Anna Coogan: News

Reviews are starting to come in from Europe, in particular the Belenux region. Here's a nice on from the Alt Country Forum. Warning: it is in dutch. Translate online for a serious good time.

http://www.altcountryforum.nl/2010/07/21/anna-coogan-the-nocturnal-among-us/

Here's some english highlights:

"Anna Coogan has much to offer. The Nocturnal Among Us is a beautiful, glorious, but dark album."

Dank u wel, Rein!

In other news...

For those of you who have been wondering what in hell this record is about, I did an interview a few weeks ago and finally got the writing down the stories behind the record. I've posted it in the blog section of the website.

"The Nocturnal Among Us" just debuted at #15 on the Euro Americana charts for July! Fun note: at #17 is our producer JD's band The Slummers. Go JD!

http://www.dutchrootsradio.com/nieuwe_pagina_3.htm

Nice review in from the Flying Shoes Review in the UK:

"Awash in simple, but effective melodies one-time opera trained (in Salzburg, Austria) singer-songwriter Anna Coogan’s bittersweet form of Americana cuts to the bone and then some.Young Coogan who, I believe resides in Seattle is a fine talent has an ability to stamp a feel to a song with her beautiful, sometimes aching tones. She carves out imagery of the finest order. A trained opera singer and field biologist her worth as a recording act hits a high on the likes of a big sounding, swirling organ, guitar and percussion plied ‘Dreaming My Life Away’ such is its pumped up feel. While of a more conservative feel ‘Crooked Sea’ is melodic and peaceful, with it containing an ambience rich is calming qualities as her wraps warm as a blanket round the listener."

More at:

http://flyinshoes.ning.com/profiles/blogs/anna-coogan-the-nocturnal
Thanks, Maurice! And thanks for the "young" part....

Here we go!...Releasing the record in Europe...Really getting excited for my August UK tour, and beginning to book a 2011 Europe tour. Here's some shows that "The Nocturnal" has recently appeared on...

Bob Patterson, Americana UK
http://flyinshoes.ning.com/profiles/blog/show?id=2554640:BlogPost:5377


Thomas Kaldijk
Radio Blueprint 460 (The Netherlands)


Johanna J. Bodde
Radio Girl on Dollar Radio (The Netherlands)
http://www.rtvlogo.nl/
****
In other news, it is still cold in Seattle. I'll be playing the Tractor Tavern next Tuesday, June 22 with Kelly Joe Phelps and Corinne West. Fun.

XOXO

Anna

 

I am finally back in Seattle after most of three months on the road. It is cold and rainy here, but I am happy to be out of the intense heat and humidity that is encroaching on the rest of the country! A little more summer would be nice, though...

I want to say "Thank You" to everyone who was involved in any way in the tour or "The Nocturnal Among Us." For the first time in my life, I see music as a viable (if not particularly lucrative) way to make a living. It's like a little light has been shed on my path, and I can see a way forward in this business. It's grassroots. It is in people's living rooms, and in the indie radio stations, and in all the musicians out there criss-crossing the country in their old, beater cars. It's all very hopeful.

In the course of the last three months, I have played two converted churches, one funeral-parlor-turned-club, one jail, many living rooms, and a whole host of clubs and bars. I have driven over 10,000 miles and spent way too much money on gas. I have seen winter come late to the south and spring come early to the north. I've been stuck in snowstorms and biblical floods. I've put one 1984 VW on the market. (Any takers? Anyone??)

So thank you thank you thank you thank you. If you hosted a concert, or came out to hear us, or tuned in to a radio show, or bought a record or just a song or told a friend or just love music, thank you. I've never felt so loved or optimistic about the future of music. (My own and everyone else's).

I am now booking my October tour in the US and finishing booking a short tour in the UK for August. If you would like to host a house concert in those time frames, please let me know. I love to hear from you.

XOXO

Anna

I'll be doing a little spot on Seattle's Q13 Fox on Thursday, May 27 at around 7:45. I will be talking up Seattle Folklife and possibly (no promises) giving a little voice lesson to the anchors... This will be my first time on TV. I'll post footage as soon as I can get it!

It is finally spring (summer!) here in New England-- all the trees are out, all the grass is bright green, and the dogs are wild and looking for action. We actually saw a bear walk across our field the other day-- something I have never seen in 29 years of living in (or visiting...) Vermont. Alaska, yes. Vermont, no. Wow.

I am at the tail end of my 3 month CD release tour-- got another few weeks of shows on the East Coast, then I begin the journey back to Seattle. I've just added a weekend of house concerts in/near Minneapolis (as well as my first gig at a prison) for the weekend of May 22-23. Then I board an airline that I have never heard of, cross my fingers, and fly on back to sunny Seattle, hopefully in time for the good weather.

It has been an incredible tour so far-- I really am blown away by the generosity of people around the country who have opened their homes to us-- either for concerts, or just for a warm bed and a meal, and all the people who have come out to say "hello" and catch a set.

I am also blown away by how much gas a musician uses on tour. I haven't quite sorted this part out yet. I changed the oil in my car, and less than a month later have hit the mileage for the next change. Next time I come out, I am going to try to work more with the many "Bolt-bus" type operations. I am, however, proud to say that I overcame my #2 fear in life (#1 being airplanes, which I shall never overcome) which is Driving in New York City. I lived. The Car lived. The Pedestrians lived. Victory.

I'll be playing Seattle Folklife when I get back,including the Dolly Parton Tribute show, which is going to be SO fun. I'll be laying low for most of the summer, doing a short tour with Katie Todd and Jenee Halstead on the West Coast, before I head across the pond in August for my first official UK tour. I am currently planning to head out on another US cross country tour this October.

So a million thank you's to those of you who have been involved in any way on this tour-- it is truly the most fun I have ever had (except for my wedding day, which was more fun). Please please keep in touch!!

Here's an excerpt from a really nice review from The Bluegrass Special:

"It’s more thought provoking in its ruthless examination of the whys and wherefores of things coming apart, of people disconnecting; and the subtlety of the arrangements and JD Foster’s evocative soundscapes offer a beautiful, compelling backdrop for the various dramas under investigation. Not the least of her music’s attributes is Ms. Coogan’s voice, which has the timbre and affecting catch in the throat of the young Natalie Merchant. It’s something a listener cannot turn away from, a voice that insists on being heard, not by dint of sheer volume--exuberant displays of vocal brio are not part of the program--but by its pronounced, persistent, aching vulnerability."-David McGee

You can read the full review here:

http://thebluegrassspecial.com/archive/2010/april10/anna-coogan-nocturnal-among-us.php

I'll be doing an interview with these guys in the May edition- stay tuned!

We're a month into our radio campaign, and things are going great. Below is a list of stations that are playing the record-- a big thank you to the stations that have supported us!

CO Grand Junction KAFM
IL Monmouth WMCR-2
wa Bellevue KBCS
ak Anchorage KRUA
NY Purchase WMVL
NJ Glassboro WGLS
MA Boston WECB
mi Alma WQAC
NJ Piscataway RLC
NJ Lawrenceville WRRC
NY Jamaica WSJU
PA Shippensburg WSYC
ID Boise KBSU
AZ Flagstaff KJACK
CA Lemoore KGAR
MA Waltham WBRS
PA Carlisle WDCV
NJ Wayne WPSC
ME Machias WUMM
CA Orange KNAB
CO Denver KRCX
IA Mt Vernon KRNL
LA Shreveport KSCL
KS Manhattan KSDB
MO St.Louis KWUR
CA Sacramento KSSU
IN Bloomington WIUX
VA Richmond WVCW
CA Norwalk WPMD
MD Baltimore WLOY
OH New Albany OHIO.FM
TN Johnson City wets
OH Columbus WXCU
ND Fargo KNDS
Ont Thunder Bay CILU
MA Boston WTBU
IN Notre Dame WVFI
PA Scranton WVMW
CT Fairfield WVOF
pa Collegeville WVOU
PA Pittsburgh WPPJ
PA Slippery Rock WSRU
VA Fairfax WGMU
NY Clinton WHCL
PA Millersville WIXQ
WI Waukesha WCCX
VA Lexington WLUR
OH Oxford WMSR
ny Oneonta WONY
OH Athens WOUB
ny Morrisville WCVM
ny Ithaca VIC Radio
IL Godfrey WLCA
PA Reading WXAC
PA Schnecksville WXLV
La Monroe KXUL
il Rock Island WAUG
CA Stanford KZSU
PQ Montreal CJLO
MI Kalamazoo WIDR
NY Auburn WDWN
mi Marquette WUPX
ct New Haven WSIN
pq Westmount CIXS
AZ Tucson KAMP
OR Portland KDUP
MT Bozeman KGLT
LA Ruston KLPI
MN Mankato KMSU - MN
NY Staten Island WSIA
WA Bellingham KUGS
MI Canton WSDP
IL Chicago WXAV
va Harrisonburg WXJM
OR Gresham KMHD2
NY Syosset WKWZ
Il Glenview WGBK
IL Chicago WIIT
WI Milwaukee WMUR
IL Lake Forest WMXM
VA Norfolk WODU
wi Milwaukee WMSE
NF St John’s CHMR
NJ Pomona WLFR
IL LaGrange WLTL
ny St. Bonaventure WSBU
IL River Grove WRRG
IN Valaparaiso WVUR
KY Bowling Green WWHR
CT West Hartford WWUH
DC Washington WVAU
ME Brunswick WBOR
VA Farmville WMLU
GA Savannah Scad Radio / WRFS
tx Richardson Radio UTD
PA Grove City WSAJ
ONT Mississauga CFRE
NC Winston-Salem WAKE
WA Spokane KWRS
MD Towson XTSR
ME Bangor WHSN

AND...

WERU FM E ORLAND, ME *
WFDU FM TEANECK, NJ **
WHUS FM STORRS, CT ** +
WSYC FM SHIPPENSBURG, PA
WXLV FM SCHNECKSVILLE, PA **

MID-ATLANTIC:
WRRW FM VIRGINIA BEACH, VA **
WYOU FM NORFOLK, VA **
RADIOFREE VERONA, VA **

SOUTHEAST:
WIKX FM PORT CHARLOTTE, FL **

SOUTH:
WMSR AUBURN, AL **
WETS FM JOHNSON CITY, TN **
WTTU FM COOKEVILLE, TN **

UPPER MIDWEST:
KAXE FM GRAND RAPIDS, MN **
WOJB FM HAYWARD, WI **
WWSP FM ST POINT, WI **

MIDWEST:
WHAY FM WHITLEY CITY, KY **
KDHX FM ST LOUIS, MO **
KOPN FM COLUMBIA, MO **
WRUW FM CLEVELAND, OH **

CENTRAL:

SOUTHWEST:
KFAN FM FREDERICKSBURG, TX **
KTEP FM EL PASO, TX **
ROCKY MOUNTAIN:
KVNF FM PAONIA, CO **

FAR WEST
SEMI-TWANG SACRAMENTO, CA **

NORTHWEST:
KBOO FM PORTLAND, OR **
KSMF FM ASHLAND, OR **

KRUU FM Fairfield, IA

Reviews keep coming in for "The Nocturnal". Here's one from Blurt Magazine:

".....The beauty in her melodies becomes more engaging with every listen. After three albums and an EP, Coogan clearly isn't the star she ought to be, but even so, she ranks one of the best of her breed."

You can read the full review here:

http://www.blurt-online.com/reviews/view/1968/

I'm not from Jersey, but my drummer is, AND I love the Soprano's. (This is a joke, NJ!) But nice review in the Jersey Beat:

ANNA COOGAN – The Nocturnal Among Us (http://www.myspace.com/annacoogan) Armed with an extremely sweet, dulcet, and soothing voice, singer/songwriter Anna Coogan immediately wins the listener over with her supremely lovely and arresting pipes alone. Soaring over the high notes with breathtaking skill and agility, hitting a lower register with equal grace and smoothness, this gal’s voice is truly something to hear. Moreover, Coogan is also one hell of a smart and thoughtful songwriter with a strong knack for eloquent lyrics and simple, yet harmonic melodies. Best of all, this remarkably moving and intelligent country-folk album that addresses relevant issues about adulthood in a mature and direct way without ever becoming too sappy or cloying about it. A lovely and touching little jewel. - Joe Wawrzyniak, JerseyBeat.com

Thanks, Joe!

New review in from OliverdiPlace.blogspot.com. Thank you, Darius!

Here's an excerpt:

One thing Coogan does as a writer that I really enjoyed was enhancing the emotion of a song by using nature imagery. Done badly, this can wreck a song’s emotional power, by making it seem fluffy. Coogan never has that problem. She knows just how far to go with a metaphor or an image. Crooked Sea is a good example, but my favorite is Mockingbird. The song is a beautiful work musically as well. The song begins with a simple but powerful pattern played just by the drums. Then the rest of the band joins in, and Coogan sings a soliloquy to the mockingbird of the title. The narrator goes from bemoaning her fate to accepting that her relationship has ended, and you are left with the sense that she is finally ready to build something new. The rest of the band disappears, and the drum figure from the beginning repeats a couple more times, and then the song ends. Exactly the same drum figure feels completely different at the end, because of what has happened. Anna Coogan has done two previous albums, but The Nocturnal Among Us is my introduction to her work. It has made a strong first impression.

You can read the full review here:

http://oliverdiplace.blogspot.com/2010/03/anna-coogan-nocturnal-among-us.html

Just got a nice review from UK based music reviewer Allan Wilkinson. For the full review, see the "press" section, or check out Allan's site here:

http://www.allanwilkinson.co.uk/node/675
Here's a highlight:

"The songs here are deeply personal, especially So Long Summertime which together with all the other songs on the album, almost provides an epitaph for a lost friend.
With an impressive forthcoming tour schedule, the songs comprising THE NOCTURNAL AMONG US will no doubt serve Anna well, whether you catch her at a concert hall in San Francisco, a folk club in Falkirk or the smallest house concert in the back of a van. I certainly look forward to catching her at one of those soon."

I'm excited that my song "Crooked Sea" from "The Nocturnal Among Us" was selected to be featured on a compilation CD that will be used to raise money for the Indiegrrl Music and Arts Camp for children. Killer cause, and it is gonna be a hell of a good CD. I'll post links to the finished product in a few months.

I will be the first to admit that playing music is not always fun. In fact, there are long stretches where it is no fun at all, and I scratch my head and wonder what the hell I am doing. The job of being your own booker, manager, promoter, and networker can feel (and, indeed, can be) impossible. I've got something like 10 social network sites that I try to maintain, my own 10-headed online avatar re-creation of myself. It's so easy to lose your way out there, to start feeling bitter.

And then, every once in a while, something happens.("just when I thought I was out....they pull me back in!") It can be any number of things: a show, a recording experience, a new song that comes out of nowhere, even just a positive email. And you remember why you are doing it.

Last night was one of those moments. After 6 months of solid work of booking the tour and finishing the record, with a credit card bending under the weight of each new purchase, I was feeling rather burnt out. I was starting to feel like a broken record, like a copy-and-paste email gone bad. I did not know what to expect out of my international band, who arrived 2 days before the show having never met eachother,let alone played together. All I could do was cross my fingers and hope for the best.

And I got it. Last night at the Fremont Abbey was one of the best shows of my life. Everything clicked into place. The house was packed and the audience was quiet (wow!). The sound was beautiful and the acoustics of the former-church were almost holy. The band, all 5 of us, played like we had been playing together for years. For the first time in what seemed like years, I felt every word I was singing. For the first time in what seemed like years, I remembered exactly why we do what we do.

After the show, we drank the last bottle of our wedding champagne and danced to 80's hip hop at the local dive. I woke up way too early today ( not yet on a tour schedule!) and am hung over, yet I feel better today than I have in a long time. We're starting the tour in earnest next week, and I know it will be a roller coaster. Goods, bads, drunks, and everything in between. But for now, it's just me and my coffee (the boys are all still asleep, lucky them) and a brief moment of clarity. This is why I do it.

Today is the official release date of "The Nocturnal", which means you can now buy it on Amazon, itunes, cdbaby, ect. You can still purchase it directly through me, as well. Thanks for all your support on this. I am so excited to pack the van, make sure Juno (the corgi) get's comfy in her travel crate, and head out on the road.

"The Nocturnal" is Richard Gilman's pick of the week for "The Outskirts" on KBCS 91.3 FM. Richard did my first ever radio interview all of 7 (!!) years ago, and is an incredible DJ. Thanks, KBCS!

Reviews are starting to come in for "The Nocturnal Among Us". You can check out this great review, from the music blog Wildy's World, here:

http://wildysworld.blogspot.com/2010/02/review-anna-coogan-nocturnal-among-us.html
Here's a sample:

"Coogan floored me from the opening notes of The Nocturnal Among Us. Her voice is truly something special, and Coogan has a talent for phrasing that's somewhat rare in Pop music. Coogan also is able to write and perform music that sounds 100% authentic, honest and from the heart. If she chooses, Coogan's going to be making music the rest of her life. Talent like this screams to be used."

Thanks, Wildy!

We've found a guitar player for the tour (and hopefully many other shows in the future.) Where did we find this guy? In Rome, Italy, of course! Which means: converters, transformers, dictionaries, and, for me, trying to talk a little slower. We are really excited! Ciao!

For those of you who have purchased the album and are staying awake at night wondering "What IS she saying? I really wish I had some lyrics!", I have now added lyrics for the entire album to the "Music" section of the website. Feel free to print them out,share them around, or ignore them completely. And thanks for all the pre-orders! Please spread the word to your friends!

We've locked in a 350+ radio campaign for "The Nocturnal Among Us". We'll be working 150 stations with Bill Wence Productions for Americana/non-comm AAA, and 200 college stations with Planetary Group. We are thrilled to be working with such great agencies. Listen for "The Nocturnal" on March 2nd, the official add date, on a station near you!

I've been busy booking my CD release tour over the last few months, and I am so ready to get off the computer and get on the road!!! I'll be doing shows with some incredible artists, including Edie Carey and Katie Todd (both from Chicago), Lindsay Fuller, Martin England, Rebecca Pronsky, Nightjar and lot's of others. There are tour details in the calender section of the website, but here is a quick look at March:

March 5-Seattle: Fremont Abbey. Edie Carey and Lindsay Fuller open.
March 6- Bellingham: The Roost. Pete Farmer opens.
March 11- Portland, OR: The Woods. Lower 48 and The Ishes open.
March 12- Roseburg, OR: Jasmines. An intimate evening with US.
March 13- San Fransisco: The Plough and Stars. With Bootcuts.
March 14- San Luis Opisbo, CA: Linneas. An intimate evening with US.
March 15- Paso Robles, CA: Senor Sancho's.
March 23- Fairfield, IA: Cafe Paradiso. With Truckstop Souvenir.
March 24- Madsion: The Frequency. w/ Katie Todd.
March 25- Milwaukee: TBA. w/Katie Todd.
March 26- Chicago: Uncommon Ground Devon. w/Katie Todd
March 27- Indianapolis: Radio Radio. w/Katie Todd and Nightjar.
April 10- Boston: Club Passim. opening for Edie Carey.

I'm still filling April and May out and will post news soon. See you out there!!

We've had a lot of comments on the record artwork-- the cover image is from a painting by Ali Walsh, a Brooklyn-based artist. You can see more of her amazing images at http://www.aliwalshart.com . Tell her we sent you!

The photography is by our local favorite Michael Bauer. You can find his work at http://www.michaelbauerphotography.com . You can see his amazing wedding and portrait work, as well as his live shots of artists like Brandi Carlile.

The design was done by my intrepid husband, Brooks Miner. Designing a CD is a lot of work, as he found out the hard way-- but we are still married. So that's good.

Seattle in December is a tough sell. There is about 2 hours of daylight (actually, it is more like 7 hours, but the cloud cover is so thick that sometimes you can't be sure the sun has risen at all), the drizzle never seems to stop (unless it is being interrupted by a downpour), and everything is soggy and muddy. It is the opposite of winter in the East Coast-- in December, everyone is thrilled about the new snow, everything is Christmassy and fresh and cozy. By February, though, you are pretty much ready to off yourself and get it over with. In Seattle, February seems like spring is just around the corner (the fact that there is NO spring and summer doesn't arrive until July notwithstanding).

The things that make a Seattle winter worth living through are: coffee (any kind, almost anywhere), small corgis who need to be walked, the occasional glimpse of mountains through the clouds, guitars, and of course, the dark, cozy, loud bars of Ballard.

We are in the process of leaving our beloved Ballard apartment, with stunning views of the ENTIRE Olympic mountain range. I wrote most of my new album in this apartment, overlooking these mountains. Our stuff is now in a million boxes (what IS all this stuff??) scattered around the city. We are moving into a basement apartment in Lake City, which is much more fitting for the "starving artist" (and grad student) lifestyle. This move will enable me to go on tour for 3 months this spring, go to Europe this fall, and generally make a living as a musician. All in all very good stuff, but hard to wrap my head around right now.

I got the 1059 copies of "The Nocturnal Among Us" on Friday-- and the bonus EP's are arriving on Tuesday-- and they look great! Amazing artwork done by Ali Walsh-- this is really dark stuff-- and beautiful design by my incredibly talented husband. I sent off all my pre-orders yesterday morning, which is a great feeling. Thank you, thank you for all your support on this. I can't wait to release this sucker into the world...

So a few more days of moving and packing, and then off to Anchorage, to spend my first Christmas in snowy Alaska, with TWO corgis, one new husband and one new family. So very grown up. I hope you have a wonderful holiday-- keep in touch! Lots of love from the GPNW (Great Pacific North West)....