how has your summer been?

mine's been fantastic.  i've been enjoying a bit of time here in vt working on producing/engineering two records!  i'm really proud to be on board caroline rose's debut record (myspace.com/carolinerosemusic), a phenominal singer/songwriter by way of long island.  my boys from the grift (thegrift.com) are lending their talents to some of the tracks, i honestly can't wait to get this project out to the world.  you guys are going to be floored.  (i'm allowed to say this because it's not MY record.)  :)

the other project is the debut EP from my good friends (formerly called "the goshen ramblers") ethan west and mark daly.  recorded this past weekend in a marathon 24-hour period in a log cabin in the mountains of goshen, vt...i transported my entire studio rig and these guys brought their a-game.  we somehow managed to track 5 songs, with drums, bass, guitars, mandolin, lap steel, vocals and flute (to taste) in literally 23.5 hours.  unreal.

i'll be keeping busy with these projects 'til the end of the summer, and then remaining busy with a string of dates starting in september...leading up the official fall tour (more details coming soon!  i promise!) for the SPEAK release tour (clever tour name coming soon!  i promise!).  thank you so much for reading this.  i'll see ya'll in the fall!

yours truly,

jer

Hey Everyone!

I'm excited to announce that my song "Legs" is playing in every Hollister store for the next month, so go check it out!  I'm not sure how loud it's playing, but purely by proximity effect alone, it may also be playing at your local Sunglass Hut kiosk, Auntie Anne's pretzel shack, that guy selling framed drawings of Scarface and/or Britney Spears (circa 2001), or the kid hawking cell phone covers with glittery ladybugs on the side (for literally every model of phone except yours).  I'm currently perched in front of a fan putting the final touches on a special acoustic version of "Legs" that I filmed in my room, which will debut right here on myspace, and youtube this afternoon.  From this point forward, expect weekly video updates from yours truly!  My new album SPEAK comes out in September!

See you soon!

-Jer

Howdy!

Check out my new video for "Legs" acoustic!  Sorry in advance for the guitar faces, there is nothing I can do about it.  :)



'til next time,

Jer

Enjoyed a great surprise mini-set this past Saturday at Middlebury Union High School (from which I am an alumnus) sitting in with my friends and yours, The Grift.  It's been a minute since we've all played together, but from the first note of "Secrets" it was like stepping into a warm bath.  Alright, it was like stepping into a sauna, because we were burning up/sweating immediately.  Thanks for putting your hands up when I told you to, and being overall the most enthusiastic crowd I've played for in awhile.  You guys rule.

On to more important matters, let's talk favorite super bowl commercials.  Hands down, my favorites were (in no particular order):

-The 1-second Miller High Life ad (I laughed at least 50 times the length of this commercial, what other ad can claim this return on investment?)
-Cash4Gold MC Hammer / Ed McMahon ad (a quantity of gold objects / level of self-awareness rarely found in ads of this magnitude)
-Hulu's Alec Baldwin spot ("TV only softens your brain, like a ripe banana")
-And this CareerBuilder ad, solely for the attention to detail on the Koala bear's coffee mug spilling (and the "it's gold" line):



Until next time!

-Jer

A funny thing happens when you start to get busy. You stop writing. I've personally found that there seems to be a direct relationship between the amount of free time one has, and the amount of creative work they produce. (That is, if you're the creative type). Perhaps the brain just needs time to stew, and if you fill it up to the brim with the day to day tasks, it takes a breather when you aren't asking anything of it and doesn't give you the creative spark you once had. So here's to clearing the calendar. I'm still playing the waiting game as we figure out the album release plans, but in the meantime it's back to the lab again. If you haven't received an e-mail reply from me in awhile, or have wondered where I've been, that's your answer. Thank you for writing, I really do appreciate it. I promise I'll catch up soon, but for now I'll be tucked away playing my guitar and planting the seeds for some new material. I'll keep you posted when I come up for air.

Thanks for reading. Now go out and make something!

-Jer

ps - if you're reading this, you probably noticed the new myspace layout! hope you like enjoy!

Friends,

I'm so proud to announce that the first single from my new album, "Speak" is available for download at all major digital retailers (iTunes, Amazon, etc) now! The track, "Speak" is the past year and a half of my life compressed into 3 minutes and 22 seconds, and I invite you to take a listen to the song here on my Myspace page, at JerCoons.com or on Facebook, and if you like what you hear download it on iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, or all three! ;) If you feel it in the kindness of your heart, feel free to tell your friends about the single, and spread the word about "this kid Jer Coons".

Thanks so much for your support,

-Jer

Link to buy the single on iTunes:

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?i=282742113&id=282742109&s=143441


http://www.reverbnation.com/jercoons

http://www.myspace.com/jercoons

http://www.jercoons.com

Hey Friends!

First of all, a quick word about my friend Daryl, who is on the mend after a serious car accident. (Read previous blog for context) Word on the street is he's out of the hospital and making leaps and bounds in his recovery. This is great news. Thanks to everyone who donated money, re-posted the link to the paypal donation page, or even just took the time to read the story. If you feel like sending some good will his way, his myspace is www.myspace.com/darylrabidoux ...and if you do, just tell him Uncle Jer sent you.

In other news, I'm currently involved in a competition on OurStage.com that looks for the best indie music in a plethora of categories. Management threw the songs up there, and I actually didn't even check it out until I was told that three of my songs ("Speak", "Legs" and "Secrets") are sitting pretty high on the charts! If you have a moment of spare time, please check out the following links...the last time I asked you guys to help vote for me in a competition, you came out in droves and caused me to win The Deli Artist of The Month! (Aww, yeah! You guys rule!). So let's keep this funk train rolling, shall we?

Vote for "SPEAK" here:



Vote for "LEGS" here:



If you haven't exhausted yourself voting for those two, vote for "SECRETS" here:



Thanks so much guys, and let's see if we can frighten the competition with your votes!

Until next time,

:)

Uncle Jer

Hello All,

If there is any philanthropic benefit of having a forum such as a blog to spread the word about a friend in need, now is the time. I first met Daryl Rabidoux at 242 Main in Burlington, Vermont at my high school band The Theory's first show. He was running sound at the club, and I, playing my first show was incredibly nervous. He most likely doesn't remember the incident, but like many things in life, you never forget your first time. Daryl was my first "sound guy". (Thanks for making my awful band sound good!). Fast forward quite a few years and countless sound guys later, I had the good fortune of recording my latest record at Strangeways Recording studio in Providence, Rhode Island. Here I was lucky to spend the better part of two months with Mike Poorman and his right-hand man Daryl Rabidoux (and my good buddies The Grift) in the studio mostly, followed closely by the fine dining establishments within close proximity to the studio (namely Whole Foods, Pewei, and Pizza Pie-er). Imagine my surprise to realize that the Daryl who ran sound for my first show was also going to be working on my record! Talk about full circle. Mike and Daryl, being the incredible dudes that they are, worked tirelessly on the project, and I can honestly say the record would have never reached the level that it did without their hard work, laughs and love.

Unfortunately, in some of the worst circumstances, it's time to repay that love.

Please take the time to read this message from Mike and repost:

"This past week my best friend, and partner here at Strangeways, Daryl Rabidoux, was involved in a serious car accident that has left him in the hospital with a list of serious injuries. Daryl sustained 2 punctured lungs, many broken ribs, a torn liver, a fractured sternum, and head trauma from the accident. Daryl was released from the ICU Saturday and is still in the regular ward at RI Hospital while he is healing. One of the most tragic parts of the accident is that Daryl does not have any health insurance. When all is said and done his hospital stay will total near 2 weeks. That is a serious expense for anyone, with or without insurance, but even more so without.

I have set up a Paypal account so that people can donate money to help aid Daryl in paying his medical expenses. If Daryl has touched your life through his music with The Cancer Conspiracy, through his friendship (it is unparalleled), or just in passing as an all around good guy, please donate even a few dollars to help him out. The world wouldn't be the same without this guy, he is one of the best people out there.

Thanks a lot for reading this and taking the time to care. The Donation button for the Paypal fund is on the front page of the Strangeways myspace account. I have also set it up so that you can send Daryl a note as well if you want to say hello to him while he's getting better in the hospital. Take care everyone.

Please if there's anything you can do to help Daryl, who is an incredibly awesome guy and one hell of a producer himself, click the button below to donate even a FEW BUCKS to help him out with these medical bills

.

Feel free to drop him a line at his myspace too http://www.myspace.com/darylrabidoux I'm sure he'd appreciate it and love hearing from all of you whether you know him personally or not.

Links in case this is reposted and the html gets messed up:

Paypal Donation Page: https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=PzVEvTaEyaTyUg7dzSJixYJvVedHI0l2YrvOuf_g--LhxfXg2Anzf5pJNcy&dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1f1ff80d546411d7f84f1036d8f209d3d1d1a60b0b34578c41

Daryl's Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/darylrabidoux

Strangeways Recording: http://www.myspace.com/strangewaysrecording

The Cancer Conspiracy: http://www.myspace.com/thecancerconspiracy "

Every little bit helps, and trust me when I say that this guy deserves it. I know he'd do the same.

Thank you,

Jer

Dear Internet,

I am excited to announce my nomination for online music magazine The Deli's artist of the month, for July. The one problem is, I haven't won it yet. Here's where you come in...

If you can find it in the kindness of your heart, simply go HERE and vote for "Jer Coons" (that's me!) in the band of the month poll to the right. You don't need to register for anything, so it's quick, pain-free and relatively easy (though technically "easy" is a subjective term, I'm confident in your abilities).

So have at it! We can do this!

Your support is greatly appreciated.

-Jer bear

Vote here:

http://www.thedelimagazine.com/burlington