Radical Face « Knox Road

Radical Face @ Kesselhaus in der Kulturbrauerei, Berlin

Ed Note: Abby’s Back!

At the only German gig in his 5 stop European mini-tour, Knox Road favorite Radical Face (Ben Cooper) was in typical form. Armed with his Jacksonville, Florida-based band, he delivered, per usual, a tome of stories plucked from a variety of his records released since 2007. It seemed to […]

Abby

[Abby’s Road] Freundliche Stammbaum

It’s been a while. Radical Face. What a lovely place to start. So…

Recently I had the pleasure of seeing the last gig of the Radical Face EU tour here in Munich. While the exquisite recorded versions of Ben Cooper’s songs machine ideas into an almost hand-hewn reality, the live versions are remarkable as well for a slew of other reasons. Taking into consideration Cooper is (mostly) a one-man operation when recording, one would assume that a live setting would be more than challenging. Naturally, variations in the natural fabric of the recorded songs occur and are welcomed. With the inclusion of a viola da gamba and bass on this tour, the *collection of Radical Face touring musicians (friends on and off the stage for years) were a marvel of good humor and song. And to be able to spin such beauty into this cover? It’s like voodoo.

Moving on…

Coinciding with the US/EU tours, late October/early November (depending upon where you call home) welcomed the release of Radical Face’s newest LP and 2nd installment of the Family Tree trilogy, The Branches. The aural equivalent of a tome of ancient photos and pages of handwritten tales of familial woes and joys, it is true to form and does what all of Cooper’s releases have done since Ghost way back in 2007. It evokes a sense of history and heartbreak, taking root at the base of one’s spine at first listen in an attempt to draw you into its biology. And succeeds.

Continue reading [Abby’s Road] Freundliche Stammbaum →

Abby

[Abby’s Road] I Got You Covered

We’ve all been there: a friend suggests meeting up at a bar or restaurant before moving on to a show; a place you’ve never visited before. My most recent example of this was an Irish pub here in Munich. Such places aren’t usually chosen for the music, but for their drink or fattening […]

Abby

Radical Face presents prequel EP!

Can you hear the church bells pealing? Has the Pony Express galloped through your town to deliver the message? Jacksonville, Florida’s Radical Face (aka Ben Cooper) is releasing a highly anticipated, October record…his first full-length since 2007’s heart stopper Ghost. How does an artist who plays admission optional shows, communicates thoughtfully with his […]

Abby

Radical Face’s new video for “Doorways”

Hear ye! Hear Ye! Radical Face (Ben Cooper) has released the video for “Doorways” from the recently released Touch the Sky EP. Conjuring up images of Peter Pan and, to get a bit personal (as always), my sister and I playing in the wooded area across the street from my childhood home, Cooper and […]

Abby

New Radical Face EP: Touch the Sky

Storyteller extraordinaire Ben Cooper has done it again. The musician, songwriter, visual artist and fifty-percent of Electric President released a new digital EP this week under his solo moniker, Radical Face. To be used as a bridge between his 2007 release Ghost and future projects, Touch the Sky reintroduces one to their past. […]

Abby

[Abby's Road] It's about the sound, not the words

It never fails: whenever I overhear mumblings of folks yammering away about Jim Morrison and his fantastic poetry (snore) I have to stop myself in my tracks. I. Hate. The. Doors. That said, since we all know Doors fans aren’t made, they’re born, I never bother trying to tell them, anywhere, at any […]

Lee

iTunes Mixery

HA, getting ya at all sorts of random times! You just have to stay tuned if you want a piece of mixery. For those who don’t know, this is iTunes Mixery part ocho. Here’s how it goes: I play iTunes on shuffle -> tell you which song comes up -> provide the mp3 […]

Lee

Radical Face News: Patients Project

Radical Face has come up with a fascinating project, titled “Patients”, in which Ben Cooper (Radical Face himself, and one half of Electric President) will release 10 random songs of his on an album and then trade the album to people for anything. And by anything, I mean anything at all. He’ll take […]