J A Cohen

Jeff Cohen has been referred to as the "Midwest's Elvis Costello." It's not exactly a bad handle to lay on the guy, though it doesn't tell the whole story. The first track on THE TROUBLE WITH GIRLS is sure to pop the socks off any Posies fan and will leave many listeners scrambling to hit the "replay" button. There's also the lo-fi, acoustic version of Sam Cooke's "Cupid." Cohen lends the track a completely different melody and chord structure, turning the sunshiny pop song into a film-noir death wish, with Cupid somehow lurking in the shadows. Muze, c1999 - Muze

Yes that's the title of an Elvis Presley movie but it's the other well known Elvis (Costello) that is strongly evoked on this retro rocking disc. Which by default also means you'll hear Buddy Holly, John Lennon and Gram Parsons in Jeff Cohen's gritty songs. Fine by me, I'd say. --Power of Pop, November 1999 - Power of Pop

This Chicago trio is off to an impressive start with its debut effort. From the moody textures of “Cupid” to the downright melancholy flip side “Everything Died,” Philo balances the themes of love and loss with a passion and vigor that is rarely found on the music scene. Only 450 copies were pressed of the 7-inch, but it is worth seeking out . Larry Flick, Billboard, 7/1/95 - Billboard

These guys must be rocket scientists. They seem to understand space, as well as the fact that you don’t need to fill every square inch of it. “Everything Died” is spare and dirgey, a rough elegy for could-have-beens. “Cupid” takes apart the old Sam Cooke song and puts it back together with a few pieces left over, offering feedback accompaniment. It’s one of the best cover versions I’ve ever heard. Seriously. --Chris Nickson, Alternative Press, April, 1997. - Alternative Press

Philo are a 3-piece from Chicago who can’t decide whether they want to play indie rock, alt country or new wave. They get round his seemingly insurmountable problem by combining all these different sounds into single songs. Cruel and Loud is roots music, yearning and heartfelt. Sam Cooke’s Cupid is rendered unidentifiable by Jeff Cohen’s mixed low vocal and a heavily pummeled acoustic guitar, and Last Dart Leaving (Down) is distressed guitars going 10 rounds with a Wilco tune. It’s no surprise to learn that Philo have supported both the Afghan Whigs and Billy Joe Shaver. , -Luke (8/99) - Luke

Philo's The Trouble With Girls (Spur/Parasol) is very cool fuzzy pop full of melody and power. Imagine a slightly more laid back Shazam crossed with a more sensitive Tommy Stinson and you've got it. Amplifier Vol 4, No. 6, (November 1999) - Amplifier

Philo's just-released debut LP "The Trouble with Girls" makes clear that this local three-piece outfit is more dour trio than power trio. Philo is made up of members of former Chicago rock and country-rock groups, and that pedigree emerges in the band's music. Shifting easily between buzzing uptempo guitar-pop and spare, heartsore country odes, Philo strings dark, often downcast lyrics over generally solid six-string hooks. The group's penchant for melancholia is especially evident on its forlorn, folky rewrite of Sam Cooke's "Cupid." But though the subject matter leans toward the morose, "The Trouble with Girls" is a consistently energizing listen. --Rick Reger, Chicago Tribune, 6/24/99 - Chicago Tribune

Philo’s reading of Sam Cooke’s “Cupid” bravely dares to surpass the original’s passion while treating the song’s beauty with due respect. Best Chicago band cover version of the year. --Richard Milne, WXRT 93.1, 1995. - Local Anesthetic WXRT

The Trouble With Girls is dark, melodic, lyrically rich Americana -- an absolute gem. The best tracks take in a wide musical range -- Last Dart Leaving (Down), a stirring rocker with tons of fuzz and a country twang, just the sort of thing Velvet Crush should be doing. One Cheating Bride, an eerie echo-soaked ballad, Just How Evil, with its epic wall-of-sound guitars and psychotic lyrics, Cruel and Loud, a mournful country waltz with a haunting twin vocal, and Licorice, perhaps the best of a seriously hot bunch, which is built around a tumbling guitar figure that gives it the feel of a 70s' TV theme. This trio from Illinois deserves your attention. They also deserve a better name and better artwork. --Terry Hermon, Bucketfull of Brains, February 2000 - Bucketfull of Brains

With tasty album opener "Last Dart Leaving (Down)," the boys in Philo immediately bring to mind Scottish duo Del Amitri, especially with singer Jeff Cohen's vocal tie with Del's Justin Currie. If it stopped there, great, but every song on Philo's full-length debut goes a step further, proving they're more than just schooled in noisy, romantic power pop. The trio - guitarist Jeff Cohen, bassist Johnny Nickels and drummer Chris Russell - indeed is more than versed at meshing styles on this album, managing never to sound forced. "Dart's" follow-up is "One Cheating Bride," a stark acoustic confession, sounding like it was recorded in an empty apartment. Crashing that party is "No Roses" which is soundly torched by the urgent harmonies of Freakwater's Janet Bean and Cohen's slashing guitar fuzz.
It's Cohen's complex mix of sincere and self-deprecating lyrics that would make him an apt opener for Richard Thompson or Elvis Costello. Like them, he matches pleasing pop melodies with slightly uncomfortable ideas. As the combustible "Just How Evil" builds, Cohen loosens the punch line: "She has no idea how evil I can be." Now bop your head to that.
Later, on the country ballad "Cruel and Loud," Cohen's narrator draws you in even as he admits, "I miss the smell of sticky and sweet perfume/of a thousand teenage girls on the first day to school." But the sympathy is held most for the woman in the mournful "Sound the Alarm" who asks, "I made somebody's day/now will someone make mine?" In Philo's tuneful world, the trouble with girls is their men. --Mark Guarino, The Daily Herald, 6/19/99 - Daily Herald