Music
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Performance and release party scheduled for 8 p.m. Friday at the Waterhole in Saranac Lake
By LOU REUTER, Enterprise Staff Writer
POSTED: July 9, 2008
SARANAC LAKE - The band Cloning Cooper will be celebrating the release of its self-titled CD on Friday with a show at the Waterhole in Saranac Lake.
Cloning Cooper, a quartet of area musicians who have been together for the past five years, has appeared at numerous venues around the region as well as the east coast. Over that time period, Cloning Cooper has made its mark by rocking out cover songs written by their favorite musicians, but come Friday, they will be highlighting original material, including the 11 songs on the new Cloning Cooper release.
Josh Clement, Rob Stout, and brothers Walt and Brian Lewis are not only band members in Cloning Cooper, they are close friends. And for these guys, getting together to play their own music is a reward in itself.
"We just love to play music," said Clement, who joins Stout on guitars and vocals for Cloning Cooper. "We've covered a lot of songs, but a while back, we turned our sights on doing original compositions. We are very proud of what we've been able to accomplish. I'm proud of the guys in the band and everyone who has helped with this project."
Clement said Cloning Cooper's first gig was on July 4, 2003 at the old Back Door in Saranac Lake. On Friday, the band will again be playing in front of family, friends and fans at the Waterhole at a show expected to begin at about 8 p.m.
While Clement and Stout will be taking care of the guitars and vocals, the Lewis brothers are Cloning Cooper's rhythm section, with Walt on bass and Brian on drums.
Clement said that Walt and Brian are especially thrilled to have an opportunity to be playing the band's original music on a stage where they feel right at home.
"We've stuck together for five years, and we're still going strong," Clement said. "Years ago, the Lewis brothers probably didn't even dream of playing out with a band, let alone recording their own CD. Everywhere we go, we get great feedback. We are all excited about Friday."
The band began recording Cloning Cooper last October at Rockbottom Studios in West Chazy under the guidance of producer and engineer Dave Blinn.
"We are amazed at how smoothly the recording process went," Clement said. "We recorded, mixed and mastered the whole thing right at Rockbottom Studios."
In addition to the four members of Cloning Cooper rocking out the 11 songs on the band's new CD, musicians Bruce Arnold and Steve Hardy also made guest appearances on the release.
Clement said 1,000 CDs were produced. It will be on sale Friday at the Waterhole.
- Adirondack Daily Enterprise
Cloning Cooper's first CD is a must-have, especially if you're an Adirondacker and particularly if you're a Saranac Laker. It's hard to pick a personal favorite because every track on it is great. Not only is the music and editing outstanding but there is a lot of thought behind the lyrics. I was impressed by the sound and message behind "SAGITTARIUS", a tribute to the average guy, "BIDING MY TIME", a statement about the local political situation and "THE INNER CRITIC". (The lead-in is an actual scanner sound bite of a notorious SLPD incident.) The track "PAMPLONA" has a distinct Spanish accent and it's fitting that the release of the album coincides with the eight days of the "Running of the Bulls" in Pamplona, Spain. This daredevil event was popularized by Hemingway in "The Sun Also Rises". "We each run our own personal "PAMPLONA" every day of our lives", says Josh. "We try to keep one step ahead of the bulls of financial failure, health worries, family concerns and then there's that secret bull we keep hidden deep inside." "That's the one that will get you." says Rob. "Ole!" shouts Walt and Brian in unison. The offbeat final track, "I DON'T GET DRUNK ANYMORE", is guaranteed to leave you laughing. If you didn't make it to town for the CD release show at THE WATERHOLE on July 11th you can get the CD at cloningcooper.com or Ampersound in Saranac Lake.
THANKS FOR THE KIND WORDS, BUNKER! EVERYONE SHOULD CHECK OUT HIS SITE: http://www.bunksplace.com/. THE MOST ENTERTAINING AND INFORMATIVE SARANAC LAKE SITE BY FAR!!
- http://www.bunksplace.com/
The Battle of the Bands was a competition to open for Molly Hatchet that started July 2 with six bands competing for the grand prize. As of Thursday, only three remained: the Josh Cramoy Band, Bittersweet and Cloning Cooper.
All three played at the Thursday’s Community Block Party, which shut down Main Street and Broadway in Saranac Lake for most of the day. In the end, it was Cloning Cooper that received the highest point total, which was based on a system that included crowd interaction and response, guitars, vocals and drums.
- Adirondack Daily Enterprise
Area band Cloning Cooper rocks the Rusty Nail Saturday evening during a benefit to assist victims of hurricane Katrina. The band made a total of six stops at establisments in Tupper Lake, Lake Placid and Saranac Lake in a marathon effort to raise donations. - Adirondack Daily Enterprise
Cloning Cooper opens for Melvin Seals & JGB. Cloning Cooper, The Door's house band, are what a hometown band should be - fun. Not only are they a good tight rock band, but they're obviously a bunch of good-time guys who're having at least as much fun as the audience. - Adirondack Daily Enterprise
Discography
Debut self-titled CD released on July 11th, 2008.
"SEE" Plays on Rock 105
Photos
Bio
Cloning Cooper – A Short Biography
Cloning Cooper, based out of Saranac Lake, NY, came together in February of 2003 and played its first official live show on July 4th of that same year. The group has ties back to 1999 when Rob Stout (vocals and guitars) and Josh Clement (guitars and vocals) formed the acoustic duo “Who Shot JR” and later “The Hardy Gardy Band” with friend and drinking partner Steve Hardy. Those operations winded down in 2002 when Rob moved to Albany, NY to pursue his education in medicine (he now dubs as the band physician!) With Rob out of the loop Josh and Brothers Brian (drums) and Walt Lewis (bass) hooked up for the next musical endeavor. Together with John Mark Ramsey and Jackie Kilmer “The Church of Groove” was formed. Although short-lived, there was an obvious chemistry between Josh and the Lewis Brothers and the seeds were planted for “Cloning Cooper.” But who’s going to sing? Enter Rob. Back in the North Country after learning how to save lives (you have to admire this guy), all the pieces to the puzzle were in place. The band began practicing at Josh’s popular bar and live music venue, The Door/Studio 76. Yes, Josh owned and operated his very own drinking establishment for 6 years. Not much money was made but the band often drank for free. Is that a good thing? Anyway, the band honed its craft by putting its own twist on covers from some of their favorite bands. The process became known as “Cooperizing”, where the term “note for note” was usually ignored at all costs. The band sought to honor its heroes by breathing new life into their songs, often choosing to cover B-sides as a way to reintroduce forgotten music. After developing an entertaining collection of tunes, the time was right for the band to unleash its live show on the public. But what about the name? Now this is the million dollar question! All that can really be said is only Walt knows the true answer. However, it’s thought that “Cloning Cooper” came about during afternoon drinks at the legendary bar and music venue, The Waterhole #3 in Saranac Lake, NY. Although there is certainly more to the story Josh points out, “If you Google “Cloning Cooper”, we come up!” A worthy name, indeed! So that’s Cloning Cooper. The band has been playing entertaining, high energy live shows around northern New York for the last 5 years. Some highlights are their opening act spots for Melvin Seals & JGB, Molly Hatchet, & April Wine. They also won the Northern New York Budweiser Battle of the Bands in 2006. Following that success the band was asked to headline a 6-band festival on July 4th, 2007 in West Mountain, NY. In 2005 Cloning Cooper set out to write original material for its first CD. The music is an eclectic mix that can only be described as “Diverse Rock and Roll with Attitude!” Each member has contributed to the project by adding their own personal flare and style to the tunes. The band, along with producer and engineer Dave Blinn at Rockbottom Studio’s, set out to make a rock record with something for everyone. Cloning Cooper is extremely proud to be releasing its self titled debut CD on July 11th, 2008. The music is meant to be heard and the band encourages everyone to share it with their friends or anyone they think is willing to give it an honest listen. Hopefully you too will see something in this hard working band with a load of heart and spread the word about their brand. Cloning Cooper is unsigned but they’re ready to go! It’s all about dreams, the right place, the right time, and the right people! Check them out for yourselves. You won’t be disappointed! On the web at: www.myspace.com/cloningcooper or www.cloningcooper.com. You can also contact by e-mail: inclement_weather@msn.com (Josh) or steel_wallflower@yahoo.com (Rob). Thanks for taking the time to read about Cloning Cooper and listen to their music. Rock and Roll forever! Peace!!
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