Los Angeles – Jordan Corso is the LA-based singer/songwriter known as Cotillon. And for his set at The Echo last Thursday, he was joined by Bret Leinen (bass), Michael Mederios (drums) and Zachary Miller (guitar). (They were the second of three acts to perform, as Eleanor Friedberger was the night’s headliner.) Cotillon is a perplexing band to fully describe—part surf rock, part psychedelic, and part bedroom pop are what come to mind. Corso debuted his deadpan vocals on a self-titled LP in January via Burger Records, a multifarious blend of sounds ranging from old to new. These particular echoes date back to Talking Heads and The Pixies, but Cotillon still inhabits a modern resonance. Their penchant for classic rock sounds also permeates through their own material. For their transient set of eight songs, the audience seemed compelled by the presentation and the tapping of feet and head bobbing appeared to be the trend of the night.
The song that led off the set was the opening track from the record, “Gloom.” The two and a half minute gem is the second single the band has officially released. Despite its name, it’s kind of ebullient with a sunny, hazy vibe. About halfway into the song, Corso conveys his compelling lackadaisical vocals. The youthfulness of the song was endearing, as the crowd seemed to become quickly attentive as soon as Corso started expressing his story in a lyrical format. “Before” was the coolest song of the evening. The dreamy guitars and penetrating bass lines created this euphoric atmosphere. Corso’s vocals turned much hazier for this one as “Before” appeared to be the darkest song in the band’s repertoire. There was an attachment of coolness to it as it upheld the fact that Cotillon is far better off exploring the realm of dream-pop than any other genre they gravitate toward. Not to say their attempts for an all-encompassing sound is something to reject, but the more melancholic endeavors were the most memorable of the night.
“Lyman” starts off with an impressive classic rock feel but continues down a different path once Corso sets in the vocals. The lethargically conveyed tone gives off a stoner-rock feel to it. The background singers sang “la-la-la-la” intermittently throughout the course of this intriguing track. “Call Me Up” occupies the surf-pop category to the fullest. The 60s vibe alongside Corso’s charming vocals livened up the crowd quite a bit. If you’re not familiar with Cotillon, you’ll never know what to expect with each subsequent track. His penchant for multi-genres materialized with every song. Corso’s showcased robotic-like vocals on “Asteroid” and debuted two new songs, one of which closed out his set. The final song featured some guitar shredding which led to the abrupt “thank you” to conclude their performance.
While Cotillon wasn’t the lineup’s headliner, they surely made their presence known. Their demonstration was an assortment of tunes that extended from the likes of several different arrangements and structurally diverse sounds. From the reactions of most of the patrons, Cotillon’s effort was completely admirable to those both aware and unaware of the band’s extensive resonance.
Check out the Cotillon Facebook page for more info.
Photo credit: David Buchan
Sean Kayden
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