The Cops
Encyclopedia
The Cops are an American
rock band from Seattle, Washington
. They are currently signed with Mt. Fuji Records
. Their influences include The Kinks
, The Clash
and The Buzzcocks. They also incorporate elements of dub and reggae
.
The band self-recorded and produced their debut EP "Why Kids Go Wrong" which was released by Mt. Fuji Records in March of 2005. The next two full-length albums were recorded with the band’s spiritual godfather Kurt Bloch (The Fastbacks, Young Fresh Fellows). The Cops debut record "Get Good or Stay Bad" was released by Mt. Fuji Records in November of 2005 and their sophomore effort "Free Electricity" was co-released by Mt. Fuji Records and The Control Group labels in November of 2007. "Free Electricity" was also mixed by the multi-talented producer Johnny Sangster (Mudhoney, Old Haunts, The Briefs). The Cops went on hiatus at the end of 2008 but have since reunited are currently working on new material for their next recording. Since The Cops hiatus, singer/guitarist Michael Jaworski has gone on to form the rock band Virgin Islands. Drew Church and Dave Weeks are currently playing in the punk outfit, Little Cuts, with Dave Hernandez of The Shins. Church and Jaworski are also playing in a side project called Puberty, which features Lars Finnberg from the Intelligence, also with Dave Hernandez.
The band has earned a reputation for fierce and bombastic live performances and have toured the US consistently since their inception, with tours supporting Cursive, Jeremy Enigk, The Hold Steady, Constantines, and others.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rock band from Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
. They are currently signed with Mt. Fuji Records
Mt. Fuji Records
Mt. Fuji Records is an independent record label based out of Seattle, Washington. Their roster includes rock bands such as Little Brazil, The Cops and Slender Means.-Bands:* The Cops* Little Brazil* Slender Means* Wintergreen* New Candidates...
. Their influences include The Kinks
The Kinks
The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...
, The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
and The Buzzcocks. They also incorporate elements of dub and reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
.
History
The Cops formed in July 2004 with Michael Jaworski on lead vocals and guitar, John Randolph on guitar and David Weeks on drums. Seattle label Mt. Fuji Records released both their debut EP Why Kids Go Wrong in March 2005, and the critically acclaimed full-length Get Good or Stay Bad in November 2005. Former Supersuckers and Hater bassist, Drew Church, replaced Brian Wall on bass in early 2006, just in time for a tour supporting Cursive and Jeremy Enigk. Following the recording of their second full-length Free Electricity, guitarist Brandon Bay was added to the mix to make The Cops a full-fledged 5-piece rock band.The band self-recorded and produced their debut EP "Why Kids Go Wrong" which was released by Mt. Fuji Records in March of 2005. The next two full-length albums were recorded with the band’s spiritual godfather Kurt Bloch (The Fastbacks, Young Fresh Fellows). The Cops debut record "Get Good or Stay Bad" was released by Mt. Fuji Records in November of 2005 and their sophomore effort "Free Electricity" was co-released by Mt. Fuji Records and The Control Group labels in November of 2007. "Free Electricity" was also mixed by the multi-talented producer Johnny Sangster (Mudhoney, Old Haunts, The Briefs). The Cops went on hiatus at the end of 2008 but have since reunited are currently working on new material for their next recording. Since The Cops hiatus, singer/guitarist Michael Jaworski has gone on to form the rock band Virgin Islands. Drew Church and Dave Weeks are currently playing in the punk outfit, Little Cuts, with Dave Hernandez of The Shins. Church and Jaworski are also playing in a side project called Puberty, which features Lars Finnberg from the Intelligence, also with Dave Hernandez.
The band has earned a reputation for fierce and bombastic live performances and have toured the US consistently since their inception, with tours supporting Cursive, Jeremy Enigk, The Hold Steady, Constantines, and others.
Band members
- Michael Jaworski — guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocals - John Randolph — guitar, vocals
- Drew Church — bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Dave Weeks — drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Discography
- Why Kids Go Wrong EP (Mt. Fuji RecordsMt. Fuji RecordsMt. Fuji Records is an independent record label based out of Seattle, Washington. Their roster includes rock bands such as Little Brazil, The Cops and Slender Means.-Bands:* The Cops* Little Brazil* Slender Means* Wintergreen* New Candidates...
, 20052005 in music-Events:*During the year 2005, 12 rock music albums scored number 1 in the USA. This was the first time even ten albums have scored number 1 since 1996.-January:...
) - Get Good or Stay Bad (Mt. Fuji RecordsMt. Fuji RecordsMt. Fuji Records is an independent record label based out of Seattle, Washington. Their roster includes rock bands such as Little Brazil, The Cops and Slender Means.-Bands:* The Cops* Little Brazil* Slender Means* Wintergreen* New Candidates...
, 2005) - Free Electricity (Mt. Fuji Records / The Control Group, 2007)