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Coto Normal have been featured in Filter Magazine,OC Weekly, the OC Weekly Comp. Cd, the Lab/Anti Mall Comp. Cd, on Adelphia Television's "That Fancy",performed live on 88.9 KUCI and been written about in the magazines below.
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------------------------------OC Weekly Article:
ABOUT COTO NORMAL: Coto Normal belong more to the KCRW listening set than, say, the KROQ cudgellers: smooth, lazy tempos, vocals like a schizo whos who of the sultry-voiced-female-singer setPortishead, Goldfrapp, Massive Attackand a presence that is more evocative than overwhelming. Theyre part of the intelligent music collectivesee R. Swift, elsewherethats creeping up against a once-stale OC scene, which is to say this is smart music for all of us posturing/burgeoning adults. Drift, a look at a woman pushed to the brink by an abusive relationship, is all about blending bleak lyrics with a much more optimistic, jazz-inspired melody and instrumentation. Interested in re-inventing old ideas and working outside normal boundaries, Coto Normal is riding the experimental indie-rock trail as far as opening for fellow gal-fronted alterna-rock troopers Veruca Salt at the Galaxy Theatre. And if the Veruca Salt fans dont know what to do with their blend of jazz n beats? No problem. We just do what we do, says beat-maker/turntablist Erik Matson. See? Smooth. (ES)
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Squeeze OC Article:
Normal. Psh. Who wants to be normal these days?Orange Countys Coto Normal mixes jazz and electronic music and is motivated to offer a different sound to its audience.Coto Normal drummer Larry Salzman, of Fullerton describes the music as "Portishead meets the Count Basie Orchestra."Salzman is a freelance musician who also gives drum lessons to pay the bills. When he was 14, Salzman took drum lessons from Roy Burns, who introduced him to jazz; two years later the teen was sneaking into nightclubs to play with jazz big bands and trios. Salzman even had the chance to play with three-time Grammy winner Rob McConnell."I saturated myself playing jazz and fusion and got burnt out on it. So then I got into really heavy industrial music," said Salzman.He moved to New York in search of something new. He toured with industrial rock band Hansel and Gretel.He then returned to Southern California and met Coto Normal singer Erin Barton of Laguna Hills while they worked at a Music Plus store. Together they played in an unnamed R&B project that included current Green Day saxophone player Jason Freeze. Salzman and Barton lost touch after the group broke up.Coto Normal is the brainchild of songwriter Erik Matson, of Orange. He composes most of the bands music and is heavily influenced by the beats of underground hip-hop artists including Talib Kweli, Common and Pete Rock.Matson became intrigued by computerized drum machines and sound-effect units after playing the drums for most of his life; his focus slowly changed from playing drums to writing beats on his computer.He began a search on Craigslist for an emcee to accompany his beats. He got no response. Frustrated, Matson listened to his beats again and thought a female singer would also work with his compositions.Matsons second Craigslist ad, searching for a female to sing in an eclectic band with Portishead influences, sparked Bartons interest. The two met, drank coffee, shared music and clicked musically.A similar ad searching for a drummer caught Salzmans eye, and he was reunited with Barton.Bassist Charles Perdue, a loan officer from Tustin, and guitarist Curtis Mathewson, of Laguna Hills joined shortly after.Influences for the band range from hip-hop and jazz to world rhythm. "If youre a musician, you have multiple influences," said Barton. "(Coto Normal) is a group with five very different people that meet musically in the middle. There would be five pages of artists to list."The band members did agree their ultimate tour would be as main support for Massive Attack, Bjork, Portishead or Dead Can Dance.Barton adds a sultry hypnotic voice reminiscent of Bjork and the Sneaker Pimps to complete Coto Normals sound. She now manages Stage One Recording Studios in Laguna Hills by day and dedicates herself to music at night."Id like to sustain myself in music," said Barton. "Were definitely not in (music) for a hobby."The name Coto Normal reaffirms the bands message or lack thereof. "Ive understood (Coto Normal) to mean normal boundaries," said Barton. "Just like any music itself, its what the listener wants it to mean.""I would like people to be relieved of what theyre seeing," said Salzman. "Its just not guitar, bass, drums and a singer. Its a computer system, a guitarist who navigates in and out with different effects. I play Middle Eastern hand instruments on some songs. Its a big change when people hear something like that."Long-term goals include a constant evolution in making new music that will have a lasting impression."I think successful would be sticking to our guns and not changing the sound of the band because MTV wants it to be a certain sound ... and to keep it original and keep being original by reinventing yourself," said Salzman.
Said Barton:"We want the same foundation, just a taller building."
