That sound you just heard was my fangirl-ish squee from receiving an e-mail directly from music god Paul Sanchez.
It’s safe to say that he was a huge asset to Cowboy Mouth. His songs had an artistic quality that separated the Mouth from other college party bands in the ’90s. “Another Cup of Coffee” was just one song on what may be the most perfect album in the history of the universe, Word of Mouth. (But maybe I remember it that way because it was the first album that made me Love music.)
The song is a breakup song, and in the original recording Sanchez has a Neil Young-esque warble. He’s scared and lost and hurt and paranoid. Sometimes his style on the track strikes me as whiny, but it depends on the mood I’m in. For a band that was focused on feel-good music, “Coffee” had a dark edge. For reference, you can stream it on Cowboy Mouth’s Myspace page.
Fast forward 17 years to 2013. Paul is helping director James Demaria create a documentary about his, frankly, legendary life and comes across an old Cowboy Mouth newsclip that features the song. He and longtime collaborator Mike Mayeux decide to re-record it. He sings it with the piss and vinegar of an older, wiser man reopening a buried wound. Then they decide to let you download it for free.
(EDIT: To download, right-click and select “Save link location as…” or “Save target as…” depending on your browser.)
Still can rock! See you soon.