The Coals
Los Angeles, California, United States | SELF
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Ears Wide Open: The Coals
by kevin on December 11, 2009
Jason Mandell has a handful of recordings and a fresh start. Mandell caught my ear three years ago as part of the U.S. Mail Band, which then became the Coles and then, for legal reasons, the Coals. Earlier this year writing partner Sutter Zachman left the project, so Mandell has put together a band around his songs, recorded with Mike Daly (Whiskeytown) and Michael Beinhorn (Soundgarden, Soul Asylum). Patrick Park, Sara Watkins and Jack Irons also collaborated. File under: dusty country roads. Expect a release early next year.
||| Download: “Better Man Than Me”
||| Live: The Coals open for the Parson Red Heads and Princeton on Saturday night at Spaceland. - Buzzbands LA (Kevin Bronson)
Discography
Debut EP will be self-released very soon.
Photos
Bio
The Coals are the last band you�d expect to find in Los Angeles� sparkly scene. Rooted in Jason Mandell's lyrical songwriting and earthy baritone, The Coals evoke desert nights and dusty roads � but minus the cuteness or irony that soaks so much of today�s folk music. Comparisons to heart-on-their-sleeve bands like Bright Eyes and classic craftsmen like Kris Kristofferson aren�t far off, but it�s The Coals' live performance, which crackles with raw energy and country textures, that sets them apart.
In �09, The Coals were signed to Chrysalis Music Publishing by the guy who discovered Ray LaMontagne. That year, the Coals held a residency at Largo � mecca for some of music�s most genre-defying artists � where they opened for Gillian Welch and David Rawlings. Their forthcoming EP is culled from recording sessions in Denton, Texas and L.A. It includes guest vocals by Sara Watkins and Patrick Park with production by Mike Daly (Whiskeytown), Michael Beinhorn (Soundgarden, Chili Peppers) and longtime Fiona Apple collaborator Dave Palmer.
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