Cockfighter (band)

Cockfighter is a Rock and Roll band from Southern California founded in 2003. Its members are rotating and something of a mystery but members have included a Turbo Jenkins, JH, Jenny Schecktor, The Sous-Chef, Tuna Hand Jackson and someone called "Prince Symbol &." Whether these names are all ficticious, all possibly the same person or all actually real remains a mystery and a conversation point for fans of the band and for bewildered music writers.

The band have recorded a number of E.P.s, starting with "An End" which included four songs Laying somewhere between Dixieland Jazz and Folk Rock all recorded with a handheld tape recorder. They gained mild acclaim and recognition with "The Elbow Room" which was a mail order only cd/ poster that was seen in an episode of Angel (TV series) and made The Orange County Register's top ten list of the year.

Their only music video for "Robots Will Feel at Home" won an honorary mention at the 2005 Telluride film festival.

Style

Cockfighter's style is difficult to categorize. Though admitted influences include Bob Dylan, Depeche Mode and The Residents, the music tends to encompass a broad range of styles. HESO magazine described the sound as "experimental in the extreme without sounding experimental or extreme." They were once described as "almost not-catchy." In an interview, the head songwriter (credited simply and mysteriously as "Mr. Cockfighter") called his style of songwriting "Universal Field Theory Blues."

Live

Live shows are rare and when they occur it is as likely to see 8 people on stage as it is to have a single performer. They are known for playing songs that are (and often remain) unreleased, or strange versions of recorded songs along with the occasional cover song. There is an extremely limited EDition live E.P. that captures some of the awkward energy called "12 Minutes of Live Silence" where nothing but a confused audience is heard.

Discography

External links

• Hill of Beans Records
• Band Site
• MySpace
• JH Mastering-phenomenal!