Name: Casper & The Cookies
From: Athens, GA
Label: Wild Kindness, Stuff Records
Members: Jason NeSmith (vocals/guitar/keys), Kay Stanton (bass/vocals/keys), AJ Griffin (vocals/keys), Gregory Sanders (drums)
Genre: Indie / Power Pop

MUSIC

PHOTOS

VIDEOS

CASPER & THE COOKIES
Athens, Georgia indie pop quartet Casper & the Cookies have been churning out quirky catchy pop melodies for well over a decade. Fronted by Elephant 6 extended family member Jason NeSmith (vocals, guitar) and his wife Kay Stanton (bass, vocals), and joined by AJ Griffin (keys, vocals) and Gregory Sanders (drums), the pavement-pounding band has built a steady following with these slightly-skewed slices of fun, and as Daytrotter says, by “delivering on the absolutely certainty that the pop song — the one made of glee (usually masked and a vague reference to something tragic) and crowned with a dollop of whipping cream — can always be construed again and reinvented all over.”

In the process, Casper & the Cookies have amassed an abundance of road stories, and have communicated those experiences brilliantly on their most recent album Dingbats. The group’s fourth full-length release, just out on February 25th from Wild Kindness and Stuff Records on vinyl, CD, and digital formats, Dingbats tackles subjects from string theory (“Spin 1/2”) and peculiar kinks (“Thing For Ugly”) to amphetamines (“Amphetamines”) and the not-so-glamorous aspects of life on the road (“Lemon Horses”).

Dingbats is an honest and compelling album, an expression of the determined path chosen by Casper & the Cookies. As NeSmith explained to Athens Flagpole, “There’s a lot about time. I used this recording of myself fast-forwarding and rewinding a cassette tape, because it fit the theme so well,” and Stanton told Athens Banner-Herald that the album’s themes are tied to “evolution and the beginning of life as opposed to the end.”

NeSmith (formerly of Of Montreal) & co. have provided tour support for the Apples in Stereo, have been the backing band for Daniel Johnston, and opened for the B-52’s 34th anniversary show at the Classic Center in Athens. Muzzle of Bees said of their live show, “Casper & the Cookies combine playful and power pop melodies that provided a perfect start to an equally amazing set by The Apples In Stereo. You may recognize Jason NeSmith as a former member of the glam outfit Of Montreal, and his latest adventure has been praised by other blogs who were smart enough to pay attention since the beginning.”

The band is celebrating the new release with a U.S. tour this spring, hitting the road to do what they do best. According to Jaimeville, “Few bands can combine dreamy harmonies, joyous melodies and just a dollop of sugary noise with as much delight as Casper & the Cookies does. Expect all of this — and a super-energetic dance party to boot.”

TOUR DATES
4/3/14 Carrboro, NC – The Station
4/4/14 Rehoboth Beach, DE – Dogfish Head Brewery
4/5/14 New York, NY – Cake Shop
4/6/14 Baltimore, MD – The Wind Up Space
4/8/14 Boston, MA – O’Brien’s
4/10/14 Philadelphia – 3rd & Girard
4/11/14 Pittsburgh, PA – Howler’s
4/12/14 Roanoke, VA – 501 Speakeasy

CONTACT
website
Wild Kindness Records
bandcamp
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