CocoRosie

CocoRosie is a Brooklyn based duo, two sisters, Bianca
and Sierra Cassady. They became quite a hit in New York, as they managed
to win a series of good reviews in their short creative career, becoming the
unburdened underground stars of an upcoming, fresh, neo-folk musical trend. In
the last few years this type of music has gained wider recognition on the other
side of the Atlantic, with musicians like Devendra Banhart, Iron & Wine,
Jack Rose, Entrance, Joanna Newson, Sufjan Stevens, and many others. They come
from a segment of young musicians who alienate themselves completely from
current musical trends, 'pre-produced' creations, and the dictates of
contemporary technology. They create an exaggerated emotional and open sound
confession, which could have just as easily have been made in the first years
of the twentieth century, which has since been hidden from curious eyes in a
dark and dusty attic. The two ladies are in love with the archaic, romantic and
fabulous world of acoustics and ballads, and their music is far from academic;
they have a self-taught approach to experiment, not bound to a particular time
and place, existing in its own small world, possessed by dream-like, fantastic
characters and a fragile, intimate sound patch-work.
From a very young age they lived a separated, hard and hedonistic, nomadic
lifestyle; freedom, transition and the ability to enjoy the moment were all
important parts of their upbringing. Bianca, the younger of the two sisters,
became enthusiastic about music in her childhood, and had an unpretentious
approach toward writing love poems, while Sierra chose a more solid approach.
For some years she studied to become an opera singer in Rome, New York and
Paris. She dropped out because of the underlying academic tone, the
restrictions of tradition, the exclusiveness of the community, and the narrow
view the experts held regarding the role of the composer. It was in Paris that
the two sisters were reunited after many years and began their creative journey
together. The smell of Paris oozes from every pore of their only album La
Maison De Mon Reve, published earlier this year by Touch & Go, an
exception for them, as this is the first time they have placed such
sweet-sounding music in their much more rock-coloured catalogue.
This first album is fascinating merely because they reject any kind of modern
technology and are not limited to any specific genre. The focal points of their
interest are gospel, folk, neo-classical music, piano minimalism, and the
pre-war sound of country blues, yet all these remain only the basis on which
CocoRosie build their intimate confession, which could be found in the musical
archives of Alan Lommax or Harry Smith. CocoRosie are all too aware of the fact
that less can be more, since their castles in the clouds are founded on DIY
ideology and minimal equipment, rarely exceeding means such as guitar, vocals
reminiscent of Billie Holiday and Bessie Smith, piano and body sounds,
type-writer, jewellery and home-made toys, regularly used for rhythmic
groundwork.
Daniel Mežan

Voice, percussion with toys: Bianca Cassady
Voice, acoustic guitars, keyboards, harp: Sierra Cassady

Organisation: City of Women
In co-operation with: KUD France Prešeren