After a busy year recording and touring, Columbus band The Receiver is releasing its second album on Friday with a show at Skully's Music Diner in the Short North.
The band is comprised of brothers Casey and Jesse Cooper. Casey plays the bass, keyboards and handles primary vocals, while Jesse plays drums.
The duo's music on its first album "Decades" evoked Icelandic band Sigur Ros with its upbeat yet gentle instrumentation and Casey's airy vocals. However, the duo's newest album, "Length of Arms," relies less on traditional instruments and more upon layered synthesizer beats for an ambient feeling.
"This album has a lot of layers to peel off so that you'll always hear something new," Casey said. "We wanted to make it active without being overwhelming."
The brothers began playing together when Casey was a music composition major at Ohio State. Casey was working on a project during his senior year and enlisted his brother to help out on the drums, and The Receiver was born. They created a Myspace page and were soon discovered by the New York record label Stunning Labels on Display. The band signed a one-album deal and recorded "Decades."
The brothers followed up the album with extensive touring in the U.S. and Canada. They opened for the artists St. Vincent and Midlake at more than 150 shows.
After returning from the tour and taking a break from music, the brothers decided to begin work on a new album. They decided to keep the recording process in Columbus by working with Vital Records, the in-house recording company at 1305 Artists in Grandview.
They spent the early part of 2008 in pre-production and began recording in July. Casey said recording vocals was a lengthy process because of his perfectionism.
"I'm very anal," he said. "A live show is one thing. People leave without it. A record is there forever."
Mike Landolt, a producer who has worked with big-name artists like Cleveland's Mushroomhead, said the recording process was enjoyable.
"It was a really good experience," Landolt said. "Everyone learned something from this record."
The Coopers continue to look for other labels to market their record.
"We've been shopping the record to all of our contacts and 1305's contacts, hoping to land something." Casey said.
Casey does not have a specific kind of label in mind. He said that he isn't trying to maintain any underground reputation, nor is he trying to become famous. He just wants to get the music out there.
"The problem is when they try to mold you into what album they think will sell," he said.
Jesse was more excited at the prospect of going big.
"I would absolutely embrace it," he said. "We've put our domestic lives on hold for this. We're trying to take it to the next level."
The band recently got a dose of the limelight when the music video for its new single "Visitor" won the Ohio Film Music Video Challenge.
The video depicts a man walking the streets of Columbus, including near Mirror Lake, filling a bag with stolen items.
"The song is about greed and how it makes you feel, which is unfulfilled," Casey said in reference to the man's empty bag at the end of the video.
Casey said that while they were approached by the guys from Vital Records about entering the competition, filmmaker Bob Daugherty wanted to honor the intention of the song.
"He wanted to make it go with the lyrics," Casey said.
Having won first prize for their video, finished recording a new album and looking to go on tour in support of it, the brothers are as committed as ever to the band. Jesse said that while he and Casey have minor squabbles occasionally, being in a band with a sibling is not stressful.
"It's a lot easier being in a band with your brother," Jesse said. "It shuts down the whole ego thing and it's easier to understand what the other wants from a song."
Ryan Book can be reached at book.15@osu.edu.
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