|
|
|
Congress Of The Cow
When I first moved to San Diego, I headed on down to the Live Wire – a small indie bar in town – to check out an unannounced show where Frank Black was to perform. I hadn’t been this amped for a show in a long time….. Frank Black of the Pixies, in a club packed with 50 fans, all waiting to hear their idol play. Frank Black was incredible. But there was another band playing that night, whose lead singer was responsible for making this show happen.
Congress of the Cow was their name. And they more than held their own that night. As a matter of fact, they blew me away – swapping songs with Frank and ending with a song where both Congress of the Cow and Frank Black played at the same time (different songs however!). That was my first experience with Congress of the Cow, which eventually lead M-Theory records to sign the band. And that’s where the story begins…..
Rising from the depths of the San Diego music scene is a fiery phoenix of music mastery known as Congress of the Cow. Daring to mix rock with roll, emo with core, and country with… country, Congress of the Cow is making music that goes beyond the everyday.
Lead singer and guitarist, Stimy came up with the concept for his new band after his former band, Inch (Atlantic Records), had parted ways. His vision for Congress of the Cow was to move indie rock away from the obvious and more towards the ingenious. Which makes sense once you understand that their music has been compared to everything from Fuazi to Jawbreaker to the Afhan Whigs.
The first step in getting this new band together was picking the right players. Stimy recruited Francis Winfield (former drummer of Fluf (MCA records)), to provide the thunderous and pounding beat. Along with Ray Argyle (bass and vocals) and John Cota (guitars and vocals), the pieces were in place and Congress of the Cow was ready to bring their new brand of rock and roll to the world.
The next step was getting the band noticed by the masses. Stimy is no stranger to this success however. His former band Inch enjoyed the major label comfort of Atlantic records and regular rotation airplay on alternative powerhouse 91X. They were also on the forefront of the San Diego music scene for most of the 90’s, playing all the premiere shows in San Diego’s finest venues. With Congress of the Cow, he has expanded on that success by garnering airplay on 91X, 92.1 Premium Radio, and Rock 105.3. In fact, 91X has gone so far as to recognize Congress as “a must see live” band.
The San Diego scene has embraced Congress of the Cow even further by their recent award for “Best New Band” and nomination for “Best Alternative Album” at the 2002 San Diego Music Awards.
Congress of the Cow has also shared the stage with some of the most respected figures in alternative music including legends Frank Black and John Doe, as well as Imperial Teen, Smile, No Knife, Creeper Lagoon, Alien Crime Syndicate, and a long list of other impressive acts.
So, welcome to the Congress of the Cow. Be prepared to hear music the way it was meant to be…… loud, inventive, and just damn good. You may have a seat…… Congress of the Cow is now in session.
- Eric Howarth, M-Theory records
|
|
