Cooper

Hailing from Spain, Cooper produces retro pop and rock defined by rich vocal harmonies, catchy resonant guitar lines, and sharp punchy rhythms that merge mid-1960s British mod pop with American-tinged blue-eyed soul plus the brisk appeal of mid-1990s indie groups such as Fountains of Wayne and the Rembrandts, qualities already apparent on the self-titled release from 2001 and on Retrovisor issued in 2005.

Frontman and chief songwriter Alejandro Diez established the group in 1999 after guiding Spain’s storied mod-rock ensemble Los Flechazos until 1998. He assembled drummer Carlos Torero, formerly of Radio Futura, bassist McCartney, previously with Sex Museum, and guitarist Mario Alvarez from Popels. Following concentrated composition and practice, Cooper secured a deal with the veteran Spanish independent label Elefant and delivered the debut album Fonorama. The quartet spent more than twelve months on the road promoting the record while appearing at major Spanish festivals including ContemPOPranea, Benicassim, BAM, and Lemon Pop. In 2003 the band returned with the single “747.” Subsequent touring led to the 2004 release of “Oxidado.” Material from both singles, augmented by three fresh songs, formed the sophomore album Retrovisor that same year. The effort generated widespread attention in the Spanish rock press, extensive radio exposure, strong chart placement, and consistently sold-out performances. Following a brief hiatus, Diez circulated a statement to the media titled “10 Reasons to Never Release Another Album,” announcing an intention to embrace a pop existence through individual singles that would sustain audience demand. This measured recording strategy yielded two further EPs, 2006’s Dias de Cine and 2007’s Guárdame un Secreto, the latter reaching number two on the Spanish singles charts. The follow-up single “Lemon Pop” in 2008 performed even more strongly, occupying the top spot on those charts for seven straight weeks. The third full-length, Aeropuerto, compiled singles and scarce tracks into an effective best-of collection; released the next spring, it surpassed the combined sales of the two preceding singles. Additional roadwork preceded the 2011 Record Store Day single “RSGo” backed with a live rendition of “Mi Universo.” Later that year Cooper recorded at London’s historic Konk Studios, the site of sessions by Diez’s heroes the Kinks along with Blur, Elvis Costello, the Arctic Monkeys, Suede, and Spiritualized, completing a full album that contradicted the earlier singles-only declaration. Titled Mi Universo and featuring a studio version of the track that shares its name, the set presented Diez’s most intimate songwriting while retaining the drive of prior work. It briefly topped Spain’s album charts and elevated the band to headliner status at national summer festivals. In 2012 they issued a digital single pairing the album cut “Cortometraje” with a cover of Depeche Mode’s “New Life.” Later the same year another limited pressing paired “Arizona” with a version of the Spanish rock classic “Tú Me Dijiste Adiós,” originally recorded by Los Brincos; the 500-copy edition sold out within days. Elefant Records, working with the band and publisher Ediciones Chelsea, then issued the double-DVD package A Proposito de Mi Universo, which contained ten videos filmed during the virtual tour supporting Mi Universo, the eighty-minute documentary El Regalo directed by Juan Marigorta that documented the Konk sessions plus live footage, and a fifty-two-page book holding more than 130 color photographs, tickets, posters, alternate covers, and a historical essay by music journalist Javier Becerra. A planned December tour was delayed when Diez sustained injuries in a motorcycle accident, shifting dates into the following winter; the concerts ultimately occurred that spring and summer, incorporating screenings of the documentary alongside live sets.

After an extended and well-earned pause, Cooper resurfaced in 2014 with the single “Los Veranos Son Para Soñar,” which included the original track “Entre Girasoles,” an advance cut from the forthcoming mini-album UHF, and a radically reworked cover of “Silver Dollar Sunday” by American power pop outfit the Lolas, retitled “Dólar de la Suerte.” Cooper’s arrangement introduced electronic elements absent from the original, prompting critics to liken the recording to Teenage Fanclub and Sloan. The six-track UHF appeared in a limited vinyl and audio-disc edition that sold out at once and was later reissued for Record Store Day 2015 together with a remastered deluxe version of Fonorama. The band embarked on a year-long tour across Spain with select European festival dates. Early 2018 brought the single and video for “Infinito” as a preview of the ten-track album Tiempo, Temperatura, Agitación, the group’s fifth long-player, released that spring and followed by another national tour.