Cockatoo
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Cockatoo

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada | SELF

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada | SELF
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"Basement Tapes ep Review"

Cockatoo are featured in the Cherry Red Records UK book by British music journalist Mick Mercer entititled "Music to Die For"
Robyn Bright’s warm, darkly-soaring voice manages to be both ethereal and fierce; this atmoshere is further enhanced by her London Burns twelve string guitar. Rod Wolfe provides a powerful force within the trio with his lyrical and pulsing bass. The drums and percussion ground the tautly lush edge of Cockatoo’s sound with strong, vibrant rhythym. Notable shows to date have included opening for The Romantics, Brian Jonestown Massacre, and The Raveonettes. “Here is a band which encapsulates everything cool about the postpunk frisson returning among us, where three people shoehorn their own individual traits into a sound that is richly melodic and yet powered by energy. -Mick Mercer, UK Music Journalist - The Mick Uk Music Journal


"# 15 in earshot charts"


Top 30 charts:!earshot | CAPRCFBXCFMHCFMUCFOUCFRCCFRUCFURCFUVCFXUCHRWCHRYCHUOCHYZCILUCITRCJAMCJLOCJLYCJSRCJSWCJUMCKDUCKLUCKUTCKXU



TW

LW

Artist

Title

Label



1

1

Black Mountain

In The Future

Jagjaguwar



2

26

The Whitsundays

The Whitsundays

Friendly Fire



3

27

Secret Fires

I Only Want What I Can't See

Self-Released



4

10

Cat Power

Jukebox

Matador



5

--

Clock Hands Strangle

Redshift/Blueshift

Team Grizzly



6

--

The Helio Sequence

Keep Your Eyes Ahead

Sub Pop



7

--

The Magnetic Fields

Distortion

Nonesuch



8

--

Chris Joss

Teraphonic Overdubs

ESL/Eighteenth Street Lounge



9

--

Hills Like White Elephants

Himalaya

Champion City



10

--

Various

Latin Reggae

Putumayo



11

5

Colleen Brown

Foot In Heart

Self-Released



12

4

40 Thieves

Omens

Paperbird



13

9

The Constantines

Kensington Heights

Arts & Crafts



14

8

Times New Viking

Rip It Off

Matador



15

15

Cockatoo

The Basement Tapes

Self-Released



16

17

Mongrels

Oshawa

Weird Beard



17

--

Devastations, The

Yes, U

Beggars Banquet



18

2

Jane Vain And The Dark Matter

Love Is Where The Smoke Is

Rectangle



19

--

Hayden

In Field & Town

Hardwood



20

--

Richard Dean Young & The Tin Cup

Threshold

Copperspine



21

re

Luke Doucet And The White Falcon

Blood's Too Rich

Six Shooter



22

re

Bonnie 'Prince' Billy

Ask Forgiveness

Drag City



23

--

Beasts And Superbeasts

Beasts And Superbeasts

Self-Released



24

11

Katie Stelmanis

Join Us

Blocks Recording Club



25

--

Lazersnake

Oceanic

Self-Released



26

12

Rings

Black Habit

Paw Tracks



27

29

Corb Lund

Horse Soldier! Horse Soldier!

Stony Plain



28

--

Hinterland

Pan Pan Medico

Submerged



29

13

Jason Collett

Here's To Being Here

Arts & Crafts



30

--

Ray Bonneville

Goin' By Feel

Red House
- exclaim


"# 15 in earshot charts"


Top 30 charts:!earshot | CAPRCFBXCFMHCFMUCFOUCFRCCFRUCFURCFUVCFXUCHRWCHRYCHUOCHYZCILUCITRCJAMCJLOCJLYCJSRCJSWCJUMCKDUCKLUCKUTCKXU



TW

LW

Artist

Title

Label



1

1

Black Mountain

In The Future

Jagjaguwar



2

26

The Whitsundays

The Whitsundays

Friendly Fire



3

27

Secret Fires

I Only Want What I Can't See

Self-Released



4

10

Cat Power

Jukebox

Matador



5

--

Clock Hands Strangle

Redshift/Blueshift

Team Grizzly



6

--

The Helio Sequence

Keep Your Eyes Ahead

Sub Pop



7

--

The Magnetic Fields

Distortion

Nonesuch



8

--

Chris Joss

Teraphonic Overdubs

ESL/Eighteenth Street Lounge



9

--

Hills Like White Elephants

Himalaya

Champion City



10

--

Various

Latin Reggae

Putumayo



11

5

Colleen Brown

Foot In Heart

Self-Released



12

4

40 Thieves

Omens

Paperbird



13

9

The Constantines

Kensington Heights

Arts & Crafts



14

8

Times New Viking

Rip It Off

Matador



15

15

Cockatoo

The Basement Tapes

Self-Released



16

17

Mongrels

Oshawa

Weird Beard



17

--

Devastations, The

Yes, U

Beggars Banquet



18

2

Jane Vain And The Dark Matter

Love Is Where The Smoke Is

Rectangle



19

--

Hayden

In Field & Town

Hardwood



20

--

Richard Dean Young & The Tin Cup

Threshold

Copperspine



21

re

Luke Doucet And The White Falcon

Blood's Too Rich

Six Shooter



22

re

Bonnie 'Prince' Billy

Ask Forgiveness

Drag City



23

--

Beasts And Superbeasts

Beasts And Superbeasts

Self-Released



24

11

Katie Stelmanis

Join Us

Blocks Recording Club



25

--

Lazersnake

Oceanic

Self-Released



26

12

Rings

Black Habit

Paw Tracks



27

29

Corb Lund

Horse Soldier! Horse Soldier!

Stony Plain



28

--

Hinterland

Pan Pan Medico

Submerged



29

13

Jason Collett

Here's To Being Here

Arts & Crafts



30

--

Ray Bonneville

Goin' By Feel

Red House
- exclaim


"Cockatoo-The Basement Tapes e.p."

As inviting as a swimming pool on a hot day, Cockatoo make fluid dreampop that shifts and shimmers like water in sunshine. This release, with its rather baffling sleeve artwork (statuary, dripping blood, obsolescent audio kit, and a title filched off Bob Dylan - not much shimmering or sunshine there) is a five-song calling card intended to warm things up for a forthcoming album. The songs are nudged along with insistent grace by the spike and chime of Robyn Bright's twelve-string guitar, her vocals swirling with the music like she's swimming with dolphins. But it's not all ambience and atmosphere: everything is underpinned by a rhythm that always makes its presence felt, without ever fighting against the flow. Indeed, on 'Otto's Song' the bass shadows the tune like a big brother, putting a beefy rumble behind the clang and coruscation of the guitar as the vocal surges ever onwards. This use of rhythm gives Cockatoo's music a deceptively fierce heart, even as it smiles sweetly at the listener through the dust dancing in shafts of sunlight. 'White Picket Fence' is built on an urgent yet relaxed clatter of drums, and a vocal that builds and roils on waves of guitar, the production always giving the music space to billow and surge. Yes, it's dreampop, but it's not afraid to tweak the curtains and let the nightmares look in. Cockatoo's inviting, shimmering swimming pool is deeper than it looks.

- http://www.nemesis.to/arch5.htm


"Review of Cockatoo's The Basement Tapes e.p."

This is a little bit of a departure for me. I am not posting a scarce single, album or demo. But I do have an EP in my CD player by a fairly new Canadian band; Cockatoo. The sound is very 1980's, which is not surprising considering singer/guitarist Robyn Bright's love of the era. The songs bear resemblances to so many influences it is hard to nail down anyone to compare to. At times I hear an early Elizabeth Fraser wailing, and in passing I may imagine a Kukl era Bjork, without the accent; but Robyn does not sound like either singer. The trio is complete with Rod Wolfe-bass, and Leo Gonzalez-Drums. Alan Levesque, who played drums (August 2005-Sept 2007) has mixed this release.














Had I been playing this music on the radio years ago, a set would perhaps have included This Ascension, Autumn, Opium Den, The Cure, Ana Hausen... but would have had a rather limitless pool of similar sounds to mix with it. It could have been one of the more upbeat releases on the 4AD label. I hope you will listen and like it. Support the band--buy the demo on CD. For me, listening to the disc is like being reunited with an old friend. This music has an old soul. I hope you like it as much as I. - Fritz Die Spinne


"Vue Magazine"

Robyn Bright is something of an enchantress, with her ethereal voice and shimmering guitar giving Cockatoo much of its identity. (That's not to discount the contributions of founding bassist Rod Wolfe and the trio of players who have held down the drums, Greg Pretty being the current timekeeper—it's just that Bright cuts right to the fore of the music in dramatically stunning way.) Check out Cockatoo's music at myspace.com/cockatoomusic and then go see the band live. Or go to the live show first and buy a copy of The Basement Tapes EP while you're there. It's a beautiful, atmospheric piece of work. “-Eden Munro, Vue |Magazine Aug 13,2009. - Vue


"back to the Batcave"

IN ROTATION

Back to the batcave: Robyn Bright, high priestess of ye olde school goth-rock, recently

revamped the lineup of her band, Cockatoo, with a couple of other punk vets. Alan Levesque of Voice Industrie has picked up the sticks (for real -- those familiar with his work in VI will recall a sonic sympathy on his part for more synthetic sounds), while Rod Wolfe of Soft, among many others, takes up the bass. Bright continues to handle vocal and guitar duties."

Zoltan Varadi, the Edmonton Journal
- The Edmonton Journal


"back to the Batcave"

IN ROTATION

Back to the batcave: Robyn Bright, high priestess of ye olde school goth-rock, recently

revamped the lineup of her band, Cockatoo, with a couple of other punk vets. Alan Levesque of Voice Industrie has picked up the sticks (for real -- those familiar with his work in VI will recall a sonic sympathy on his part for more synthetic sounds), while Rod Wolfe of Soft, among many others, takes up the bass. Bright continues to handle vocal and guitar duties."

Zoltan Varadi, the Edmonton Journal
- The Edmonton Journal


"Bright Eyes New Cockatoo"




MUSIC
BRIGHT EYES NEW COCKATOO
EDEN MUNRO / eden@vueweekly.com

Edmonton band regroup, revamp, remodel

In the music world, enthusiasm for each new project tends to assume a familiar form, marked by overly familiar statements like this is the best album weve done yet, or were getting back to our roots this time out.

For the members of Edmontons Cockatoo, theres reason to be excited, but its because of the bands potential, not some half-imagined return to form.

Vocalist/guitarist Robyn Bright is the sole remaining member from the groups opening slot at the Brian Jonestown Massacres Edmonton gig last year. After that incarnation of Cockatoo fell apart, Bright made the decision to regroup, putting calls in to the two musicians who she says would be in her dream band: bassist Rod Wolfe (formerly of Soft) and drummer Alan Levesque (of Voice Industrie). The seasoned musicians were impressed by the tunes that Bright brought to the table, and both musicians jumped on board for the reinvention.

With three industry veterans on the same stage (Bright spent several years on the Toronto scene playing alongside the likes of Leslie Feist, Sarah Slean and Peaches), it would be easy for the sound to become obscured by a war of egos, but Cockatoo have no interest in taking that approach.

When musicians dont have too much ego when theyre playing, its not even about them, Bright says. Its just the music. Theyre there for the music, but musicians with egos right there on stage, they cant do that, I dont think.

Wolfe agrees that the music has to come first, especially where Cockatoos dark and brooding sound is concerned.

Often, in the musical world, ego ends up being a fairly large part of peoples performances: here I am. Im playing my instrument. Im big and Im in your face, Wolfe says. Ego is, joyfully, not [present] at all here. I think egos a very dangerous thing and it causes a lot of problems in the world, let alone within a band. We like to work on a more fun, creative level.

While the trio initially debated bringing in another guitarist, they soon decided that the chemistry between the three of them was undeniable. Wolfe is especially pleased with the results, admitting that they can make a lot of sound for a three-piece. Still, Bright points out that Cockatoo is about playing with the dynamics, rather than simply blasting away all the time.

Its a really neat dance with the three of us, Bright explains. There are times when we get quiet and you just hear a bass line and its, like, this is so cool.

Without light, there is no dark, Wolfe adds. Youve got to have quiet to feel power. Youve got to have beauty with beast. You pull them in, you settle them down a bit, you get them cruising on a beautiful shoreline of a soundscape, and then ...

You let it rip, finishes Bright.

The soundscape that Cockatoo spends their time playing with evolved naturally by integrating Wolfe and Levesques musical personalities with Brights ethereal songs, swooning vocals and ringing 12-string guitar.

I thought at first wed be kind of floaty, Wolfe remarks. But, theres a lot of energy in my world and theres a lot of techno in Alans world, so whats ended up happening is that there are certainly some relaxed songs that drift, but theres a lot of tribal groove, and even some upper energy drive and dance. The fusion has just been bloody exciting.
- Vue Magazine


"Bright Eyes New Cockatoo"




MUSIC
BRIGHT EYES NEW COCKATOO
EDEN MUNRO / eden@vueweekly.com

Edmonton band regroup, revamp, remodel

In the music world, enthusiasm for each new project tends to assume a familiar form, marked by overly familiar statements like this is the best album weve done yet, or were getting back to our roots this time out.

For the members of Edmontons Cockatoo, theres reason to be excited, but its because of the bands potential, not some half-imagined return to form.

Vocalist/guitarist Robyn Bright is the sole remaining member from the groups opening slot at the Brian Jonestown Massacres Edmonton gig last year. After that incarnation of Cockatoo fell apart, Bright made the decision to regroup, putting calls in to the two musicians who she says would be in her dream band: bassist Rod Wolfe (formerly of Soft) and drummer Alan Levesque (of Voice Industrie). The seasoned musicians were impressed by the tunes that Bright brought to the table, and both musicians jumped on board for the reinvention.

With three industry veterans on the same stage (Bright spent several years on the Toronto scene playing alongside the likes of Leslie Feist, Sarah Slean and Peaches), it would be easy for the sound to become obscured by a war of egos, but Cockatoo have no interest in taking that approach.

When musicians dont have too much ego when theyre playing, its not even about them, Bright says. Its just the music. Theyre there for the music, but musicians with egos right there on stage, they cant do that, I dont think.

Wolfe agrees that the music has to come first, especially where Cockatoos dark and brooding sound is concerned.

Often, in the musical world, ego ends up being a fairly large part of peoples performances: here I am. Im playing my instrument. Im big and Im in your face, Wolfe says. Ego is, joyfully, not [present] at all here. I think egos a very dangerous thing and it causes a lot of problems in the world, let alone within a band. We like to work on a more fun, creative level.

While the trio initially debated bringing in another guitarist, they soon decided that the chemistry between the three of them was undeniable. Wolfe is especially pleased with the results, admitting that they can make a lot of sound for a three-piece. Still, Bright points out that Cockatoo is about playing with the dynamics, rather than simply blasting away all the time.

Its a really neat dance with the three of us, Bright explains. There are times when we get quiet and you just hear a bass line and its, like, this is so cool.

Without light, there is no dark, Wolfe adds. Youve got to have quiet to feel power. Youve got to have beauty with beast. You pull them in, you settle them down a bit, you get them cruising on a beautiful shoreline of a soundscape, and then ...

You let it rip, finishes Bright.

The soundscape that Cockatoo spends their time playing with evolved naturally by integrating Wolfe and Levesques musical personalities with Brights ethereal songs, swooning vocals and ringing 12-string guitar.

I thought at first wed be kind of floaty, Wolfe remarks. But, theres a lot of energy in my world and theres a lot of techno in Alans world, so whats ended up happening is that there are certainly some relaxed songs that drift, but theres a lot of tribal groove, and even some upper energy drive and dance. The fusion has just been bloody exciting.
- Vue Magazine


"cockatoo"

To quote See Magazine July 30 2006:

"if you didn't already know yet-Cockatoo fucking rule. Five bucks says you'll agree. Are you game?" - See Magazine


"cockatoo"

To quote See Magazine July 30 2006:

"if you didn't already know yet-Cockatoo fucking rule. Five bucks says you'll agree. Are you game?" - See Magazine


"Robyn Bright"

"Robyn Bright should think about putting out her own album. The local siren has already recorded more than 15 nocturnal tracks over the past 18 months, all of which are available on newmusiccanada.com. One of the brighter standouts-sorry couldn't resist- is Abyss, which contrasts fuzzy, low guitar growls with Bright's bewitchingly sensual vocals and lyrics about whispers and drowning. She counts old U2, Nick Cave and The Cure as some of her influences but you can also hear the gothic strains of Siouxie Sioux, Sinead O'Connor and Bauhaus in Bright's dusky vocals and dark and dreamy arrangements. ...you'll likely be staggered by the talent, introspectiveness and musical beauty" Sandra Sperounes Music Writer Feb 17, 2005, Edmonton Journal Newspaper - Edmonton Journal Newspaper


"Robyn Bright"

"Robyn Bright should think about putting out her own album. The local siren has already recorded more than 15 nocturnal tracks over the past 18 months, all of which are available on newmusiccanada.com. One of the brighter standouts-sorry couldn't resist- is Abyss, which contrasts fuzzy, low guitar growls with Bright's bewitchingly sensual vocals and lyrics about whispers and drowning. She counts old U2, Nick Cave and The Cure as some of her influences but you can also hear the gothic strains of Siouxie Sioux, Sinead O'Connor and Bauhaus in Bright's dusky vocals and dark and dreamy arrangements. ...you'll likely be staggered by the talent, introspectiveness and musical beauty" Sandra Sperounes Music Writer Feb 17, 2005, Edmonton Journal Newspaper - Edmonton Journal Newspaper


"See Quote"

To quote See Magazine (July 30 2006)
"if you didn't already know yet-Cockatoo fucking rule. Five bucks says you'll agree. Are you game?"
- See Arts and Culture Magazine


"Cockatoo- The Basement Tapes e.p."

Cockatoo
The Basement Tapes (Self release)

As inviting as a swimming pool on a hot day, Cockatoo make fluid dreampop that shifts and shimmers like water in sunshine. This release, with its rather baffling sleeve artwork (statuary, dripping blood, obsolescent audio kit, and a title filched off Bob Dylan - not much shimmering or sunshine there) is a five-song calling card intended to warm things up for a forthcoming album. The songs are nudged along with insistent grace by the spike and chime of Robyn Bright's twelve-string guitar, her vocals swirling with the music like she's swimming with dolphins. But it's not all ambience and atmosphere: everything is underpinned by a rhythm that always makes its presence felt, without ever fighting against the flow. Indeed, on 'Otto's Song' the bass shadows the tune like a big brother, putting a beefy rumble behind the clang and coruscation of the guitar as the vocal surges ever onwards. This use of rhythm gives Cockatoo's music a deceptively fierce heart, even as it smiles sweetly at the listener through the dust dancing in shafts of sunlight. 'White Picket Fence' is built on an urgent yet relaxed clatter of drums, and a vocal that builds and roils on waves of guitar, the production always giving the music space to billow and surge. Yes, it's dreampop, but it's not afraid to tweak the curtains and let the nightmares look in. Cockatoo's inviting, shimmering swimming pool is deeper than it looks.

Nemisis to Go, UK, April 2008.
http://www.nemesis.to/recordsiss5page2.htm - Nemesis To Go Magazine Online


"Cockatoo- Mick Mercer review of The Basement Tapes e.p."

("MICK MERCER is the global authority on Goth music. One of the first British punks, he published Panache, later edited Zig Zag, and contributed extensively to Record Mirror, the NME, and Melody Maker.")



COCKATOO
THE BASEMENT TAPES
Own Label

They’ve taken a lot of time and effort to tease these introductory songs through, with drummer Alan being replaced by Leo along the way, but their debut shows a strong, vibrant post-punk sound, at turns very touching or subtly atmospheric. In fact I had downloaded a couple of these songs as earlier demos from their myspace and it’s all been seriously upgraded.

Being unnecessarily obvious I might say ‘Otto’s Song’ could be ‘Sweet Dreams’ (“but our dreams were made of glass”) meets Siouxsie (“impact-shattering”</i>), to give you a sonic snapshot of a weird collision, but you didn’t hear that from me, right? It bobs along, a disgracefully attractive chorus emerging from the wardrobe of sound, and the vocals are gleaming as the guitar is playfully attacking the curtains, the song stretching out for its tingling close.

‘Tidal Waves’ is far sweeter, with imaginative sounds ebbing and returning in an atmospheric song that slowly assumed a solid state at times close to shoegazey splendour, which is well resolved rather than an amiable experiment. ‘Unrequited’ wiggles from one shape to another throughout, the violin (I assume) adding a delightful edge to a relaxing song that lures you along in its wake, the robust rhythm section deftly employed, Robyn’s vocals warbling delicately, and guitar rustling like interested undergrowth.

‘Stupid Poppy’ is the cutest winner, having a steep Goth take off on from an Ethereal base with wiry guitar let loose amid bracing drums and Rod’s wily bass. Vocals drip from the melodic marble mantelpiece in a way to please Eves fans, that’s for sure, but that’s where the similarity ends as this is one of the songs which emphasises being a trio means they’ve got accentuated rhythmical dexterity as much as strength. The bass moos like a little demonic cow, the drums a determining factor in the direction.

‘White Picket Fence’ has a warmer feel, but more of the invigorating drum presence behind floaty singing and some other guitar flexing you won’t find anywhere else; their sound their own because of the way they’re doing things, all emphasised by that trio status., each instrument coming through stronger than normal, and atop the pyramid, dozy in the sunlight, the vocals regretful, but fitful, slightly eerie.

A lovely record.

http://www.cockatoomusic.com
http://www.myspace.com/cockatoomusic (Paypal to buy CD easily) - Mick Mercer


"Cockatoo- Mick Mercer review of The Basement Tapes e.p."

("MICK MERCER is the global authority on Goth music. One of the first British punks, he published Panache, later edited Zig Zag, and contributed extensively to Record Mirror, the NME, and Melody Maker.")



COCKATOO
THE BASEMENT TAPES
Own Label

They’ve taken a lot of time and effort to tease these introductory songs through, with drummer Alan being replaced by Leo along the way, but their debut shows a strong, vibrant post-punk sound, at turns very touching or subtly atmospheric. In fact I had downloaded a couple of these songs as earlier demos from their myspace and it’s all been seriously upgraded.

Being unnecessarily obvious I might say ‘Otto’s Song’ could be ‘Sweet Dreams’ (“but our dreams were made of glass”) meets Siouxsie (“impact-shattering”</i>), to give you a sonic snapshot of a weird collision, but you didn’t hear that from me, right? It bobs along, a disgracefully attractive chorus emerging from the wardrobe of sound, and the vocals are gleaming as the guitar is playfully attacking the curtains, the song stretching out for its tingling close.

‘Tidal Waves’ is far sweeter, with imaginative sounds ebbing and returning in an atmospheric song that slowly assumed a solid state at times close to shoegazey splendour, which is well resolved rather than an amiable experiment. ‘Unrequited’ wiggles from one shape to another throughout, the violin (I assume) adding a delightful edge to a relaxing song that lures you along in its wake, the robust rhythm section deftly employed, Robyn’s vocals warbling delicately, and guitar rustling like interested undergrowth.

‘Stupid Poppy’ is the cutest winner, having a steep Goth take off on from an Ethereal base with wiry guitar let loose amid bracing drums and Rod’s wily bass. Vocals drip from the melodic marble mantelpiece in a way to please Eves fans, that’s for sure, but that’s where the similarity ends as this is one of the songs which emphasises being a trio means they’ve got accentuated rhythmical dexterity as much as strength. The bass moos like a little demonic cow, the drums a determining factor in the direction.

‘White Picket Fence’ has a warmer feel, but more of the invigorating drum presence behind floaty singing and some other guitar flexing you won’t find anywhere else; their sound their own because of the way they’re doing things, all emphasised by that trio status., each instrument coming through stronger than normal, and atop the pyramid, dozy in the sunlight, the vocals regretful, but fitful, slightly eerie.

A lovely record.

http://www.cockatoomusic.com
http://www.myspace.com/cockatoomusic (Paypal to buy CD easily) - Mick Mercer


Discography

The Basement Tapes e.p.
The self released e.p. received airplay on several international college music stations, as well as on BBC and CBC radio. The cd’s first track Otto’s Song was released on the German compilation “Smoke & Spotlight” and they were featured in UK music journalist Mick Mercer’s book “Music To Die For” which was commissioned by the iconic UK underground label “Cherry Red Records”, in England.

“First Full Length album due to be released September 2013.

Photos

Bio

"Now we come to a track thats EIGHT MINUTES long. ALWAYS a dilemma because we could probably fit three short snappy guitar tunes into the same time slot. But I hope youll agree that in the case of White Picket Fence, by Cockatoo, its worth playing every single second.
Tom Robinson, BBC Radio

Here is a band
which encapsulates everything cool about the postpunk
frisson returning among us, where three
people shoehorn their own individual traits into a
sound that is richly melodic and yet powered by
energy.
Mick Mercer
, UK Music Journalist

Cockatoo are emerging from the underground with a deceptively fierce heart, even as it smiles sweetly at the listener through the dust dancing in shafts of sunlight. Nemesis Music Magazine , UK

Notable shows to date have included opening for The Romantics, Brian Jonestown Massacre, and The Raveonettes.
Robyn Bright is something of an enchantress, with her ethereal voice and shimmering guitar giving Cockatoo much of its identity. (That's not to discount the contributions of founding bassist Rod Wolfe and the trio of players who have held down the drums, it's just that Bright cuts right to the fore of the music in dramatically stunning way.) Check out Cockatoo's music at http://cockatoocockatoo.bandcamp.com and then go see the band live. Or go to the live show first and buy a copy of The Basement Tapes EP while you're there. It's a beautiful, atmospheric piece of work.
-Eden Monro,
Vue Magazine
(Edmonton Weekly Arts Newspaper)

I think that we can all agree that the vocals of Robyn Bright are spine tingling.
Cockatoo e.p. review
www.Frozennoise.com
(Netherlands)

I can honestly say Im unaware of any other band in Alberta that sounds like Cockatoo. Its a swirly, slightly psychedelic sound full of chiming guitars, echoing drums, slinky, sinister bass that sounds like it crawled off an early Cure record, and of course, Robyn Brights sad gorgeous vocals."
See Magazine

COCKATOO REVIEW :
Saturday Oct. 9th 2011
Wunderbar, Edmonton.
(With This Hisses)


The one thing I enjoy doing is the cold conversation engaging a total stranger without any regard for the outcome. I meet a lot of very cool and creative people this way and sometimes it bears fruit in ways that make life worth living. This was the case with Robyn, the lead singer of the band Cockatoo. I had randomly chatted with Robyn a few times at a caf, and did the whole Facebook thing, but had never gone to a performance. The talk, posts and likes over music, which would be considered from my era, were wonderful and filled with insight unbecoming of someone who was a toddler at the genres peak. So, I felt a strong desire to take in a show as soon as I could.

What I expected was some original material sprinkled throughout some classic post-punk covers. Not the case. What I experienced were three tight sets of original material that owned the intimate venue of the Wunderbar. I will not go into details of the content but rather cut to the aesthetic of why one should catch this group. This first impression is one to be held and one I intend to bring out every time I listen to them in the future.

Firstly, my expectations of re-experiencing that music era were met, but in an unexpected way. There was a sensuous interplay in the music that danced between intellectual recognition and emotional caresses. As one listened to the nuances within each song, they lead to memories of nuance past, but never quite reaching them. It was if the songs opened a gate to a path leading to a memory but at the last moment within sight, they veered off. More like an aquatic mammal streaming toward you, then curling around, only gently grazing as it passes. Yes, you can hear the ghosts of emulation but just as your memory hears Joy Division, Bauhaus, PIL, The Smiths, Kissing The Pink, Robert Fripp, Depeche Mode or pretty much anything from the Rough Trade or Factory glory days, you realize it is you that makes that connection. By the time that riff, that vocal intonation, that snare roll, or that bass slide has awoken your memory, the band has moved on to the next one, and the process starts again. This is something that definitely happened with each song, but more importantly and even more joyfully, it happened several times within each song, and each time it took one to a different memory. At one point while admiring Robyns microphone style she took me from Patti Smith to Linda Ronstadt to Sinead OConnor, all with a subtlety of a warm exhale past an ear. This is the work of a band that pays homage to an era without copying it. This is brilliance.

Secondly, I will go back on my words a little. There was a cover song, Killing Moon originally by Echo and the Bunnymen. Robyn began by stating that they didnt write the song, but wished they

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