Danny Cohen

Dannyland is that place where Joe Meek has assumed the throne as emperor of the world, while Screaming Lord Sutch has married the world’s most famous plastic armadillo and taken up residence in the motel where Bob Crane was murdered. This record was obviously recorded from the grave by famed “ethnomusicologist” Alan Lomax, for who else could give us such a perfect glimpse into the world that is always hidden yet always before us? Paradise resident Danny Cohen is this world’s auteur, and he’s a master at describing that place where the mundane becomes the mystical. “Somebody crept into the back of our house,” he sings on “Enlightened Despondency,” “and stole our stamp collection.” Cohen’s voice is well-suited for the job; no one else could make a simple phrase like “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” as utterly creepy as he does. For travelers with strong stomachs, Dannyland is worth a visit. I wouldn’t drink the water, though.