State Cows
Täby, Stockholm, Sweden | INDIE
Music
Press
Whoever Westcoast music embraces, and bands as Toto, - the former – Chicago and especially Airplay to his favorite’s counts should now take off and run to your local record store to order State Cows to add it to your collection. Boy, our Swedish – yes, I know, not exactly a Westcoast country – friends Daniel Andersson, vocals and guitar, and Stefan Olofsson, keys and bass, are the Scandinavian answer to Airplay.
Born out of a Steely Dan tribute band, squeezed State Cows casually one after another beautiful song out. New York Town - with a solo by Jay Gryadon -, Come To The Point, Tunisian Nights or the last track Lost In A Mind Gane, these are just a few examples how Westcoast music should sound. You ask yourselves during listening to it, where the hell where they all these years.
If this was released twenty years ago we mentioned State Cows in the same way as the bands above. This will be the case from now one, because State Cows is by far the best release in the Westcoast genre in recent years. - Fury Rocks
(translated from Swedish)
Keyboard player and bassist Stefan Olofsson and guitarist and vocalist Daniel Andersson have put as much effort into the feeling as as the technology to recreate the sound of pop, soul and jazz that represents true westcoast. - Dan Backman (SvD.se)
If you like Airplay, and who doesn’t as a westcoast-fan, or earlier Chicago, this is a must for You. The record outclasses everything that has come in the genre the latest years. - PlanetAOR
Fans of the airy and mysterious Westcoast sound should look no farther than the contemporary State Cows. Highly recommended if you're a fan of the Westcoast sound. - DangerDog Music Reviews
The STATE COWS have actually done it with their self-titled album, "End-seventies and early eighties-sound" reproduced so precisely that we want to classify it as a re-issue. This does not detract from an own class of the album and speaks rather for a classic case of "mission accomplished!" For nothing else wanted to reach the two protagonists with their album! All eleven points act as a unified whole, there is no failure, an album from start to end to enjoy. - Infinite Abyss
(translated from German)
They succeed with astonishing authenticity, and, thanks to numerous guest musicians from Sweden and Finland, and also with a brand like the double Grammy-winner Jay Graydon. The songs really bubbled out of the speakers, a relaxed, loose, airy groove, pointed brass sections and smooth guitar. - Hooked on music
I can see that in a few years that State Cows might become a closet classic among West Coast fans, such is its positioning next to the likes of the aforementioned Airplay, Marc Jordan, David Roberts, Nielsen Pearson and Pages. Though there are only a handful of guitar solos, the remainder is made up of synth and sax solos, giving the CD a bit of variety. It looks as if much care and attention to detail has been applied to this album, and if you've been acquiring a ton of 70's and 80's West Coast material from around the Net, then think about adding a 2010 addition to your CD collection. West Coast fans should aim their credit cards at your nearest CD retailer without hesitation. Along with Shining Line, another fantastic release for Avenue Of Allies! - GloryDazeMusic
(translated from Swedish)
As you have understood from the beginning, I am completely sold on this on this album and these amazing musicians, who in my opinion is almost ridiculously good. I have listened to it over and over and over again, and find absolutely nothing to complain about. Could well be so, that it ends! "State Cow" contains exactly everything that defines a really good quality westcoast/AOR, with beautiful and melodic song structures, very catchy choruses, instrumental, world-class craftsmanship, high quality brass arrangements and a production that should make Mr.. David Foster / Mr. Jay Graydon more than willing to cooperate with the gentlemen Andersson / Olofsson in the future. Better than this can hardly be music!
10/10 - artrock.se
State Cows. I moved directly to 1980 and enjoy the classic Westcoast music when I listen to this CD... this is really old school. These men have really succeeded in spite of modern sound back to the 1980s! This is Westcoast music at its best. All involved should be extremely proud of their craft. Do you have CDs with Airplay, Marc Jordan, David Roberts, Nielsen Pearson and Pages, you should definitely have this! 10/10 - The Social Network Of Westcoast/AOR Music
Discography
State Cows (album), release date 18th June 2010
Photos
Bio
Umeå, the home town of Daniel Andersson and Stefan Olofsson, the brains behind the State Cows, is a city near the coast in the north of Sweden. It’s one of the biggest and most renowned university cities of the country and it’s widely knownfor its outstanding cultural life and the lively music scene. Umeå is home to many Westcoast devotees who have been fortunate to see live performances of Bill Champlin, Marc Jordan and the Jay Graydon All Star band in their town. In this creative environment Daniel and Stefan started out playing in different bands until their paths crossed during their studies at the Piteå School of Music. The first band they played in together was called “The Posers”, a Beatles tribute band. The first step towards Westcoast music was made by Daniel when he recorded the mini-album “DP”, together with bass player Peter Starefeldt.
Through a student exchange with the Musician’s Institute in Los Angeles and with the help of their friends Ian and Marylou EalesDaniel and Stefan eventually became acquainted with L.A. and its music scene. Long lasting impressions were also left by meeting some of their musical idols like David Foster, Jay Graydon, Jason Scheff (Chicago), Jay Gruska (Maxus) and Jimmy Haslip (Yellowjackets, Gino Vannelli, Bruce Hornsby).
Back in Umeå they continued to play gigs with “The Posers” while they also started working on Daniel’s solo album, whichwas subsequently released under the surprising title “Days in L.A.”. The CD was well received and the positive reactionsto the slightly modern Westcoast approach on “Days in L.A.” intensified the ambition to record a full-fledged, no-compromise Westcoast / AOR record like they did them in the early 80s. Meanwhile they had also founded a Steely Dan tribute band called “2nd Arrangement”. The formation was short lived, nevertheless it was the origin of what became the State Cows.
The song writing and the recordings of the new songs for the State Cows debut lasted for about two years. Daniel and Stefan worked meticulously on the song lyrics and the musical arrangements. The musicians that were chosen to record the tracks are hand picked artists from the Swedish and Finnish music scene having played on an international level before. The big exception is Jay Graydon, whose guest appearance with a guitar solo on “New York Town” is a great coup and also an accolade by one of the real Greats of the Westcoast genre. All songs of the album are among the musically best efforts when it comes to Westcoast music to be recorded and released in the past two decades plus. Overwhelming evidence for this are the more than perfect arrangements, precisely played solos, skillfully used percussions and a real horn section. Everybody waiting for a second Airplay album or a follow-up to the third Pages record, loving the classic David Foster and Jay Graydon productions and regularly revisiting Steely Dan and the first Marc Jordan albums is most definitely in for a treat with the State Cows. (Words : Gregor Klee)
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