luck out or what – THE JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL was 2nd on the bill !!
frontman, songwriter and lead singer/guitar/synths – JON COHEN sets up. we had no idea what we were in for.
this guy was just an amazing fireball of intensity – Montreal spawns a few of these every now and then – even back in the day – when my crew ruled the streets and cafes.
you can read more about him: here/indie music reviews/adequacy.net
the band begins to play . . and immediately the room is quiet. transfixed and on fire, all at the same time . . .
a very cool but smooth and beat worthy – SEBASTIAN COTE is on the drums, and a wonderfully intellectual and extremely musical KEN MARTIN plays the bass.
JON COHEN plays and lites fires at the same time. live – it was surreal. intense is not the word. and yet golden.
spun out and surprising.
after the gig – JON COHEN at right, with his bass player – KEN MARTIN.
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH. 13 MAI, 2010. MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA.
found this little early clip:
THE JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL/’Hold the Fire’/technorati
but . . . here’s their, pretty much only video clip, on YouTube:
yep, most def, HIT: THE JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL – PLAYS – ‘BRAIN POLLUTION’ – LIVE AT DUNCAN GARAGE SHOWROOM/YouTube
hit this link, to watch: the recent – JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL INTERVIEW/PKG on YouTube
o.k. but, I’m still stuck on: Don’t Be The Cloud !!
I could run that song thru my head on a loop 24/7 – for real.
if artlovers had a sound track – that would be it – for this month, anyways. love it. just can’t get enough of it.
you can find their home page, here: THE JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL on myspace
~Don’t Be The Cloud/THE JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL | Posted in Indie Music Reviews, The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | November 20th, 2010, 6:30pm
© Nancy Smith. All rights reserved.
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Adam Saikaley's Music Picks
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Thursday January 6, 2011 |
Adam Saikaley's Music Picks
Thursday Night:
the Jon Cohen Experimen...Thursday January 6, 2011 |
Adam Saikaley's Music Picks
Thursday Night:
the Jon Cohen Experimental at the Avant Garde Bar
Friday Night
Django Libre at the Avant Garde Bar
Flecton Big Sky at the Black Sheep Inn
Saturday Night
Josh Rager and his trio at the Café Paradiso
Sunday Afternoon
Cheza at the Black Sheep Inn - show starts at 4 p.m.
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21st century boy Jon Cohen on machines, projections and music
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21st century boy
Jon Cohen on machines, projections and music
by Allan Wigney
Jon Cohen laugh...21st century boy
Jon Cohen on machines, projections and music
by Allan Wigney
Jon Cohen laughs at the suggestion that by performing without the band responsible for the trippy psychedelia and moving-ooh harmonies at the heart of his album Behold, he may have to significantly rearrange his songs.
“Not at all,” he states. “With the help of what I call my Casiotone Orchestra I can still have it all. You don’t have to lose those things — that’s the beauty of living in the 21st Century.”
Granted. But reference-points offered for Cohen’s material are invariably rooted in the 20th Century — The Beach Boys and Pink Floyd, to name but two. And in the spirit of those heady days (see photo, above), Cohen has developed a fondness for that psychedelic standby, the light show. Or, at least, for some far out images.
“I am a pretty self-conscious performer,” Cohen says. “And when I go to see shows the visual aspect is an important part of it for me. When there’s just one musician I find I seldom enjoy it as much — there’s just not enough emotion. And I was worried that might happen to me. You’re not playing with people, so it’s good to have a lot of machines and projections involved. The whole approach is different.”
Ah ha, so you admit that even in the 21st Century, performing solo is not quite like performing as part of a rock and roll trio.
“Well, this is my first solo tour,” Cohen notes. (Ottawa, no less, is the first stop on that cross-country tour.) “So this is the prototype. But, logistically, taking the band out with me for a three-month tour at this point was a little too much to ask. At the end of the day, it’s my project and I can’t demand that sort of commitment from someone. I had to take the show on the road myself.”
Cohen is no stranger to the road. A versatile musician and songwriter, he has previously come through town as a member of a number of notable acts, among them The Dears and The Social Register. His sophomore solo album, indeed, is a veritable Montreal-scene sampler, boasting contributions by various Dears, Stills and Stars in addition to Krista Muir and Angela Desveaux.
To look to the future, then, Cohen called on trusted colleagues from a rich musical past.
“I still live in Montreal and I still play music, so I still see those people,” Cohen says with a shrug. “And it’s better now that I can contact them as equals — now that I’m pursuing my own musical ambitions. I can now invite people I respect and who are peers to be a part of my own thing.”
(Cohen also drew on Ottawa’s talent pool for Behold, recruiting producer Dave Draves to play on as well as twiddle the knobs for the recording. “More mentor than producer,” is how Cohen describes our Dave.)
Tonight, we can be a part of Cohen’s own thing, as the man behind the experiment brings his machines and projections to the Avant-Garde.
“It’s very formalized,” Cohen says of the set. “The images were created to match the sound, so I have to be on the ball. It’s important to create a visual aspect… to detract from the boring frontman.”
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Album Review: "Behold" by The Jon Cohen Experimental
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Album Review: "Behold" by The Jon Cohen Experimental
23 FEBRUARY 2011
4 COMMENTS
Posted by the W...Album Review: "Behold" by The Jon Cohen Experimental
23 FEBRUARY 2011
4 COMMENTS
Posted by the Wozz Featured
Montreal group The Jon Cohen Experimental has a lot going for itself in their 2010 album Behold - perfectly plucked guitar passages, non-cheesy synthesizer usage, understated vocal performances and a solid rhythm section. Mistakes and stray marks have been painstakingly erased to present the listener a series of easily decipherable and unoffensive pop songs. Experimental is not a word I would describe this album as nothing really out of the ordinary for the genre is heard.
“Hold The Fire,” the opening track, is no “Keep The Fire,” but it does a decent job of achieving a flawlessly executed mid-tempo ELO-influenced groove. Unlike that touchstone, however, it lacks the driving energy from the 70's group's renown rhythm section and vocal arrangements to have made it to Out of The Blue. (Author Note/Aside: my personal favorite of theirs is Time) The Talking-Heads-leaning “Peace to Pieces” breaks the mold of the preceding tunes that follow the blue-print of the opener's design, but it doesn't push the album out familiar pop territory.
When the title track beings, the energy is brought down to near Iron And Wine levels. To its credit, one of the first things this song reminded me of a track off of John Cale's “Planes of Endless Fortune”. Unfortunately, it lacks the analog warmth, verbose string arrangements or Cale's evocative personality to propel the piece. “No More Videos, Just Teasers” sounds like its ready for a hip car commercial. As with the stated ELO referencing, Experimental's record also demonstrates a clear appreciation for modern psychedelic pop like The Flaming Lips, to make sure that no song ever gets more driving than a song that has the word “Yoshimi” in the title.
In short, Jon Coen Experimental's version of easy-going psychedelia is simply not my cup of sleepy-time tea. Behold is well executed soft-rock that doesn't go outside the boundaries its influences has set for it, and never takes off for me. This is really for listeners who prefer their pop with heavy servings of John Lennon and Wayne Coyne on the side. Nothing jarring or out of left field ever emerges to jostle the listener into making them uncomfortable. If this is how you like your pop music, then give this album a shot; for those of you who need more daring or energy in their intake, then look elsewhere.
Listen to Jon Coen Experimental on their myspace
Categories: Album Reviews
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Q/A: Discussing musical mindfulness with Jon Cohen
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Q/A: Discussing musical mindfulness with Jon Cohen
by Brian R. Brinkman on February 23, 2011
Jon...Q/A: Discussing musical mindfulness with Jon Cohen
by Brian R. Brinkman on February 23, 2011
Jon Cohen has been around. A veteran of the diverse Montreal music scene, Jon has been all things: band member, collaborator, and now, band leader for the better part of the last fifteen years. In a city such as Montreal, it’s easy to get stuck emulating the local vibe-of-the-day or brushed aside by more established groups. Cohen is unwilling to allow either of these conclusions to define him. He has pursued various musical and lifestyle directions in an effort to find both his voice and his calling.
After playing in groups such as The Dears and The Social Register, Cohen became disenchanted with the overall music business and left music for a period of time earlier this decade. Diving into a spiritual quest, Jon emerged with a few songs around 2006 that, once his friends got wind of them, advised him to record and play them live. Releasing his self-titled debut in 2007, Cohen realized the connections that could be made with people through his songs and his full band, The Jon Cohen Experimental.
In 2010 the band released their sophomore record, Behold, and is presently on tour throughout Canada and the US in support of it. Oregon Music News compiled the following interview from emails exchanged with Jon.
Oregon Music News: Tell me a little bit about the Montreal music scene and its impact on your music.
Jon Cohen: The Montreal music scene is a fledging and bustling melting pot of all that is the greatest in culture and art. We meld cheese, potatoes and gravy and make it taste good (poutine)! In the same sense, our music is a melting pot of the best the world has to offer. It’s a small city but the artists here are able to hone their crafts because of the low cost of living and high cultural diversity. We have bands like Arcade Fire, The Stills, The Dears, Kid Koala, Sam Roberts, Socalled, the Unicorns, etc etc, and the list goes on, and on.
OMN: Who were some of your favorite bands growing up?
JC: I listened to a lot of classic stuff: The Beatles, Cohen, Floyd, Zep, Paul Simon, you know, the usual. I also went though a metal phase at a younger, riper age! But for the most part I am a junkie of music, I think my sound borrows from everything, though 70's, 80's and 90's music are more predominant, but you can hear traces of all styles and eras. It’s a real music buffet with a little something for everyone.
OMN: Tell me a bit about your career prior to the Jon Cohen Experimental and what led to the band’s formation.
JC: Career is an overstatement…I would say a career is more in line with someone who works at it and makes a living off of it. Although there was a time when I was making a living off of it. I stopped short, was a bit disheartened by the whole music business model and thrust myself into spirituality, meditation, and Buddhist philosophy. I think it was a necessary step in my musical evolution because now I feel like musically I am coming from a place with a solid foundation, now it’s as if I have something of significance to say, it feels more justified. I think great music has to contain great philosophy too or a great message, be it instrumental or lyrical, it’s all about the place where its coming from.
OMN: From what I’ve read, the origins of the Jon Cohen Experimental emerged from a powerful period of songwriting and inspiration in 2006, can you tell me a bit about that period in your life?
JC: It was a time of distress for me, I was feeling an urgency to record, to play and to write as many songs as possible. I don’t know why at the time I was trying to fight it. I had different conceptions of what a musician or a songwriter is. I was a lot less confident in my own abilities and in myself in general and I was unhappy in many ways that I could not get something valuable going in my life.
I think this was a subconscious reaction to my innate abilities being muffled. It was a scream, and it happened very fast over the period of only a few months, over forty songs were written. It was as if the pressure cooker had just burst and so the record was made fast, raw and beautifully. Today I feel much more “normalized.” I make records from a place of calm and confidence, but this was my road to get here.
OMN: There was a significant break between the release of your 2007 self-titled debut, did you tour this entire time, write, take a break from music entirely?
JC: I definitely did not push as hard with the first record as with this one but I am happy that I did with this one because I felt much more ready to take the next step and see where music could take me. I worked extremely hard on making this record, I toiled night and day, but it was a drive that was nuclear-fueled because it was coming from the heart. I also was very grateful for the musicians who partook in the making of the record and of the ease with which it all came together.
OMN: You achieved success on college stations throughout Canada with your first record, did you take anydifferent approach when you recorded Behold?
JC: Well, the approach is totally different with this record as it was with the first one. The first album had me discovering what I was capable of as a songwriter/bandleader. It was raw, unprepared, but yet the Jon Cohen signature sound was already there, that distinct voice that makes me, me. I think its inherent in all musicians. Behold was a more thought-out attempt to look deeper into my musical subconscious, and see what I could dig up.
Lyrically and musically its all about introspection, and that is why it took so much longer to make. I wanted the message, the songs, the voice, the image, and the philosophy to take their sweet time to grow and mature so that I could capture them at their ripest.
OMN: I’ve read that you recorded with members of Stars and Broken Social Scene for Behold, how did those appearances come up? Have you played with either of those groups before? Did their participation in any way influence your sound on Behold?
JC: I have not played in any of those groups although I used to tour with them. Of course they did influence the sound on the record, that was the intention from the get-go. But the idea was to not let the personality, or the credibility of the players overtake the song. The purpose of the musician is to let the song tell him/her where it wants to go, not the other way around. I believe, we were able to achieve this with Behold. It bears no distinct fingerprint of any one or any sound and that was my intention from the start.
OMN: Your songs tend to have a polished studio quality to them. Do you find it difficult to replicate this live?
JC: Yes and no, in one sense, I like to approach the live show as its own beast, its own entity, totally separate from the record. It is a totally different medium, much more powerful in many ways. The energy, the presence of the live show, the personality, the visual and of course, the impact of the sound all play into making it great. In a record, it’s all about composing, layering, perfecting and timing. It is all about the polish. Personally, I love the “pledge” on this record, it is soothing, enveloping and attractive to the ear. However, when I approach the live show, anything goes…but those same elements aren’t necessarily what is called for to uplift the audience and maybe make them forget themselves for a little while. Like with this tour where I will be playing solo, accompanied by my “Casiotone Orchestra”. It’s a totally different thing than the record yet equally as entertaining.
OMN: Your lyrics sound like they are written almost subconsciously, as it from a dream. How do you go about writing lyrics?
JC: It’s hard to say because the writing took so long . I guess I am constantly playing the waiting game with my own inspiration. It’s like those National Geographic documentaries, where the cinematographer waits for days with a camera for the animal or plant in question to do something interesting or amazing. Like those patient cameramen, I wait for the inspiration to come from the moment where I am not thinking logically or where I am not tethered by my own thoughts and fantasies. I wait for those few and far between moments of pure insight, of untainted words, and thoughtless moments, essentially, I wait for my subconscious to speak because it always tells the truth, and I make it a point to put that truth to tape.
OMN: What is your writing process like?
JC: I usually write a piece from beginning to end then think about what this piece wants to say, then I put the feelers out for just one lyrical line, one message, one suggestion, and it all builds from there, sometimes its a clean and easy process, sometimes the song is difficult to get out and I have to perform a c-section to give it life, sometimes its a total miscarriage or the song will return to me in another form.
OMN: From what I’ve heard, you tend to mask some pretty heavy themes behind more pop-oriented, accessible song structures. Can you go into detail at all about this style, and about what has influenced you to make such seemingly contrasting styles mesh?
JC: I consciously do this, I think this is a bi-product of someone who really likes to indulge in almost everything musical and all musical personalities as well. I have a very inclusive attitude. I do not want anybody to feel left out. I act like this in social situations too. And so it carries over into the musical realm, or when I compose. I want to include all the contingencies, all the possibilities, what comes out is what I refer to as “no theme left behind”. It turns out this is a really unique approach but one I feel more people should adopt because it is inclusive, not exclusive.
OMN: What is your favorite thing about making music?
JC: Collaboration. The experiences made from sharing music with others is the goal, the end result. That is where the satisfaction comes from. Also in the live context, it is all about moving the audience. If I can do that I feel a great sense of elation and I believe that translates to them as well. It’s the perfect type of symbiosis between myself and others, like making love to them and vice versa. I love it, actually I can almost say I am completely addicted to it.
OMN: Do you have any ultimate goal with the Jon Cohen Experimental?
JC: To reach as many people with my music as possible, to meet and connect with the world. I see music more as a vehicle towards connecting to my environment, to different people and different situations/settings. Music is not the end result, it’s just the vehicle, the message. I think it will ultimately bring me to know myself through others and that is what the intention is. To be everywhere and with everyone at the same time. The Jon Cohen Experimental’s music is for me the only possible medium to help me achieve that goal.
OMN: If you could play with any other musician, who would it be?
JC: I would love to play with, or open for Paul Simon or The Talking Heads. They really strike numerous chords with me.
OMN: How would you describe your music to anyone who’d never heard you?
JC: A sophisticated collage of musical mindfulness: the birthright of prophets like Ghandi, mind alterers like Pink Floyd, and dancemongers like Brian Eno and The Talking Heads.
The Jon Cohen Experimental will play in Portland on March 3rd at the Ella Street Social Club with Solar Shade and Focus! Focus! Show starts at 9pm. Tickets are $5 at the door.
Tags: 2006, 2007, 2010, Arcade Fire, Behold, Brian Eno, Broken Social Scene, Canada, Ella Street Social Club, Focus! Focus!, Ghandi, interview, Jon Cohen, Kid Koala, Led Zeppelin, Leonard Cohen, Montreal, Oregon Music News, Paul Simon, Portland, Sam Roberts, Socalled, Solar Shade, Stars, The Beatles, The Dears, The Ella St Social Club, The Jon Cohen Experimental, The Social Register, The Still, The Talking Heads, The Unicorns, US
One Response to “Q/A: Discussing musical mindfulness with Jon Cohen”
Ground Control to Major Tom… « thejoncohenexperimental says:
March 9, 2011 at 9:16 pm
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Brian R. Brinkman
http://thesufferingjukebox.wordpress.com
Stuck in a windowless apartment in the mid-sized Korean city of Chuncheon throughout the winter of 2009-10, Brian turned to music as a saving grace. There he began to document all of the music that blew his mind and reinforced his faith in the world. Now in the cozy confines of the Pacific Northwest, Brian is in search of the same kind of boundary-pushing music that has shaped his life, here in Portland. With an ear tuned towards bands that distort commonplace musical ideas, Brian is on the look for groups that will continue to push Portland forward as the center of musical ideas throughout the west.
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Pick of the Day: Jon Cohen Experimental
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Pick of the Day: Jon Cohen Experimental
by Gregory Beatty
Hardcore Canadian music fans will perhap...Pick of the Day: Jon Cohen Experimental
by Gregory Beatty
Hardcore Canadian music fans will perhaps recognize the frontman of this Montreal-based acoustic folk/pop group. In the past, Jon Cohen has performed with groups like The Dears and The Social Register.
In September, he released his second album of his own material. Behold features contributions from members of The Stills, Stars and The Dears, and has garnered favourable reviews.
Tonight, Jon Cohen Experimental are playing O’Hanlon’s Pub. Here’s the video for their song “Don’t Be the Cloud“
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Psych-pop Canada band Jon Cohen Experimental and local new wavers Neon Cough up first
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Louis XIV at Fluxx Live
Thursday 10
Oui, oui, monsieur, Louis XIV reunites tonight at Fluxx Live d...Louis XIV at Fluxx Live
Thursday 10
Oui, oui, monsieur, Louis XIV reunites tonight at Fluxx Live downtown. San Diego’s infamous punk-fueled blues-rock band was banned in Alabama in 2008 for their on-the-road antics and irresponsible lyrical content. Alabama said they were “racist” and “sexist.” Alabama! On the web, Pitchfork consistently pitch-slapped the quartet with sub-three scores for what they considered nothing more than an obligatory nod at the last part of the “sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll” credo. And in the press, the San Francisco Guardian published an article called “10 Reasons Why You Should Not Like Louis XIV.” It’s been a couple years since they’ve shared a stage as LXIV. Hell, it’s been a couple years since they updated their website, so I’d assume this spectacle’s a one-off and suggest you do just about everything you can to get in on it. They are the boom kings. Lesands and Hot Moon up first.... Best of the rest has Seattle singer-songer Damien Jurado touring in support of last year’s Secretly Canadian release Saint Bartlett. The indie folkie’s tour stops at the Loft at UCSD and includes Portland duo Viva Voce...pop-rock songsmith Marshall Crenshaw will visit Acoustic Music San Diego...Oaktown’s Man/Miracle joins local faves New Mexico and Dudes to fill a tasty indie-rock bill at Tin Can Ale House...the Brubeck Brothers (jazz-piano great Dave’s sons Dan on drums and Chris on bass and trombone) carry on the family tradition with a trad-jazz showcase at Anthology...French avant composer Yan Tiersen and his eclectic electric gadgetry will take the stage at Belly Up...while Chi-town cello troupe the Loneliest Monk plays steampunk at Queen Bee’s in North Park. Jay lays it out in this week’s “Blurt,” so flip or click to that for the inner-workings of Chrononaut.
Friday 11
The Fishtank Ensemble drifts into the Loft at UCSD. They’re a Euro-American Bay Area band that rocks the gypsy tip. Press sez: “Hard, fast, and serious, there’s nothing fishy about them; no slouching or mannered excesses, as Fishtank Ensemble comes armed, loaded, and ready to serve you up a platter of intense nearly cosmic gypsy music.” Nearly cosmic.... Asobi Seksu will play the dreamy shoegaze takes off of their fifth proper, Fluorescence, at Casbah. Braids and Tape Deck Mountain open the show.... That dude from Queens of the Stone Age is back at Tin Can Ale House with his alt-pop act Mini Mansions. The trio’s out to tout last year’s v. recommendable s/t debut. Psych-pop Canada band Jon Cohen Experimental and local new wavers Neon Cough up first.... The scariest band in the land, Deadbolt, slides into Eleven for two nights of chainsaw rawk.... Poway post-grunge sons Unwritten Law have a new one in the works, Swan. They’ll premiere it here at House of Blues before heading to Australia next week.... Denver’s folk-punk four-piece Devotchka just dropped 100 Lovers. They’ll join L.A. punks con salsa Mariachi El Bronx at Belly Up.
Saturday 12
Bass great Mike Watt (Minutemen, fIREHOSE, the reunited Stooges) and his Missing Men show up at Casbah Saturday night. The post-punker’s got a spanking-new t’do with Hyphenated-man, a punk opera inspired by creatures from the paintings of Hieronymous Bosch. That’s wicked interesting. I’ve got a book of Bosch triptychs, and they do suck a soul in. The Bellrays and Firethorn set it up.... Tin Can Ale House has a trick triple bill with SanFran indie-pop bands Papercuts, Young Prisms, and the Devotionals. Papercuts is the fleshing out of San Francisco bedsit songwriter Jason Robert Quever, and his/their Sub Pop debut, Fading Parade, is one of the more anticipated lo-fi releases this year. Take a taste here: myspace.com/thepapercuts.... Else: from Brooklyn, avant-jazz trio Medeski Martin & Wood visit House of Blues...the Shakedown stages L.A. punkabilly perennials the Gears...there’s a Burger Records showcase at Til-Two, featuring Portland punx Mean Jeans with Cali acts Cosmonauts and Apache...from North Carolina, sludge-metal trio Weedeater hits Ruby Room on their Jason...the Dragon tour...Texas-born and -bred folkie Michelle Shocked will grace the stage at Acoustic Music San Diego.... And up north, you got Owen Hart (the Tacoma metalheads, not the wrestler — he’s dead) at the Ché Café...and, still flirtin’ with disaster, that ’70s Southern-rock act from Jax, Molly Hatchet, swings it at Ramona Mainstage.
Sunday 13
Loving these punk-rock matinees that the Shakedown stages. There’s a kill double bill this week, with Portland pop-punkers Welcome Home Walker and the Clorox Girls. Chug some “Suds!” (myspace.com/welcomehomewalker) and then meet me in the sun on Morena. Sunday is now funday, punkie.... One-time San Diegan Ray Raposa and his Castanets will play a date at Soda Bar with Holy Son (one of the dudes from Om) and South by Southwest–bound Portland indie-pop band Dolorean.... ’Round the bend at Bar Pink, you could see some more SXSW travelers, as steady rock-n-soul cat Seth Kauffman and his Floating Action join SanFran band Burnt Ones at the North Park hot spot. Kauffman sings like a young Mascis as he conjures Lambchop’s country grooves. Get yer mitts on his Park the Van debut Desert Etiquette. According to Daytrotter: “[Kauffman] gives you the jitters and the absolute sway is all his.” That’s it, I just didn’t want to be the gusher.
Monday 14
NorWest folkies the Cave Singers (ex–Pretty Girls Make Graves) bring their new Jagjaguwar disc No Witch to Casbah’s Anti-Monday thang...while Soda Bar sets up a Casbah-curated bill that features absolute shredders Red Fang with Davana, Lecherous Gaze, and Otro.... On the quieter side, Brooklyn’s slo-wave Family Band visits Tin Can Ale House with lo-fi locals Drew Andrews and Little White Teeth.
Tuesday 15
Soda Bar stages this year’s South by Southwest Requiemme showcase on Tuesday night, featuring Black Heart Procession, Maren Parusel, Hot Moon, and Gun Runner. Go give ’em some local love before they hit the highway.... Udderwise, ya got Datarock and Jamuel Saxon bringing the electronic rock to Casbah...and Heavy Hawaii, Jeans Wilder, Ghost Shores, and a “super duper surprise secret guest” taking the floor at Tower Bar.
Wednesday 16
Minneapolis indie-rock band Tapes N’ Tapes roll at Casbah behind their third studio collection, Outside. It’s gotten mixed reviews and that should maybe prob’bly be chalked up to the irreplicable, shambling charm of ’05 debut The Loon. Hard to rewrite a track as insistent as “Insistor.” Good guys, good band, and it’s f!!cking Wednesday, there’s nothing on TV.... Or go “Jump Around” with House of Pain at House of Blues, as Everlast and Danny Boy celebrate 20 big ones. They’ll serve your ass like John McEnroe. Not sure what that means, but there it is.
— Barnaby Monk
MORE BARNABY MONKMORE CLUB CRAWLERSEND LETTER TO THE EDITORSEND TO A FRIENDSUBSCRIBE TO THIS COLUMNPRINTER FRIENDLY
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Cohen's in our neck o the woods
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Montreal musician and songwriter Jonathan Cohen used to be in The Dears. In 2006, he formed The Jon ...Montreal musician and songwriter Jonathan Cohen used to be in The Dears. In 2006, he formed The Jon Cohen Experimental to, well, try something new...and different. His music is poppy, warm and layered. Kind of like a heroin-lined winter coat.
[ira]
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Jon Cohen (of The Jon Cohen Experimental) Answers The Call Tonight at Elbo Room: Their flower power is no match for my glower power
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After a decade or so ensconced in Montreal's honor-festooned indie rock scene, including stints wi...
After a decade or so ensconced in Montreal's honor-festooned indie rock scene, including stints with The Dears and The Social Register, Jonathan Cohen started his own eponymous collective. Not that "The Jon Cohen Experimental" should conjure images of three dudes frowning around a creatively amplified circular saw covered with mustard -- as Cohen explains below, it's really more like The Jon Cohen Experiential. For its part, the 'sperimental plays a woozy, sun-dappled brand of rock that sounds decidedly "classic," though you'd be hard pressed to pinpoint an exact era. (Pink Floyd? Steely Dan? Beulah?) On the group's second album, Behold, the proggy coexists with the hedonistic, the grandiose with the paranoid, in a lush, leafy haze. Check out some samples here.
Cohen hit the road last week to embark on an ambitious, 55-city solo tour, which conveniently enough brings him to the Elbo Room this evening along with The Bang and Teenage Sweater. You can read extensive accounts of his adventures so far on his on his blog, or you can get an abridged Q&A version below. It's your internet. Go nuts.
Make it across the border safely?
Yup. I was a bit nervous about the crossover but I took the train instead of the bus to get across, as they treat people with a little more decency on the border at the train station. But our train actually died 10 minutes outside of Portland, and we had to get literally "dragged" by another train that happened to be passing by. It was actually kinda fun!
What's the idea behind your "pilgrim tour"? What's the plan?
The pilgrim tour came about one night when I was making some serious life-changing decisions about where I was heading in life. I knew I was feeling the pull to get out on the road and knew I had to do it by myself. It's like when you feel a pull, you simply have to answer it, no matter how strange or unfeasible that inner request may be. Since this is a solo tour it almost became something of a religious or spiritual experience for me to be put into completely new situations and to live a completely new reality that will take me to as many place as possible and bring my music, personality, and positivity to as many people and places that call out to me as possible. So I took out a map and I booked about 55 shows in 55 cities based solely on instinct and on whether they called out to me, some obvious, some completely not. I was essentially responding to the call. I feel like a pilgrim who is trying to connect the dots and make sense of the larger landscape and see where my musical output belongs within that landscape. A pilgrim goes to a site and also offers something to the place, whereas a tourist is merely an observer.
If you had to describe your U.S. tour experience so far with one song, what would it be?
"Long May You Run," by Neil Young, because it has a positive message of not just letting life happen to you but rather asking you to happen to life, to get out and truly experience for yourself to what is out there. I really only feel truly present when I'm playing music, when I'm on the road. I'm not running from something but running to something. Like Joni Mitchell says, I'm a prisoner of the white lines on the freeway.
What's experimental about the Jon Cohen Experimental?
Everything about our experiences is experimental; this is how growth takes place. I have been told the title of the band is somewhat misleading because the music itself is not "experimental" in the traditional sense of, say, how John Cage or Laurie Anderson is experimental. In my music, I'm always talking more about how we experience our surroundings, how we express ourselves to ourselves and to others around us and how we grow inwardly through this experimentation. I'm not talking about drugs or mind-altering substances either. I'm referring to the method in which we interact with our surroundings. We are basically making it up as we go along, trying new things and finding new ways to relate to the world around us. We are "creating content," so to speak. Music is just one form of that content and this is how I approach making music. So the approach is experimental, the process is experimentation, the experience is experimental. The message/music/output is inherently always the same and has always been the same.
What can we expect from your show at the Elbo Room?
Grungy bass, double dribbling drum machines, ethereal astral keys, astral projections, the bard's weave of beautiful lyrical lines, and harmonies even The Jordanaires could be proud of. It is dance-driven, pop-infused, spiritual, meditative, and just plain heavy. Expect everything and receive nothing, expect nothing and receive everything.
If you had to dedicate one song to American commuter transit, what would it be?
"Chocolate Town," by Ween: "Makin' time, breakin ground, Greyhound bus to chocolate town." That's the song that's been spinning in my head on the road lately.
What year were you born and in what year, in your opinion, did popular music peak?
I am a child of the late seventies, when popular music was going through an interesting transition, moving onto the next phase from a more traditional electric background into what we call "modern music" now. Punk and prog were picking up, and synths and keyboards were beginning to be used more, and the eighties were just around the corner. Somehow, even though I was just a child, I was able to encapsulate that in my music. I think you can really hear that when you listen to it and it's no wonder I get a lot of older people who are really appreciative of the music I make.
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The Jon Cohen Experimental
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Jon Cohen experiments in Sudbury
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Montreal performer Jon Cohen is bringing his musical “journey” to Sudbury Jan. 12. His show, at Myth...Montreal performer Jon Cohen is bringing his musical “journey” to Sudbury Jan. 12. His show, at Myths and Mirrors, is set to begin at 8 p.m. Supplied photo.
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Dec 31, 2010
By: Sudbury Northern Life Staff
After performing with a number of Montreal-based bands, vocalists and guitar players, Jon Cohen said he is happy to be on his own musical journey.
The Jon Cohen Experimental began in 2006. His tour is making a stop in Sudbury Jan. 12 at Myths and Mirrors on Frood Road. The show is set to begin at 8 p.m.
While the music itself isn’t particularly “experimental,” Cohen said his approach to a solo career is.
“It’s an opportunity for me to reinvent myself,” he said.
Cohen said he made the transition in order to focus on his personal music career, instead of using all his energy on other people’s projects.
“I’ve got a lot to say musically, and I’ve a got a voice,” he said.
The Montreal “born and bred” artist currently works with a drummer and a bass player. He said his “core” musicians have worked with him on both his solo albums.
But for his current North American tour, Cohen is flying solo.
“This tour is very experimental,” he said. “It’s going to take me to new places musically and logistically.”
He said he expects to be a “very different person” by the time the three-and-a-half month tour wraps up.
As for his Sudbury venue, Cohen said he likes “to play in different spaces — not your typical dark and gloomy bar.”
Even though he’ll be performing on his own, he said the audience shouldn’t expect “less bang for their buck.”
“Expect something innovative, psychedelic — a journey of spirit, music, mind and body,” Cohen said.
“But don’t expect enlightenment,” he added, with a laugh.
Cohen’s music, which he described as a musical “buffet,” transcends a variety of genres. His “poetic” lyrics cover everything from the destructive habits of humans to modern life.
He said it’s never been classified as a certain type of music, which is OK in his books.
“My whole approach to music is not to be pigeonholed,” he said. “As soon as I’m starting to feel like I’m nailing on a sound, I naturally want to veer away from it.”
For more information about The Jon Cohen Experimental, visit www.myspace.com/thejoncohenexperience. Tickets to his show in Sudbury cost $5, and can be purchased at the door. The first 20 guests to arrive will receive a complimentary copy of Cohen's album.
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The Jon Cohen Experimental – Behold [Review]
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The Jon Cohen Experimental – Behold [Review]
Jan 4, 11:42am PhotogMusic.com
For those who follow t...The Jon Cohen Experimental – Behold [Review]
Jan 4, 11:42am PhotogMusic.com
For those who follow the Montreal band The Dears. Feels like members who used to be in the band seem to leave and make their own band. You may have noticed an ex-member named Jon Cohen. He has his band called The Jon Cohen Experimental . The band released an album called "Behold". Its ten track of indie pop-rock experimentation sound. Don't forget that Jon Cohen Experimental will be playing Ottawa on Jan 6th with JF Robitaille and Loon Choir. For other cities across Canada and the [...]
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Graham Rockingham’s best bets
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THE JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL: Cohen is a 10-year veteran of the vibrant Montreal indie rock scene as a...THE JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL: Cohen is a 10-year veteran of the vibrant Montreal indie rock scene as a key member of bands like The Dears and the Social Register. The guitartist-keyboardist now fronts his own band and is touring the country promoting his new CD, Behold. The Jon Cohen Experimental perform at This Ain’t Hollywood on Monday, Jan. 10, with Terra Lightfoot and Carolyna Loveless. 9 p.m.
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Weekend Planner: MUSIC: Innovative Montreal pop-rock group The Jon Cohen Experimental are marking the first steps of a tour
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MUSIC: Innovative Montreal pop-rock group The Jon Cohen Experimental are marking the first steps of ...MUSIC: Innovative Montreal pop-rock group The Jon Cohen Experimental are marking the first steps of a tour that will take them across Canada and the United States, and Toronto is one of the first stops. The genre-defying quartet—whose recent record release featured visual artists "live painting" the music as it was performed—will be joined by JF Robitaille and Empire Lights for their Toronto show, before continuing on their trek westward. Hard Luck Bar (812 Dundas Street West), Saturday 9 p.m., $8.
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On the road againJon Cohen of The Jon?Cohen Experimental is heading out on an ambitious solo tour in support of an equally ambitious second record, Behold
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On the road againJon Cohen of The Jon?Cohen Experimental is heading out on an ambitious solo tour in...On the road againJon Cohen of The Jon?Cohen Experimental is heading out on an ambitious solo tour in support of an equally ambitious second record, BeholdBY: JEN ZORATTI13/01/2011 2:56 AM | COMMENTS (0)
PROVIDED PHOTO ENLARGE IMAGE Jon Cohen gets experimental on his current solo tour.
It takes a certain kind of musician to embark on a three-month solo tour of North America in the dead of winter. Via Greyhound, no less.
Jon Cohen, the brains behind the Montreal psych-pop project The Jon Cohen Experimental, is exactly that kind of musician (see: brave, ambitious, possibly insane).
"I’m excited, but I’m nervous," says the 34-year-old Montrealer over the phone. "All the tours I’ve done in the past I’ve done with other musicians. It’s a personal pilgrimage."
Cohen’s personal pilgrimage is in support of The Jon Cohen Experimental’s sophomore record, Behold — a lush outing made with a full band (bassist Ken Martin and drummer Seb Cote round out the ranks) plus a small army of guest players (The Dears’ Murray Lightburn,?Stars’ Evan?Cranley and The?Stills’ Liam O’Neil among them).
Understandably, Cohen’s live show had to undergo some necessary tweaking.
"I’ve become very conscious of space," he says. "The music I’ve been making has been very orchestral; it’s all about having a horn section, a keyboard player, the works. I had to change my musical identity in a way that would support a solo tour."
That said, Cohen is eschewing the whole guy-with-an-acoustic-guitar thing (not that there’s anything wrong with that, he’s quick to add). Armed with his "Casio Orchestra" and "Astral Projections," Cohen has built an innovative music/multimedia experience around his weapon of choice: the bass.
"This band has always been about morphing and experimenting," he says (it is called The Jon Cohen Experimental, after all). "It’s a chance to explore something new — and the songs from Behold have been able to survive the change."
This isn’t the first time that the songs on Behold have gone through a metamorphosis. Unlike The JCE’s self-titled debut, which was written and recorded in just a few months, Behold was three years in the making.
"I wanted the songs to really grow up and brew for a long time," he says.?"I wanted to see how they could mature. These songs are like my children; I didn’t want to release them at a raw age. I wanted them to develop. I wanted to get these songs the best that I could get them."
For the more deadline-oriented musician, allowing songs to gestate for an indeterminate amount of time is a frustrating (and scary) proposition, one that could very well result in a shelved record. Cohen, however, was more interested in the process than in the end product
"When you’re really sick of (the songs), that’s when you know when they’re done," he says with a laugh. "It wasn’t a formulaic process. Some songs were really organic, others I had to have a C-section to get them out. I could have written songs forever.
"I was talking to a friend who’s a musician and he said, ‘My next project, I don’t want to record it. I want it to exist in the ether.’ A record is just a snapshot. I was more happy and interested with the experience of making it."
Still, the finished album is quite something. Produced by Dave Draves (Gentlemen Reg, Angela Desveaux, Julie Doiron, Kathleen Edwards), Behold is a meticulously crafted yet quietly understated pop album with a warm, hazy ’70s vibe — fans of the late, great Elliott Smith will find lots to appreciate here. (You’ll be able to hear it for yourself: the first 20 people at the door for the Jan. 14 show at The Cavern will receive a free copy of the album.)
As for the man behind the album, he’s happy it exists in the world and not in the ether.
"In the making of Behold, there were three bastard Beholds that never saw the light of day," he says. "I’m happy it’s done. Anyone who puts that much love and care into something would just be happy it exists."
THE?JON?COHEN?EXPERIMENTAL
Jan. 14, The Cavern
w/ Les Sexy, The Noble Thiefs
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Artist Spotlight: The Jon Cohen Experimental
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« CUP Conference Update: Editor Brenna making friendsBCIT grads anchoring television dreams »
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Artist Spotlight: The Jon Cohen Experimental
January 18, 2011 by thelinknewspaper
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You may not have heard of Jon Cohen, but you’ve definitely heard him. He’s a product of the prolific Montreal music scene and has been involved with The Social Register, The Dears, and many more diverse and talented Canadian acts. He started The Jon Cohen Experimental in 2006, and released a self-titled album to critical acclaim. This year, they’ve released their sophomore album entitled Behold, and have been touring around the country. Their sound can be best described as pop-rock/progressive but Jon’s poetic lyrics give their songs thoughtfulness that’s often absent from this kind of genre. “Don’t Be The Cloud” is a good example of this. It’s a soothing pop song with sweetly layered vocals and lyrics that are deeper than they need to be. The album is clearly a product of an established, talented, and self-assured musician. Here’s what Jon had to say about his career and his experience with The Jon Cohen Experimental:
You’ve had the opportunity to tour at many great festivals and events across the country. Do you have a favourite experience or memory from the touring you’ve done with The Jon Cohen Experimental?
My favorite experience or memory would be the east coast tour to the Maritimes we did because the people were so awesome ad welcoming. Not many bands go out east to tour, it’s a bold move as the distances are long and most people opt out to go to Ontario or Quebec. One city that stands out is Sydney. The Sydney crew are the coolest, props to them. We had an amazing time and played to many audiences. Pop Montreal this year was also something special as we opened for a band from Timbuktu called Kaira Arby. The house was packed and it was at an afro beat club called Ballatou. They played for 3 hours and had the audience in a frenzy. We had a horn section that night and the place was covered in wall to wall mirrors. I remember feeling pretty tripped out looking up at the ceiling during a solo and feeling like it was an MTV music video.
Does it feel different to be involved with this project than it has being involved with the other bands you’ve played in?
Oh yes, definitely different, satisfying in so many ways, it feels like this is my little baby, my project, its like owning a tiny little plot of farmland and towing plus harvesting it. As opposed to being an employee in a massive corporation, that has its advantages too. I love playing with others but I need to set my goals and priorities for the JCEX because I derive the happiness and self-worth from this band.
Behold is an eclectic album that seems to draw influence from a variety of genres and eras. Do you have any influences in the Canadian music scene that you use for inspiration?
I’m not sure I am consciously drawing from anything or any source in particular, I guess I am drawing from all the music I have soaked in throughout my life and all the experiences of making music as well. My influences are in many ways the people who play on the record and the music they imprinted on the album. Especially in the Canadian music scene which is now so vast and so incredible that it is an inspiration n itself just to be living in this vast creative space. For the most part I try, when I write and record, to stray away from outside musical influence to keep the voices out so to speak, in order to have a clear head and not consciously veer towards any particular sound. In many ways that is why Behold contains such a buffet of musical influences. Take a little of everything.
What has been the most rewarding part of your musical career so far?
I guess the making of this record is up there in my top experiences. I just love the process of being in the studio and working with Dave Draves on making this record was an exercise in musical compassion. It was like giving birth, painful at times, long incubation but so rewarding and so personal in the end. I am giving this gift to Canada on this tour now and hope it will be received with open arms.
Jon will be in town with The Jon Cohen Experimental on February 17th at the Railway Club in Vancouver and February 18th at The Great Bear Pub in Burnaby. Jon will also be giving out 20 free CD’s to the first 20 people to arrive at the shows. If you’re a fan of The Dears, Stars, Broken Social Scene, or The Stills, check out The Jon Cohen Experimental.
-Jessica Rivers (Broadcast Journalism)
Posted in Music | Tagged BCIT Link, BCIT Link Newspaper, BCIT Student Newspaper, Broken Social Scene, Stars, The Dears, The Jon Cohen Experimental, The Social Register, the stills | 1 Comment
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No difference between wrong and right
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No difference between wrong and right
November 11, 2010
The Dears have a high turnover; accordin...
No difference between wrong and right
November 11, 2010
The Dears have a high turnover; according to Wikipedia, the band has fourteen past members. One of them, Jon Cohen, has since gone on to start a project of his own, the Jon Cohen Experimental.
Don’t be fooled by the band name—there’s nothing too experimental about “Brain Pollution,” the second track from the band’s new album, Behold. Trilling guitar licks skitter across a bubbling bed of drums, wordless harmonies and echoing vocals, making for a subtly atmospheric rocker.
MP3: “Brain Pollution”
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Jon Cohen Experimental is a road-tripping way of life
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Jon Cohen Experimental is a road-tripping way of life
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By Ken Ei...Jon Cohen Experimental is a road-tripping way of life
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By Ken Eisner, February 10, 2011
The Jon Cohen Experimental is the name of a band, but it’s also a way of life for its founder and chief lab technician, Jonathan Cohen. That’s why the group’s moniker is still in use as the singer-songwriter undertakes his current solo tour of Western Canada and the United States—even though the music has a radically different sound than that found on his regular trio’s new album, Behold.
Creating a memorable identity is just part of the goal for the Montreal-based Cohen. The rest of the journey, as per a certain Mr. Hendrix, is more about the Experience.
“I really like travelling and I really like meeting people,” says the tall, bearded singer, during an easygoing visit to this writer’s home. “And music is one of the best ways of doing both those things. Essentially, it’s the vehicle for communicating my personality. There could be others. I’ve been writing quite a bit lately, updating my blog almost daily as I travel, finding my voice in another area, and keeping in touch with people. I want to take everyone with me on this road trip.”
Indeed, in the post-big-label era, recording artists are ever more dependent on social media to expand their networks.
“The closest analogy I can think of is going to a yoga class. There are a lot of them around—like Starbucks—and you choose one because you like a particular teacher. Music is like that.”
In the time of acts like, say, Pink Floyd, Roxy Music, and Love—bands that have had considerable sonic influence on Cohen’s poetic, psychedelic-tinged originals—it made sense to let other people handle the business end of being rock stars.
“They used to outsource all those jobs,” Cohen says. “But now most musicians usually can’t afford to have other people take care of that. I am my own business—which is weird, in a way, because that is so antithetical to being an artist. I mean, these are very different skill sets.”
Case in point: if a real publicist were involved, Cohen and I probably would spend a lot less time playing Beatles songs in the basement. On the other hand, this gives a highly trained professional like me the chance to witness the ornate filigree this musician—who pulled instrumental duty in Quebec bands like the Dears and the Social Register before helming his own project—puts into the guitar, and the way he weaves it with his soft, airy vocals.
His main axe in the solo version of the JCEX, however, is the electric bass, which he plays in combination with various drum pads and keyboard tracks, all coordinated live through looping pedals and MIDI controllers.
“It really is experimental,” declares Cohen, coming up for air. “I’m a work in progress, and I’ll be interested to see what I do next.”
The Jon Cohen Experimental performs at the Railway Club next Thursday (February 17), at Burnaby’s Great Bear Pub on February 18, and at Cafe Deux Soleils on February 27.
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Jon and his band toured Canada and played in festivals such as Pop Montreal & NXNE
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Jon and his band toured Canada and played in festivals such as Pop Montreal & NXNE
The Jon Cohen Ex...Jon and his band toured Canada and played in festivals such as Pop Montreal & NXNE
The Jon Cohen Experimental is the brainchild band of Montreal musician & songwriter Jonathan Cohen. Having been a key member of such diverse and popular bands as The Dears, The Social Register, JF Robitaille, and many more, Jon formed his own group as a response to over a decade of service to the prolific Montreal music scene. The band was formed in the spring of 2006 when Jon began carving out his own musical path.
Jon and his band toured Canada and played in festivals such as Pop Montreal & NXNE. They were also featured on radio shows like CBC’s Brave New Waves and The Signal. They charted on college radio and were nominated for best pop album with GAMIQ (l’initiative indépendante de musique du Québec). The Jon Cohen Experimental’s unique, genre-defying music can be described as a thought and mood-provoking blend of pop rock, which pulls from a variety of musical traditions offering a unique take on modern alternative music.
Jon’s lyrical content makes poetic commentary on human nature’s destructive habits and its potential for greatness. All the while touching on modern life, spirituality and the human condition. The JCE are currently finishing up their sophomore record entitled “Behold” to be released this May and features some of Montreal’s most prolific, members of the Dears, The Stills, Angela Desveaux and the mighty Ship, Krista Muir, Sunfields, Stars and Elephant Stone among others” . Keep an ear out and behold! ..
Check them out on MySpace here!
Check them out CBC Radio 3 here!
Related show
Artist: The Jon Cohen Experimental
Date: Thursday, February 17th 2011
Time: 9:00pm
City: Vancouver
Venue: Railway Club
Address: 579 Dunsmuir
Venue phone: 604-681-1625
Country: Canada
Age restrictions: No Minors
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Cohen Confidential
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Cohen Confidential
POSTED BY: NICK LYONS
01/26/2011 12:00 AM
When Jon Cohen’s tour bus pulls in...Cohen Confidential
POSTED BY: NICK LYONS
01/26/2011 12:00 AM
When Jon Cohen’s tour bus pulls into town this Friday, it will be a sight to behold. The bus is massive, capable of holding dozens of people with plenty of room for instruments in the storage bins underneath; the vehicle’s polished chrome and comfortable seats would make even the most established entertainers jealous. The bus, however, does not belong to Cohen — he will be pulling in on a Greyhound, his transportation of choice for the entirety of the tour thus far.
“The Greyhound has been very good to me,” says Cohen, who hails from Montreal. “I mean, can you imagine how much inspiration you can get from sittin’ on a bus for hours a day, meeting new people and sharing stories? It’s been great.”
Cohen’s Greyhound inspiration has had a definite impact on his live performances. Largely drawing on material from his most recent psych-pop offering, Behold, the former member of the Dears has no problem exploring different approaches to the songs. “We often think of the recorded versions of songs to be ‘the definitive’ version, or something like that … but I’m finding that it is a total work in progress,” he says. “These songs have gone through a lot of different shapes and sizes …they morph into other things, and a lot of the time I am surprised by where they go. It’s really exciting.”
As for the CD itself, Cohen has made a practice of giving it away rather than selling it — a practice he’ll be continuing at his solo gig in Victoria. “People don’t really buy CDs anymore,” he says. “The way to make money as a musician, the way it always has been, is to tour, and I’m a person who loves to travel… I’m finding that music really complements my passion. It’s really great: I feel like I’m bringing something of value to the towns I stop into and they’ve all given me so much in return.”
While Cohen has been enjoying every moment on the bus and onstage, he is already looking forward to a brief reprieve. “I’ve been spending a lot of my energy on this tour promoting myself, y’ know, contacting press and confirming gigs — I’ve learned a lot, but I’m really looking forward to getting back into the music side of things.” He’ll also be planning another leg of his tour, which will eventually take him back to Montreal — with hopes that the bus ride home will be as fruitful as his journey to the coast.
Catch the Jon Cohen Experimental, BoneHoof and David Roy Parsons at 9pm at the Fort Cafe, 742 Fort. Tickets are $8 and the first 20 folks through the door get a CD.
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Jon Cohen Experimental Show Covered in Windsor Star – Nice.
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Windsor Star covered our performer (Jon Cohen Experimental) from last night. It’s great when they co...Windsor Star covered our performer (Jon Cohen Experimental) from last night. It’s great when they cover the unconventionally brilliant performers we get.
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? IGNITE WindsorThe Mountains and The Trees (NFLD) w/ Zachary Lucky (prairies) and Crissi Cochrane (Halifax/Windsor) ?
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Musician adds visual dimension to music
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Musician adds visual dimension to music
BY TED SHAW, THE WINDSOR STAR JANUARY 7, 2011
For nearly t...Musician adds visual dimension to music
BY TED SHAW, THE WINDSOR STAR JANUARY 7, 2011
For nearly three years, Montreal's Jon Cohen was a musical dropout.
The alternative rocker was a former member of two influential Montreal bands, The Dears and The Social Register. But after releasing his debut solo album in 2008, Cohen spent most of the time leading up to last fall's followup, Behold, doing anything but music.
"(Behold) was actually the by-product of not making music for the longest time," he said.
Cohen brings his new one-man audio-visual road show, The Jon Cohen Experimental, to Windsor's The Phog Lounge on Sunday.
"I dabbled in all kinds of different things," he said recently on the eve of a 35-city tour.
"Making films, travelling and connecting with fellow musicians on a non-musical, personal level. It helped me to get out of my creative bubble."
Behold contains gorgeously crafted, indie-pop songs from a broad range of influences. Cohen's music has been favour-ably compared with everyone from Elliott Smith and Pink Floyd to the Bee Gees. Members of The Dears, The Stills, Stars and other musicians make guest appearances on the album.
It has a distinctive Montreal flavour of contemporaries Arcade Fire, Stars and Patrick Watson with its dreamy wash of adventurous meter, freestyle guitars, horns and catchy melodies.
Like Watson, too, Cohen is using the tour to explore links between other forms of artistic expression.
This is his fourth tour since the release of Behold last September, but the first without bassist Ken Martin and drummer Seb Cote.
"I've redesigned the whole set in a way that, for me, is completely new and fresh," he said. "Hopefully, it's new and fresh for the audience, too."
Through three gruelling tours with the band prior to this, Cohen said he lost touch with his own songs from playing them too much.
"It's a different approach. I'm trying to mix the classic guy-with-a-guitar solo gig with DJ enhancements and visuals."
A self-produced film screens while Cohen performs.
"It's just me and what I call my Casio Orchestra and Astral Projections," he said. "I actually construct the music, layer by layer, piece by piece, on-stage. It's kind of like writing the soundtrack for the movie while it's screening."
Cohen's website is thejcex.com.
tshaw@windsorstar.com
© Copyright (c) The Windsor Star
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More music this week with Jon Cohen
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More music this week
by Ellie Einarson (Volunteer), Matt Preprost (Arts & Culture Editor), Sam Gall...More music this week
by Ellie Einarson (Volunteer), Matt Preprost (Arts & Culture Editor), Sam Gallagher-Bishop (Volunteer)
The Jon Cohen Experimental.
THE JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL
The Jon Cohen Experimental creates unique music that pushes the boundaries of today’s music scene. Not easily compartmentalized into a genre, they are what Cohen describes as a “Chinese buffet” of music.
Their thought-provoking lyrics span themes of spirituality, intersection, self-reflection, and personal insight. The title of their recently released sophomore album, Behold, speaks to their musical message.
“It’s about beholding who you are and what your place in the world is,” said Cohen.
Cohen, a former member of The Dears and The Social Register, formed The Jon Cohen Experimental in 2006 and quickly put together their self-titled debut.
“I was inspired to take my musical skills into my own hands and create something tangible that I could use as a vehicle to speak to the people and do what I love best,” said Cohen.
Behold is a more deliberative album, taking two years to complete. The album features well-known musicians such as Evan Cranley from Stars, Liam O’Neil from The Stills and Murray Lightburn from The Dears.
Besides Cohen, the two other core members of the band are bassist Ken Martin and drummer Sebastian Cote.
“I’m really fortunate to have them,” said Cohen. “They make happen any of the crazy musical ideas I might have.”
Martin and Cote, however, aren’t joining Cohen on his 2010 tour. The show will be just Cohen and what he calls his Casio Orchestra and Astral Projections.
Curious as to what that means? Check out The Jon Cohen Experimental Friday, Jan. 14 at the Cavern. The first 15 people who arrive will receive a free copy of Behold.
Visit http://www.myspace.com/thejoncohenexperience.
—Ellie Einarson
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In The Know...Interview with Jon Cohen
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In The Know...Interview with Jon Cohen
>> MONDAY, 10 JANUARY, 2011
For his current musical...In The Know...Interview with Jon Cohen
>> MONDAY, 10 JANUARY, 2011
For his current musical odyssey, Jon Cohen (of the Jon Cohen Experimental) decided to leave the Experimental at home. Instead of bringing along the band, he's doing the one-man show thing for the entire trek, a three-month "personal pilgrimage" that required Cohen to sit down, construct a completely new set, and revamp song after song.
But the purpose of the pilgrimage isn't some sort of end goal: it's to bring the songs off his terrifically thoughtful and well-written sophomore disc, Behold, to as many receptive ears as possible.
I caught up with the Montreal-based pop-rock artist over the weekend and asked him about the challenges of preparing for a solo tour; how members of the Stills, Stars, and Dears came to guest on Behold; and what his New Year's Resolutions for 2011 were.
Painting over Silence: In the past you’ve been a member of such high profile bands as the Dears and the Social Register. What made you decide to form your own musical project?
Jon Cohen: The need to express myself, do my own music and take charge of my own affairs. I can write music – I don’t only play instruments – and if you put that away, it’s okay for awhile; but, after awhile it going to affect you unless you let it out of the closet.
PoS: How did your time and experience playing with these acts help ultimately shape the Jon Cohen Experimental and your personal songwriting style?
JC: Well, the amount of time that was spent playing music with so many different members and just being out there, touring a lot and just trying out all these different styles of music has not gentrified me in any way. It’s kept me pretty open to any possibility, and I take that spirit into my own music. It’s taught me to have an open mind to try anything.
PoS: Behold features some A-list cameos from the likes of Evan Cranley (Stars), Murray Lightburn (Dears), and Liam O’Neill (Stills). How did these musicians get involved in the album?
JC: I asked them! *laughs*
I called them up, and I said I’m working on a record. It wasn’t the easiest thing. Obviously these guys are pretty high caliber musicians and busy guys, and I’m just another friend who was making music. But they were really supportive, and they really got behind the music. It was definitely a concerted effort - I wouldn’t have done it unless I felt the music was up to par. It was just a question of approaching them and seeing to what extent they’d like to be involved.
PoS: Behold is your second release under the Jon Cohen Experimental moniker. What changed this second time around, in terms of your approach to writing and recording?
JC: Both records have their pros and cons. On the one hand, with the first record, there’s a sort of naive approach and just this kind of raw energy of jumping into something and doing it fast. There’s an innocence there that is definitely undeniable, and although the music is not quite as developed, it still contains something that is hard to capture otherwise.
With this record (Behold), it’s the opposite. It was two years of intense labour, working and reworking the music and trying to capture it at its best moments. There’s also the age factor – a little older, a little wiser as they say – and just wanting to have a totally different experience when making the record. That’s not to say the next record won’t be done in a weekend. For me, it’s more about the process - the process dictates the outcome so much more than anything else.
I want to try to change it up as much as possible from album to album, and that not only refers to how I approach it, but also where I want to record it and with whom I want to play with.
PoS: The word “behold” means much more than seeing – it refers to observing, processing what you see. What made this particular word a good fit for the album title?
JC: Well, lyrically this album is focused on introspection; it’s focused on my own personal journey of self-discovery. The word ‘behold’ generally refers to this idea of revealing something to yourself - of revealing yourself to yourself. An aspect of yourself that you may not have been aware of before. Or somebody reveals something to you as well. It’s a kind of “a-ha” moment like “ah. This takes me to the next stage of my experience.”
I think lyrically this album asks listeners to not just listen on a superficial level or not just do things in life on a superficial level, and try to look for a deeper meaning and try to have a bit more insight into your daily thoughts and actions. It’s a message, really, to myself; but, like all music, it’s a personal thing, and depending on how honest it is, it can really translate to a lot of people. The title word was carefully chosen. It really is about this idea that we live in a society where we don’t behold.
PoS: So the current tour is just Jon Cohen solo, without the Experimental.
JC: That’s correct.
PoS: How does preparing for a solo tour compare to preparing for one backed by a full band?
JC: It’s very different. It’s obviously more isolative. I had to understand that I couldn’t rip my band away for three months of their lives to follow me on this personal pilgrimage. So, I had to seize this opportunity to experiment with a whole other side of myself. I had to create a completely new set and take these songs from behold and reinvent them.
One thing was for sure: I didn’t want it to be the singer of the band who goes solo, just has an acoustic guitar and plays the songs bare bones. I took it as an opportunity to reinvent myself and while I’m not fully there, I’m working out the kinks. I’m definitely on my way.
By the time I hit Winnipeg and the prairies, this thing will have morphed into something I can negotiate with.
PoS: Last question: 2011 just kicked off, which means New Year’s resolutions are being bandied about left and right. What are Jon Cohen’s New Year’s resolutions for 2011?
JC: To work hard! To push and to get myself out there and to give more. And try to be more honest, more outgoing and try to do what I believe I was put here to do.
Which is to make music and give it to people.
***
He means that literally. Catch Jon Cohen this Friday night at the Cavern. The first ten or so people receive a free copy of his latest record, Behold.
Posted by Mykael at 8:51 PM
Labels: Interviews, The Cavern
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Review/Preview: JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL // Behold
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Review/Preview: JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL // Behold
In Uncategorized on January 13, 2011 at 2:42 am
...Review/Preview: JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL // Behold
In Uncategorized on January 13, 2011 at 2:42 am
When I mention that all the ex-Dears should start a whole new band, Jon Cohen jokes that a support group is probably more appropriate. Kinda just confirms our sneaking suspicions that Murray Lightburn is a power-hungry monster devouring any who don’t play his game. Or, well, maybe we just never liked The Dears very much.
But the Jon Cohen Experimental is trying to make up for that. He’s got a peppy little album out and is touring the nation right now.
Winnipeg – The Cavern – Friday January 14.
(I know, the Cavern usually sucks, but this is a good reason to go. We should probably dedicate a whole post to our frustrations with The Cavern.)
Behold is cleverly arranged with gentle retro grooves and strong lyrics, showcasing that the “Experimental” is actually a highly creative band. This is a one-man project done right. Echoes of psychedelia swirl through folk-ish melodies and pop hooks. Highlights include the title track, Brain Pollution and Don’t Be The Cloud. The standout is probably Nightmare-Over with its horns, Calexico-inspired groove and energetic performances.
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Behold Review
[+ Show ]
January 20th 2011
THE JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL
by Matt Preprost (Arts & Culture Editor)
THE JON...January 20th 2011
THE JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL
by Matt Preprost (Arts & Culture Editor)
THE JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL
Behold
Label: Independent
3 out of 5 stars
Aptly named, this sophomore effort from Montreal’s Jon Cohen Experimental is truly a disc to behold. The 10-track album clocks in at just over 43 minutes and is a lush endeavour by Jon Cohen, a former guitarist of Montreal’s The Dears. The album is diverse with numerous genres and textures, ranging from Montreal’s signature blend of indie pop on opener Hold The Fire, to ’80s new wave on No More Videos Just Teasers, to subtle Hindu influences with a sitar on Lucky Number Seven. Throw in a three-part horn section here and a ton more brass there, Behold is truly a science experiment in music. I’m just not sure if it was deliberately planned or if Cohen made it up and had fun as he went along.
This review appeared in Volume 65, Number 16 of The Uniter, published January 20th 2011.
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The Jon Cohen Experimental Behold (5 stars)
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The Jon Cohen Experimental
Behold
Hearing this for the first time I imagined listening to an 80's Joe Jackson avec some Canadian injection of poppy rock with some attitude and grace. Jon Cohen and his band of merry men make up the majority of the musical substance. Ken Martin & Seb Coté add what I believe is an uncomplicated array of harmonies and the cohesion on each track is very noticeable. If you are familiar with the Montréal pop rock experiences you'll know he graced The Dears which is another wonderful creation of musically prolific artists. "Brain Pollution" is by far the most eclectic and powerful song. The moving guitars and flowing vocals swiftly carry out a sensitive groove you can't ignore. "Peace to Pieces" is a great wake up tune. Wake up and get moving to get back in order! The soft and soothing lyrics bear a powerful meaning and the gritty guitars build that energy during the half way mark. Another loud and banging track is "No More Videos Just Teasers". The screeching chords rival the catchy vocals and mad slaps of bass. Bring out the orchestral and jazzy horns sounds in "Nightmare/Over" and you have another instant easy going song that light sup the night and your soul with a furry of joy especially during the bass riff that takes on a psychedelic frame. With a show coming up shortly in Winnipeg I'll try and make it down to the Cavern but knowing the size of the venue it's hard to say if I'll be able to experience what Jon Cohen has to offer on this fantastic musical adventure. [Oxide] - www.myspace.com/thejoncohenexperience
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Interview with Jon Cohen
[+ Show ]
The Jon Cohen Experimental is the brainchild band of Montreal musician & songwriter Jonathan Cohen. ...The Jon Cohen Experimental is the brainchild band of Montreal musician & songwriter Jonathan Cohen. Having been a key member of such diverse and popular bands as The Dears, The Social Register, JF Robitaille, and many more, Jon formed his own group as a response to over a decade of service to the prolific Montreal music scene.
The band was formed in the spring of 2006 when Jon began carving out his own musical path. Jon and his band toured Canada and played in festivals such as Pop Montreal & NXNE. They were also featured on radio shows like CBC's Brave New Waves and The Signal. They charted on college radio and were nominated for best pop album with GAMIQ (l'initiative indépendante de musique du Québec).
The Jon Cohen Experimental’s unique, genre-defying music can be described as a thought and mood-provoking blend of pop rock, which pulls from a variety of musical traditions offering a unique take on modern alternative music. Jon’s lyrical content makes poetic commentary on human nature’s destructive habits and its potential for greatness. All the while touching on modern life, spirituality and the human condition.
The JCE are currently finishing up their sophomore record entitled "Behold" to be released this May and features some of Montreal's most prolific, members of the Dears, The Stills, Angela Desveaux and the mighty Ship, Krista Muir, Sunfields, Stars and Elephant Stone among others" . Keep an ear out and behold! ..
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NXNE Concert Review -2011
[+ Show ]
Montreal’s The Jon Cohen Experimental took the stage next, electrifying the audience with his extrem...Montreal’s The Jon Cohen Experimental took the stage next, electrifying the audience with his extreme talent. This one-man show consisted of improvised original content as he recorded himself, looped the sound into his system and continued this way for the duration of the set.
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Earshot Reviews: Jon Cohen Expiremental Behold Self-Released
[+ Show ]
Hearing this for the first time I imagined listening to an 80’s Joe Jackson avec some Canadian injec...Hearing this for the first time I imagined listening to an 80’s Joe Jackson avec some Canadian injection of poppy rock along with some attitude and grace. Jon Cohen and his band of merry men make up the majority of the musical substance. Ken Martin & Seb Coté add what I believe is an uncomplicated array of harmonies and the cohesion on each track is very noticeable. If you are familiar with the Montréal pop rock experience, you’ll know he graced The Dears which is another wonderful creation of musically prolific artists. “Brain Pollution” is by far the most eclectic and powerful song. The moving guitars and flowing vocals swiftly carry out a sensitive groove you can’t ignore. “Peace to Pieces” is a great wake up tune. Wake up and get moving to get back in order! The soft and soothing lyrics bear a powerful meaning and the gritty guitars build that energy during the half way mark. Another loud and banging track is “No More Videos Just Teasers”. The screeching chords rival the catchy vocals and mad slaps of bass. Bring out the orchestral and jazzy horns sounds in “Nightmare/Over” and you have another instant easy going song that light sup the night and your soul with a furry of joy especially during the bass riff that takes on a psychedelic frame. With a show coming up shortly in Winnipeg I’ll try and make it down to the Cavern but knowing the size of the venue it’s hard to say if I’ll be able to experience what Jon Cohen has to offer on this fantastic musical adventure.
By Marc 'Oxide' LaCasse
Jan 5, 2011
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Jon Cohen Experimental to play The Grand Social
[+ Show ]
Montreal Based singer songwriter Jon Cohen formerly of The Dear and The Social Register is heading o...Montreal Based singer songwriter Jon Cohen formerly of The Dear and The Social Register is heading our way for a headline show in early 2012.
He has a brand new album entitled ‘Behold’ and last year he played over 100 shows promotion it including appearances at the likes of SXSW and NXNE.
He will be dropping into The Grand Social on January 20th 2012. Tickets for the show are €7 advance if bought from www.entertainment.ie/grandsocial or Tickets.ie. Admission will be €8 if paid on the door.
Tickets are on sale now.
www.thejcex.com
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Review // Jon Cohen Experimental // Behold
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Immediately satisfying, immaculately performed, the not-so-new album from Montreal-based artist Jon ...Immediately satisfying, immaculately performed, the not-so-new album from Montreal-based artist Jon Cohen (Behold – 2010), seems to defy genre and the space-time continuum, drawing you into a dream-like world of up-beat sound waves that invade your brain space like a mantra from another world. Jon’s soft vocals add an almost ethereal element to his beat-driven, foot-tapping music. The whole album feels like a ghost has crawled into that space between your ears and started creating a colourful array of hip, psychedelic tunes that make you feel as light and fluffy as a technicolour dream cloud.
An ex-member of the Dears and the Social Register, Jon has come into his own with his sophomore success in Behold. Featuring artists such as Murray Lightburn (the Dears) and Evan Cranley (Stars), Behold has added a fresh and dynamic sound to the Montreal indie music scene. Performing solo when live – you’d never be able to tell given the endless arrangements bombarding you from every angle – Jon pieces everything together like a spiritual music guru.
Unique, endlessly intriguing, and superbly smile-inducing: behold, this is the Jon Cohen Experimental.
Rating – 7/10
Justin Pyl
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The Jon Cohen Experimental Announces European Tour
[+ Show ]
Back for 2012, the Jon Cohen Experimental is the idea of Montreal musician John Cohen. Having been i...Back for 2012, the Jon Cohen Experimental is the idea of Montreal musician John Cohen. Having been in bands such as The Dears and The Social Register, Cohen set up his own band in 2006.
Following the release of two successful albums, the most recent of which was released in 2010,Cohen has announced a widespread European tour - his very first travelling to the UK.
His unique sound blends a whole range of different sounds, giving listeners a different take on modern music. His style of music has been described as a 'bass- heavy' and genre defying.
This is a rare opportunity to listen to a musician whose music is tightly crafted and filled with mood provoking melodies.
The Passanger Tour starts in Blackpool at the Cedar Tavern on the 19th of January and concludes in Finland on the 17th of March.
Here is the full list of UK dates that he will be playing:
Thurs Jan 19th – UK Blackpool,The Cedar Tavern
Fri Jan 20th – Dublin Ireland,The Grand Social
Sat Jan 21st – Liverpool UK,The Lomax
Mon Jan 23rd- Glasgow Scotland,Pivo Pivo
Tues Jan 24th – London UK,The MacBeth
Wed Jan 25th – Brighton UK,Latest Music Bar
Thurs Jan 26th – Stockton UK,Stockwell Arms
Sat Jan 28th – Oxford UK,The Wheatsheaf
Mon Jan 30th – Manchester UK,The Castle Hotel
Tues Jan 31st – Glasgow Scotland,The Bloc
Wed Feb 1st – Edinburgh Scotland,The Wee Red
Thurs Feb 2nd – Bristol UK,Mother’s Ruin
Fri Feb 3rd – London UK,The Bull and Gate
Sat Feb 4th -Bristol UK,The Cooler
For more information on Jon Cohen and his band, visit: http://thejcex.com/ .
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Live Preview: The Jon Cohen Experimental
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Who? The Jon Cohen Experimental
What? Jon Cohen is somewhat of a Canadian indie veteran, having...
Who? The Jon Cohen Experimental
What? Jon Cohen is somewhat of a Canadian indie veteran, having played previously in bands such as The Dears and The Social Register, Jon now performs as front-man of this new experimental project with a pretty fitting moniker.
Where? The Wheatsheaf
When? January 28th 2012, doors at 8pm, tickets cost £3.50 adv
Why? Having recently released an album called Behold, produced by Dave Draves (The Acorn). It has many musical guests like Murray Lightburn from The Dears, Rishi Dhir of Elephant Stone, Evan Cranley from Stars and Broken Social Scene, Krista Muir, Liam O’neil from The Stills, André of Final Flash, Angela Desveaux and many more. Jon tours solo as a one-man band, and builds all the music from scratch using loopers and visuals.
Purchase Tickets
The Jon Cohen Experimental – Walk the World from Guillaume Désilets on Vimeo.
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Featured Artist: The Jon Cohen Experimental
[+ Show ]
The Jon Cohen Experimental
Jon Cohen is a bit of a stalwart on the Montreal Music scene. He's ...
The Jon Cohen Experimental
Jon Cohen is a bit of a stalwart on the Montreal Music scene. He's played in bands like The Dears and The Social Register but now he's forging his own route with a new project: The Jon Cohen Experience. The mulch-instrumentalist has recorded an excellent album of 70s inspired, lush psychedelic rock (2010's Behold), has another LP in the pipeline and is about to embark on a European tour of mammoth proportions.
It will be interesting to see how Cohen's tightly produced, lovingly crafted and decidedly summery tunes will translate to a live set in a cold uk town but if you want to find out then you can catch him at the following places:
Thurs Jan 19th – UK Blackpool @ The Cedar Tavern
Fri Jan 20th – Dublin Ireland @ The Grand Social
Sat Jan 21st – Liverpool UK @ The Lomax
Mon Jan 23rd- Glasgow Scotland @ Pivo Pivo
Tues Jan 24th – London UK @ The MacBeth
Wed Jan 25th – Brighton UK @ Latest Music Bar
Thurs Jan 26th – Stockton UK @ Stockwell Arms
Sat Jan 28th – Oxford UK @ The Wheatsheaf
Mon Jan 30th – Manchester UK @ The Castle Hotel
Tues Jan 31st – Glasgow Scotland @ The Bloc
Wed Feb 1st – Edinburgh Scotland @ The Wee Red
Thurs Feb 2nd – Bristol UK @ Mother’s Ruin
Fri Feb 3rdh – London UK @ The Bull and Gate
Sat Feb 4th -Nottingham UK @ TBC
Check out The Jon Cohen Experimental on the Web
Don't Be The Cloud - Promo
Dig You A New Home - Promo
Official Website
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The Jon Cohen Experimental: Behold Itchy loves a Canadian.
[+ Show ]
The Jon Cohen Experimental: Behold
Itchy loves a Canadian.REVIEW
2012 could be the year for the Ca...The Jon Cohen Experimental: Behold
Itchy loves a Canadian.REVIEW
2012 could be the year for the Canadians. With great artists like Doldrums, Mozart's Sister and Kishi Bashi following in the footsteps of giants of the alt scene Arcade Fire, here at Itchy we’re looking for the next big thing to come from across the Atlantic.
The Jon Cohen Experimental is the latest offering from ex-The Dears member, Jon Cohen and like his fellow Canadians, Cohen is not afraid to experiment with layers of sound and genre. His new album, Behold is the sort of clever indie that deserves a place along side the likes of Beck, Gruff Rhys and The Flaming Lips.
Itchy can imagine listening to Behold on a warm Saturday afternoon when everything’s feeling a little bit hazy. Whilst it’s an interesting listen, it’s not too taxing and it’s psychedelic vibe would certainly suit the mood of the morning after the night before.
Cohen cites Andrew Bird as an influence and it’s easy to see traces of this in track Brain Pollution. Using melting guitar, lilting piano and subtle influences of jazz, much of Behold has a dream-like feel that is easy on the ears.
When in danger of getting too serious on us, Cohen lightens the mood with solid brass and dreamy sci-fi style sounds. With haunting vocals, playful lyrics and the essence of retro prog-rock, The Jon Cohen Experimental could be the Electric Light Orchestra for 2012.
Whilst This Wind of Mine has cool elements of funk and Nightmare_Over has a fun pop feel, our favourite track of Behold has to be No More Videos Just Teasers. This is the track that we can most imagine bopping along to in a live environment and luckily for us, The Jon Cohen Experimental is touring the UK throughout January. If you fancy checking him out for yourself, find dates at his website, www.thejcex.com.
Emma Cooper
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The Exception To The Rule #5 - The Jon Cohen Experimental
[+ Show ]
The Jon Cohen Experimental's very own Jon Cohen!
It's been a while, but I've dusted off the ol'...
The Jon Cohen Experimental's very own Jon Cohen!
It's been a while, but I've dusted off the ol' 'Exception' tag to bring you another artist from far afield, one of Canada's finest solo artists no less... The Jon Cohen Experimental. And with imminent tour dates this side of The Atlantic, three in our very own central belt, what better time, eh?! I can safely say, as interviews go on Kowalskiy, this is perhaps one of the most insightful ones. Jon's clearly a guy with a lot of refreshing things to say about his music, and the artform in general. So, here's his thoughts on his latest album Behold, his upcoming Scottish gigs, and his involvement with a little-known Canadian outfit called The Dears. Nope, I've never heard of them either...
Before all that though, here's the title track from his album. Behold...
Behold by The Jon Cohen Experimental
Kowalskiy: Hey Jon, how's tricks? How'd you fancy telling the Kowalskiy readers who The Jon Cohen Experimental are?
Jon: The JCEX, is my band plain and simple. It takes on many forms. It was a three piece, it was a full band, it is a meeting amongst friends to make music, It is a solo project, one unifying theme is that I am in it though! Otherwise it would be The (insert name) Experimental. The band started out as a natural result of mass outflow of music coming out of my brain. When we started to awaken these songs into a live context everything changed. I realized that I had some skill at performance and also that the music gave me a stage to express my feelings, my thoughts and to maybe help people and entertain them in the process. in 2007 I recorded my first record (self titled) in an analog studio in Montreal called The Treatment Room which is where bands like Plants and Animals, Katie Moore and many others recorded their seminal records.) I loved the vibe, the analog stuff you know? The record didn't really go anywhere in terms of promotion or sales as it was my first go but with it, I had something tangible, some proof of my legitimacy as an artist. So I kept going, I realized it was too late to turn back. Two records, several tours later, here I am, still chugging away, but this time, I’ve dropped the band and am experimenting with being a one man band, which is so beautiful in many ways because it is really pushing my full potential as an artist, I feel like there are literally no limits to the kinds of sounds and songs I can write, I have become a victim of my own ambition in a way because I can no longer see myself doing much else than this for a living. Its simply too rewarding spiritually. Today, I'm embarking on the ultimate spiritual and musical adventure, this tour which is called The Passenger Tour, is throughout all of Europe and spans 2 full months on the road, all by bus, train and ferry, I want to see the land, I want to discover the people, the music, the cultures and scenes, the foods, architecture and myself in all of it, I want to bring this music on the other side of the pond. The Passenger Tour is the ultimate experiment for me.
Kowalskiy: How'd you describe 'your sound'?
Jon: Sound is one thing, music is another. If you're asking about the sound, I'd say its polished, clear, concise and very well groomed. Much like the way I live my life. Order was everything in the making of this record. It was a process to learn to let go and let the chaos do its job. I'm still learning how to do that, I think its very important and there will be more of that in the future. I was influenced very much by the studio sound for these record, things like music production on records by Alan Parsons, Beach Boys, Elliot Smith, Brian Eno. As for music, I would describe it as a kind of unique but accessible pop sound, it has traces of so many of my influences (which come in the hundreds) that its impossible to pinpoint any defining characteristics, and I think that is its bigger strength, its biggest strength is in the songwriting, in the lyrical content that speaks to so much that troubles the young undisciplined minds of everyone, the monkey mind that swings recklessly from branch to branch. Then there's the production, the catchy melodies, the amazing guests that play on it and the fantastic musicianship as well as the energy it exudes. It’s a big record, a tall order, and lots to chew on. A musical buffet! I still listen to it every once in a while and think, wow, I didn't record this album… this album recorded me!
Hold The Fire by The Jon Cohen Experimental
Kowalskiy: That's deep Jon! So, you're over in Glasgow and Edinburgh in a few weeks to tour your album Behold. Is there a story behind the album?
Jon: There’s always a story behind every album, the story of my experimental life, the life that I shape not according to what is expected. I never expected to make this album and have it see this kind of success. I saw it as an opportunity to wrap up the last few years of my life into a kind of personal musical document. There were many changes going on, there was lots of transition, and with that came an immense push to give up everything, to drop everything else, and to focus heat soul, money, energy and time into this record. You see "Behold" is my little secular sermon to the world, its my dent in life, its my musical osmosis to the world. It simply had to be made, and I had to make it well! Not half fast. So I decided to record it outside the city, with an amazing record producer named Dave Draves (Little Bullhorn Studios) he recorded bands like Julie Doiron, Kathleen Edwards, Snailhouse, Gentlemen Reg, Octoberman etc etc. Dave is like a hidden secret, a master producer who has incredible pop sensibilities. I quickly realized he was the one man who could turn my vision into reality. He had a keen understanding of how to sculpt music, how to crystallize sound, how to electrify frequencies. I quickly became more his friend than client and moved into his house for the recording, had many friends come by to record their bits (I have a whole cats of characters form the Montreal music scene on the record which I'm really proud to have had a part of this album). Everyone became excited about the record and joined in to do their bit. It was a thing of beauty. Six months later I was holding the physical copy in my hand with a sigh of relief. Behold was done, it was a long undertaking, almost a C-section to have this album made but I was happy to turn the page and looked forward to playing it live.
Kowalskiy: What are you looking forward to most about those three Scottish gigs, and what can we expect from your live show?
Jon: I'm most looking forward to connecting with the audience, to share with them a slice of this experimental life, to entertain, to enlighten possibly and of course to have a great time. I look forward to playing in places where I feel the people are kin, where I feel a connection sometimes for reasons I can't even explain. That’s the whole point of this "Passenger Tour” throughout All of the UK, Europe and Scandinavia. I want to let the music be the driver and be the passenger, just watch the scenery go by and live my life. The gigs in Glasgow and Edinburgh are gonna be shows not to be missed!
Kowalskiy: What'd be your ideal gig?
Jon: My ideal gig would involve playing an outdoor show overlooking a beautiful manifestation of Nature, like a lake, a mountain, beautiful ocean, any manifestation of Nature, my greatest influence and most devoted fan. I would be truly myself onstage and feel the electrifying force of connectiveness with my audience.
Kowalskiy: The album itself has many impressive musical guests, none more impressive than your former bandmate, The Dears' Murray Lightburn. How'd you set about choosing who to guest on the album?
Jon: I basically decided to call on any and every musician whose music I loved and who was writhing my realm of contacts, and simply asked. This record was all about pushing boundaries and by approaching many of the people whom I looked up to and whose careers I admired I did just that. It was a lesson in reaching out; there is something beautiful about being in need of musical companionship, but not for selfish reasons. I think most of the guests on this record saw that and got involved precisely because of that kind of detachment from selfishness. It felt more like revisiting the past ten years of my musical life, dusting off the past, reconnecting and creating something new and fresh.
Kowalskiy: If you had the choice, which artist, living or dead, would you love to collaborate with?
Jon: Lately I’ve been heavily in to Glenn Gould, he's a famous classical pianist, he was also a very eccentric and unique man, the true definition of pure genius, He is the only artist who did experiments with tape splicing, studio trickery, and effects on his classical music. He was a real pusher of boundaries, a master on the piano and he used the studio as an instrument which is rarely heard of in classical music whereas in pop and rock its almost become a given.
Kowalskiy: OK, back to The Dears. It's no secret they're one of my favorite bands. You were in the band in the early days when they Released their debut, and one of my favorites albums End Of A Hollywood Bedtime Story. If it's not too nosy, how come you left the band as they were making their breakthrough?
Jon: Over my musical career I’ve played with many, many, many, other musicians, The Dears were just one of many. I understand many people fixate on it, due to their well deserved success but in doing so they miss a larger picture in the artist upbringing. Its like they are only reading one page off of their favorite book, what’s the point? In the same way, I see that band, as well as the Social Register, and all the other artists Ive worked with as just another notch on a belt, no bigger or more special than any of the others. I only leave a project when I've felt I've accomplished what I needed to and move on once my role has been well-played. That was the case with all the other projects I've been a part of as well as all future projects still to come. There are never any hard feelings with me, doors don't get shut, they revolve, bridges don't get burned, they're fireproof. You'd know that right away if you met me!
Kowalskiy: Last one, what Scottish bands are the good folk of Canada listening to at the moment?
Jon: I can't speak for others of course. Well as you must know there is Teenage Fanclub which has always been not so much an influence as much as a beacon of pop purity, something to strive for. I was a fan of The Jesus and Mary Chain when I was younger. I had Sound Of Speed on tape and I think I literally listened to it so much I wore the tape out, I "de-magnetized" the particles out of wear and tear. I litteraly sucked out the music from that cassette. Lets see ...who else, Glasvegas are great too. I'm most looking forward to seeing what the indie bands and local artists are up to in Glasgow and Edinburgh, so looking forward to these shows, we are gonna rock with the Lovely Scots!
Sook! Well, you can listen to more of Behold over to SoundCloud, and if you like what you hear, then head over here to get your hands on it. And if you fancy catching him live whilst he's over in Scotland, then his tour dates are below. For the full list of European gigs, head over to his website.
Upcoming Gigs
Monday 23rd Jan - Pivo Pivo, Glasgow
Tuesday 31st Jan - Bloc, Glasgow
Wednesday 1st Feb - The Wee Red Bar, Edinburgh
Posted by Kowalskiy at 8:30 PM
Labels: KandA, The Exception, The Jon Cohen Experimental
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The Jon Cohen Experimental - This Kind Of Caricature Orchestra
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Aoife Barry talks to Canada's Jon ("no relation to Leonard") Cohen who brings the Jon Cohen Experime...Aoife Barry talks to Canada's Jon ("no relation to Leonard") Cohen who brings the Jon Cohen Experimental's Passenger tour to the Grand Social on Friday 20th January.
Jon Cohen has been a part of the Montreal music scene for many years, playing with bands like The Dears and The Social Register. But having spent most of that time playing in other people's bands, he has recently decided to take the leap and go out on his own, as The Jon Cohen Experimental. And though initially a trio, the JCEX is now – in a move Cohen described as "shifting gears" - a solo pursuit.
Speaking to Thumped, he described it as a case of all or nothing, of going for the "dream life" of being a full-time musician. He decided to trust in fate, to just go for it, and now he has pretty much single-handedly booked an entire European tour in support of his debut solo album, Behold.
The decision to shift gears turned out to be a great one. "All of a sudden the gates of heaven opened up and I was able to tour, to do these big long tours that I've always dreamed of and make some money off it," said a delighted Cohen.
Jon Cohen makes indie pop with a deep side, sweet summer songs that hint at a darker edge – think a happier Brendan Benson, a more mindful Broken Social Scene, or a less anglicised The AM. To play the tracks from Behold live, he has had to reinvent his set, using loop pedals and other instruments to enable him to become "this kind of caricature orchestra". His forthcoming The Passenger Tour, which will bring him around Europe and Scandinavia, was fuelled, he said, by the desire to play in places like Dublin: "Places I've never played before. Like Finland - I never dreamed I'd be going there." Now he has thrown off the ties that bind, Cohen is relishing this new freedom.
"I think this band is a constant reminder that I always have to keep changing; I always have to keep evolving," said Cohen, adding that otherwise he wouldn't be able to do one of the most important things when playing music – "letting go and feeling something raw and real".
As a politically-aware Canadian, Cohen recently took part in the Occupy Montreal movement, volunteering as a stage technician. "You could feel this excitement in the air, some mobilisation happening," he recalled. He spent so much time in Victoria Square in downtown Montreal that friends and workmates wondered what had happened to him. "I kind of got carried away with it and I started putting everything aside. I was spending entire days and nights working on this. My family were worried, and my job was wondering what was going on. I was still living my other life, my working life and then going there after work and this thing felt like living a dual lifestyle."
Occupy Montreal meant a huge amount to him. "For me it was a really unique experience; something that hadn't happened before. Whether it was successful or not, whether it got the point across or not, just to be part of that, it was definitely an enriching experience."
Thanks to Arcade Fire, the spotlight has been on Montreal indie bands since the early 2000s. The Dears, for example, were described by the NME as the "best new band in the world" upon the release of No Cities Left in 2003. "There is great music everywhere and it is a very easy sport for music to focus on one city and say this is the hot spot because so much good music is coming out of there," cautioned Cohen. "People are getting way ahead of themselves with Montreal. For me, since I've started doing this I've almost adopted every other city but my own musically now. It's like for me this place is same old, same old. I've had my time here in Montreal. I feel now that music for me, the real meat and potatoes of it is outside of the city. That's why I love the touring"
He feels the press attention "changed the dynamic" of the scene, but doesn't want to be too critical. "I'm not dissing the city," he stated. "It's so deserving of everything the city gets." He sees Montreal as a fantastic city for music: "not just indie music - all kinds of music".
Cohen has many inspirations, but lately he has been paring them down. Listening to nothing but Talking Heads these days suits him just fine. He recognises the links that bands have to each other, and the musical threads strung between songs. "I'm a firm believer that nothing is new in music. You're taking something someone else has done and giving it your voice and filtering it though your experience."
He mentions Dirty Beaches, the Taiwanese-Canadian musician whose music takes from the Beach Boys, Suicide and Francoise Hardy, but still remains original. Seeing Dirty Beaches play set Cohen off on a run of watching other one-man bands; men who, like him, make music alone. It inspired him to set up his own festival dedicated to these lone males, which it is hoped will take place later this year.
"It's a funny thing. A lot of people are turning to [being a solo musician] because it is just so much more feasible and much more logistically possible now," he noted. If you're a band, it's expensive: "Get ready to put your first mortgage on that tour."
So Cohen, as a one-man band, can tour for much less money, and stop along wherever he likes on the way. He's excited about going back to Dublin, to see friends and play music. He is particularly excited to meet the audience, to see "what chemistry we are going to have together". "I have only the best hopes," he said, in his typical positive style. Looks like that leap of faith is paying off.
Jon Cohen brings The Passenger Tour to the Grand Social, Dublin, on Friday 20 January.
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The Jon Cohen Experimental à Paris
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The Jon Cohen Experimental
Le trio montréalais de rock-pop indépendant The Jon Cohen Experimental s...The Jon Cohen Experimental
Le trio montréalais de rock-pop indépendant The Jon Cohen Experimental s’apprête à parcourir l’Europe pendant 2 mois. Il sera de passage en France du 8 au 15 février :
8 février – Paris @ Le Pop In
9 février – Paris @ Abracadabar
10 février – Reims @ L’excalibur
15 février – Bordeaux @ El ChiCho
Pour plus de détails sur la tournée et le groupe : http://thejcex.com/
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Bandcrush: Jon Cohen Experimental
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Bandcrush: Jon Cohen Experimental
Filed under: Interviews — 2 Comments January 13, 2012
Heading to...Bandcrush: Jon Cohen Experimental
Filed under: Interviews — 2 Comments January 13, 2012
Heading to Europe for a mammoth tour can be a daunting prospect for even fairly well established North American indie act, let alone a relatively unknown solo artist.
Multiple cultures, multiple languages, multiple currencies and the wildly differing costs of digs, booze and travel are among the difficulties that make a cross-American tour, while greater in bus miles, relatively straightforward in comparison.
Kudos then, to Jon Cohen of Montreal, who is bravely embarking on such a journey, taking in ten countries and the bright lights of Paris, London, Berlin and, ahhhh… Viitasari (that’s in Finland, kids).
So who he? Well, Cohen spent time in an early incarnation of the Dears and has managed to rope in former bandmate Murray Lightburn to assist with his debut album – under the name Jon Cohen Experimental – Behold. Also on there are members of Stars and the Stills, so it’s clear that Cohen can still pull the odd string or two in Canadian music.
The phrase ‘of Montreal’ was used above purely in a geographical sense, but it’s worth revisiting to gauge where Cohen’s from musically. While – mercifully – Behold lacks the ‘everything INCLUDING the kitchen sink’ approach of Kevin Barnes and co, it shares their playful sense of melody and there are vocal similarities too.
It’s a nice album and Cohen deserves a bit of support on his Scottish dates, details of which are below. You can sign up to tour dates on Facebook too. Let’s find out a little more about him, shall we?
So who the hell are you?
I’m a musical experimentalist, a one man band, a poet who knows it, a band leader, a multi-instrumentalist, a band, a professional adventurer, a free spirit, a seeker, a finder. I’m Jon Cohen from Montreal in the great big shire of Canada!
Describe your sound in ten words or less!
Music for your subconscious mind, body and soul.
How does it feel to strike out on your own?
It feels great, I love being on my own, I love the freedom it gives me to tour, to write and to avoid all the traps of being in a band. I feel proud of the music I’m making now, proud of the shows I put on, proud of the response, it’s so original! I feel like a new farmer with the little plot of land he just bought, harvesting his first crops, no better feeling in the world!
And having your own name at the forefront of the band name?
Well that’s the only name I wont forget or regret later on!
You recorded the album largely yourself – how exactly will you be bringing it live audiences?
Ahhh. that is a good question. I have a friend who built his own straw bale two-story house. It’s a work of art, took him three years. He never built anything like that before. It was the product of love, passion and ingenuity. Much like him I will weave layer upon layer of music on you. First the love, then the passion, and then the dazzling ingenuity. Close your eyes you’ll hear an orchestra, open them and you’ll see one man! You will dance, shake, shiver and be awestruck, yet you will feel sheltered and comfortable just like in a straw bale home. [So, ye olde loop pedal then? – Ed]
How did you get involved with the guests that played on it?
They are people I played with before in the past, past bands, people in the music scene, old friends, new friends and everything in between. Montreal is despite it’s aura of grandiose-ness, still a very small city and close-knit in terms of the music scene. It’s especially true of the English side of the city a Montreal is bilingual. The French side that is also very different but amazing in its own way.
Have you played Scotland before?
This will be my first time and I’m so looking forward to it. I feel a connection to Scotland, not sure what it is, a kind of kinship based on a feeling.
Tell us more about the tour – anything special lined up?
Well it’s a funny little tour; it’s called the Passenger Tour. I called it that because I think as opposed to the last tour where I was trying to stay on top of every little detail, where I tried to control every outcome, every scenario. I’m learning to let go and let the tour be the driver of all events, outcomes and scenarios; I will be an actor in its play. I think the music and the shows will be so much better because of it. In the end we are all passengers although we think we are driving our lives, we are not, we just have to look out and enjoy the scenery. So the scenery of this tour is what’s special about it, Scotland, France and Spain for the first half, some of the places I’m most looking forward to Germany, Amsterdam, then the end of it, Berlin will be a highlight as well sees me opening for a huge artist in Finland. Lastly my friend and talented filmmaker Alex Marshall will be filming a documentary for the tour, of the experience in 4 cities, London, Paris, Amsterdam and Berlin. It should be really interesting to see how this evolves. The big highlight for me is a full tour in Finland! Six dates in total in some remote places excluding Helsinki! I can’t wait! This whole trip is a highlight!!
Tell us a funny story…
What did the Zen Master say to the hot dog vendor?
“Make me one with everything.”
Details of Jon’s rather lengthy tour are below.
Jan 19, Blackpool The Cedar Tavern
Jan 20, Dublin Grand Social
Jan 21, Liverpool Lomax
Jan 23, Glasgow Pivo Pivo
Jan 24, London The MacBeth
Jan 25, Brighton Latest Music Bar
Jan 26, Stockton Stockwell Arms
Jan 28, Oxford Wheatsheaf
Jan 30, Manchester Castle Hotel
Jan 31, Glasgow Bloc
Feb 1, Edinburgh Wee Red Bar
Feb 2, Bristol Mother’s Ruin
Feb 3, London Bull and Gate
Feb 4, Bristol The Cooler
Feb 8, Paris Le Pop In
Feb 9, Paris Abracadabar
Feb 10, Reims L’excalibur
Feb 15, Bordeaux El ChiCho
Feb 17 Prague The Red Room
Feb 22, Brussels DNA
Feb 23rd – Hamburg Belami
Feb 24, Hamburg Live for Balcony TV
Feb 25, Chemnitz Subway To Peter
Feb 27, Amsterdam Dwaze Zaken
Feb 28, Berlin Madame Claude
March 2, Berlin Ex’N'Pop
March 3, Grottingen Wishful Musichouse
March 5, Trier Trash Lounge
March 9, Copenhagen KD18 Finnish dates
March 10, Viitasari Hotel Pihkuri
March 13, Helsinki The Liberty
March 14, Helsinki Arkadia (Bookstore performance)
March 15, Hamellina Suisto Club
March 16, Kyrö Ravintola Carina
March 17, Mänttä Morgan Kane
You can buy Behold here and sample some music below.
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Tags: Jon Cohen Experimental, Stars, The DearsComments RSS feed
1 Comment:
Blackpool Attractions
January 15, 2012 at 19:52
Looking forward to the Blackpool gig at the Tavern. Should be a great night.
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a nomad’s life: the jon cohen experimental interview;
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a nomad’s life: the jon cohen experimental interview;
lism. / gigs: tour dates, jon cohen, music: i...a nomad’s life: the jon cohen experimental interview;
lism. / gigs: tour dates, jon cohen, music: interviews, the dears, the jon cohen experimental / 0 Comment
This month sees former Dears man Jon Cohen (or “The Jon Cohen Experimental”, as he terms his solo project) embark on his first European tour – and he’s planning to blog the entire process. While he’s hardly the first artist to do so it was the lengthy, insightful posts on his own site that first encouraged me to listen to his music – well, that and the fact that his album, Behold, shares a production credit with one of my all-time-favourite musicians – his Canadian countrywoman Kathleen Edwards.*
He writes today, as he prepares to cross the Atlantic early next week:
I can’t seem to shake the feeling that something big is about to happen… I know that people travel all the time [and it is] for some people a daily event, but for me its always been a special thing, a ritual, like a whole series of feelings and thoughts that come with setting a big trip in stone and purchasing that plane ticket.
It’s the days after you buy that ticket when it starts to sink in that you’re going to go somewhere far away and its gonna change your or have some impact on your life.
Here’s hoping.
How did you get started writing and playing music and performing?
I was sixteen I was sitting in my bedroom being indoctrinated by bands like Led Zeppelin, Metallica, Beastie Boys, Nirvana, Primus, Beatles, Stones. The first song I ever learned by heart was “Summer of ’69? by Bryan Adams. I remember we were on a family vacation in Maine in the US, my sister Myriam and I were sitting in the motel room because it was too hot to be outside and she wrote down the words for me and I learned them by heart. I remember the line …bought my first real six string, bought it at the five and dime, played it till my fingers bled… At the time I didn’t understand how a guitar could make your fingers bleed. It wasn’t until I started playing one that I understood! The first song I ever learned on guitar was “Come As You Are” by Nirvana. I’ve never looked back since then.
I’ve always wanted to be in a band, to write music, to play live. At first it was for reasons of stardom then it became about the music, and everything changed. It’s all I’ve thought about ever since and it’s all I think about today. My first live show was playing guitar at a high school talent night, we played “Alive” by Pearl Jam and “Psychotherapy” by the Ramones, then we stage-dove into a seated audience of frightened suburban kids. The principal told us we couldn’t perform the second show the next day because of our bad behaviour, but then Petro the drummer threatened to take his drums away (he had the only drum kit for the whole school talent show) and the principal quickly changed his tune and let us play again the next day. Power of possession. The next show we played two songs by Megadeth and stage-dove into the unsuspecting audience again!
Three words to describe the music you’re making now…
Heavy Mellow Music.
What’s the biggest difference between the songs you’re writing now, under your own name, and the songs you may have written in the past for other projects?
The big difference is that now they truly represent my voice, my personality. I feel that my contribution was only partial in the projects – I still felt limited, stifled. Here I am like the contractor that is given carte blanche to try any avenue, any means and approach he desires. This is a liberating feeling, especially when you have the confidence to know you can pull it off.
It’s not about me though – what I’m trying to do is become more of a medium for music, to provide a service to people. To bring a positive message, to bring music. That way I can keep ego out of it, which only eventually ruins music and turns humble musicians into hardened hit-makers who are unable or refuse to change and create something unique, like set in their ways. I don’t want to go down this route; I think if I can keep my ego in check I’ll be doing my future discography a huge favour.
And what’s the biggest difference between being on the road on your own and on the road as part of a band?
They both have their pros and cons. For example, touring as a one-man band allows me the luxury of logistically putting together the tours I’ve only dreamed about and actually being able to make a living at it. The overhead is low and the rewards are high. I don’t have anyone to argue with (except the voices in my head!!), I can be in control (and solely) responsible for all my actions. On the artistic side it’s also amazing, I think this version of the band is most representative of who I really am as a person, I think it comes through a lot easier. The talent shows more as well. One of the greatest aspects of playing as a one-man orchestra is that I don’t have a single thought to spare for thinking things like Is the audience enjoying this? Am I performing well? Will they dance, will they get bored? Do I sound good? That is just the vanity speaking, it’s what ruins shows, it’s the voice in your head that ruins all shows. It can be tough to phase it out though. However when you are working hard on stage, creating organic loops, maintaining the music together and keeping the fine balance to avoid the whole thing from falling apart, it’s like you are the director and the performer all at once. There is no time for thoughts. You are in a pure Zen space, a place of pure presence, pure concentration. It’s my opinion that is when you are most one with life. And of course the audience cannot help but feel that and be drawn into that – even if they dislike the tune they are attracted by the presence, that’s contagious. That’s why the shows are so amazing. You have to see it to believe it.
With a full band though its a different vibe, a different kind of energy. It’s all about mixing chemicals. It’s all about the exchange of energy in order to create the moment. It’s more about selflessness, about communication and about dynamic energy. I do miss that about the shows with my bandmates. I can create it a different way as a solo artist but I still miss that sense of flow that you achieve with other musicians onstage, and it translated very well to the audience too, if done properly and for the right reasons. I hope to go back to that when I come back from the tour. Like I said, I’m not pigeon-holing myself into any mold.
You’re quite a prolific blogger, and you’re planning to write about your experiences as you travel the UK and Europe – how useful do find blogging as a tool for connecting with your fans and people who might be interested in your music?
I find it essential. I discovered blogging with my last major tour, the Pilgrim Tour across North America (50 cities over three months). I wrote 4 to 6 pages every day. I forgot how much I enjoy writing, how I use it as a means for communication and how effective it is for me to express myself through it, almost more so than orally. I found that my blog was my gateway to keeping a foothold on home, family, friends, Montreal, as well as the open gate on the other side – letting new friends, new fans, new experiences inside my life. I feel it is as much a part of the tour as the bass on my back. I could not do without it. It is the hub, the nexus. It’s like an intellectual home for me and it keeps me rooted during these massive Nomadic tours. That’s why I am going back to it in full force, blogging every day for this tour “The Passenger Tour of 2012?.
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Interview: The Jon Cohen Experimental
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If I stop to think about all the logistics of what I’m doing I may go mad,” he tells Drop-d. “So I d...If I stop to think about all the logistics of what I’m doing I may go mad,” he tells Drop-d. “So I don’t. Instead, I just keep focusing on the tasks at hand and the goals I set out for myself.”
“People travel all the time and it is for some people a daily event, but for me it has always been a special thing, a ritual.” So begins Jon Cohen’s latest blog, speaking in anticipation of his upcoming European tour. And it’s just as well, for this will be the third tour that The Jon Cohen Experimental will have undertaken in little more than a year. On the last one, a fifty-date jaunt across North America, Cohen travelled from show to show exclusively by Greyhound Bus. This time he’ll be sampling all that European public transport has to offer, as he takes ‘buses, trains, ferries and cars’ for thirty-seven dates across twelve countries in just two months, hitting these shores Thursday for a gig at The Grand Social in Dublin. Despite the gruelling schedule, Cohen comes across more Happy Wanderer than Weary Traveller. ”If I stop to think about all the logistics of what I’m doing I may go mad,” he tells Drop-d. “So I don’t. Instead, I just keep focusing on the tasks at hand and the goals I set out for myself.”
A native of Montreal, Cohen benefited from having been born into one of the world’s most thriving indie scenes, the blend of European and North American cultural influences which informs Canada’s Quebec giving birth to a a range of sounds as diverse as Arcade Fire, Islands and Godspeed You! Black Emperor. “Montreal has always been a hub for artists and bohemians because of the cheap rent, and the easier conditions of life. But the cold weather is always what keeps people at bay, what keeps it from becoming the next Los Angeles or NYC,” he says. “This works to its advantage because it makes the city constantly in a state of rejuvenation.It has a very tangent population, artists come and go. The city is always being refreshed with new blood.”
A talented multi-instrumentalist, Cohen spent more than a decade as a member of various local acts such as The Social Register and, notably, cult heavyweights The Dears, before going solo in 2006. While Cohen has been very much at the heart of the Montreal scene, he was still taken by surprise by the extent to which the Canadian indie renaissance has caught on worldwide in recent years. “I had no concept that we as a scene would ever be on the world stage as innovators. I just thought this went on everywhere, struggling musicians, small shows here and there, bands, etc etc. And then one day it caught us by surprise. The bubble burst and there was this outflow of all this great music. The only difference from before is that this time, it worked. The music industry and music media was listening and caught the wave.”
The decision to go solo was borne from a need for a more personal fulfilment in his musical projects. “I see it like this example; How long can I work for a large company? Lending my skills, time and energy when I can put that time and energy into a small humble business that may not generate as much, but at least I can say it’s mine, its something that fuels me and something I can be proud of .” An eponymous debut was released in 2006, followed by the album Behold in 2010, a brilliant psychedelic indie collection on which Cohen’s oblique song structures and David Gilmour-esque vocals are complimented by the talents of a plethora of musical guests such as former Dears’ bandmate Murray Lightburn, Broken Social Scene’s Evan Cranley and The Stills’ Liam O’Neil.
The album was well received and three tours of Eastern Canada, as well as dates at Pop Montreal and SXSW followed. But, just as a three month North American tour loomed, Cohen’s dream faced potential disaster as it became apparent that the rest of his touring band (bassist Ken Martin and drummer Seb Cote) would not be able to join him. “They (Martin and Cote) are top notch players and amazing tools for composing. They are also good friends and amazing people. We toured half the country for a few months after the record came out, but it quickly became evident that their involvement on a professional level was limited. I had ambitions to do these mega tours that keep us away on the road for months on end. But they had full time jobs and families. I didn’t want to hire new musicians because quite frankly I didn’t have the time and couldn’t afford them, so the new solo one-man-band set came out more of necessity. They say necessity is the mother of invention and boy what an invention this mother made!”
Indeed. Faced with the prospect of cancelling the tour, he instead opted to transform it into a one-man show, using looper pedals and Casio-like keys to recreate his material in a new, strange widescreen sound, and embarked on the tour as planned using the cheapest mode of transport possible. “I did the entire tour on a greyhound bus, about fifty stops. To be honest I didn’t find it so difficult, at times I did get sick of the long distances sometimes, but I have built up my tolerance from years of travelling and backpacking through India, Central America, Southeast Asia, Europe and Japan, using everything from high speed trains and hovercrafts to shitty old school buses with no seats and chickens on the roof climbing up treacherous mountain peaks.” With little funding, cost-cutting was a necessity, but Cohen appears to have found a sense of abandon in living from a suitcase. “I like the idea of not having everything at my disposal, of having to make do. I didn’t even use a cell phone, I did everything by pay phone.”
Speaking of these experiences, you get the sense that Cohen has assigned them a deeper philosophical meaning. “I feel that if you or anyone out there can be comfortable with the idea of not being in control, if you can feel comfortable with the notions that the only thing you can be certain of is that nothing is certain, then I think you can enjoy your life more. You are not fighting against the nature of what is anymore. You’re not swimming against the current anymore. I was swimming against my own current for years, trying to be in control of every outcome, of every scenario. That was when I realized that you cannot control the things that drive your life. You cannot control even the things you create in life.”
“I create songs, but every night they are spooled out in totally different ways. I can’t try to recreate a feeling if it’s not there. It would just come off as fake and weak. Same with the touring experience. It’s always unique, never the same. This is an exercise not in self-control but rather in being comfortable in the total loss of control.”
Liberated by what he came to dub The Pilgrim Tour, Cohen set about taking his show to Europe, raising funds by working as a manual labourer, renovating an old hotel back in Montreal. “I’ll be totally honest with you, it was a necessary evil. I don’t mind using the other skills I have. Apart from music I’m also a residential window washer, a Thai masseuse, an ESL Teacher, a soundman, a stage technician, a music teacher, business owner, renovator and boom operator.” Nonetheless, The Jon Cohen Experimental remains his only priority. “The more I evolve as an artist that is coming into his own, the harder it becomes to do these other jobs without feeling like I am going off-track. I just keep reminding myself that it all serves the greater purpose, which is to make beautiful positive music and to spread this remedy as far and wide as possible.”
Another album is also in the works, demos for which were recorded in Nashville in late 2011 in typically dramatic fashion. “I had planned to arrive one day prior to the recording and was to stay and sleep on the studio floor. But I decided to stay in Columbus Ohio and did a second show there instead. When I arrived, to my shock I found that a drunk driver had driven his car in the middle of the night through the studio. It had completely gone right through like in the movies. the control room was intact but the studio floor was completely destroyed. I was lucky because I would have likely been sleeping on that couch when the car came through but I wasn’t. Instead I was on a comfortable bed in Columbus.”
“The drunk driver was arrested but left a gaping hole in the house wall. So Dan, the producer, put a giant floorboard and painted a giant Kool Aid man crashing through a brick wall just like in the ads! Dan begged me to bring new energy to the destroyed studio or to be a part of the rebirth of the studio by recording my songs amidst the rubble, which I did. It was an amazing recording and a surreal experience. Recording it was a beautiful moment and I’ll always have this vision of performing in that rubble, with microphones around me etched in my memory.”
While Cohen’s newly adopted one-man-show approach will inform the next record, he doesn’t rule out contributions from a guestlist similar to the one which graced Behold. “I don’t like to record alone. I find it too lonely. I feel its best shared with others, but I will be writing and recording in the spirit of the one-man orchestra. I love guests though.I think of musical guests more as ingredients in baking an amazing recipe than just guests. It’s like I think along the lines of ‘what personality would best fit this part of the song,‘ instead of thinking ‘what instrument should I use here,‘ so we’ll have to wait and see.”
Then, of course, there will be more touring. “I’ve got my eyes set on an Australia tour, a walking tour across Canada and a South America tour also.” While this gung ho approach to his career displays an admirable fearlessness, he is keen to stress he didn’t always possess this kind of positive abandon. “Sometimes it takes longer for people to get over a cemented idea or limited belief. For me it took ten years to reach this positivity in both my music and the shows. This attitude of ‘whatever obstacles come my way I will leap over immediately.’ Its a process I went through and we all go through it at different speeds.”
Cohen’s story as once unique and increasingly common: the technological implications of the information age has limited the investment powers of traditional arms of the music industry, but has also afforded tools to musicians in possession of a DIY ethos. Record deals and big tour budgets are harder to come by, but no longer a prerequisite to getting your music heard. As a result more and more artists are going their own way, making themselves heard whenever and wherever they can, perhaps not enjoying the traditional commercial rewards of the rock star, but able now to make great music and continue doing so simply because it it what they love doing.
For Jon Cohen, it’s a future he’ll happily embrace. “I feel a little scared, a little nervous, but terribly excited that I’m living the life I want, that I’m daring to live the life I’ve only dreamt of. It’s like I have been starving for years to do this and now I’m doping it with a vengeance.”
The Jon Cohen Experimental play The Grand Social, Dublin on Thursday 20th January
Tags: jon cohen experimental, Montreal
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London Is Calling And I, I Live By The River… « thejoncohenexperimental on January 18, 2012
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Interview with The Jon Cohen Experimental
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Jon Cohen, first became a musician of international standing as part of Montreal’s The Dear...
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Jon Cohen, first became a musician of international standing as part of Montreal’s The Dears. Once hailed by NME as “the best new band in the world”. A heavy moniker for any band to carry and though the flame burned bright for several years, it fizzled, just like the acclaim. Cohen, moved onto more critical acclaim with The Social Register, and several other bands. His latest undertaking The Jon Cohen Experimental, has spawned 2 albums 2007's self titled debut and 2011's Behold.
Jon Cohen, brings his one-man orchestra to The Grand Social this Friday (20th) in what promises to be an eye-opening evening. Full details available here. We caught up with him mid-transit, dreaming of a pint of “the black stuff”.
How the devil are you?
Damn good, feeling great, on top of my game. I’ve been putting this beast of a tour together. It’s called the passenger tour and it will see me on a two-month non-stop road trip across all of Europe, Uk and Scandinavia. I’m at the airport lounge now waiting for my late flight and finally breathing a sigh of relief that it’s actually underway. I cant believe it! This is gonna be sweet.
Your musical past and present is quite varied and there seems to be a simultaneous personal and musical development. How did the latest chapter evolve and how would you describe your current output?
My current output is at about 120 volts AC and 1700 Ma DC…ok just kidding, Well I’ve always considered the music I make to be an amalgamation of influences that are so jumbled together none of them want to show their true identity. That being said, I have always been a true believer in the power of tender love and care. The same way you would treat a gently child, or a flower or a beautiful woman, I would with a song. Especially when it is first being conceived. In the past I would write and write and write to my hearts content but I wasn’t developing anything I wrote. I was only into the instant pleasure of creation. Now I’m trying out a different set of gloves. With the songs on Behold, it was all about care, all about working and re-working them with the band. It was about letting the music grow and develop over time, like fine wine, letting it ferment and take its own shape as opposed to recording them right away. This has been the last chapter of my life, fatherhood but not of children, rather songs which are my children. I am now putting them through the growing pains of adulthood by transforming them into solo one-man band songs. I’m impressed with how well they turned out.
Having been in many bands over the years is it liberating to be the ringmaster at last?
Yeah, it’s more liberating to be touring and playing as a one man orchestra on top of writing and performing my own music. In many ways it has its own challenges. But I like meeting them and I love being involved and growing something, seeing it manifest, becoming something beautiful. Music has a special way of reminding us of our own humility. It’s so grandiose in itself, so deep and so powerful. When you are in that studio and its all coming together, it’s like you are no longer in control of it. You kick started the process but that’s all it took. after that it’s out of your hands if you are wise. Because then it takes on a life of its own. I was in the studio for the record all the time listening to the mixing thinking “did I really create this?” That’s why I say I didn’t record this album. Rather this record recorded me. In the same way, when I was playing in other projects, I wasn’t so much involved in the process but rather I was used as a tool to achieve it. It’s not a bad thing at all, it’s a wonderful thing to be a tool. You become the instrument, the scalpel, the drill with which the artist can create. I enjoyed that a great deal too and still do it (albeit I do it a lot less now than before) but I hope to be utilized again.
Will this be your debut Irish performance? If so what are your expectations? if not how did you find the previous experience?
I have no expectations; I chose to play in Ireland because I feel a certain Kinship to the Irish. Not many indie performers from Canada do Ireland when they do a UK tour for some reason, must be the straight (maybe they can’t swim as well as me!) I spent some time in Dublin about ten years ago and fell in love with the place, the people and the Guinness (still remember the taste of that original pint in the underground bar at the Guinness Brewery). That’s really why I’m coming back!!!
No but seriously I think it’s going to be a kickass show and I’ve heard great things about the Grand Social. Whatever happens in Dublin this Friday night, expect two hundred and fifty percent from me on that stage.
Are you aware that Dublin is currently a hotbed for experimental and post rock music, with highly passionate and well-versed fans? Whit that in mind, what can people expect from a Jon Cohen Experimental show, and why should they attend?
I am aware that an amazing scene is brewing in Dublin town. I did lots of research in preparing these shows and was really blown away by this. It reminded me a lot of Montreal in the heyday (2005-07) I’m glad I made the decision to come. Really, I wont try to sell myself too much except to say that this is a once in a longtime opportunity for the fine indie /experimental/folk/post rock/pre rock and during rock denizens to come together as a live, organic, feeling, breathing dancing, loving and living audience. You will be blown away not by my show but what our show will bring out in you and what we as a unit are gonna create together. This is an outspoken act of creation and you are called forth. How could you not answer that call?
“The Passenger Tour” is a gigantic undertaking. Is this a labor of love or a financial necessity?
Finances have nothing to do with it. I’ve already put more time, effort money and hours into this thing than I expect will come back to me. I see this more as an expense, a trip, like if you were going to Cuba, or Thailand, except less hot. No, people have wondered if I didn’t get a lobotomy to embark on such an expensive journey. Perhaps they’re right, but I have to say that even though I may be lacking some brain cells, it will be so so worth it in the end to have the honor to meet and play for all the beautiful faces of Ireland, the UK, Scandinavia and then Europe. I love these mega tours, they make me feel like its 1970 and I’m on a mega world tour with Iron Maiden or something. Ok maybe not Iron Maiden, maybe Rush.
What five songs from your career are you most proud of and why?
I like this question. Hmm let’s see, I’m particularly proud of the Song “Brain Pollution”, written in Laos after having a deep realization about myself. “Don’t be the Cloud” is great because it came together so spontaneously. “Behold” because Angela Desveaux sings on it, and she has the voice of an angel. From My first record, “I Won’t Mind” because it’s so epic yet still very pop friendly. Finally, “This Wind of Mine”, I wrote it on a balcony in Casablanca, on a beautiful sunny afternoon when the entire city was shut down because everyone naps at 3pm (I wish we could do that too). So it was so quiet except for the sound of a family of birds chirping and floating at high speed from rooftop to rooftop in complete synchronicity and unison. I was watching one brain, one mind at work. That was a beautiful moment for me…. birds, wind and the sound of one lone classical guitar on a sunny roof top balcony.
With record sales at a low ebb where do you see the future of the record industry?
I don’t know, it’s changing for sure, live music is the new album, and even bands now are playing their famous albums as a live show. The live context is the future of music. It’s almost like we’ve come full circle, like we are back in the days of the travelling troubadours, gypsies, playing music for the love of it, and for money and survival. But it’s no longer only in the hands of the antiquated model of corporate musician slavery. Now the playing field is more level and its up to the ingenuity and creativity of the musicians themselves to make things happen. Mostly though, their desire to get out of their bedroom studios and see the world, play for the world, not only think about money fame whatever all these things are just fodder for the ego. Its time we put our music where our mouth is. That’s why I decided to do these tours, why I give it all up. After a certain time of being stagnant and waiting for something to happen (which it didn’t) I’m putting my own dents in the world, my faith in my own hands now and not hoping and waiting for some fantasy manager to swoop down from major label heaven to do it for me.
How is the current Canadian/Montreal music scene holding up post Arcade Fire and Dears hysteria?
Great, always growing always changing, always evolving, Montreal is a very transient place due to the French and the cold weather, but people are drawn here because it has so much energy. Bands form here and go on to do great things. I’ve lived here my whole life, and can tell you life doesn’t end at Arcade Fire. It’s only the beginning, and anyway, I know the media is always keen to put the spotlight somewhere but it’s outside the spotlight that the action is. Music scenes are like clothes; no city can wear them forever. I got my money on Dublin for my next outfit.
What’s next on the agenda for The Jon Cohen Experimental, juggernaut?
Definitely not a juggernaut, nor do I want it to be. I want to find out what my place is in the musical sphere is. I want to see how I can use music for good, that means for not back massaging my own sense of self. I want to connect with people, to feel something real with them. I want to accomplish what I need to accomplish and see where the chips fall after that. I want to be an open book, a live wire a conductor for genuine truth and beauty in music. I’m not there yet by any stretch but it’s the getting there that’s all the fun. Let’s go there together this friday night shall we Dublin?
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TAGS: DUBLIN, INTERVIEW, JANUARY 2012, JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL, THE DEARS, THE GRAND SOCIAL
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Blackpool debut for Canadian
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Published on Thursday 19 January 2012 10:53
Montreal-based rocker Jon Cohen (pictured right) la...
Published on Thursday 19 January 2012 10:53
Montreal-based rocker Jon Cohen (pictured right) launches his UK tour at the Cedar Tavern in Blackpool’s Cedar Square tonight.
The Canadian musician used to play in cult bands such as The Dears and The Social Register but now performs under his own name as The Jon Cohen Experimental.
In 2007 he got together with friends/musicians Kan Martin and Sebastian Coté for two well-received albums.
The band toured the east side of Canada three times in four months before “due to logistical constraints” Jon decided to continue alone, re-inventing himself as the Jon Cohen Experimental.
He played in 50 towns and cities across Canada and the United States, travelled only on a Greyhound bus and opened for acts like The Dropkick Murphys, documenting the tour in a daily blog which can be found at www.thejcex.com
Now he’s headed to the UK and says: “I’m so happy to kick off the tour in Blackpool, right by the water, to remind me of where I came from and where I am going.
I like to gently ease into things and what better way then do that than with a visit to where the people are so gentle and appreciative of new music coming their way.”
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Review/Preview: JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL // Behold
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HomeAbout
Review/Preview: JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL // Behold
January 13, 2011
When I mention ...
HomeAbout
Review/Preview: JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL // Behold
January 13, 2011
When I mention that all the ex-Dears should start a whole new band, Jon Cohen jokes that a support group is probably more appropriate. Kinda just confirms our sneaking suspicions that Murray Lightburn is a power-hungry monster devouring any who don’t play his game. Or, well, maybe we just never liked The Dears very much.
But the Jon Cohen Experimental is trying to make up for that. He’s got a peppy little album out and is touring the nation right now.
Winnipeg – The Cavern – Friday January 14.
(I know, the Cavern usually sucks, but this is a good reason to go. We should probably dedicate a whole post to our frustrations with The Cavern.)
Behold is cleverly arranged with gentle retro grooves and strong lyrics, showcasing that the “Experimental” is actually a highly creative band. This is a one-man project done right. Echoes of psychedelia swirl through folk-ish melodies and pop hooks. Highlights include the title track, Brain Pollution and Don’t Be The Cloud. The standout is probably Nightmare-Over with its horns, Calexico-inspired groove and energetic performances.
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The Jon Cohen Experimental and ThousandSounds
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Montreal-based guitarist, formerly of The Dears, brings his new ambient guitar pop outfit to town,...
Montreal-based guitarist, formerly of The Dears, brings his new ambient guitar pop outfit to town, with support from widescreen psychedelic rockers ThousandSounds.
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The Jon Cohen Experimental - Behold
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The Jon Cohen Experimental - Behold
With many years under his belt as a Montreal music scene st...The Jon Cohen Experimental - Behold
With many years under his belt as a Montreal music scene stalwart, Jon Cohen decided it was time to put his own name behind a project. Setting out with The Jon Cohen Experimental, a band formed under his name with the help of a range of Montreal talent, his second album Behold was released in the autumn of 2010.
Initially taking Behold out on the road with the full band, The Jon Cohen Experimental embarked on a relentless tour schedule criss-crossing Canada. With a growing list of dates appearing across Canada and into America, the decision was made to leave the full band at home, and reinvent the sound as a one-piece thanks to a selection of loopers and electronics.
The copy of Behold I have playing here is, of course, the original album from late 2010, recorded with the full iteration of the Jon Cohen Experimental (and friends). This is one of those bands I have trouble describing in a logical and understandable way, as they cover a fairly wide array of sounds and influences you can pick through, creating something comfortingly familiar yet wholly new and interesting. To try and give it a shot anyway, start out with a laid back indie band, with lots of mellow guitar lines and bass. Add to that some very ethereal and trippy sounding vocals, then squeeze a light layer of synths and a smattering of other instruments in to the mix, and you have a pretty unique sound.
The album's namesake Behold or opener Hold the Fire are probably the most conventional of the album, sticking to a fairly traditional indie form and sound just with the addition of Jon’s vocals to add that unique touch. From there you can delve off into tracks such as Lucky Number Seven's swirling sounds and trippy feel, or the more ballad-esque Don’t Be the Cloud.
This leads me to what is really the point of reviewing a year-old album, which is the continuation of the continent-traversing tour to lands anew here in the UK and Europe with a string of dates for us to all get our teeth into… The tour starts out in Blackpool on January the 19th, with notable Scottish stop offs on January 23rd and 31st in Glasgow and February 1st in Edinburgh and a whole range of dates elsewhere in Britain.
For full tourdates and venues, music and the usual, check out The Jon Cohen Experimental site at www.thejcex.com or the usual array of current favourite music networking sites.
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hypnotic folk psychedelia.
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Ever wondered what happens when you leave a band like The Dears? Montreal musician Jon Cohe...Bands
Ever wondered what happens when you leave a band like The Dears? Montreal musician Jon Cohen actually did that and wrote some new songs as evidence. Now he is about to embark on a huge European tour as part of his solo project entitled The Jon Cohen Experiment he will be surfing into Brighton on 25 January at the Latest Music bar with his brand of hypnotic folk psychedelia.
After recovering from the Green Door Store’s 1st birthday party at the beginning of the year The Sticks, with their blend of angular garage rock, are concentrating on finishing an LP for Upset the Rhythm that proceeds a tape of improvised ditties and swap around jams that will be released eminently on obscure Japanese label Sixteen Tamborines.
Another local band, Saint Coltrane bring out their debut single release the hardcore ‘Iron Dracula’ which turns out to be a limited edition split 7” with Weird Wives’ ‘Gila’, featuring members of Surfer Blood. Out on bedroom based Enjoyment records this release comes in a variety of colours and digital b-side downloads.
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Nessy Interview: The Jon Cohen Experimental
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Jon Cohen of The Jon Cohen Experimental (ex-The Dears) has just started a European tour which will t...Jon Cohen of The Jon Cohen Experimental (ex-The Dears) has just started a European tour which will take in The Grand Social tonight, Friday 20th January. Jon answered a couple of questions via email after his flight across the Atlantic.
Nessy: You’re on tour in support of your album “Behold”, how do you think that you have progressed as a solo artist?
Jon Cohen: I definitely have come a long way. There are new ways I’m doing things now, new approaches to music, new philosophies on how to play it how to record it and write it. I have a lot more care in my approach now because this album is my project. My baby, so we’ll see what happens when this baby grows up!
This tour is a solo tour but you still manage to play a number of instruments to reflect each song you play. Do you play them all at the same time or how does that work out?
I use looper pedals, I use triggers, drum pads, mini korgs, theremins, basses and voice amongst many percusive interuments and pan flutes. It’s quite a feat. Each instrument represents more of a modd than a song, it’s quite fiun to play this way cause you have to be really concentrated and yet let go at some point and let the thing drive itself.
People still refer to you as Jon Cohen from The Dears, does that annoy you? Or is it just another part of your life?
It doesn’t bother me too much, people need a kind of reference, so does the media. To be honest at first I was selling myself like that (ex-dears) member to the industry and the media but that was more to put my foot in the door and get people to notice what I’m all about. It’s a tool I use sometimes to get people to listen but its not the only too, also being an ex-member of thr dears doesn’t define me as an artist, its only one page in the great big book of Jon!
You seem to blog a lot when you’re on tour. Does that help with writing music or are they two completely separate ways of expressing yourself?
I think the both feed into each other. Touring is a great outpour of my artistic side, whether its writing and playing music or writing my blog or even the business side of it, I feel very creative in that time span, I feel like it’s a god time to tap all ressources and outlets for artistic endeavours, writing is one of those outlets. Also the blog is aa great promotional tool and a great way to stay connected.
Your tour is quite extensive and you’re making your way as far as Finland! What’s the one thing you miss about home when you leave and what’s the one thing you can’t left without?
The one thing I miss the most is my home, the idea of having my own personal space and all my comforts. But at the same time, I don’t really miss it, Im in the mode of “everything is new and exciting”. They make these amazing chocolate babkas near my place, I think I will miss those the most! I’ll tell you one thing I won’t miss, the -25 degree and snowy weather!
I heard you’re filming a documentary about the tour? How much everyday stuff will you film?
It all depends on the guy ewhose filming it, we met up last night and discussed a few ideas but Its gonna take place in London, Paris, Amsterdam and Berlin, so it will involve everyday travels, music of course and all the stuff in between. Until we start the process, your guess is as good as mine.
It’s not as cold here as it is in Montreal this time of year, is this like a summer holiday to you?
Yes!!! It was -1 in London when we landed. The pilot on the speaker tells us “it’s a bit chilly in London -1C, hope you bundle up!” I don’t understand, does he not remember WHERE we arrived from? Only the cold frozen tundra that is Canada!!
Finally, if you found a Genie’s lamp and had three wishes, what would you wish for?
Silly goose! Everybody knows when you find a Genie’s lamp you use your wish to wish for more wishes!!!
All the dates for the ‘Passenger’ Tour can be found here. The album, ‘Behold’ is out now.
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Music InterviewsTagged with: behold, interview, Jon Cohen, Montreal, Nessy, nessymon, Passenger Tour, The Jon Cohen Experimental
Pingback: This Is What You Get When You Mess With Us… « thejoncohenexperimental
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JON COHEN (EX DEARS) - SCHNAUS AT THE MOTHERS RUIN, BRISTOL
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N COHEN (EX DEARS) - SCHNAUS AT THE MOTHERS RUIN, BRISTOL
The Mothers Ruin, 7-9 St Nicholas Street ...N COHEN (EX DEARS) - SCHNAUS AT THE MOTHERS RUIN, BRISTOL
The Mothers Ruin, 7-9 St Nicholas Street Bristol BS1 1UE
Thursday 2nd February 2012 / free
Featuring the talents of Jon Cohen (formerly of Canadian band the DEARS)
thejcex.com/music-3/
The Jon Cohen Experimental is the brainchild of Montreal musician &
songwriter Jon Cohen. Having been a key member of such diverse and
popular bands as The Dears, The Social Register and many more, Jon
formed his own group in the spring of 2006 as a response to over a decade
of service to the prolific Montreal music scene.
The results were two beautifully crafted albums of which their second, the
apt-titled Behold. Behold garnered massive press and media attention with over one hundred acclaimed articles, reviews and write-ups printed in North America.
The new epic sound, best described as a bass heavy, cornucopia of beat-
driven, genre-defying, ethereal pop music is delivered with raw precision. It
is creatively layered and constructed piecemeal. Instrument after
instrument, part after part, Cohen's tightly-crafted, mood-provoking
melodies offer a unique take on modern alternative music.
thejcex.com
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Schnauser
facebook.com/schnausermusic?sk=app_204974879526524
Schnauser play melodic pop/rock awash with unexpected chord changes, harmonies, black humour and odd time signatures. Amongst the normal guitar/bass/drums, their sound palette utilises leslie speakers, 12 string guitar, retro keyboard sounds, fuzz bass, occasional trumpets and strings and melodica.
Schnauser are based in Bristol, UK and have just released their second album"The Sound of Meat".
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DIRTY BOULEVARD
soundcloud.com/dirtyboulevard
Ryan Adams, Teenage Fanclub, Gene Clark,
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LONELY TOURIST
facebook.com/lonelytouristmusic?sk=app_204974879526524
Lonely Tourist is a Bristol based Glaswegian who plays upbeat, wordy, strummy, indie-folk songs. He released his debut album'Sir I Am A Good Man' in Jan 2011 to some excellent reviews. The first single from the album'Patron Saint Procrastinate' received plays on BBC Radio 2 and 6music. This year he has played Wychwood Festival, Rockness and supported Pete Doherty.
FREE ENTRY AND OPEN TILL LATE
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JON COHEN EXPERIMENTS IN DUBLIN
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January 19, 2012 by Synth Eastwood
Montreal is a Canadian city that boasts a vibrant music an...
January 19, 2012 by Synth Eastwood
Montreal is a Canadian city that boasts a vibrant music and arts community, flagship acts like Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene & Chromeo have put the city on the recent global map. Jon Cohen is a native of that very city and a longstanding musician in the scene there. Having been a member of quality bands like The Dears and The Social Register he has decided to get stuck into a solo project entitled “The Jon Cohen Experimental“. Swapping his band members for loop machines & computers, tomorrow night, he embarks on a self-organised, self-funded 30 city tour with presumably his favorite place after Montreal, Dublin.
Jon Cohen (no relation to Leonard) takes to the stage of the Grand Social this Friday from 8pm
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Photo Essay Mustard & The Monocle, Abandon, Jon Cohen Experimental
http://www.mo-foto.co.uk/set/wheatsheaf_jce_jan_2012/index.html
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Muti Instrumentalist, Jon Cohen Experimental
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Jon Cohen Experimental
Montreal experimentalist and one-time member of cult heavyweights The Dears,...Jon Cohen Experimental
Montreal experimentalist and one-time member of cult heavyweights The Dears, currently in the midst of touring his debut solo album.
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The Jon Cohen Experimental Manchester Jan 30
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February 1st, 2012
Many of you will know that I spent the best part of 10 years living between ...
February 1st, 2012
Many of you will know that I spent the best part of 10 years living between the States and Canada in my younger years (I’ve now been home from that jaunt for almost 7 years but it only feels like yesterday that I returned). The last part of my time was spent in Montreal in the province of Quebec and it was here that I really started to develop my photographic career. When I first arrived in the city, I was definitely of the ‘starving artist’ community and needed to work to pay the bills as I was assisting photographers on weekends. So – I washed windows! It was definitely one of the most interesting periods of my life so far and I met some of the most incredible people who i worked with. One of my ‘Vision Brothers’ was the amazingly talented musician Jon Cohen who at that time was involved with a band called Launie Anderssohn - they had the craziest show I had ever seen and I loved photographing them back in the film days with 3200 speed TMax – grain like the size of golf balls!
I didn’t really stay in touch with Jon, but through the power of Facebook, we connected a couple of years back and I was watching his musical progression from afar. When I saw that Jon was bringing his show to Europe and that he would be visiting Manchester I knew I had to hook up with him. I travelled over to Manchester and met Jon about 7pm and he went on at 9.45 at a venue called The Castle Hotel an amazing ‘proper’ pub that’s just been lovingly restored and has a really great concert room.
I wanted to pay homage to the pictures I had made of Jon 10 years ago in Montreal so got my head into a very ‘film based’ mind set and Jon gave me a superb photographic opportunity. His act is basically a one man band for the modern generation, spanning at least 15 different instruments that I saw. His energy was almost overwhelming and his musical abilities uncompromising - this was a show that challenged the audience in a very positive way and I’ll never forget the performance and I hope the images convey a little bit of the magic I winessed. Jon is basically self funding his curent 3 month tour and it is this courage and musical commitment that I so admire in people like Jon. He’s keeping a tour diary as he travels which makes for a great read, it’s archived at www.thejcex.com
There Is A Light That Never Goes Out… « thejoncohenexperimental01 February 12 at 5:32pm1
[...] the show, which really made me feel good. He is now a photographer and has his own company called Insight Photography. The man is so passionate about photography and has an amazing eye for it too. Check out som
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The former ‘The Dears’ member talks to Kate Ross about the challenges of touring solo.
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INTERVIEW: THE JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL
interviews, news - published: 3 february 2012
The former ‘...
INTERVIEW: THE JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL
interviews, news - published: 3 february 2012
The former ‘The Dears’ member talks to Kate Ross about the challenges of touring solo.
Jon Cohen isn’t just your average touring musician. For him, there’s no four-piece backing band, no army of roadies, no tour bus big enough to hole up in for months on end. Instead, the Montreuil born artist is travelling solo, looping through Europe, Scandinavia and the UK by coach, train and even – deep breath here – the National Express – to present his one-man band, The Jon Cohen Experimental.
The name might ring a bell to avid followers of Canadian indie: Cohen is a former member of The Dears, whose music is almost predictably likened to that of The Stills and Malajube, perhaps sometimes for more geographic than auditory reasons. After parting ways with them in 2002, Cohen wandered through a number of other bands before eventually forming his own in 2006, and developing his own, layered up version of the modern alternative genre.
Several years, three Canadian tours and two albums later – complete with guest appearances from Evan Cranley of Stars and Broken Social Scene, Angela Desveaux, former Dears band mate Murray Lighburn, and Liam O’Neil of The Stills – Cohen parted ways with the rest of his band and made a break for solo. He then embarked on a three-month coast-to-coast state side blitz known as the Pilgrim Tour. Which should mean, theoretically, that’s he’s pretty clued up on this one-man tour business.
Now leaping across the Atlantic and hurtled Paris-bound, he’s headed for a two-night line up at Pop In and Abracadabar. But while he’s still experiencing the best of the UK’s national transport, he had some time for a few words with Gigs in Paris.
How would you describe yourself in one phrase?
JC: I’m a simple man with big lofty dreams of beauty, peace and music.
How have you progressed since your days with The Dears and The Social Register?
JC: I don’t think progress is as important a term as evolve. Progress indicates change for the better, new ways of doing things. Yet I’m still doing things the same old way, I’m still writing in the same way. I think I’ve evolved not as a musician but more as an artist, a persona, myself.
I feel now that I actually have something concrete to offer, something tangible in my music for people to hold onto and remember. It’s not mine per se: It’s something that comes from a place deep, deep inside that can connect with anything and anyone, and it uses music as its vehicle of communication. Playing in those bands before, I was more one of the engineers for this vehicle. Now I’m the driver, the passenger, and the vehicle all at once.
How will the Passenger Tour differ from the Pilgrim Tour?
JC: In subtle ways. One is that I’m driving on the other side of the road! All kidding aside, I think it’s a different beast altogether. It has many similarities though, but here I’m playing to a wider more varied audience. I’m playing 12 countries so that’s 12 different sensibilities, cultures and musical approaches. Here, there is a lot more adaptation involved and I don’t mind that in the least bit. It challenges the boundaries of this music I’m performing and that can’t be a bad thing.
What are the highs and lows of working and touring solo?
JC: The one thing is that doing these mega tours across the world becomes a real possibility when you are travelling solo. The logistics, time, money and effort of taking x amount of musicians with me would have been impossible, or at least extremely difficult. This way I am able to achieve as an indie artist what most well established local acts never do, so why not? Next year I’ll be touring Australia and Japan for three months, coast to coast to coast. How else could I do this?
Right now, I’m in the Scottish Highlands in my own private bus – an empty National Express. It’s quiet, smooth. I just slept for four hours and it’s a beautiful day out. I’ve got 300 quid in my pocket from the shows I just played: No gas money, no musicians to pay and no overhead. Those are the pros.
The cons are that it does get lonely at times. Even though I meet tons of people, I still feel like something of an astronaut or a ghost, remaining unattached to the people and surroundings around me. Same thing onstage: The music takes on a whole different approach. You are up there by yourself, so making a human connection without hiding behind your band or the fourth wall becomes detrimental to a successful show.
What makes you get up in the mornings?
JC: When I’m not touring, I get up and I think of things to be grateful about. I think about how lucky I am to be alive under the circumstances I am. Then I make a warm tea and start working on tours, music, business, whatever drives me. When I’m on tour I’m like a machine. I travel, I perform, I travel, I perform. I’m on autopilot. My alarm rang at 5am this morning in Liverpool; I worked on the computer for six hours on my first day off on this tour; then fell asleep for an hour and woke up to catch a bus to Glasgow. I will never miss a show.
You chose to document first The Pilgrim Tour, and now The Passenger Tour on you blog. How did this come about?
JC: I started blogging very naturally. It wasn’t a conscious decision. I left on tour last year across North America on the Pilgrim Tour and I found myself looking out windows on long bus rides having these amazing and inspiring insights. So I naturally started writing them down. But then I felt it would be selfish to keep them to myself, locked up in a diary. That’s why the blog happened.
From the point I started writing, I started connecting with my audience. You see, to get the full scope of this band and myself as an artist, you need to read into my thoughts, because my thoughts are echoing everyone else’s. At the end of the day, there is nothing unique about how and what we think. We are all alike, non-individuals, and there’s something beautiful and comforting in that.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
JC: My father is a wise man; he always imparts great bits of wisdom onto me, especially before great big trips such as this one. He said to me: ‘Son, you are the master of your mind, your thoughts and your words. When they leave your mouth, they become the master of you. Words are powerful, so be careful how you use them.’
Which song are you most proud of?
JC: I’m particularly proud of Brain Pollution, written in Laos after having a deep realisation about myself. Don’t Be The Cloud is great because it came together so spontaneously. Behold because Angela Desveaux sings on it, and she has the voice of an angel. From my first record, I Won’t Mind, because it’s so epic yet still very interesting. Finally, This Wind of Mine. I wrote it on a balcony in Casablanca, on a beautiful sunny afternoon when the entire city was shut down because everyone naps at 3pm (I wish we could do that too). So it was so quiet and except for the sound of a family of birds chirping and floating at high speed from rooftop to rooftop in complete synchronicity and unison, it was like watching one brain. That was a beautiful moment, birds, wind and the sound of one lone classical guitar.
What are your hopes for this tour, and for the future?
JC: I hope to accomplish what I set out to do, which is to bring powerful, hopeful music to a wide varied audience over a large span of territory in a compressed period of time. I hope the final product of the show will be a killer set, which will make people walk out thinking this was a unique and amazing experience that they will tell everyone about, and joy will spread. I hope to survive in the esoteric sense and come out a stronger human being, and that my music comes out stronger too. I hope to sample the best of what everyone has to offer me. It’s a two way street. I hope you will love me as I love you.
The Jon Cohen Experimental will play free shows at Pop In February 8 at andAbracadabar February 9.
You can find his blog at: www.thejcex.com
- Kate Ross
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January Sales: It's The Month in Music...
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And finally, The Jon Cohen Experimental are in Glasgow at BLOC tonight and in Edinburgh at the Wee R...And finally, The Jon Cohen Experimental are in Glasgow at BLOC tonight and in Edinburgh at the Wee Red Bar tomorrow. Jon Cohen is a man who was in The Dears and The Social Register among others, and has shared producers with the brilliant Kathleen Edwards who will be in town on the 24th of February at Oran Mor. With that CV you just now he's going to be good, and this is sheer class. This is Don't Be the Cloud:
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Music: The Jon Cohen Experimental
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Tom Hoare
Opposite me in a café in Covent Garden, some 3,000 miles away from his hometown of Mont...Tom Hoare
Opposite me in a café in Covent Garden, some 3,000 miles away from his hometown of Montreal, Canada, sits a musician named Jon Cohen. Whilst he’s far from being a household name, he’s no stranger to music; Cohen has been playing as a guitarist in various Montreal music projects over the last ten years, the most successful of which was The Dears, the avant-garde Canadian indie collective who have opened for stadium acts such as Keane and Morrissey.
He’s in London right now, however, for a different reason. Tired of playing second fiddle in countless bands, and keen to forge his own musical identity, Jon Cohen launched his own solo project, The Jon Cohen Experimental (or The JC Ex) a few years ago. In 2010, Cohen released Behold, his second studio album as The JC Ex, and the one which brought him new levels of attention as a solo artist in Canada and the States. Sipping tea genteelly, he explains to me where the desire to branch out on his own came from.
“The JC Ex is my brainchild, my baby. I’ve been playing music in Montreal and across Canada for the last decade or so, and this is kinda like the equivalent of having worked for many different companies and then starting your own little thing… Say you’re a farmer, and instead of working for some mega-farm, you have like two little acres of land, but they’re yours, and you put so much love into it and you watch it grow, and you’re very protective of it, but at the same time you’re learning how to sow the seeds with the bigger company, that’s kind of how I see it.”
With his Moroccan heritage, and background in spiritual healing practices such as yoga and Thai massage, Cohen emits a sense of gentle mysticism, something which he claims is channelled into his music; he describes the “sound” of The JC Ex as “like if Pink Floyd, Talking Heads, and Gandhi got together and decided to shoot the shit and make something happen,” and talks with po-faced conviction about how his music is more for spiritual communication than for wealth or fame. “I’m not interested in my own payroll, or furthering my own career, as much as I’m interested in playing a show and conveying a message to people, which is a message of self-fulfilment and real happiness, and an examination of our relationship with our reality, and with ourselves.”
Listening to Behold, what really stands out is the polished quality of the song-writing. Cohen crafts his tunes with tightly-wound precision, sculpting intricately-built walls of sound that are lush and layered. Lyrically, although the content is a little on the spiritual side of things at times, it’s done in such an earnest and musically-inventive way that the listener doesn’t feel as though they’re being preached to. Rather, listening to The JC Ex is an experience of somewhat goofy yet warming positivity; this is as close as you can come to being given a hug by a pop song.
For all Cohen’s right-on vibes of tranquillity and harmony, he still takes his music incredibly seriously, and pushes himself to the limit to promote his message. A glance at his upcoming tour schedule sees him playing 36 dates in 10 countries, in just under eight weeks. He explains how for him, you either approach touring with unflinching enthusiasm, or you die trying. “I like to do these mega, three-month tours, I like to go completely heavy on it – it’s better to do it that way because you don’t have time to stop and think about it, your body doesn’t have time to relax, you keep a rhythm going, and as soon as you stop to relax, you lose momentum a little bit.”
Indeed, this full-throttle approach to gigging forms the basis of his next album, Passion Pilgrim; “The idea is to go back into the studio for that one in April, once I’m finished with this tour. The idea for this album is going to be to take a musician, who’s just finished an insane adventure, and try to extract whatever energies are there leftover from that tour, and put all that into the record.”
This is the first time Cohen’s brought his sound to the UK, and he has embraced the experience so far. It’s a unique challenge for him, taking on the solo performance routine rather than being one of three guitarists stood in the background, but he hopes that British audiences will be just as receptive to his unique “experimental” as the folks back home. When finally asked what fans can expect when they turn up to a JC Ex show, Cohen grins. “They can expect to be taken on a journey, where they are bombarded with positive messages, in a non-preachy way. They’re bombarded with an uplifting challenge, at the same time they’re propelled to move and to dance and to take part in the show, and to feel like it’s one unit altogether, and walk out and say that ‘I was part of this show.’ And they can expect to hear some frickin’ amazing music.”
For more information on Jon Cohen and his tour, click here.
The Harker provides a platform for young (unpaid) writing talent.
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Q & A with Jon Cohen
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Q&A Jon Cohen
SCOTCAMPUS 28/01/2012 1
By Simon Fielding
Jon Cohen played with The Dears and T...Q&A Jon Cohen
SCOTCAMPUS 28/01/2012 1
By Simon Fielding
Jon Cohen played with The Dears and The Social Register before going it alone as The Jon Cohen Experimental. His impressive ‘Behold’ album has cast a spell on critics and fans alike. Before bringing his show to Glasgow and Edinburgh, he tells Scotcampus about his home in Montreal, experimentation, and the joys of being a solo musician.
How far does a sense of the place you’re in inform your music? Montreal has obviously produced its fair share of luminaries – do you feel connected to that, or do wish to cut loose from it, to some degree?
“I’m not sure I think about it too much that way. If you’re asking whether I feel connected to a city, well I like the advantages of an urban space but if I could play shows in forest, or outdoors only, I don’t think I would mind that too much. I think I may have hermit envy. Montreal is a great place to live, a near perfect city in my eyes. As far as scenes go, I think a scene is just the clothes the city is wearing at a particular time and every city wears its own unique name brand.”
The instrumentation is diverse on Behold – how far did the producer, Dave Draves, invite you to experiment with your palette of sounds? Is experimentation key to your work?
“Umm, he didn’t really; I pretty much put the whole recording together – structurally, layering, instruments and guests. We had rehearsed the songs as a three piece over the last few years, lots of demoing. Where Dave brought the whole thing to life was in the mixing sessions, he’s one of those guys who just gets right into it, and it was fascinating to watch him work. He’s so immersed in it, for everyone he works with or for. It was a successful experiment working with that guy.”
The title track of the album seems meditative, or reflective. Did you want to address some philosophical concerns on that song? Do you see the song, lyrically, as a key to your world-view?
“I wouldn’t say world view; that might be a bit too broad. I’d say each song represents a state I was in, thoughts I was thinking then, how I was perceiving the world then. I don’t like to attach too much to trying to fit a uniformity into any of my work. I don’t wanna corner myself against a wall that way. I’m finding out where the balance is between being self indulgent and truly, humbly creative, between preaching and trying to share about personal realisations, not as a kind of doctrine but more as if I were showing people what I’d found.”
Necessity forced you to work as a solo artist – do you see this as a happy accident now?
“Yes! I do, I’m happy musically doing this now. It’s bringing me lots of artistic freedom, which makes me very happy about the direction I’m going in. I rarely have to argue or negotiate with myself either, which is convenient for touring. Have you ever backpacked with people you sometimes didn’t get along with? Everyone has, and they know it can ruin a vacation or even relationships, that’s why so many bands break up on the road. I wonder if you can break up with yourself?
No, seriously though, I think that more importantly, it gives me freedom to travel, to play music, to meet people, and to show my real personality onstage. It’s making me write music more creatively and more honestly too. I like it because it’s forcing me to do more, to be more, to use it for good and not evil. By evil I mean where it brings out the nastier sides of you. It’s a great way to tour as well; my last winter tour through the roads of North America on old beat up Greyhound buses was like a personal journey, a travelogue. Joni Mitchell says ‘Your life is like a travelogue, a picture postcard’. I think that’s beautiful.”
Given the shifts in mood and instrumentation on Behold, the songs will, presumably be reworked to suit a solo performance. Do you find new depths in the songs when you take them on the road?
“Yes and no, not all the tunes were able to break on through into solo form. I had to rethink not only the music but also the way the music was presented; sometimes even that changes its message. I think that the transformation breathed new life into these songs off Behold. You know that old saying whatever doesn’t kill you will only make you stronger? Well this rule also seems to apply to this too.”
You’re recording your next project, Passion Pilgrim, in London. Can you tell us a bit about the new material?
“I like this question, because there’s a funny misunderstanding in it. I actually meant London, Ontario, a small town in rural Ontario, Canada. Ha ha! Not quite as glamorous. There’s a studio out there I have my eye on. We’ll see, nothing set in stone yet. First I have to accomplish what I need to accomplish on this tour and see where we stand after that. All I know is that I want to meet and greet anyone who’s willing to invest a little of their time to come to my shows. I promise I’ll work hard for you and we’ll have a grand ol’ time!”
Click here for more info on Jon Cohen’s tour and latest releases.
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TAGS » 2012, best, biggest, Canada, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Interview, Jon Cohen, live, magazine, marketing, Music, Scotcampus, Scotland, Simon Fielding, Student, The Dears, The Jon Cohen Experimental, The Social Register, tour, UK, Wee Red RoomPOSTED IN » Music
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Show Review: The Jon Cohen Experimental @ The Wheatsheaf, Oxford, 28/01/2012
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“It was rubbish, but I enjoyed it”, as one punter was heard saying to another of one of the bands on...“It was rubbish, but I enjoyed it”, as one punter was heard saying to another of one of the bands on tonight’s bill. Richard Catherall, the face of Gappy Tooth Industries for nearly ten years now, would be tickled by this as he confirmed on stage at the end of the night that this sparsely attended gig, dividing opinions left and right, was exactly the kind of show Gappy Tooth exists to promote. Each of the three bands were definitely rubbish in their own way, and each of them was most certainly enjoyable. Indeed, things got more rubbish and more enjoyable as the night ran on, suggesting a link between the two – and if you can believe there is one, Gappy Tooth will welcome you with widely open arms.
Mustard And The Monocle are the least obviously rubbish act on tonight, and also the least enjoyable. They’re young and very talented musicians, with the drummer in particular showing an ease and skill that eludes many touring bands, but they seem to be saving their energy for nights with bigger turnouts. Their set of whimsical country-folk indie reminds us of locals like The Yarns and The Epstein and does show a lot of promise, but their performance lacks spark, and with a couple of exceptions the songwriting is unremarkable. Their inter-song banter betrays a lethargic disappointment that they aren’t playing to a fuller house, which is always a turn-off for those who have come to watch; much as the most expensive boutiques stay in business by treating every customer as if they were a millionaire, these guys would do well to treat every audience like potential converts, no matter how small their numbers.
Umair Chaudhry is one of our scene’s most interesting and prolific musicians, whose Blindsight Records label has released many projects in the ambient/metal spectrum and whose latest release is represented tonight by the doomy goth-electronic duo Abandon. As with Umair’s Fault Finders project there is a lot of promising stuff here that’s let down by what seems to be either laziness or restlessness; the production and presentation seem unfinished and the slow, atmospheric, 80s goth sound is let down by underwhelming drum programming and Umair’s voice, which does hit the notes but only on its rather meandering way somewhere else. It’s hard to engage with what we assume to be the desolation of the human condition when watching a lonely-looking laptop in front of two men who look like they’ve wandered upstairs from the pub, and while we’d be loathe to suggest that presentation should trump integrity we do suspect that this would have been absolutely spellbinding with the addition of a live drummer, two more guitarists and a smoke machine the size of Didcot power station. By the time all that is assembled, though, it seems likely Umair will be off on his next project – doubtless also at the dark end of the
musical spectrum, also flawed and also interesting.
Topping tonight’s pyramid of rubbish we have The Jon Cohen Experimental: a Montreal-based solo performer, formerly of The Dears and The Social Register but now touring on his own, and it’s not hard to see why. The set begins with Cohen, tall, bald and dressed in red trousers, red shirt and red tie, looking like The Addams’ Family’s Lurch on Valentine’s Day, standing in front of two microphones and an assembly of dismembered electronic drum kit, persuading the Wheatsheaf into silence so he can begin the show with a couple of bangs on his electronic gong. This, to be charitable, is unconventional behaviour, and he’s started as he means to go on: we have backing tracks from a laptop over which awkward jiggling beats are looped from the electronic drums, bizarre howling mantras are bawled into the two mics and an assortment of harmonicas, pennywhistles and oddball dancing accompany the occasional burst of bass guitar. It should be awful – and it is, of course – but the jittery trance-like performance belies an unexpectedly controlled set, and the improvised mayhem is never discernably out of Cohen’s control. Loop pedals have been done to death on stage but this is honestly the most original and effective use of them we’ve seen since Duotone’s delicately layered folktronica. The stage setup and mad professor schtick suggests a Buddhist Thomas Truax, but he has the outsider sincerity and total commitment – and genuine insanity – of Twizz Twangle as well, with the is-it-supposed-to-be-this-funny humour of Animal Collective’s set to a nearly-empty Wheatsheaf in 2003. It’s as odd a brand of repetitive, whimsical, earnest semi-improvised lunacy as we’ve seen on stage, and half the venue is entranced. The other half, it has to be noted, are less than impressed, with one friend commenting that having seen “some god-awful, wrist-slittingly bad gigs in [their] time… this one is by far taking the biscuit”. It’s also been astutely observed that if he was fifteen years younger and had an artful fringe, the ultra-fashionable Blessing Force collective would be all over him. By most conventional measures of music most of this is dreadful, but his charisma, enthusiasm, sincerity and obvious delight to be performing is utterly infectious; combine that with a performance that is genuinely original and music that is intermittently bewitching and we have an absolute winner, exactly the kind of gig that Gappy Tooth and the Wheatsheaf exist for, because there is huge cultural value in this and you could never find it on television, on radio or at the O2 Academy. When people say you should support your local gig venues, this is what we’d lose if they were gone. Most wouldn’t weep if it was lost. I, and the regulars at Gappy Tooth Industries, certainly would.
By Mark Wilden
This was posted on 31 January 2012. More stuff in this section: Gig reviews
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Daisy Rodgers
long live Gappy Tooth..........
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1 month ago
gappytooth
I suspect every promoter has their own criteria for success. Mine is when a paying member of the public gets enthused enough about what they saw to pen a review.
I think a Buddhist Truax is on the money - I think that one track made me think of what the Moonies would have been like if Heaven 17 had instigated them - but I think Jon's a different beast from Twizz, in some ways. What's unusal about Jon is that you rarely see such musical chops and wholehearted sincerity mixed with semi-improvised psych pop. In the UK this sort of thing would always come with invisible quote marks, and would probably hang back from full immersion.
Most people would refer to refer to the ritualistic, but only somone like Jon would make the Sheaf into a sonic ritual of his own devising. I honestly thought it was joyous music, really euphoric.
Not sure I really crave visuals for Abandon, but I agree a live drummer or some more exciting programming woudl lift some already enoyable music.
M&TM were missing a keyboard player, maybe they'd convince you with the full complement.
Thanks for the review, Mark.
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Jon Cohen despliega su pop psicodélico en Madrid
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El canadiense Jon Cohen inicia una gira por Europa para presenta su nuevo proyecto personal The Jon ...El canadiense Jon Cohen inicia una gira por Europa para presenta su nuevo proyecto personal The Jon Cohen Experimental. Acaba de lanzar su primer álbum en solitario Behold producido por Dave Draves (Kathleen Edwards, Julie Doiron, The Acorn, Snailhouse) y con él este vídeoclip de su single ‘Don’t be the cloud’. Puedes verle este domingo 12 de febrero en la Sala Wurlitzer Ballroom de Madrid donde desplegará cómo “hombre orquesta” todo su repertorio de pop psicodélico.
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Checkpoint Charlie!!! this friday night again in Berlin!
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intersoup.de
The Jon Cohen Experimental is the brainchild of Montreal musician & songwriter Jon Coh...intersoup.de
The Jon Cohen Experimental is the brainchild of Montreal musician & songwriter Jon Cohen. Having been a key member of such diverse and popular bands as The Dears, The Social Register and many more, Jon formed his own group in the spring of 2006 as a response to over a decade of service to the prolif...
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MAD SCIENTIST? CLEAN FREAK? JON COHEN IS NONE OF THESE AND MORE
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Interview: Jon Cohen
MAD SCIENTIST? CLEAN FREAK? THE EX-DEARS GUITARIST IS NONE OF THESE AND MORE
...Interview: Jon Cohen
MAD SCIENTIST? CLEAN FREAK? THE EX-DEARS GUITARIST IS NONE OF THESE AND MORE
Words Hugh Langley
“I’ve got this new obsession with Glen Gould.” Jon Cohen is on the other end of the phone, and in a bizarre twist to our conversation has started waxing lyrical about the celebrated 20th Century Canadian pianist. “He had some crazy notions of what music should sound like — one of the only artists who experimented with tape splicing. I dig that.” He pauses to sip what we can only assume is coffee, given it’s currently 7am in Cohen’s hometown of Montreal, Canada. “Odd guy, though. The kind who lived alone and washed his hands eighty times a day.”
It’s an interesting digression. Jon, on the other hand, couldn’t be further from this Howard Hughes-type image; Chilled and laid-back in tone, he exudes the same restrained, understated vibe that infests his music.
For many this side of the pond, Jon Cohen, the brains behind the aptly-titled music vehicle The Jon Cohen Experimental will be an unfamiliar name; others will know him best as the ex-guitarist of The Dears, a duty he performed for three years before leaving to pursue his solo career in 2002. “In a way I understand why people are interested in that, because the band’s so well known and it was a big page in my life,” he says. “But I don’t think it defines me in any way.”
He’s right not to think so. Behold, the second album from The Jon Cohen Experimental, launched in Canada in late 2010 to general acclaim. It’s also a response to more than a decade of Jon’s service to the Montreal music scene, for which he called in a few favours from his past. “Liam O’Neill from The Stills is on there doing some amazing saxophone,” Jon says. “Plus Evan Cranley from The Stars, he’s got a guest spot on the trombone. He does a lot of work with Broken Social Scene. “
And let’s not forget Murray Lightburn, lead singer of The Dears (and often referred to as ‘the black Morrissey’ due to the vocal similarities he shares with The Smiths’ frontman) who lends his guitar work to the mix.
Much like its stable of featured talent, Behold is a cornucopia of psychedelic, dance-infused pop, stacking symbiotic layers of drums, guitar, bass and casio keys. Its deliriously Pink Floyd-esque number ‘Brain Pollution’ is a perfect amalgamation of these elements, with Cohen’s vocals cleaving almost disturbingly close to David Gilmour’s. Elsewhere, one of the album’s highlights, ‘Hold The Fire’, may be well be his homage to early Eno, with its sizzling guitar grooves and beat-and-bass-heavy rhythms.
In the studio the Jon Cohen Experience also consists of band members Ken Martin and Sebastian Gabway, but on tour they remain — due to ‘logistical contraints’ — a one-man-show. Last year, Cohen took to the road alone, spanning over 50 cities and opening for such as the Dropkick Murphys. His 2012 European tour, which kicks off this month, will see Cohen make his way from Dublin to Finland, a journey Cohen describes as a “pilgrimage”.
Though it’s tempting to ask about Jon’s musical inspirations, it’s here that we risk entering ‘Glen Gould’ territory again. Surprisingly, the Montreal man is galvanised by more humble acts: “I’ve been inspired by Andrew Bird a lot lately, because he’s doing a lot of what I’m doing. Dirty Beaches, too — he’s doing some amazing things.” He goes off on one about Gould again.
“The unifying factor with all these people is that they’re so free to let anything happen on stage,” explains Cohen. “Dirty Beaches isn’t doing that much up there, most of it’s pre-recorded and canned. But man, that energy is like nothing I’ve ever seen.”
Even without his bandmates, Cohen chooses to remain an entirely organic live act, building his one-man orchestra from the ground up. “My first approach was to take these recordings from the album and try to reproduce them exactly for the audience, but it just wasn’t working. The music was saying ‘reinvent me, stretch me and shape me’ and as soon as I did that, the whole thing transformed,” explains Cohen.
“It soon became obvious which songs were the stronger ones because they were malleable and easily translatable to a one-man show. Disseminating music was more personal than anything I’d done before,” he says, before laughing. “And I had no band to hide behind.” Though he’d never admit it, on stage Cohen evokes the image of the crazed scientist, conducting his one-man show like a chemistry experiment, fusing layers of simmering synths over bubbling beats.
It’s having this total control that gives Cohen his drive. “The bottom of the music industry has fallen out,” he says. “All of a sudden the artist is given all the tools to do what the labels were doing, to find unique ways of promoting themselves.” Curious, I ask if he has any tricks of his own. “I see bands out there selling their own beer,” he laughs. “But for me right now it’s about just doing the legwork. You can’t sit around, writing a song, putting it on the internet and hoping the phones will start ringing. If you’re serious, you’re going to work like a motherfucker.”
And with that the easygoing, nonchalant Jon Cohen all but disappears, replaced by a more ambitious model. “My stage show is always evolving, growing,” he says. When I’m up there I always want to feel like I’m contributing something new, not just regurgitating what’s already on the record. And then there are those moments where anything can happen. Those are always the moments that stand out the most.”
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The Jon Cohen Experimental je dílem hudebníka
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Jon Cohen vystoupí 18.2.2012 v Red Room v Praze
13. 2. 2012 - The Jon Cohen Experimental je dílem...Jon Cohen vystoupí 18.2.2012 v Red Room v Praze
13. 2. 2012 - The Jon Cohen Experimental je dílem hudebníka z Montreal. Ten po clenství v nekolika populárních kapelách, založil na jare roku 2006 svojí vlastní kapelu jako reakci na plodnou hudební scénu Montrealu.
Výsledkem byla dve alba, z toho druhé nazvané Behold bylo nahráno producentem Davem Dravsem, který se podílel napriklad na dílech Julie Doiron, Jim Bryson a Kathleen Edward. Zasloužil si velkou pozornost tisku a sdelovacích príspevku více, než sto clánky, hrál na významných hudebních festivalech jako napríklad Pop Montreal. Roku 2011 vyrazil na samostatné turné na tzv. Poutník tour. V rámci toho zahrál v padesáti mestech po celé Kanade a Spojených státech.
Geniálního hudebníka byste si rozhodne nemeli nechat ujít. V rámci svého turné prijíždí i do Prahy, kde zahraje v Red Roomu (Praha 2) 18.2.2012 od 20.00
Rancid v cervenci v Praze
Ceský hudební trh loni ztratil 16 procent
Marcus Miller zahraje v Lucerna Music Baru
V pátek zacne Febio Music Fest
Praha (Mesta)
Jon Cohen (umelci)
Alternative (žánr)
Psychedelic (žánr)
Folk Rock (žánr)
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Jon Cohen: Walk out and say that ‘I was part of this show.’
[+ Show ]
Jon Cohen: Walk out and say that ‘I was part of this show.’
CLÁNEK | ÚNOR 15, 2012 - 12:00AM
P...Jon Cohen: Walk out and say that ‘I was part of this show.’
CLÁNEK | ÚNOR 15, 2012 - 12:00AM
Pic: Jon Cohen's archive
Jon Cohen is a musician who likes attention. He plays Prague's Red Room on Feb 18th. He used to be in The Dears and The Social Register but now performs under his own moniker, The Jon Cohen Experimental. We chatted about music, weather and feeling alive.
Have you ever been to Prague, and if so, hos wiw you like it?
I have never before been to Prague but I've been told to expect what might possibly be one of the most beautiful cities ever. I'm excited to experience it, and that is why I wanted to include it on my tour, to be inspired by something surreal. I always look to play these types of places, like Finland for example, because I feel it brings out all these great aspects of the music.
Your most favourite albums of all time?
Wow, those are big questions, I'd say one of the biggest influences I ever had, Music From Big Pink, Pet Sounds, Desire, Let it Be, groups that influenced me include Pink Floyd, Guided by voices, Ween.
What made you decide to become a musician?
At first it was girls, it was attention, but then after I got into it and scratched the surface, I discovered a world of beauty, intimacy and the ability to go deeper into myself and connect with others through this medium. I love songwriting, conveying a message to people and especially performing. These types of tours is when I feel most alive.
What can we expect from your gig?
You can expect to be taken on a journey, where you are bombarded with positive messages, in a non-preachy way. Then bombarded with an uplifting challenge, at the same time, propelled to move and to dance and to take part in the show, and to feel like it’s one unit altogether, and walk out and say that ‘I was part of this show.’ And you can expect to hear some frickin’ amazing music.”
What are you doing against the gray?
If you mean the weather, its a lot nicer than montreal so its almost tropical for me, I love the gray, I embrace it and take in the days that are sunny as a blessing. I make sunny music, I hope you in Prague will enjoy it!
www.thejcex.com
RELATED TERMS: hudba rozhovory EN
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Jon Cohen de gira europea
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on Cohen de gira europea
escrito por Miguel Ángel Gómez Linares
viernes, 10 de febrero d...on Cohen de gira europea
escrito por Miguel Ángel Gómez Linares
viernes, 10 de febrero de 2012
El canadiense componente de The Dears y The Social Register inicia una gira con su proyecto más personal: The Jon Cohen experimental.
El 12 de Febrero recalará en Madrid, en la Sala Würlitzer. Estas son otras fechas de su gira europea.
Wed Feb 15th - Bordeaux France @ El ChiCho
Fri Feb 17th - Prague @ The REd Room
Wed Feb 22nd – Brussels Belgium @ DNA
Thurs Feb 23rd - Hamburg Germany @ Belami
Fri Feb 24th - Hamburg Live pour Balcony TV
Sat Feb 25th - Chemnitz Germany @ Subway To Peter
Mon Feb 27 – Amsterdam NE @ Dwaze Zaken
Tues Feb 28th – Berlin DE@ Madame Claude
Friday March 2nd - Berlin DE @ Ex'N'Pop
Saturday March 3rd-Grottingen NE @ Wishful Musichouse
Monday March 5th - Trier Germany @ Trash Lounge
Friday March 9th - Copenhagen Denmark @ KD18
Sat March 10th - Viitasari Finland @ Hotel Pihkuri
Tues-March 13th - Helsinki Finland @ The Liberty
Wed- March 14th - Helsinki Bookstore performance @ Arkadia
Thurs- March 15th - Hamellina Finland @ Suisto Club
Friday March 16th - Kyrö Finland @ Ravintola Carina
Sat March 17th - Mänttä Finland @ Morgan Kane
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Des Mots avec The Jon Cohen Experimental
[+ Show ]
Interview - The Jon Cohen Experimental
Vieux de la vieille de la scène indie pop montréalaise, ...Interview - The Jon Cohen Experimental
Vieux de la vieille de la scène indie pop montréalaise, Jon Cohen a entre autres participé à l’émergence de groupes comme The Dears ou The Social Register. Il était temps pour lui d’émerger en solo (en live) comme en trio (sur disques) et d’exprimer pleinement tout ce qu’il a à dire (et il en a). Son dernier album, Behold, est en ce sens un petit chef d’œuvre de pop orchestrée et bricolée, un véritable travail d’orfèvre aux arrangements sans fin. Jon est de passage en France, et jouera notamment à deux reprises cette semaine à Bordeaux, une fois à El Chicho mercredi, et jeudi pour un concert secret en appartement. Rencontre.
Quels souvenirs gardes-tu de la période The Dears ?
J’ai joué avec le groupe de 1999 à 2003 : ce fut une période très intéressante, une très belle expérience au cours de laquelle j’ai beaucoup appris. Ces 4 années m’ont fait gagner de la confiance en moi, j’ai appris à croire en mes capacités à composer et à être mon propre artiste. Je me souviens d’une grande tournée, avec beaucoup de villes sur notre route, et surtout des fortes amitiés nées de ces moments.
Qu’est-ce qui t’as poussé à passer de guitariste à chanteur ?
Ce fut une progression naturelle : j’écrivais énormément de chansons pour la guitare, les mots venaient de plus en plus facilement. J’ai un jour décidé d’enregistrer mon premier album. C’est à la fois un mauvais sort qui fait que je dois tout gérer moi-même et une bénédiction pour moi, parce que je peux dire que je produis quelque chose qui vient vraiment de moi.
Qu’aurais-tu fais si tu n’avais pas été musicien ?
Peut-être comptable. Je suis une personne très organisée. Je casse le stéréotype des musiciens. Plus sérieusement, j’adore voyager, j’aurais peut-être accompli quelque chose dans ce domaine.
Pour toi le psychédélisme c’est quoi ?
C’est la recherche de quelque chose d’inconnu, c’est le premier pas dans le noir. C’est une vraie aventure spirituelle : avec la musique, il est facile de franchir cette porte, c’est un medium complètement flexible et organique. Parfois je me considère comme le Capitaine Kirk qui fonce dans l’inconnu. Le psychédélisme, pour moi, c’est le nouveau.
Que cherches-tu dans la musique ?
Je me cherche moi-même. Je cherche mon identité, ce qui me rend unique. Chacun est unique, a quelque chose d’unique en soi que personne n’a. C’est ce que je veux trouver, et partager.
Comment décrirais-tu la scène montréalaise d’aujourd’hui ?
Elle ne se résume pas à Céline Dion. C’est une scène vivante, excitante, je suis heureux de faire partie de cette scène qui donne de la valeur à tout ce qui est nouveau.
Ta musique a un côté très aérien. Es-tu plus à l’aise à la nature ou en ville ?
Je vis dans un vaisseau spatial. Je suis un astronaute avec une vue sur tout mais avec aucun contact réel avec le monde. En vrai, comme tous les urbains, je suis collé à la ville, accroché à elle. J’ai besoin de son énergie, j’ai besoin de culture comme nourriture créative, de l’espace urbain pour me motiver. L’érotisme de l’esprit et non du corps : c’est ce qui m’inspire et qui apporte de la légèreté, un côté spirituel et aérien à ma musique.
Comment as-tu vécu l’explosion de la relation internet/musique ?
Je suis le produit de cette explosion : Internet est mon amplificateur, c’est un outil indispensable pour moi. Je ne cherche pas à vendre ma musique, mais à vendre mon message.
Quelle est ton ambition aujourd’hui ?
Mon ambition, c’est d’accomplir les 3 buts que je me suis donnés pour cette tournée : devenir totalement à l’aise avec ma voix et mon spectacle pour établir un vrai contact émotionnel avec le public, apporter un message positif qui peut-être aidera quelqu’un, et enfin voir le plus d’Europe possible et d’y rencontrer beaucoup de monde.
Quelque chose à dire en particulier ?
J’espère rencontrer le plus de monde possible lors de mes concerts à Bordeaux : je vous promets une expérience incomparable.
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ALBUM REVIEW -THE JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL - BEHOLD
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THE JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL - BEHOLD
Submitted by Richard Foster on Sun, 02/19/2012 - 12:47
It’s quite a psychedelic record in its own right. In places the sort of sun-bleached, washed out psychedelics found on Tim Buckley or Gene Clark LPs dominate - but the sounds harnessed to create this feeling are great and very much their own master
http://www.thejcex.com
A very, very good record indeed, measured, reflective, and intelligent. Now and again I do think of musicians like Elliot Smith and Kelley Stoltz – it’s the soft vocals I think and the slightly jazzy psychedelic inflection in the arrangements - noticeable in Hold the Fire, (the unfortunately titled) This Wind of Mine or Lucky Number Seven. The album overall is a good example that soulful American take on a frazzled kind of Beatles pop – Rubber Soul given a new template - Stroke of the Night being particularly reminiscent of something Harrison could have written on the White Album.
It’s quite a psychedelic record in its own right. In places the sort of sun-bleached, washed out psychedelics found on Tim Buckley or Gene Clark LPs dominate - but the sounds harnessed to create this feeling are great and very much their own master; the phasing on Brain Pollution – which is happy to float around in its own sonic stew for as long as it seems fit – is just great. And it’s a soulful disc - best heard through the warm guitar plucks and the retro key sounds on Peace to Pieces - which combine with the great minor to major chord shifts to create a fabulous “quiet-but-serious” soul pop song. The record has an agenda; there’s a distinct feel of wondering at the world’s ills that is at once very sixties in vibe and very much of this moment too. The soft and tessellate title track is a great exponent of the LP’s message, as is the rockin’ stroll, No More Videos Just Teasers, which could be a Joni Mitchell track. Or the beautiful dreamscape that is Don’t Be the Cloud.
So in conclusion; this album is nowt new but it’s bloody good at what it does – great songs, well-orchestrated and well delivered. And you should give it a listen.
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Review: The Jon Cohen Experimental – Behold
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Review: The Jon Cohen Experimental – BeholdREVIEWS | ALAN MURPHY | FEBRUARY 6, 2012 5:06 PM
0digg
...Review: The Jon Cohen Experimental – BeholdREVIEWS | ALAN MURPHY | FEBRUARY 6, 2012 5:06 PM
0digg
The Jon Cohen Experimental are back with the difficult second album. Well I say difficult but it sounds more like Jon & Co. knocked this LP out over a long weekend with a smile on their face. It sounds very natural, which is exactly what we’ve gotten used to from the Canadian band.
Behold is the name of the 11 track record, and if you liked the first album you’ll love this one too. It’s much the same easy listening rock with just a pinch of abnormality. The record has been out for a few weeks now and it’s been getting nothing but good press. And the good news is it’s about to get more!
Easy listening rock music isn’t very hard to do. Millions of bands have been down that road and some have done well for themselves. But not all make it, and that’s because they don’t always know what they’re doing. Jon Cohen knows exactly what he’s doing, and this is seen through out the album. The song ‘Don’t Be The Cloud‘ could not be a better example of a genius of the genre doing what he does best. It’s the kind of song you could put on repeat as you fall asleep.
But don’t think the LP is all quiet chords and triangles, there are one or two songs in which the pace quickens up. ‘No More Videos Just Teasers‘ is a song in which JCEX get louder, and yet it still somehow fits in perfectly with the rest of the album. As well as that every song on the album has its own little thing going for it. They all have a personality that draws you into it.
I don’t often find a record in which I like every song. There’s usually an Achilles heel somewhere, usually towards the end. But if anything Behold gets better and better as it goes along, and you slip further into a blissful state of mind.
I write this with all the best in mind – Jon Cohen is coming into his prime in the wrong decade. The fan base is out there, but if he was around in the late 60s people might be talking about his band like they talk about The Beatles today. And that’s about as much praise as I can be giving.
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Show Review Jon Cohen @ The Wheatsheaf
see page 29 of pdf
http://nightshift.oxfordmusic.net/2012/mar.pdf
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Jon Cohen aus Montreal / Canada
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Do., 23. 2.:
Jon Cohen aus Montreal / Canada
Pop, Folk, Progressive, Psychedelic
Über e...
Do., 23. 2.:
Jon Cohen aus Montreal / Canada
Pop, Folk, Progressive, Psychedelic
Über ein Jahrzehnt spielte Jon Cohen bei mehreren, in Kanada recht bekannten Bands, bevor er 2006 seine eigene Band gründete: "The Jon Cohen Experimental".
Zwei wunderschöne, handgemachte Alben waren das Ergebnis.
Das Album "Behold", ein gesellschaftskritischer Appell, erhielt in Kanada und den USA massive Aufmerksamkeit der Medien und kam in die kanadischen Charts.
Die Band trat in Radio-Shows auf, spielte auf großen Festivals und tourte den kompletten Kanadischen Osten 3 Mal in 4 Monaten.
Dann gab es logistische Probleme innerhalb der Band, wodurch sich Jon gezwungen sah, eine bereits gebuchte Mega-Tour durch Kanada und die USA alleine anzutreten. Mitten im nordamerikanischen Winter tourte er 3 Monate lang mit Bahn und Greyhound-Bus, gab Konzerte in 50 Städten und erfand sich selbst komplett neu: Als Solo-Musiker.
Sein neuer, epischer Sound ist bass-lastig mit ...
einer Fülle von beat getriebenen und provozierenden Melodien.
Kreatives Stückwerk, progressive Pop-Musik mit roher Präzision.
Einzigartige, moderne, alternative Musik.
So weit die Zitate der Medien.
Nun kommt die "one man band" Jon Cohen erstmalig nach Europa ... Jon Cohen überschreitet Grenzen - geographisch und musikalisch.
Seine Tour führt ihn durch Irland, Schottland, England, Frankreich, Belgien, Niederlande, Skandinavien und Deutschland. Hier zu Lande gibt er nur 6 Konzerte, das erste davon IMG BeLaMi.
Beginn :
20:30 Uhr
Eintritt:
F R E I
Homepage (www.thejcex.com)
Probehören auf myspace
HINWEIS: Mit diesen "Links" verlassen Sie unsere Seiten. Wir weisen darauf hin, dass wir auf Gestaltung und Inhalte der Internetseiten, die Sie hierüber aufrufen, keinerlei Einfluss haben. Wir haben, als wir den Link gesetzt haben, die fremden Seiten auf Rechtsverstöße überprüft, soweit es uns möglich und zumutbar war.
Pressestimmen:
“..Cohen sounds restrained, comfortable and most importantly,
like no one else in the Canadian music scene at the moment. “
"..Cohen klingt maßvoll, behaglich und sehr bedeutend,
wie momentan kein anderer in der kanadischen Musikszene"
"..Behold consists of tight, well-crafted songs.
Cohen's high, cottony-soft vocals tend toward David Gilmour,
with occasional hints of Owen Pallett.
His lyrics are surreal and insightful”
"..Behold besteht aus kompakten, handgemachten Songs.
Cohens hoher, baumwoll-sanfter Gesang erinnert an David Gilmour,
gelegentlich auch an Owen Pallett.
Seine Texte sind unwirklich und trotzdem einfühlsam"
"As a solo artist, Cohen is a veritable living orchestra of sound,
constructing and layering all instruments piecemeal,
part for part, right before your unbelieving eyes."
"Als Solomusiker ist Cohen ein wahrhaftiges Sound-Orchester,
alle Instrumente Stück für Stück aufgeschichtet,
direkt vor Deinen ungläubigen Augen"
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Über ein Jahrzehnt spielte Jon Cohen bei mehreren, in Kanada recht bekannten Bands,
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Suchoptionen ausblendenDatum wählenFr, 23.03.
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User-Event*: Jon Cohen
BeLaMi, Hamburg, Do, 23.02., 20:30 Uhr
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Event hinzugefügt von BeLaMi Bergedorf
Pop, Folk, Progressive, Psychedelic.
Über ein Jahrzehnt spielte Jon Cohen bei mehreren, in Kanada recht bekannten Bands, bevor er 2006 seine eigene Band gründete: "The Jon Cohen Experimental".
Zwei wunderschöne, handgemachte Alben waren das Ergebnis.
Das Album "Behold", ein gesellschaftskritischer Appell, erhielt in Kanada und den USA massive Aufmerksamkeit der Medien und kam in die kanadischen Charts.
Die Band trat in Radio-Shows auf, spielte auf großen Festivals und tourte den kompletten Kanadischen Osten 3 Mal in 4 Monaten.
Dann gab es logistische Probleme innerhalb der Band, wodurch sich Jon gezwungen sah, eine bereits gebuchte Mega-Tour durch Kanada und die USA alleine anzutreten. Mitten im nordamerikanischen Winter tourte er 3 Monate lang mit Bahn und Greyhound-Bus, gab Konzerte in 50 Städten und erfand sich selbst komplett neu: Als Solo-Musiker.
Sein neuer, epischer Sound ist bass-lastig mit ...
einer Fülle von beat getriebenen und provozierenden Melodien.
Kreatives Stückwerk, progressive Pop-Musik mit roher Präzision.
Einzigartige, moderne, alternative Musik.
So weit die Zitate der Medien.
Nun kommt die "one man band" Jon Cohen erstmalig nach Europa ... Jon Cohen überschreitet Grenzen - geographisch und musikalisch.
Seine Tour führt ihn durch Irland, Schottland, England, Frankreich, Belgien, Niederlande, Skandinavien und Deutschland. Hier zu Lande gibt er nur 6 Konzerte, das erste davon IMG BeLaMi.
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The Jon Cohen Experimental at Madame Claude
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The Jon Cohen Experimental at Madame Claude: I know what you're thinking - Mme Claude, bandname with...The Jon Cohen Experimental at Madame Claude: I know what you're thinking - Mme Claude, bandname with Experimental - it's another crazy experimental noise fest. Wrong! This one-man project actually plays pretty mellow and upbeat music that is pop yet alternative at the same time, maybe a bit Paul Simon in the late 70s meets Violent Femmes. Highly recommended!
Thursday
Des Ark and Sissters at Marie-Antoinette: Aimée Argote on tour with band and charming her audience left, right and centre. If you like a
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JCEX In Copemnhagen
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I just got this in the inbox; a personal mail from an artist on a self-funded tour needing some loca...I just got this in the inbox; a personal mail from an artist on a self-funded tour needing some local media support. I popped the tunes on and think I might have stumbled over my new favourite 1-man-band. Montreal based Jon Cohen is no stranger to good old fashioned solo touring. Knocking over 50 US and Canadian cities on the head in 1 tour after breaking from his original constellations of The Dears, and The Social Register back in 2006, Jon has hit the tarmac (and rail tracks) again and is currently bang in the middle of his UK and Euro tour. We’re lucky enough to his Jon Cohen Experimental swing by little old København on his travels where he’ll be performing big but solo at KB18 on Friday March 9th along side My French Friend. We’ll be there for sure. But for now, here’s a couple of tunes to get into.
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Geoff Berner meets The Jon Cohen Experimental Akkordeon-Klezmer-Punk trifft Indie-Pop
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Geoff Berner meets The Jon Cohen Experimental
Akkordeon-Klezmer-Punk trifft Indie-Pop
Manchmal ...Geoff Berner meets The Jon Cohen Experimental
Akkordeon-Klezmer-Punk trifft Indie-Pop
Manchmal passiert es einfach. Dann will es der Tourplan, dass sich zwei herausragende Künstler, die eigentlich getrennt von einander durch die Welt ziehen, sich bei ihrer Europatour ausgerechnet auf einer Trierer Bühne über den Weg laufen. Geoff Berner, dem "Whiskey-Rabbi", ist das schon häufiger unterlaufen: Bei seinem ersten Trierer Gastspiel traf er Micke from Sweden; im letzten Jahr im Brunnenhof bestritt er einen unvergesslichen Abend mit dem hervorragenden Mäkkelä – man kann es schon fast als gute Tradition bezeichnen, dass Berner hochinteressante Kooperationen eingeht, wenn er nach Trier kommt.
So auch diesmal, wenn er im Brunnenhof auf The John Cohen Experimental aus Montreal trifft. The JCE ist die Ein-Mann-Show des früheren Frontmanns von The Dears, Jon Cohen, der seit einiger Zeit ohne Begleitmusiker unterwegs ist. Bewaffnet mit Loop-Pedalen, Drumcomputern, LoFi-Keyboards und einer Bassgitarre tourte Cohen 2011 einmal quer durch Nordamerika – jetzt ist Europa an der Reihe, seinen basslastigen, episch-ätherischen Indie-Pop mit schrägen Videoprojektionen im Hintergrund zu erleben.
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Jon Cohen Experimental Performing Brain Pollution Live
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Jon Cohen Experimental - Brain Pollution video
www.ddtproductions.net Jon Cohen Experimental Perfor...Jon Cohen Experimental - Brain Pollution video
www.ddtproductions.net Jon Cohen Experimental Performing Brain Pollution Live @ the Duncan Garage Showroom
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Highlight Gigs in Berlin, March 2nd...
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The Jon Cohen Experimental At Intersoup Berlin Intersoup
Time: 8:00pm. Address: Schliemannstraße 3...The Jon Cohen Experimental At Intersoup Berlin Intersoup
Time: 8:00pm. Address: Schliemannstraße 31, 10437. Venue phone: 030 6570-2664. Translate from German: The Jon Cohen Experimentalhttp://thejcex.com/The Jon Cohen experimental is the brainchild of Montreal musician and songwriter Jon Cohen. Having been a key member of several and popular bands such as the Dears, the social register and many more, Jon formed his own group in the response spring of 2006 as a to over a decade of service to the prolific Montreal music scene.The results were two beautifully crafted albums their second of which, the apt-titled Behold what recorded by maverick producer Dave Draves ‘Julie Doiron, Jim Bryson, Kathleen Edwards’. The album was released in late 2010 to mass-critical appeal and features guest musicians like Angela Desveaux, Evan Cranley ‘ stars, BSS’, Liam Neil ‘Stills’ & Murray Lightburn ‘Dears’.Behold garnered massive press and media attention with over one hundred acclaimed articles, reviews and write ups printed in North America. It charted countrywide hitting top spots in some cities. The band which featured on radio shows like CBC’s the signal and played top music festivals like pop Montreal and Austin’s SXSW. Jon’s buzz band toured the east side of Canada three times in four months. After that, due to logistical constraints, Cohen what forced to continue on a mega three-month coast-to-coast tour across Canada and the United States alone.Jon met with adversity head on by completely reinventing himself and his sound as a solo artist. Arm
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hey you mister interview
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hey you mister interview
I work a weird schedule that comprises of mornings and evenings and a gap ...hey you mister interview
I work a weird schedule that comprises of mornings and evenings and a gap in the afternoon, which once, back in lazy student days, would have served nicely for naps, wrapped up in a Zara sale clear out of knits with elbow patches. Now, I at least pretend to spend my days more productively. So here's an interview I did with Jon Cohen (formally of The Doves and The Social Register, now a formidable one man band) for Gigs in Paris.
[ Interview: The Jon Cohen Experimental ]
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Ross Watson talks to Jon Cohen Experimental for GUM Mag
see pdf
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Jon Cohen Experimental Feature
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Jon Cohen, ex-guitarist with Canadian indie-rock outfit The Dears, is going it alone. His new solo...
Jon Cohen, ex-guitarist with Canadian indie-rock outfit The Dears, is going it alone. His new solo brand of psychedelic retro-folk is hardly recognisable from what the band's fans know.
Cohen performs Behold, his latest album, as a "one man band" while on tour; the enjoyment of the experience has expanded into an entire festival, Montreal's One Man Band Festival, the first of which is held in the Canadian city next month. Cohen says that many of the acts appearing have been a huge influence on his sound: from Bloodshot Bill to Wax Mannequin.
The two-day festival will also see the Jon Cohen Experimental itself play its home city, returning after a gruelling 15,000 kilometre tour across Europe - what Cohen describes as "one of the biggest highlights of my musical life" - performing Behold and tracks from the band's first and self-titled EP, released in 2007.
While Cohen plays alone - keyboards, vocals which call to mind Dave Gilmour, bass, electronic drums, lots of loops - when live, the recorded work pays tribute to his vast connections across the Canadian music scene: contributions come from Evan Cranley, one-time collaborator with Stars and Broken Social Scene, along with Liam O’Neil of The Stills. It also features The Dears's lead singer Murray Lightburn on guitar.
"It's an open invitation," he says. “However I dropped that whole notion of just trying to recreate it and said 'let’s just take these templates and create something totally new', and as soon as I took that approach, the world opened up,” he says. “It went from being a one man band to being a one man show.”
He's currently listening to Sean Savage, Andrew Bird and Dirty Beaches while preparing for the festival proper. “It’s positive, it’s indie, it’s pop," he says. "And it's delivered with the raw precision, instinct and boundless energy of self-love.”(@HughLangley)
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One-(Wo)Man-Band Festival takes the spotlight this weekend in London
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One-(Wo)Man-Band Festival takes the spotlight this weekend in London
By Amanda Grant
Metro London...One-(Wo)Man-Band Festival takes the spotlight this weekend in London
By Amanda Grant
Metro London
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Metro/Handout Jon Cohen Experimental performs Thursday night at APK Live as part of the One-(Wo)Man-Band Festival Tour.
When I heard about Montreal’s One-(Wo)Man-Band festival, scenes from Mary Poppins came to mind: Dick Van Dyke marching down a main street with a kick drum on his back and cymbals on his knees.
But in reality, many musicians touring today could be considered a one-man show. From DJs to singer songwriters, more artists are relying on themselves to create performances on par with four-piece bands.
“With a single person on stage, there is an element of vulnerability,” said Jon Cohen, founder of the one-(wo)man-band festival. “If you’re in a band you can hide behind other musicians, but alone all eyes are on you. It is incredible the output only one person can make.”
For Cohen, solo performers become one-man-bands when they approach music in a unique way. Whether incorporating technology such as loop stations and drum machines into a set or using traditional techniques like foot percussion, the one-man-band brings creativity and personality to the stage.
“When I started the festival I asked myself: How am I going to differentiate between a singer-songwriter and a one-man band?” Cohen said.
“It comes down to the quality of the music and quality of the artist. For example, Michael Blind is just a guy with a guitar, but the beauty of him is he can make his guitar sound like three instruments.”
Thursday night Cohen brings his own approach to solo performance to APK Live as Jon Cohen Experimental.
No stranger to live performance, Cohen was a member of The Dears.
“I played as a band for many years, releasing records and touring across the country,” Cohen said. “But it’s very difficult logistically and money-wise to tour.”
“So I reinvented my sound and was thrust into this world of touring. I was able to tour across North America, Europe, and Scandinavia because I was more independent.”
Cohen will be joined by fellow one-man-bands on Thursday: Jean-Paul De Roover, of Thunder Bay and London’s Farmer’s Market, a project by Woody Allen’s bassist Michael Middleton.
“You’re going to be completely surprised by the quality of the music,” said Cohen. “Expect to be very engaged.”
This show is part of APK Live’s Craft Thursday series. The concert is pay what you can, doors open at 7 p.m. for music trivia on the patio. First 20 to arrive to receive a Jon Cohen Experimental album.
Around town
• Polaris Prize short-lister and Edmonton rapper Cadence Weapon plays the Out Back Shack Friday at Fanshawe College. Joined by Grand Analog, tickets are $7 at the door, music starts at 9:30 p.m.
• If you’re on Western’s campus between classes, stop by the McIntosh Gallery to see Liza Eurich’s exhibition, The Work of It. The show is a mix of sculpture and drawings by Eurich, a Master of Fine Art student at the university. The gallery is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday.
News Worth Sharing:
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A New Kind of Troubadour: Jon Cohen’s Lonesome Road
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A New Kind of Troubadour: Jon Cohen’s Lonesome Road
Jon Cohen
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...A New Kind of Troubadour: Jon Cohen’s Lonesome Road
Jon Cohen
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A different kind of street art
The sweeping sounds of summer
FILM REVIEWS: John Carter and Friends with Kids
Rifflandia: Snowblink and The White Buffalo
Weekly Arts Listings - March 10-16
By Nick Lyons - Monday Magazine
Published: September 19, 2012 2:00 PM
Updated: September 19, 2012 2:45 PM
Many images are bound to arise when one drops the phrase, ‘one man band’. For me, it is a rather carnivalesque caricature of a beleaguered gentleman in a pork pie hat struggling to balance his focus between the kick-drum at his feet, the harmonica on his lip, the guitar on his waist and the Wurlitzer churning monkey at his side. But this vision, while amusing, also proves to be quite outdated. The past few years have seen the rise of artists such as Owen Pallett and Andrew Bird who have consistently dazzled listeners with the depth of their respective solitary sounds — and they’ve even managed to do it without a monkey.
Jon Cohen, who is set to stop in Victoria this week, is a penultimate example of this new-wave of solo performers. Those who were fortunate enough to catch Cohen last time he came through town will surely attest that Cohen’s live show is a sight and a sound to behold. Cohen pushes the limits of what a one-man band can do. As he jumps from instrument to instrument, looping rich textures and sonic layers into his densely woven songs, one cannot help but marvel at his ability to make multi-tasking look so effortless.
“I believe that the one-man band is the ultimate test of a person’s ingenuity and a triumph of musical ability,” Cohen says. “It challenges the notion that you need five or six people to make great music and gives one the freedom to make something completely new every night.”
Cohen’s passion for one-person performance has obviously energized him. After an extensive tour in Europe, in which he played 12 countries in two and a half months, he decided to organize Montreal’s first One Man Band Festival (Festival de Musique Solitaire) this summer. Featuring 23 artists in five venues, the festival was a massive success and promises to be even bigger next year. But Cohen couldn’t wait another year to check out other solo artists while honing his own sound. He was so excited by the spirit of the festival that he decided to take it on the road, playing a series of dates across Canada with the help of similar one-person outfits.
Victorians will have two chances to see Cohen this week as he will be playing The Fort Café on Thurs., Sept. 20 with local luminary Dylan Stone supporting, and Solstice on Fri., Sept. 21 with Vancouver treasure David Parsons starting things off. One would be remiss to miss this one-man extraordinaire at the height of his powers. M
