Meet San Francisco's Cocktails as they premiere their crushed out single, “Hey Winnie”. Patrick Clos and Lauren Matsui share their Alex Chilton indebted “would you be an outlaw for my love” lyrical scriptures with their back and forth guitar interplay that chimes like Radio City-ready rockers with restrained grinding guitars. After three days of recording last summer at Fuzz City studios with Bare Wires and Warm Soda's Matthew Melton and Rob Good; the band has stormed the power pop castle towers by strategy and generous helpings of controlled scuzz. From here Cocktails' forthcoming EP was born, where Clos and Matsui's exchanges of romantic rebels and fools are met with the pepped up percussion from Phil Lantz, and Ryan Rinker's rhythm bass rides that take pride in a personal brand the band has christened, “slop pop.” As Bay Area band vets, Cocktails represents the sum of their favorite treasured guitar pop heard echoing from the basement walls of the Lipo Lounge, blaring out the corner stage at Thee Parkside, occupying 924 Gilman, and coming February 1 to SF's Hemlock Tavern for their self-titled EP release show with Warm Soda and DSTVV.
Cocktails are a guitar pop centered group. From the moment you press play, Patrick and Lauren's slacker-introductory chords present initial false starting progressions that quickly take off in a timeless fireball aura, courtesy of the Fuzz City studio sound. The quartet presents a fresh take on worlds of make believe like a game of 'cops & robbers' played by young at heart, star crossed lovers. “You got to remember that it's only game, you want to pretend that you're not going to play, I hate to break it but it's well under way.” While the power chords ring out, the band continues to coax the hesitant Winnie to join in their world of imaginative sport and games. And while she may protest, the band plays on like bad kids, thinking like big stars singing sentimental slop in 2 minutes time.
“You be my rebel, I'll play the fool, you beg the devil, I'll break the rules,” is the chorus propostion to the song's namesake. Instead of asking the neighbor girl out to the local soda shop, Cocktails suggest the kind of Bonnie and Clyde role play with the hackneyed plans of; “You get the money, and I'll watch the door, tell everybody, get down on the floor.” The band keeps up the convincing, makes future plans with “you're never alone” assurances. Winnie's apprension of their rebelious advances has the group working overtime by the song's end to override her doubt, present the positive possibilities of uncertainty while continuing to persuade her toward flights of fancy beyond school books and exams. “You roll the dice and you hope for the best, oh honey stop it isn't a test.”
Cocktails' self-titled 7” EP comes out February 12 on digital and 'virgin' black and 'blonde' colored vinyl limited to 150 copies with pre-order availble now from Father/Daughter Records.
