Roots Rock - An American Roots Rockin' Sonic Adventure

12 MP3 Songs
ROCK: Americana, ROCK: Roots Rock



Details:
Santa Barbara, California-based Claude Hopper is pleased to announce the release of their latest CD, "The Finite Nature of Things." Once again, Claude Hopper has created a roots rockin' record with the intertwined sounds of rich acoustic and lush overdriven electric instruments, and the rough hewn vocals of singer/songwriter David Cowan.

The CD, which features twelve new original sings, was recorded on Sola Street and at FarmOut Studio in Santa Barbara in 2004. Once again, Robinson Eikenberry was at the production helm adding his sonic wizardry to the mix.

Claude Hopper features producer David Cowan as the principal songwriter, guitarist and vocalist. Guest artists on the new CD include: John McInnes, Michael Rivers, Chris Ulep, Alastair Greene, Andy Cowan, Bill Flores, Mari Martin,Anastasia Gonzales, Jay Shobe, Nicola Gordon, Malcolm Anderson, Brett Larson, Bryan "Smitty" Smith, Tina Schlieske, Jeff Mills, and Jim Connolly.

The CD was reviewed recently by Steven Libowitz in the Montecito Journal. As follows:

- With its even, mid-paced tempos and warm sonorous sensibility "The Finite Nature of Things," could serve as the soundtrack to the painter's dark scenes of the American life. But where the previous album, "Four in the Morning," tried to be all things to all alt-country-rockers, the new disc has a more cohesive feel. Indeed, only "White Trash..." and "Stout Dinner"- about his preferred pre-show meal of a couple of Guinness pints - are the only off-the-cuff songs on the collection, which is far more densely populated with autobiographical themes and introspective ruminations. If his debut was observations and commentary on the world around him, " Nature" seems to have sprung up from the inside out...

...No where is that clearer than on "Surely Follow" - which contains the title line among its lyrics - a meditation of regret and redemption over the unexpected passing of a close friend: "The sky is black over there... darker than I have ever known / I should have stopped on by when the light still filled the room."

His moment of reflection lingers, "You can look at a collection of photographs and realize that there are some absolutely pivotal moments in your life," he says, "But the challenge is to be present in the moment and appreciate what's going on." -

The Claude Hopper live line-up features David Cowan on guitar and vocals, John McInnes on the bass guitar, Andy Webb on lead guitar, Michael Rivers on the drum kit, and Chris Ulep on keyboards.

An Ohio native, David Cowan has been performing with various acts in the greater Santa Barbara, California area since arriving on the scene in 1989. A sampling of acts he has contributed to includes Jah Bone, DNA, Jeff Bisch, Kate Bennett, Nicola Gordon, Earl, Jay Shobe, The Adobe, Tina Schlieske, and more.

David has been an active participant in Jim Messina's (Buffalo Springfield, Loggins and Messina, Poco) "Songwriters Performance Workshops." David was also a member of the "On The Couch" series at the Mint in Los Angeles as a singer/songwriter and back-line guitarist.