The Receiver

Artist Information

Biography

Hailing from Columbus, Ohio, The Receiver is a duo of brothers Casey and Jesse Cooper. By eliminating the more conventional instrumentation, their music vows to push the boundaries of the singer-songwriter realm. Sounds of The Receiver focus on rich organ-based melody lines, piercing synth overtones, and foot-stomping bass & drums.
The beginning stages of The Receiver were originally conceived from excerpts of a senior year electronic composition project, “From the Corner of a Room” completed by Casey at The Ohio State University School of Music in 2004. The reception of the piece gained an overwhelming amount of praise, inspiring him to forge ahead and expand on the initial ideas of the project. Over the course of a year, Casey fine tuned numerous ideas and joined forces with his older brother, Jesse to complete the sound image. Together the Cooper brothers deliver elegant song-crafting, lush harmonies, and glittering soundscapes. Together they are The Receiver.

Instrumentation

Casey Cooper - lead vocals, bass guitar, keyboards, programming.

Jesse Cooper - drums, percussion, background vocals.

Sean Gardner - guitars, percussion.

Discography

Sophomore album, "Length of Arms" due out 8/11/09 on Vital Music Records.

"Length of Arms" in Top 25 Albums on WOXY.com - 8/09.

The Debut album of The Receiver, "Decades" was released nationally on October 3, 2006 under Stunning Models on Display Records.

-In Tunnels No. 1 this week on Discover Radio in Dallas! Our first single, "In Tunnels" debuted at #1 on Discover Radio out of Dallas, TX. (week of 9/18/06)

-Charted #1 for the month of October on WSBU 88.3.

-#6 album of 2006 at WSBU 88.3 (St. Bonaventure U.)

-Charted #2 at M3 Radio (NY, NY)

- "In Tunnels" added to KCRW (Los Angeles, CA) playlist for the months of Oct/Nov 2006.

-The Receiver, Decades charts #3 at WGMU (George Mason University, Fairfax, VA).

Links

• Facebook
• Last.fm
• MySpace
• Twitter

Audio

• Visitor
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• Skin and Bone
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• Length of Arms
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• In Tunnels
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• Goliath
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Lyrics

• Visitor
• Skin and Bone
• In Tunnels
• Goliath
• One In
• Length of Arms

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• Paste Magazine Reviews "Length of Arms" [+ Show ]
  

  The influence of Radiohead is incalculable, and every week I encounter at least one new release tha...The influence of Radiohead is incalculable, and every week I encounter at least one new release that is deeply indebted to Thom Yorke and company. So let's get it out of the way up front. Columbus, Ohio duo The Receiver -- brothers Casey and Jesse Cooper -- have clearly been influenced by Radiohead. Casey's breathy vocals are a dead ringer for Yorke's, and the layered keyboards/synths and skittery rhythms bear the unmistakable imprint of a couple guys who have spent a lot of time listening to Kid A.
  A problem? Not really, particularly when that somewhat derivative music is presented this winsomely. The Receiver's 2006 debut Decades revealed a band in love with heady if sometimes insular chamber rock. Musical and lyrical motifs reappeared from song to song, and if the lack of narrative structure suggested that "concept album" was too strong a term, it was still clear that the brothers Cooper were up to something a little more thoughtful and substantive than the usual three-minute mopery. It was an impressive start. The followup, the recently released Length of Arms, is better in every way, and reveals not only the expected Radiohead influences, but a beefed-up synth attack and, God help me, a love of hoary '70s prog rock that only contemporary bands like Arcade Fire and The Decemberists can pull off well. Add The Receiver to that rarefied list.
  
  Like its predecessor, Strength in Numbers is best appreciated in its entirety. That's not to say that individual songs don't stand out. They do. First single "Visitor" features the kind of propulsive dream pop that Blonde Redhead has mastered, and closer "Amazing Thing" recalls some of the more wistful, melancholy, late-summer-turning-to-autumn sounds of Surf's Up-era Beach Boys. If it's not exactly sunny music, it's at least only partly cloudy. But several short instrumental passages ("Hide," "Shimmer," "Dislocation") connect the more substantial songs, and the ever-shifting melodies suggest a musical zeitgeist that used to result, back in the day, in album titles such as Tales from Topographic Oceans and song titles such as "The Revealing Science of God -- Dance of the Dawn."
  
  It's not as dire as it sounds, and there's no need to break out the capes. Yes, the intro to "Little Monster" reveals the classical-music-on-steroids approach that bands like Emerson, Lake, and Palmer and Yes worked, and frequently overworked, to distraction, and "Dislocation" features a mighty pipe organ solo that would have fit in perfectly on The Arcade Fire's "Intervention." But there is a distinct, organic warmth to these tracks, and a focus on song as song, two traits that could never be pinned on the ancient musical wizards. That warmth is most evident in Jesse's insistent drumming (listen to him slam on "Skin and Bone"), and in Casey's introspective, confessional lyrics and surprisingly soulful, soaring vocals. If Thom Yorke is an Ice Prince, then Casey Cooper is the ruler of a realm where spring is just around the corner.
  
  In short, this is a very, very fine album. Call it Kid B if you must. I like to think of it as Hail to the Thieves . They've borrowed the best from the best, and made something entirely their own.

• Stereo Subversion Reviews "Length of Arms" [+ Show ]
  

  A musical venture that uses splashes of Sigur Ros, Radiohead and Elliot Smith while also creating an...A musical venture that uses splashes of Sigur Ros, Radiohead and Elliot Smith while also creating an original sound deserves high marks. The Receiver, comprised of two brothers – Casey and Jesse Cooper – have created a masterful sleeper hit, Length of Arms. Their latest work is one of the most textured, trippy and spacious albums of the year so far, brimming with genius instrumentation and ethereal melodies.
  
  The comparison of The Receiver to Radiohead is a fair one, but the Cooper brothers have created something original, far from familiar musical shores. If anything, the bands latest bears more of a resemblance to the sounds of Mute Math and Blonde Redhead. Their last album, Decades, mirrored more of Elliot Smith and The Beatles, evoking a dreary and tame aura. Length of Arms is more adventurous and experiments with varying textures and more musical elements.
  
  Electric pianos, synthesizers and pads played by an orchestra of aliens cover the album in blankets of hypnotic sound. Casey Cooper, a very talented multi-instrumentalist, plays most of the instruments and handles vocal duties on the disc. Jesse is equally talented, frequently surpassing basic percussion with his intricate beats. Casey keeps the songs melodically intriguing by guiding his voice through a variety of unanticipated pitches that seem to perfectly augment his dark lyrical sentiments. His vocal style is never stagnant, and hits three or four notes strike a single phrase a rock skipping across a lake. Jesse’s percussion and drums are never overbearing and add just the right amount of flair and variation to keep the tempo and add dynamic interest.
  
  “Visitor” is a superb track, maybe one of the year’s best, with wavering keyboard parts intertwined with buzzy tones and delicate vocals. The track plays heavily with a variety of instrumental layers offering many sonic morsels. Marimbas even make an appearance during a break in the driving electronic sounds. The note choices are equally superb and interesting and never rely on a straight key but instead play with dissonant pitches and unusual, but fitting, note choices.
  
  The album is accessible, but also will spark interest with the musically experienced thanks to its beautifully constructed songs that speak volumes about the talent oozing from the brothers Cooper. The album constantly toys with odd time signatures and varying tempos, keeping the compositions elementary enough to understand without a music degree, but variable enough to depart from the expected.
  
  The album as a whole is magnificent, making true the old adage, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The Cooper’s certainly have epic moments on the album – “Keep the Desert,” “Visitor,” “Castles in the Air,” “Skin and Bone” and “Amazing Thing” being just a few of the record’s best that fit well in the mix of songs, but those tracks also have enough weight to stand on their own. Even the shorter tunes mesh between the longer songs creating an album that flows effortlessly from start to finish, making a 12 track journey that’s an enjoyable listen from start to finish with no hiccups in between.
  
  The Receiver’s newest release is a record that is the prized pupil in a classroom full of musical clowns. Length of Arms is a superb album from a duo who have meandered into the musical world with their innovative and unique moody style. The absence of guitars on the album is welcoming, allowing for the band to develop a distinctive sound of their own. Their biggest issue may be how their songs will translate live, but there should be little concern for the strength of the record. One listen, and the album should have no problem working its way into the hearts of listeners.

• AMG Review [+ Show ]
  

  Decades began, oddly enough, as Casey Cooper's senior thesis, which may be an off-putting prospect s...Decades began, oddly enough, as Casey Cooper's senior thesis, which may be an off-putting prospect smacking of an esoteric and intellectual musical approach that will send the general public running for cover. But far from it -- Cooper's project was intended to reflect the complexity of human emotion in all its wonder and nuances. Still, that doesn't particularly illuminate the wonderful atmospheres and iridescent dreamy quality of his resulting band and their debut album. The Receiver is multi-instrumentalist Casey Cooper and his equally talented brother, drummer Jesse, bolstered for this album by Pastor Anthony Rogers' strings and Lindsay Ciulla's French horn. Decades itself is a glimmering album, its many charms gauged to engage both musical masters and the masses alike. A number of the musical themes and progressions are returned to across the set, but each time in a different mode, some subtly changed, others more radically altered in tempo, arrangement and key. The trained musician will inevitably find these variations scintillating and inspired, but in the grander scheme, especially with the careful sequencing, it creates a sublime whole comprised of musical currents that continually ebb and flow. It also enhances the wonderfully organic feel of the album, and a sense of drifting languorously on a sea of sound, further enhanced by Cooper's almost breathy vocals, sweet and understated, but laden with emotion. Unlike most albums, Decades is best experienced as a whole rather than in its constituent parts. Heard in pieces, the set loses its magnificent flow, the subtle shifts in atmospheres, the overarching crescendos of the album's dynamics, and the internal cohesion of the musical themes. Still, some of the more willful and aggressive numbers like "Afternoon," "In Tunnels," and "Goliath" stand firmly on their own, as does the lovely, harmonic "Sober Hands." All told, Decades is a gorgeous album, filled with a richness of sound and moods, with a glowing ambience that must be heard to be believed.

• The Receiver "Decades" - Amazing, ethereal, inspiring experiments in sound. [+ Show ]
  

  Decades is amazing. It's as simple as that. Truth is, you need to hear it: to turn all the lights of...Decades is amazing. It's as simple as that. Truth is, you need to hear it: to turn all the lights off, lay in the dark, and listen to it while you contemplate the day's events and just... breathe. Not since I first heard Sigur Rós have I been so entranced by a band’s ability to captivate and surround the listener with sound. This is an incredibly pertinent quality that, honestly, can only come from people with a background similar to those of the two gentlemen who created this disc.
  
  Both classically trained in piano, Jesse and Casey Cooper crafted this release with the "attempt to create a musical atmosphere in which I'd be comfortable” in hopes that listeners will be, too. That statement is completely true. You can’t deny tracks like "Prodigal" and "Goliath": songs that churn incredible melodies into your head, unwrapping new feelings each time you hear it, giving the album unparalleled replay value. I have to say I was especially enamored with "In Tunnels.” Using the previous song as a segue effortlessly, it launches into a rock-out beat that builds into the most creative keyboard solo I have heard since listening to my Dad's records of classic Yes and live Genesis circa 1974.
  
  Decades is constantly impressive and epic, carrying influences like Air, Sigur Rós, and reminders of the previously mentioned classic rock outfits. Truly, this disc is a transcendent piece of music. I don’t want to keep mentioning influences though, because I feel that their musical diet doesn’t play a justifiably large amount in what The Receiver do. This is an album made by musicians who not only know that they’re breaking new ground, they level it with each step till the crushing finale of "Moments on Fire," a heady mix of coursing bass and keys that pushes this incredible album to finish.
  
  I want to go on and on, but the proof is there if you listen. But heed what I say: you must hear it alone and in your most comfortable, quiet state. Just LISTEN and you will see. One of the best releases of 2006 and a giant break from the monotony that all too often encompasses the tired indie scene.

• TheTripwire.com review of Decades [+ Show ]
  

  Brothers Casey and Jesse Cooper are The Receiver, a Columbus, OH-based band you should familiarize y...Brothers Casey and Jesse Cooper are The Receiver, a Columbus, OH-based band you should familiarize yourself with ASAP. The framework of their debut album, Decades, actually began as Casey's senior year thesis composition at the Ohio State University School Of Music. The project, called From The Corner Of A Room, was greeted with so much praise that Casey decided to recruit his big brother Jesse to help round out the edges and realize the full potential of the ethereal, electronic compositions.
  
  Normally when I hear something like "music school thesis" I think, "BOR....ING." But Decades is no geeked out, uber complex, experimental concept record created for Professor "I know more about music than you" O'hara. Instead, it's an easily accessible, neatly arranged package of songs with intelligent lyrics wrapped around beautiful sonic landscapes. Clocking in at under an hour, the album runs the gamut of emotions and tempos, but the thick, textured musical layers remain constant throughout. Well produced and well executed, this exceptional debut will be a hit with fans of Sigur Ros, Air, Radiohead and likeminded contemporaries like KUNEK.
  
  The band has a steady stream of tour dates lined up through the middle of NOV, so be sure to check their MySpace page to see if they're coming to your town.

• Amplifier Magazine review of Decades [+ Show ]
  

  Decades from The Receiver may be the first release to owe its origins to a senior thesis. Casey Coop...Decades from The Receiver may be the first release to owe its origins to a senior thesis. Casey Cooper, half of The Receiver, created a vocal and keyboard composition intended to reflect the complexities of human emotion and, presumably after graduation, added his brother Jesse and a few more instruments to round out the project. Decades features intricate keyboard arrangements, coupled with lush and fluid vocals. Songs like “Afternoon” and “One In” are soft and comfortable, with gentle crescendos and emotional undertones. Perhaps the only limitation of Decades is that after 12 songs in a similar vein, one wonders if The Receiver might be a one trick pony. But for what they have to offer, Decades is a masterful outing.

• Razing the Bar review of Decades [+ Show ]
  

  So a new one showed up earlier this week -- Decades, by Columbus, Ohio's The Receiver. And it very q...So a new one showed up earlier this week -- Decades, by Columbus, Ohio's The Receiver. And it very quickly set itself apart from the morose, scowling pack. The Receiver are two brothers, Casey and Jesse Cooper. Jesse plays drums; Casey plays almost everything else, which includes synths, organ, piano, and bass. One Pastor Anthony Rogers plays cello.
  
  So why should you care? For several reasons. First, Casey is a fine composer. And "composer" really is the operative word here. Decades is an album that needs to be heard as a whole, if only to hear the way Casey weaves his motifs in and out through the various songs. He's adept at the kind of symphonic post-rock synthesis that bands such as Godspeed You, Black Emperor and Sigur Ros work to perfection. Second, Jesse's drums, which are very much the product of a human being and not a machine, offer some much needed warmth and humanity to these lovely but icy soundscapes. Finally, Casey does a very credible Thom Yorke imitation -- a little more breathy than our Alienated Hero, but full of quiet passion and intensity.
  
  The song lyrics are fuzzy odes to fading memories and disconsolate loss. They could be about God, a girlfriend, or a pet guppy. No matter. The Receiver's debut album is both challenging and lovely, and I can't wait to see what icy terrain they travel next.

• SCTAS.com review of Decades [+ Show ]
  

  Exquisite. Multi-faceted. Pristine. Dazzling. No - I'm not trying to sell you a luxury automobile no...Exquisite. Multi-faceted. Pristine. Dazzling. No - I'm not trying to sell you a luxury automobile nor describe a diamond set in platinum. What I am translating are the dozen compositions nested within Decades, courtesy of a brotherly duo [Casey & Jesse Cooper] from Columbus, Ohio by the name of The Receiver.
  
  On paper, after hearing what each of these 2 young men bring to the album in parts, one would likely place the odds in favor of the combination not fleshing out on the same recording. As Casey handles the main duties with lyrics, bass and a mix of classically influenced keys, Jesse creates his own timing on drums. Casey's lyrics hover right between a hush and a secret, never getting above the risky level of your next door neighbor intercepting the message. Taking "In Tunnels" as the shining example, atop a quite generous stomp of percussion and crashing ride, Casey blends a spectacular pattern on Rhodes with this opening message: "The feeling has found me. Well it seemed so long ago. I'm glad it remembered me. I knew I'd never forget, the way that it moved me - to a space that's torn between distraction and clarity. Well it's clear that it has me again".
  
  Few bands are creating music this passionate and rich in depth - the only other American band that comes close to the mind is NYC's Homesick for Space. Decades is truly a work of art that instantly absorbs and makes itself known. Superior.

• Duo Full of Surprises [+ Show ]
  

  While the White Stripes only claim to be a sibling rock duo, Columbus's The Receiver is the real dea...While the White Stripes only claim to be a sibling rock duo, Columbus's The Receiver is the real deal.
  The bare-bones band consists of brothers Casey and Jesse Cooper. Casey handles vocals, bass and all manner of keyboard, while Jesse holds it steady behind the drums.
  Although many bands attribute their origins to dirty bars or help-wanted ads, the Receiver's roots can be traced to a music project Casey completed while studying at Ohio State in 2004. With older brother Jesse joining the fold, the band became a functioning outfit able to play live and record its debut effort, Decades.
  Regardless of the scant lineup, the Receiver has more in common witht ethereal, orchestral musings of Sigur Ros than the two-piece garage racket of the White Stripes or Deadboy & the Elephantmen.
  On "Sober Hands," Casey's vocals are as soft-spoken and airy as the music that surrounds them. Words like "lush," "haunting" and "soundscape" are sure to follow this band around, as spiraling piano lines carve metronome-esque paths through the wispy electronic layers of the song.
  Much of the album plays out in this same complex fashion, as vast layers of keys, organs and synths build the band's indie-rock universe. Prog-rock references bubble just beneath the surface, while the band nods to modern acts like the Postal Service.
  Nearly a ringer for Elliott Smith, Casey's voice never rises above a hushed breath. Remarkably, that doesn't prevent the band from evoking a variety of emotions and degrees of intensity.
  Propelled by Jesse's relatively booming drums, "In Tunnels" hints at Radiohead-esque claustrophobia, but with a much less melodramatic delivery.
  Late in the album, "Afternoon" kicks up the pace, but even at top speed, the Receiver barely rises above a sleepy sway.
  "Corner (Pt. 1)" strings together bits of Pink Floyd, Queen, Radiohead and seemingly backward organ lines to eerie effect. Although subtle musical references points float around the mix like ghosts, the Receiver's sound remains unique.
  Certainly cinematic in scale, the band's expansive music may be more suitable for somber art-house soundtracks and late-night conversations than noisy campus bars.
  Then again, this duo is full of surprises.
  
  -Karen E. Graves

• PopMatters.com review of Decades [+ Show ]
  

  Brothers Casey and Jesse Cooper are capable illusionists. They want you to believe in the majesty of...Brothers Casey and Jesse Cooper are capable illusionists. They want you to believe in the majesty of Decades, the debut album from their band, the Receiver. Their brand of indie chamber pop is airy, almost shapeless at times. Casey’s breathy tenor, not unlike David Gilmour’s, closely follows his melodies, floating along as an understated element in a baroque mix that includes his bass and keyboards, Jesse’s drumming, French horn from Lindsay Ciulla, and the many strings of Anthony Rogers. Fortunately, the music is quite pretty, an artful post-rock with a throwback indebtedness to the Alan Parsons Project....Columbus, Ohio’s the Receiver deal primarily in broad, impressionistic sweeps, anyway. If you need delineations, hard angles, straightforward declarations, then this album isn’t made for you. But, if you can let go and float along with the Cooper brothers, their Decades is a lovely little escape.

Setlist

- Typical Set List

Keep the Desert
Goliath
In Tunnels
Visitor
Little Monster
Length of Arms
Castles in the Air
Prodigal
Skin and Bone

Set times can be anywhere from 30 minutes to 90 minutes depending on the slot given.

- Song List

Keep the Desert
Visitor
Little Monster
Shimmer
Intervals
Hide
Castles in the Air
Length of Arms
Strength in Numbers
Dislocation
Skin and Bone
Amazing Thing
Sober Hands
Relapse
In Tunnels
Corner (Parts I and II)
Prodigal
One In
Goliath
Afternoon
Waves
Moments of Fire
Decades
With You in Quiet Space

Basic Requirements

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