Jer Coons

This follow-up to Jer Coons' 2006 album Entropy sees the Vermontner just as cheery and folky and poppy as ever. Sonically, it's Don McLean meets Bob Hillman but coming from a smilier place. Most songs have young romantic storylines such as "Boxing The Cold" that reveals Jer and his lover "...were boxing the cold 'cause our zippers were broke, and we both fell in love with the smell of the smoke, and there was so much snow that we couldn't find the road, but I drove..." It's all sweet stuff, and for the most part, the production is economical, relying on the singer-songwriter's voice to layer the band with no frills. Speak also offers harmonized country pop like "Girl In My Head," and a slight experimental keyboard or reversed drumloop here and there. But it's mostly folky banter with girls of the moment who will swoon from Coons' smarty lyrics and aw shucks personality. Start Here: "The Only Trace"

-Mike Ragogna, The Huffington Post

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ragogna/emhuffpost-reviewsem-pear_b_293026.html - The Huffington Post

Relatively unknown -- outside of Canadian swooning tweens -- Vermont pop singer-songwriter Jer Coons is as fun to listen to as his first name is to try and pronounce.

His first single "Legs" is a catchy, poppy, love song that plays like a tune Jason Mraz might have penned. It houses silly lyrics, simple guitar chords and the music video could very well have been shot by someones digi-cam. And I love that about him.

Take a look at this new fella after the jump, and let me know if you wanna squeeze his rosy little cheeks as much as I do.

(Shows "Legs" Music Video)

http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/popwrap/geeky_guys_with_guitars_yes_please_D7S3CmGFQK0GJ1j3aL8UqK - NY Post

Just who is Jer Coons? Well, he’s young (20), he’s cute (all the girls love him) and music is his thing. Originally from Vermont, Jer Coons is set to release his debut pop album – "Speak" – on September 29. It’s a great CD and it feels like, through every song, you get to know Jer Coons just a little better.

Speak CD Review

We were really impressed by this album. Due out September 29, Speak is mainly pop-rock, with a little bit of country and some soul mixed in for good measure – it’s so nice to listen to, we think the songs are going to get lots of air-time on the radio once they’re released.

Most of the songs are about love, loss and regret – age-old topics but done with Jer Coons’ own original twist. Listen for some soulful vocals, electric guitar interludes and slow ballads. Like we said, some of the tracks, like “Girl In My Head,” have a slight country feel to them.

Store Song

The first single from the album is called "Legs." While you watch the music video below, think about where you may have heard this song before.

("Legs" Video Embedded)

If it sounds familiar that’s because it was featured on the Hollister in-store playlist this past June. And while lots of artists get their music played in stores and on TV and web ads, very few of those songs get the same reaction "Legs" – which played throughout the day in over 6,000 stores – has.

Since spinning in Hollister, Jer Coons’ Myspace page plays skyrocketed to over 4,500 hits per day – "Legs" alone got over 3,000 hits on the website – making him the 3rd most popular artist on Myspace from Vermont (after Phish
and Grace Potter).

http://www.kidzworld.com/article/19748-jer-coons-speak-cd-review - Kidzworld.com

Jer Coons impresses on his debut release, Speak, due out September 29. Mainly a pop-rock album with hints of country and soul, Speak is a versatile disc with radio friendly appeal. In fact, the title track is just a hint of what’s to come for this talented musician.

At first listen, comparisons abound. While no musician wants to be put into a box, Coons’ similarities only help to amp his appeal. Jason Mraz with a mix of John Mayer and soulful vocals that recall breaking band Parachute are a few accurate descriptions.

First single, “Legs” encompasses sing-along choruses that stay stuck in the listener’s head long after the last verse is over. “Forget the who the what the when/The question here is why/You set the bar so high and then you dropped it for this guy/You’re into insincerity/It’s scary that I wonder/Perhaps the bar was raised so high that he just walked right under,” he sings.

If “Legs” sounds familiar, it might be because it was featured on the Hollister June in-store play list. Incredulously, as the song played throughout the day in 6,000+ stores, Coons’ MySpace reached over 4,500 hits per day. As a result, Jer became the third most popular Vermont artist on MySpace trailing behind none other than Phish and Grace Potter.

Throughout the accompanying album tracks, Coons touches upon unrequited love, regret and loss. Always with a unique personal twist, he intrigues the listener with his storytelling. While “Boxing the Cold” showcases Coons’ soulful vocals, mid-song he distinguishes himself with an electric guitar interlude, balancing out the slow ballad. Additionally, tracks like “Girl In My Head” are pleasantly unexpected with a slight country feel.

A solid release, Speak, is sure to find it's place in the music scene. In fact, it is only time that Coons will have his own headlining shows.

For more on Jer Coons, be sure to visit him on MySpace and check him out live, now currently on tour. Listen to a free MP3 of "Legs" here and watch Coons' comical music video for the song below.

("Legs" Music Video Embedded)

http://yousingiwrite.blogspot.com/2009/08/artist-of-week-jer-coons.html - You Sing, I Write

Singer/Songwriter Jer Coons sings his latest single "Girl in My Head"

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/station/shows/wcau/10-show/Jer_Coons_Philadelphia.html
- NBC - 10

Jer Coons is a twenty year old singer/songwriter from Vermont's Green Mountains who bucks local musical trends by trying to sound like himself rather than like Phish. Coons missed his first date with destiny after sleeping through his American Idol audition and so has turned to the Indie route to find fame and fortune. Coons' first full length album, Speak, drops on September 29, 2009, and features a brand of pop music that will seem instantly familiar. Comparisons have been made to John Mayer, Jason Mraz and Damien Rice (Mayer and Mraz make a certain amount of sense), but elements of Rob Thomas and Toad The Wet Sprockets' Glen Phillips also should be in the discussion. Whoever you might hear flashes of on Speak, there's no doubt that coons is very much himself.

Coons leads off with the title track, Speak, built on a catchy riff and a beat that will get your feet moving. Speak is the perfect first single; a song that will stick in your memory well after its done playing and make you want to find out what else he's got. Too often that first single can lead you to an album of mediocre material; not so with Speak. Coons delivers song after song. Legs slows down with some Jimi Hendrix inspired guitar work wrapped into an Acoustic Pop song with a Jason Mraz style lyrical density and a chorus that just melts over you. Legs is written from the perspective of the guy who lost out on the girl who's still very much stuck on her. It's a great big of songwriting that has major licensing potential written all over it. Girl In My Head is about waking up and realizing you've been spending too long waiting for someone who isn't going to come around. It's a great Pop/Rock tune showing a very mature perspective and deftly worded process.

Ceiling is all about the aftermath of a relationship that's fallen apart and has pop radio hit written all over it. Ceiling doesn't fall into the syrupy trap of self-pity, but has a distinct narrative that's involved but detached. This is the sort of tune you hear as an interlude in a movie when a relationship between two major characters has fallen apart or it at least in temporary jeopardy. You'll Never Know seems to address the doors we miss by failing to make good decisions; the story is told in the realm of a dysfunctional relationship that seems inescapable. Wait (Just A Little) is all about the hopeless hope that sometimes pervades the longer-term aftermath of a lost relationship. He's still waiting for her to come back even though she probably never will. This is all explained in a strong Acoustic/Pop arrangement with commercial bite. Coons closes things out with The Only Trace, a closing of the books and accounting of losses on the relationship Speak has been focused on. There's a deep seated yet unsure hope for something else to come along, but the narrator can't even imagine what that might be.

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Speak as an album is that Jer Coons spends eleven songs dissecting a lost relationship with someone who was his world without ever asking for or engendering pity. There's an almost mercurial, academic air here that balances the longing that is so evident. From a songwriting standpoint this is interesting because it leaves Coons describing his emotional attachment without ever really showing it. The songs on Speak are well written, and the Acoustic/Pop arrangements go down like candy, but that disconnect can be just a bit unsettling at times. It makes sense in terms of self-protection, but gives the songs a Hollywood sheen that might undermine the meaning for some. Nevertheless, Speak is a very strong album that should have strong commercial impact for Coons.



http://wildysworld.blogspot.com/2009/09/review-jer-coons-speak.html - Wildy's World

There I was looking around in Hollister, trying to find some clothes. I waved off the annoying helpers, squinted in the low light, and banged my broomstick on the ceiling to tell those crazy kids to turn down the loud music. (Yep, I carry around just a broomstick) But just as I was about to shuffle out at 4:00 to eat supper, this song came across the speakers. It made my size too small heart grow and actually made me stay in the store until it was over.

At first I thought Jason Mraz had a new song out, but after some searching I found that he doesn't. Jer Coons (what a name!) could definitely be Mr. Mraz's voice twin. But where they differ is that Coons has a... ok they don't differ. Both sing laid back summery songs. Both have a soothing tone to their voice. I heard the song Legs in the store, which is a warm acoustic ode to losing the one you love to someone else. Another highlight is the catchy Secrets, which just has one of those great melodies. Jer Coons is not Jason Mraz but if doesn't get the credit he deserves it might be because radio already has their Mraz.

http://diggingfordays.blogspot.com/2009/05/jer-coons.html
- Digging For Days

"Two things should set Coons apart as he grows. One, the kid can sing. Like, really sing. He has great instincts and impeccable control, combined with a genuinely pleasing voice. And two, he's funny. Like, really funny."
- Seven Days