Chris Cohen is an American singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist best known for his solo albums as well as for having been a member of the band

Deerhoof Deerhoof are an American musical group formed in San Francisco in 1994. They currently consist of founding drummer Greg Saunier, bassist and singer Satomi Matsuzaki, and guitarists John Dieterich and Ed Rodriguez. Beginning as an improvised noi ...

between 2002 and 2006.

Early life and education

Born in Los Angeles, California in 1975, he is the son of former music business executive

Kip Cohen Kip Cohen is an American entertainment and record company executive who once held positions at the Fillmore East, Columbia Records and the Herb Alpert Foundation. Career In 1964 Cohen was the theater production manager for ''The Committee'' and ''T ...

and former

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

actress Lynn Cohen (known professionally as Lynn Carlisle). In 1991, Cohen appeared in the

Sonic Youth Sonic Youth was an American rock band based in New York City, formed in 1981. Founding members Thurston Moore (guitar, vocals), Kim Gordon (bass, vocals, guitar) and Lee Ranaldo (guitar, vocals) remained together for the entire history of the b ...

video "Cinderella's Big Score" by

Dave Markey David Markey (born December 3, 1963 in Burbank, California, United States) is an American film director. Biography As a self-taught filmmaker and musician, David Markey directed, produced, edited, and photographed most of his films, the majori ...

. His sister is public radio reporter and host Alex Cohen. His first instrument was drums, which he began playing at the age of 3, later learning to make music by

overdubbing Overdubbing (also known as layering) is a technique used in audio recording in which audio tracks that have been pre-recorded are then played back and monitored, while simultaneously recording new, doubled, or augmented tracks onto one or more av ...

himself on a cassette four-track.

Career

Cohen has released three records under his own name on the

Captured Tracks Captured Tracks is an American independent record label based in Brooklyn, New York. The label was founded in 2008 by Mike Sniper. About Current flagship artists include: Craft Spells, DIIV and Wild Nothing. Captured Tracks has reissued record ...

label – ''Overgrown Path'' (2012), '' As If Apart'' (2016), and ''Chris Cohen'' (2019). Cohen performed and recorded his first two albums himself, describing them in an interview as "companion pieces." '' Overgrown Path'' was called "a perfectly conceived album" by ''Allmusic'' and '' As If Apart'' a "powerful, exquisitely realized journey" by ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...

.''

' owner Mike Sniper stated via Twitter that "whenever I get depressed about running an indie rock label in 2016, I can take solace in knowing I put out 2 Chris Cohen LP's." In 2012 Cohen was listed by

Mac DeMarco MacBriare Samuel Lanyon DeMarco (born Vernor Winfield MacBriare Smith IV; April 30, 1990) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer. DeMarco has released six full-length studio albums, his debut ''Rock and Roll Night C ...

as one of his "favorite new artists." Before beginning to use his own name, Cohen wrote music for his band,

The Curtains The Curtains is an American band founded by Chris Cohen and visual artist Trevor Shimizu in San Francisco, California in 2000. Style Their first three albums are mostly instrumental music which uses electric guitar, Moog Concertmate MG-1 and d ...

, as well as for

, Natural Dreamers, and

Cryptacize Cryptacize is a California pop band founded by Nedelle Torrisi and Chris Cohen in 2006. They released two records on the Asthmatic Kitty label. After seeing percussionist Michael Carreira's solo cowbell videos on YouTube, Cohen and Torrisi ask ...

, which was a collaboration with Nedelle Torrisi and Michael Carreira. After the dissolution of

, Cohen played drums or guitar with

Ariel Pink Ariel Marcus Rosenberg ( ; born June 24, 1978), professionally known as Ariel Pink, is an American musician, singer, and songwriter whose work draws heavily from the popular music of the 1960s–1980s. His lo-fi music, lo-fi aesthetic and home ...

's Haunted Graffiti and

White Magic White magic has traditionally referred to the use of supernatural powers or magic for selfless purposes. Practitioners of white magic have been given titles such as wise men or women, healers, white witches or wizards. Many of these people claim ...

. He also toured and recorded with

Cass McCombs Cass McCombs (born November 13, 1977 in California) is an American musician and songwriter. Since 2002 he has released ten albums, an EP and a B-sides compilation under his own name. McCombs’ music blends elements of many styles including Ameri ...

and has performed and recorded with

Maher Shalal Hash Baz "Maher-shalal-hash-baz" (; he, מַהֵר שָׁלָל חָשׁ בַּז, ' – "Hurry to the spoils!" or "He has made haste to the plunder!") was the second prophetic name mentioned in Isaiah chapter 8– 9. Biblical accounts The name is menti ...

Danielson Danielson is an American rock band from Clarksboro, New Jersey, that plays indie pop gospel music. The group consists of frontman Daniel Smith and a number of various artists with whom he collaborates. Smith has also released solo work as Bro ...

and EZTV. In 2016 he co-produced and played drums on the album ''Front Row Seat to Earth'' by

Weyes Blood Natalie Laura Mering (born June 11, 1988), known professionally as Weyes Blood (pronounced ), is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. She was primarily raised in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. She has been performing her own material under ...

. Cohen currently performs in his own band and in the duo Park Detail's Band with Yasi Perera. He has toured the US and Europe extensively with his band since 2012, performing at

Primavera Sound Primavera Sound (commonly referred to as simply Primavera) is an annual music festival held in Parc del Fòrum in Barcelona, Spain that takes place between the end of May and beginning of June. The first edition took place in 2001 in Poble Espany ...

, Le Guess Who?, and End of the Road Festivals, performing alongside such artists as

Eleanor Friedberger Eleanor Friedberger (born September 2, 1976) is an American singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. She is best known as one half of the indie rock duo The Fiery Furnaces, alongside her older brother Matthew Friedberger. In the band she co ...

Tortoise Tortoises () are reptiles of the family Testudinidae of the order Testudines (Latin: ''tortoise''). Like other turtles, tortoises have a turtle shell, shell to protect from predation and other threats. The shell in tortoises is generally hard, ...

, DIIV,

Andy Shauf Andy Shauf is a Canadian singer-songwriter from Regina, Saskatchewan. He plays several instruments, including clarinet.Carla Gillis"Andy Shauf moves to Toronto" ''Now'', 15 November 2016. Early life Shauf was born in Estevan, Saskatchewan, gr ...

, and

Parquet Courts Parquet Courts is an American rock band from New York City. The band consists of Andrew Savage (vocals, guitar), Austin Brown (vocals, guitar, keyboard), Sean Yeaton (bass, vocals), and Max Savage (drums). History Band members Andrew Savage a ...

Discography

Solo albums

*''Overgrown Path'' (2012,

) * '' As If Apart'' (2016,

) *''Chris Cohen'' (2019,

)

The Curtains

* ''Fast Talks'' (2002, Thin Wrist) * ''

Flybys Flyby may refer to: * Flypast or flyover, a celebratory display or ceremonial flight * Flyby (spaceflight), a spacecraft concept * Planetary flyby, a type of interplanetary spacecraft mission * Gravity assist, a spaceflight maneuver * Fly-by, cir ...

'' (2003, Thin Wrist) * ''Make Us Two Crayons on the Floor'' split CD w/

(2003, Yik Yak) * '' Vehicles of Travel'' (2004, Frenetic) * '' Calamity'' (2006,

Asthmatic Kitty Asthmatic Kitty is an American independent record label founded in 1999 by a community of musicians from Holland, Michigan led by Sufjan Stevens and his stepfather Lowell Brams. Some were Holland natives, and others had come to attend local coll ...

)

Deerhoof

* ''

Apple O' ''Apple O'' is the fifth studio album by the indie rock band Deerhoof. It was released in 2003 on Kill Rock Stars and 5 Rue Christine, an offshoot of Kill Rock Stars. The album is the group's first with guitarist Chris Cohen. The 2013 LP version ...

'' (2003,

Kill Rock Stars Kill Rock Stars is an independent record label founded in 1991 by Slim Moon and Tinuviel Sampson, and based in both Olympia, Washington, and Portland, Oregon. The label has released a variety of work in different genres, but was originally known ...

) * '' Milk Man (''2004,

) * ''Green Cosmos'' (2005, Toad/Menlo Park/

ATP Recordings ATP Recordings is a British independent record label that was started in 2001 by London-based concert promoter Barry Hogan of Foundation/All Tomorrow's Parties. It was originally created to bring out a compilation cd (ATPRCD01) after the Tortoi ...

) * ''The Runners Four'' (2005,

)

Natural Dreamers

* ''Natural Dreamers'' (2004, Frenetic) * ''"Sir G" b/w "Just No Probs"'' single (2013,

Joyful Noise Recordings Joyful Noise Recordings is an independent record label from Indianapolis, Indiana. The label was founded in 2003 in Bloomington, Indiana by Karl Hofstetter, who also played drums on many of the label's first releases. Joyful Noise maintains an a ...

)

Cryptacize

* ''Dig That Treasure'' (2007,

) * ''Mythomania'' (2009,

)

Other contributions

* Guitar on

' ''A'' (2003, Monitor Records) * Guitar on

's ''

Ships A ship is a large watercraft that travels the world's oceans and other sufficiently deep waterways, carrying cargo or passengers, or in support of specialized missions, such as defense, research, and fishing. Ships are generally distinguished ...

'' (2006,

Secretly Canadian Secretly Canadian is an American independent record label based in Bloomington, Indiana, with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Austin, London, Paris, Amsterdam, and Berlin. Secretly Canadian is a label included in Secretly Group, which ...

) * Backing Vocal on

's " Round and Round" on ''

Before Today ''Before Today'' is the eighth studio album by American recording artist Ariel Pink, credited to "Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti", and released on June 8, 2010. The album marked Pink's debut on the record label 4AD. It was his first official LP ...

'' (2010, 4AD) * Guitar on Cass McCombs' ''

Wit's End ''Wit's End'' is the fifth full-length album by Cass McCombs. It was released on Domino Records in April 2011, becoming the first of two albums released by McCombs that year. The first single from the album, "County Line", was accompanied by t ...

'' (2011)

Domino Dominoes is a family of tile-based games played with gaming pieces, commonly known as dominoes. Each domino is a rectangular tile, usually with a line dividing its face into two square ''ends''. Each end is marked with a number of spots (also ca ...

and ''

Humor Risk ''Humor Risk'', also known as ''Humorisk'', is a lost unreleased 1921 silent comedy short film that was the first film to star the Marx Brothers (Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx, Chico Marx and Zeppo Marx). Production ''Humor Risk'' was directed b ...

'' (2011, Domino) * Guitar on Cass McCombs' '' A Folk Set Apart'' (2015, Domino) * Drums and production on

's ''Front Row Seat to Earth'' (2016,

Mexican Summer Mexican Summer is an independent record label founded in 2009 by Keith Abrahamsson and Andres Santo Domingo. Based in Brooklyn, New York, the label has released recordings from artists including Best Coast, Kurt Vile, Ariel Pink, Allah-Las, Weye ...

)

References

External links

*
Interview with Basje Boer of ''Subbacultcha''

Interview with Josh Holliday of ''Dots and Dashes''

Pitchfork review of ''Overgrown Path''

Tiny Mix Tapes review of ''Overgrown Path''

Stereogum Stream of ''Overgrown Path''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cohen, Chris Place of birth missing (living people) 1975 births 20th-century American singers Living people Singers from Los Angeles 20th-century American guitarists 21st-century American guitarists 20th-century American drummers American male drummers 21st-century American drummers Guitarists from Los Angeles American male guitarists 21st-century American singers 20th-century American male singers 21st-century American male singers