Daily Doses: Mat Cothran And Brandon Biondo “Untitled” (2010)

Mat Cothran, the man behind Coma Cinema and Brandon Biondo (Solo beatsmith and part of Knoxville’s COOLRUNNINGS) are two of my favorite musicians/people that I’ve come in contact as through this blog. Both are at the top of the class in talent, and the height of class as people.

So them combining their powers, as far as this blog is concerned, tops out my Christmas list.

The as of yet untitled song is a beautiful scramble, slathered with distorted guitars and  harmonic “ooohhhh and ahhhh’s”, while synths occasionally peek through with melodic leads. The vocals meanwhile are dry as can be, reminding me somewhat of Owen Ashworth of Casiotone For The Painfully Alone.

Hope this is the first of many tracks we hear from these two!

Download Mat Cothran and Brandon Biondo’s “Untitled” Here

Daily Doses: COOLRUNNINGS “Road To Nowhere” (Talking Heads Cover)

Damn Brandon Biondo and his merry crew of miscreants (Which includes Forest Ferguson and David Thomasson)!

Truth be told, I try to avoid posting the same artists more than once a release. Given how prolific most of the artists I blog about are, it would be all to easy to be a one trick pony, recycling the same 6 artists over and over ad infinitum.

Occasionally the strength of the tracks these artists continuously produce makes me regret not releasing each of their songs, and tossing the one song a day rule out the window. but I decided from the start that if I like an artist enough to post them, I’m also going to give them at least one day of my undivided attention. 24 hours in which they are the center of my tiny corner of the internet.

So given that, I would actually love to avoid posting this… But it’s just so damn good!

The best covers take the original and either re-imagine them completely (As in the case of Blackbird Blackbird’s version of Modest Mouse’s Float On), or work to find all the points in which the band can interject their own personality into the piece. Really making it their own piece, their own expression.

While maintaining the structure of the original, COOLRUNNINGS has done exactly that here. Stretching the song to the seams with their particular brand of mayham. Filling it with more bouncing beats and a killer lead into the second verse and just the right amount of modulated dissonance. This track alone should get me through my day tomorrow.

But then if it can’t, apparently there should be a version of David Bowie’s “Soul Love” popping up on their bandcamp at some point tomorrow.

These guys just never stop.

Feel free to give a listen to the original version of “Road To Nowhere” HERE.

Download COOLRUNNINGS “Road To Nowhere” From Their Bandcamp

Daily Doses: COOLRUNNINGS “I Can Be Dreamy” (2010)

I’ve been following Knoxville’s COOLRUNNINGS vicariously for a bit now through some of my favorite blogs like SmokeDontSmoke and Life-Aquatic. But up ‘till now, I just haven’t had it quite click.

“I Can Be Dreamy” is the track that finally knocked the walls down. I don’t know if it’s just me, but when that chorus hits, and singer Forest Ferguson Brandon Biondo croons out:

I can be dreamy
When I want to

There’s this plaintive edge to it… A little air of desperation that subtly colors the rest of the song. Changing the verses from a confident declaration spoken directly to the object of the singers affection. To a practice run, spoken into a mirror enough times to give it an air of confidence, but with an underlaying edge of barely daring to hope.

And who doesn’t like rooting for that guy?

Download “I Can Be Dreamy” Along With The Rest Of COOLRUNNINGS Catalog For Free From Their Bandcamp

Edit: (Song Via NoModestBear)