Embedded Files
"When You Need To Fly" is OUT NOW! The listening party has begun for my new "double" album!!
Classification and Categorization
This page attempts to technically describe Scott Cooley's music - that is, original Scott Cooley songs, as recorded by Scott himself. Headings, subheadings, and bullet lists provide easily-consumable music classification attributes by category to convey an excruciating amount of detail about what Scott's music sounds like. Writing and recording is fun, but then breaking through the noise of a million new songs per day on streaming services that you are theoretically competing with requires describing the music, which is always difficult and dreadful for artists and yet is a necessary evil. Here goes:
Summary Points
Americana solo artist, acoustic garage rock
singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist
primarily rock, with some folk and blues
occasional styles include reggae and country
love is the predominant subject matter
other topics include Michigan, the great lakes, skiing and sailing
more artistic than commercial
focus on lyrics and melody vs. vocal and instrumental performace
emphasis on songwriting over production value / recording quality
more acoustic than electric
minimalist rhythm section
preference for real instruments vs. virtual
analog sound with nominal usage of digital effects
no use of auto tuning or quantization
frequent use of bridges and melodic solos
acoustic guitar is the primary instrument
Brief Description
Scott Cooley's recordings of his own songs have an overall sound that can best be described as real. There are no fake drums, fake bass grooves, loops, virtual instruments, auto-tune, or synthesizers. There are no fancy electronics or effects to mask skill/talent levels. What you hear is pretty much how it would sound live - if there were four or five other Scott Cooleys playing all of the instruments Scott plays at the same time. There is a lot of spirit and intimacy behind this acoustic music, and you can feel like you're right there with him, along for the ride. You wonder if Scott himself thought the same part of a song was cool for the same reason you did when he wrote it, recorded it, and then listened back. He probably did. Instead of being great at one thing, Scott is competent at many. Using your imagination, you can see how rewarding it must've been for one person to write the songs, play all the instruments, sing, and record/engineer/produce it all with total freedom and control as intended. In this way, you're listening to one person's vision that has become a reality.
Lyrical Content
Abstract Lyrics
Ambiguous Lyrics
Cash-Obsessed Lyrics
Clean Lyrics
Defiant Lyrics
Empowering Lyrics
Explicit Lyrics
French Lyrics
Great Lyrics
Heartbreak Lyrics
Heartbreaking Lyrics
Humorous Lyrics
Joyful Lyrics
Lyric-Centric Aesthetic
Lyric-Centric Composition
Lyric-Centric Performance
Lyrical Melodies
Lyrics about Partying
Lyrics that Tell a Story
Narrative Lyrics
Political Satire Lyric
Positive, Upbeat Lyrics
Romantic Lyrics
Sad Lyrics
Socially Conscious Lyrics
Storytelling Lyrics
Surreal, Stream Of Consciousness Lyrics
Tight Lyrics
Vocals
Lead
Breathy Male Lead Vocalist
Clear Pronunciation
Distinctive Male Lead Vocal
Dominant Vocal Hooks
Emotional Male Lead Vocal Performance
Emotional Vocals
Exaggerated Enunciation
Laid Back Male Vocal
Smooth Male Lead Vocalist
Background
Subtle Use of Vocal Harmony
Blending of multiple tracks to produce chorus
Occasional female backing vocals (Lenore Cooley)
Structure / Composition
Basic Rock Song Structures
Musicianship: evident natural talent as opposed to classically-trained skill
Melodic Songwriting
Minimalist Arrangements
Subtle Buildup/Breakdown
Tonality
Mixed Minor & Major Key Tonality
Mixed Major, Minor & 7th Chords
Instrumental Solos Featuring Blues and Pentatonic Scales
Ostinato (repetition)
Acoustic Sonority
Chordal Patterning
Occasional Use of Acoustic Fills & Vamping Riffs
Melodically Phrased Acoustic Instrumental Solos
Knack for Catchy Hooks
Overall Meditative Sound
Repetitive Chorus
mirrored yet separate, widely-panned dual acoustic rhythm guitar tracks
Rhythm / Meter
Slow, Mid-tempo & danceable uptempto Grooves
Mild Rhythmic Syncopation
Varying Tempo and Time Signatures – usally 4/4 w/ some 3/4
Rhythmic Intros
Feel
Varying Rhythmic Feels
Laid Back Mid-Tempo Shuffle Feel
Occasionally Romantic and Danceable
Occasinally, A Reggae or Jazz Waltz Feel
Genres
Describing this warranted its own page:
"Bad" Qualities
Intentional low fidelity
Insufficient and/or dated production quality
Unbalanced and/or over-processed mixes
Unintended distortion / clipping
Editing issues (abrupt endings, intros or splices)
Tuning issues
Overly offensive and/or inappropriate content
Noise or hiss / poor signal-to-noise ratio
Influences
The task of defining the Scott Cooley sound can perhaps be aided by an overview of Scott's musical influences:
Singer-Songwriters who play acoustic guitar:
the sensitivity of a James Taylor or John Denver
the classic rock influence of John Fogerty and Neil Young
the world music influences of Jimmy Buffett and Paul Simon
the classic country influence of Willie Nelson
the folk and blues stylings of Bob Dylan
The Acoustic Rock sound popularized by the early 90s MTV show "unplugged":
Violent Femmes
R.E.M.
Nirvana
Kiss
The entire Garage Rock subgenre:
Bands from the late 60's (The Kingsmen, The Kinks, The Grateful Dead)
Michigan bands throughout the 70s (Question Mark & the Mysterians, Tommy James & The Shondells, Iggy Pop & The Stooges, The MC5, Grand Funk Railroad)
early punk (Ramones, Patti Smith), and the "revival" years (White Stripes, Jack White)
The Heartland Rock subgenre:
Bob Seger
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
John Mellencamp
Steve Earle
Roots
Traditional, Blues, Folk, Americana & Roots Influences
Hard Rock and Rock & Roll Influences
Motown, Soul, Funk, and R&B Influences
Cajun, Creole, Zydeco, New Orleans Influences
Caribbean, Mento, Calypso, Ska, Reggae, Surf & Hawaiian Influences
Mexican & Latin Influences
People, Bands, Artists, Places
Some of the bands, solo performers, recording artists, songwriters, writers, poets, places, things, etc. that have influenced my music are (in no particular order):
Every artist in the Sound-Alike Comparisons section
Grand Funk Railroad
Mark Twain
The Beach Boys
Booker T. & The MG's
Beatles
KISS
Smokey Robinson
J.D. Salinger
Van Halen
ZZ Top
A.C. Weisbecker
Dick Dale
Robert Frost
Hank Williams Sr.
Ted Nugent
Mt. Holly
Chuck Berry
Violent Femmes
Talking Heads
Boston
Robbie Robertson
Elvis Presley
Leftover Salmon
Dr. Andrew Weil
The Grateful Dead
New Orleans, Louisiana
Paris, France
Vail, Colorado
Ernest Hemingway
Isle Royale National Park
Muddy Waters
The Meters
Bob Marley
Led Zeppelin
The Monkees
Mitch Albom
Elvis Presley
Elmore Leonard
Buddy Holly
Mark Farner
Alice Cooper
William Faulkner
Jimi Hendrix
Hunter S. Thompson
Ramones
Stevie Ray Vaughn
Nirvana
White Stripes
Spinal Tap
Tenacious D
Beach Boys
Carpenters
Crosby, Stills & Nash
Sound-Alike Comparisons (Artists)
What? No way... The popular recording artists, bands, solo performers, musicians, etc. that people have said I sound like are:
Jimmy Buffett
Counting Crows
Jack Johnson
Jack White
Jack Black
Jeff Tweedy
Jeff Daniels
Tom Petty
Tom Waits
John Mellencamp
Steve Earle
John Fogerty
Neil Young
Bob Dylan
Paul Simon
James Taylor
Bob Seger
Willie Nelson
Barenaked Ladies
Gordon Lightfoot
Beck
John Denver
Violent Femmes
Instrumentation
Acoustic Rock Instrumentation
Spirited Instrumental Prowess
Demanding Melodic & Instrumental Part Writing
Rare use of Electric Guitar Instrumentation
Occasional Emphasis on Instrumental Performance
Mixed Melodic Instrumentals & Improvisational Instrumentatls
Mellow Rock Sounds and Instrumentation
Unique Instrumentation – accordion, marimba, harmonica, acoustic hawaiian lap steel
Guitar
Acoustic
Very Light Guitar Effects
Mixed Finger & Flat Picked Acoustic Rhythm Guitar
Acoustic Guitar Layering
Acoustic Guitar Riffs
Well-Articulated Acoustic Guitar Solos
Acoustic Lap Steel Slide Guitar
Electric
Very rare use of electric/acoustic guitar through amp
Keyboard
Accordion
Accordion Accompaniment (Lenore Cooley)
Prominent Accordion Solos (Lenore Cooley)
Piano
Subtle Use of Acoustic Piano
Bass
Contrabass (Acoustic Bass Guitar)
Prominent Role for the Acoustic Bass Guitar
Symbiotic Kick and Bass
Slow Moving Acoustic Bass Lines to Riffing & Soloing
Electric Bass Guitar
Occasional use of amplified electric/acoustic bass guitar
Drum & Percussion Sections
Sparse Djembe Kick Sound
Dry Snare w/ brush
Acoustic hi-hat
Latin percussion/ Hand drum fills
Light Drum & Percussion Fills
shaker & tambourine
Wood slit drum
Hand Percussion Layer
Rhythmic Hand Clapping
Idiophone
Mallet Percussion
Use of Marimbas (Lenore & occasionally Scott Cooley)
Woodwind
Subtle Use of Harmonica for Accompaniment & Solos
Occasional flute (Lenore Cooley)
Whistling
Other – in rap song only:
Spoken Word
Synth Bass Riff & Synth Drums on rap song only
Use of Guitar Pick Low E String Scratching As Turntablism
Recording Technique
Moist (light reverb) Recording Sound
Minimalist Recording Studio Production
Vinyl Ambience
Unprocessed Recording Qualities
Leanings / Stylings
Country Rock Leanings
Old Time Music Styles
Radio Friendly Stylings
Musical Qualities
Alt.Country Qualities
Blues Rock Qualities
Classic Soul Qualities
Easy Listening Qualities
Folk Rock Qualities
Pop Rock Qualities
Indie Pop Qualities
Americana Qualities
Classic Rock Qualities
Caribbean Qualities
Roots Qualities
Feelings and Vibes
The feelings and vibes that I want to create or convey with my music are:
excitement
enthusiasm
unwinding
refreshing
relaxing
companionship
soothing
calm
vacation
holiday
lakes
cool breezes
enjoyment of the four seasons
escapism
hope
captivating
alluring
serene
peaceful
adventurous
uplifting
moving
Longer Description
Scott Cooley's music is like all music - passionately created by someone with a unique soul. Scott intentionally avoids trying to sound like anyone else, and in fact, if you saw his personal music collection, you would be surprised that it's vastly different music than the kind he writes and produces himself - but that's the thing about his music - it's full of surprises. This page describes more about what those surprises are, and although they may be different for each listener, just as with appreciation of any art form, it is meant to satisfy a basic question that comes to most of our minds when music is recommended to us - what is it like? Maybe you're using the internet on a personal music discovery mission, and a series of links led you here rather than someone's recommendation - nevertheless, you are considering what Scott's music is all about. This site may serve to enhance your enjoyment of his records you've already purchased, while on the other hand it may sway some of you to become first-time Scott Cooley record buyers. Marching to the beat of his own drum, Scott is like a painter who may know some of the techniques and basic rules of painting, but doesn't use or adhere to them very often. Although not so different from anything you've ever heard before that he'd qualify as a trailblazing pioneer in music, most report adjectives such as "refreshing" "sincere" and "creative" to describe it, although we've heard a few "awesomes" as well. If you're someone who needs to know a lot of information about music before you listen to it, this website is the right place to learn more, however, you can cut to the chase and try before you buy by listening online for free here.
Scott Cooley's released albums are compilations of his demonstration recordings, which feature Scott handling all instrument playing, vocals, and production himself. They have an overall sound that is decidedly that of a homegrown hobbyist who is having a blast with his craft - quite the opposite of the professional-sounding demos of most songwriters that sound almost like the released cut versions from the famous major-label recording artists they pitched them to. Common to most songs are: open chord rhythm guitar strumming, acoustic lead guitar, minimalist rhythm section, laid-back lead vocals, understated background vocals, both lighthearted and poetic lyrics, unconventional song construction, retro/lo-fi/analog production quality, all acoustic instruments, hand percussion, competent mixing, and light mastering. What you don't hear is the formulaic songs written on assignment from those who study the number one hits on the charts. Scott's "studying" or instruction comes only from unconscious influence from songs he's liked hearing over the years, and learning only the aspects of music-making necessary to be able to make his creations come to life and be available for others to enjoy.
Missing are synthesizers, drum loops, electric instruments and heavy effects to mask imperfections, which let the honesty and authenticity of the songs shine. Even the most casual music fans will notice that Scott's instrument playing, vocals, and recording work is that of a self-taught musician who, despite not having the advantages of formal training in any of these areas, still manages to come up with some appealing tunes. Without the constraints that lessons and knowledge of theory bring to music writing, Scott is able to play by his own rules and achieve a level of creativity that is real and organic. If some natural talent in any of these areas is evident, it is simply the ability to write songs that are interesting to listen to, although one can only be impressed by his ability to self-educate in several aspects of the process of writing, performing, and recording. Though not a natural entertainer or ham-it-up attention seeker, Scott isn't totally a behind-the-scenes woodshop mad scientist studio type either - he knows just enough of the basics to get his songs out there as he envisioned them.
For someone who never picked up an instrument until well into adulthood, the result can be captivating to the point that comparison to popular major-label artists is a moot point – a difference distinctly determined by the preference of the listener regardless of top chops, visual appeal and marketing dollars. In an era when sound-alike comparisons, labels, keywords, hashtags and meta-data are so important for recommendation, it isn’t obvious how one would conveniently classify Scott’s music in relation to other artists’ you’ve heard on the radio or seen on television. The songs themselves are elusive to categorize - perhaps too aggressive, whimsical and simple to be considered serious Folk; maybe too slow, mellow and introspective to be considered Rock; too acoustic and slow and nice to be Punk Rock; not electric enough to qualify as Garage Rock; too much like rock to be considered Country; not Celtic and/or Bluegrassy enough or played technically perfectly enough to be considered Roots; too unconventional to appeal to purists who prefer traditional Blues; and too under-produced, dark and unpolished to pass as Pop or R&B. A variety of genres, styles, structures, subject matter and tempos allows listeners with wide musical tastes to remain interested, and hints of Hard Rock, Motown, Zydedo, Tejano, and Caribbean influences are easy to spot.
As a fan of blues and 70s hard rock, Scott's personal listening tastes don't show themselves easily due to his choice of an all-acoustic sound. While the standard instrumentation of acoustic guitar, acoustic bass, and brush snare drum give all the songs a sameness of sound at a base level, the occasional use of hawaiian lap-style slide acoustic steel guitar, marimba, harmonica, and accordion provides variety from song to song. In a time when the music business increasingly offers belt-it-out vocalists/recording artists who co-write their own material, one might think the calm and soothing qualities of Scott’s voice would make him more of a non-performing songwriter than a singer-songwriter, while his ability to play non-flashy, yet groovy instrumental guitar solos would make him more of a sidekick than a frontman in a band. One might expect the formally-trained finger picking of acoustic guitar, combined with serious political topics when considering the present-day, folk singer-songwriter scene, but Scott breaks that mold with a casual playing style and positive lyrics that don't shy away from universal themes delivered in an upbeat, friendly manner. Professional country songwriters who pitch fully-produced demos with studio musicians on state-of-the-art digital equipment with click tracks, pitch correction, programmed keyboards and drums, with slick production quality might have come a long way from the days when a piano/vocal or simple guitar/vocal would do the trick in Nashville, but Scott’s recordings fall pleasantly somewhere in the middle.
The kick you get out of listening to Scott Cooley albums is that the songs are real, from the heart, played by someone with a true passion for the craft despite not having had any lessons. If you get into the fact that someone who isn't blessed with superior natural talent and years of training goes for it anyway, and winds up making music that is pleasing and interesting despite a few flaws, it's going to surprise you. If you are discriminating to the point that you won't waste time on music that isn't perfectly played and recorded by pros and performed by outstanding, gifted vocalists, then this won't be your cup of tea. If you crave something a little different than what is typically advertised to you in the mainstream, and yearn for good songwriting and honest, enthusiastic delivery by a mere mortal with a lot of spirit and sweat equity behind it, Scott’s your guy.
Music Maps
Sub-page: Genres
Report abuse