Thursday, September 1, 2016

Cotton Mather to reunite for shows celebrating first all-new album in 15 years; Band’s landmark “Kontiki” to get vinyl release in Nov.

New “Death of The Cool” collects 11 songs from ongoing 64-track project based on I Ching; Twenty-three songs total, now available.

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Robert Harrison of Cotton Mather as photographed by Valerie Fremin.

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Cotton MatherIn The Press

“An exemplary specimen from Harrison’s seemingly endless collection of instant classics.” – Austin Chronicle

“Save money on the next (Beatles) reissue and try this colorful extension of their sonic legacy.” – Los Angeles Times

“Cerebral aspirations grounded in a classicist’s grasp of melody.” – MAGNET

Harrison’s gifts are as strong as ever.” – AllMusic

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Hear “The Book of Too Late Changes” from Death of The Cool by Cotton Mather via Texas Monthly or at the links below!



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It didn’t take 15 years for Cotton Mather’s Austin-based main man, Robert Harrison to write the 64 songs (64 songs!) that comprise his latest musical vision: one song for each hexagram (or reading) of the I Ching.  That’s actually the amount of time that has passed since the last full-length album of new Cotton Mather songs was released.

Twelve non-album tracks from this treasure trove of new tunes are already streaming (see the “Songs From The I Ching” Master Song List below), having been released one-by-one in “real time and real weather” as Harrison describes this creative process. Now, the first of several albums that will ultimately contain much of the entire song cycle, has been released.

Available via the band’s Star Apple Kingdom label – with a limited-edition white vinyl edition scheduled for Sept. 9th – the eleven-track Death of The Cool adds eleven more of Harrison’s pure pop meditations on Chinese philosophy to the “Songs From The I Ching” project, bringing the total number of tracks now circulating to twenty-three. Harrison’s ongoing commentaries about each song can be found at the website, ichingsongs.com.

To celebrate the release of Death of The Cool, Cotton Mather will reunite for the first time since 2013 for two special record release shows on Fri., Sept. 23rd in Austin at The Townsend. Tickets are now available for both a 7PM acoustic show and 10PM electric performance. See below for more info. Fans attending these intimate performances will hear songs from Death of The Cool, along with Cotton Mather favorites, including songs from the band’s landmark 1997 album Kontiki.

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 “Kontiki gave me something to shoot for.” – Britt Daniel (Spoon)

“The best record I’ve heard in ten years.” – Noel Gallagher (Oasis)

“100 Great Albums You’ve Never Heard” (#2) – NME

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Cotton Mather’s 1997 album Kontiki was reissued on CD in 2012 with a bonus disc of demos.

Now, with renewed interest in the band, and this underground classic, Kontiki will be released on vinyl for the first time on Record Store Day (Fri., Nov 25th) along with a bonus 7-inch, limited to 300 copies, containing two Cotton Mather tracks (“I’ll Be Gone,” and “Animal Show”) that were previously only available on a now out-of-print single issued several years ago.

Cotton Mather released its debut album Cotton Is King in 1994, but it was Kontiki, famously recorded on four-track cassette and released in 1997, that drew praise from critics and rock-stars alike, so much so in the UK that many thought the band originated there.

Uncut gave Kontiki five stars calling the record “music to smile yourself to death to.” Mojo said the songs were “brought to life with daring vitality,” and in its own five-star review, The Guardian called Kontiki “a bewildering, dizzy thrill.”

Pre-order the limited edition orange vinyl edition of Kontiki (w/ bonus 7-inch) at the band's webstore or via Amazon.

Robert Harrison of Cotton Mather is available for interviews.  Contact Josh Bloom at Fanatic for more information.

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Cotton Mather – Upcoming Live Events


All Times CST

9/08 Waterloo Records (In-Store) 5:40PM (INFO)
9/13 KUTX, Austin (Radio Appearance) 1PM (INFO)
9/23 The Townsend (Acoustic) 7PM (TICKETS)
9/23 The Townsend (Electric) 10PM (TICKETS)
9/27 KGSR, Austin (Radio Appearance) 11PM (INFO)

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Cotton Mather
Death of The Cool
(The Star Apple Kingdom)

CD | DIGI – Out Now
VINYL – Sept. 9th, 2016


Track Listing:

01. The Book of Too Late Changes (STREAM | MP3)
02. Close To The Sun (STREAM | MP3)
03. The Middle of Nowhere
04. Candy Lilac (STREAM | MP3)
05. Life of The Liar (STREAM | MP3)
06. The Land of Flowers
07. Never Be It
08. Queen of Swords
09. Waters Raging
10. Child Bride (STREAM | MP3)
11. The End of DeWitt Finley

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“Songs From The I Ching” Master Song List (as of Aug. 29th 2016)

Hexagram # | Song Title | “I Ching” Hexagram Name | Where Available | Listening Links

#1 | Close To The Sun | The Creative | on Death of The Cool | (STREAM | MP3)
#2 | The Middle of Nowhere | The Receptive | on Death of The Cool
#3 | The Land of Flowers | Beginning | on Death of The Cool
#4 | Child Bride | Youthful Folly | on Death of The Cool | (STREAM | MP3)
#5 | Never Be It | Waiting | on Death of The Cool
#6. Life of the Liar | Contention | on Death of The Cool | (STREAM | MP3)
#7 | The Army | The Army | non-album track | (STREAM)
#8 | Candy Lilac | Union | on Death of The Cool | (STREAM | MP3)
#9 | High Society | Little Accumulation | non-album track | (STREAM)
#11 | California | Advance / Peace | non-album track | (STREAM)
#12 | The End of DeWitt Finley | Standstill | on Death of The Cool
#13 | The Cotton Mather Pledge | Seeking Harmony/Fellowship Among Men | non-album track | (STREAM)
#15 | It’s Better Not To Be The King | Modesty | non-album track | (STREAM)
#18 | Shadow The Star | Remedying | non-album track | (STREAM)
#22 | White Gold | Adornment | non-album track | (STREAM | MP3)
#23 | Queen of Swords | Falling Away | on Death of The Cool
#24. The Book of Too Late Changes | The Return | on Death of The Cool | (STREAM | MP3)
#28 | Carnival Off My Back | Great Exceeding | non-album track | (STREAM)
#29 | Waters Raging | The Abysmal | on Death of The Cool
#37 | King William | The Household | non-album track | (STREAM)
#52 | Way of The Samurai | Keeping Still/The Mountain | non-album track | (STREAM)
#56 | Hijinx Dad | The Wanderer | non-album track | (STREAM)
#64. Faded | Before Completion/Not Yet Fulfilled | non-album track | (STREAM | MP3)

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Cotton Mather Links


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Contact Josh Bloom at Fanatic Promotion


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