here beneath my lungs, I feel your thumbs press into my skin again
Ben Cooper is from Jacksonville, Florida, and sometimes makes music under the name Radical Face. Although it sounds like the band name of an exuberant bunch of 14-year old skater punks, Radical Face music is intricate and echoey, hummable and immensely enjoyable.
This song from his 2007 album Ghost has been the soundtrack to my afternoon. The ooooh-ey harmonies remind me a bit of Shins goodness, and I really like the clapping, shuffling percussion that makes the song feel like tape reels, winding and rewinding in a vacant room. One writer noted that the windchimes that start the song are almost “like the song was carried on a breeze through an open porch screen door.”
Yes.
Welcome Home, Son – Radical Face
Ben also plays music with friend Alex Kane and together they become Electric President, another band I enjoy.
They released a new album last month called The Violent Blue (on Fake Four Records), and the “first proper Electric President show in a long while” will take place at SXSW this year!
We’ll count that as just one more of the many reasons I am excited about Austin in five weeks.
Safe and Sound – Electric President (new song)
Name: Heather Browne
Yes effing please.
Pacing the Cage — February 11, 2010 @ 7:51 pm
Yay! I’m so glad that people still see the genius in Radical Face. Ghost is one of my top albums of all time. It’s also my fall/winter soundtrack every year.
He’s also in a band called Uncle Stiltskin that has an awesome song called ‘Undead Anthem.’ You can actually download that whole album here: http://www.radicalface.com/downloads.html
Thanks for the heads up in regards to the SXSW show. I’ll be making that a priority.
Cheers
staciaann — February 11, 2010 @ 9:11 pm
Holy cow. That is some fantastic stuff.
Nolan — February 12, 2010 @ 7:15 am
Thank you for both. Thank you, gatekeeper.
Dainon — February 13, 2010 @ 8:45 pm
thank YOU for everything as well. i loved the last radio show and liked being credited on the playlist
you should get the whole electric president album. pretty sure you would adore it as much as i do.
browneheather — February 13, 2010 @ 9:37 pm
Ben Cooper is a genius! When this album came out I was completely blown away. To this day nothing compares in that genre, It will be in my top favorites forever…
Cate — February 16, 2010 @ 2:34 pm
Hey Heather! Thanks for the heads up on the new Electric President album. Made me a very happy girl. Gave you big ups on the Speakers in Code website yesterday.
Katie G.
Katie G. — February 16, 2010 @ 8:06 pm
Does anyone know the chords for “safe and sound”? its such an incredible song!
norwegianwood — April 12, 2011 @ 3:36 pm