Sam Cohen Strips Down for Relix, Shares Grateful Dead Favorites – Breaks CMJ’s Top 100

Sam Cohen‘s Cool It, which moved up 38 spots in its second week at CMJ Radio 200 to #89, is full of studio magic, guitar calisthenics, and synthesized atmospherics. Yet the heart of the album is its songs, which are capable of standing alone without any high-tech wizardry. Cohen recently performed two of them, “The Garden” and “Don’t Shoot the Messenger,” for Relix. Accompanied only by a nylon-stringed acoustic guitar, Cohen’s beautiful voice is on full display in the video of the performance, available here.

Fans of Cohen won’t be surprised that he loves the Grateful Dead, as he has collaborated with Bob Weir and is currently in the process of recording an all-star tribute album to the band with the likes of Yo La Tengo, Lee Ronaldo, the National, and Cass McCombs. For those who aren’t fully familiar with the band, Cohen has compiled a Spotify playlist entitled “The Haters Guide to the Grateful Dead” for Self-Titled Mag. Listen to it, and read Cohen’s loving descriptions of the songs, here.

Cohen performs live on May 22 in New York City at the Mercury Lounge.