San Diego Reader

Dave Mead: Drums, Electronics, Percussion | Jackson Milgaten: Electronics, Guitar (electric), Vocals | Jeremy Scott: Electronics, Guitar (electric), Vocals | Scott Wheeler: Guitar (electric), Vocals | Garrett Prange: Bass guitar

Genre: Rock

RIYL: Talking Heads, Bjork, Radiohead, Vampire Weekend, Vision of a Dying World, the Powerchords, the Paddle Boat, Grizzly Bear

Upcoming Local Shows

• Soda Bar — Thursday, May 30, 8:30pm

Related Links

• Cuckoo Chaos website

• Jam Session: "Cuckoo Chaos on Daytrotter" · Feb. 14, 2012

• Blurt: "Jackson of All Trades" · Sept. 2, 2009

Synoposis

Inception: San Diego, 2008

Ex-Band Members: Jane Weibel, Vocals Craig Barclift, Guitar (acoustic), Guitar (electric), Vocals

Influences: Vision of a Dying World, Bon Iver, the Powerchords, E.L.O., Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Blur, Carlos Santana, Nina Simone, George Michael, David Bowie, Vampire Weekend

Background:

Cuckoo Chaos was founded in 2008 by singer/guitarist Jackson Milgaten (Vision of a Dying World, the Paddle Boat) and fellow Visionary Jeremy Scott, along with Milgaten's roommate Scott Wheeler singing and playing keyboards. They were soon joined by Craig Barclift and Jane Weibel.

Craig Barclift graduated Bonita Vista High and attended Southwestern College and San Diego State. He also plays with the Powerchords, as well as co-running Single Screen Records.

In 2009, Milgaten and Scott transformed their Normal Height home into a house party venue they called the Boat House. In September 2010, they won Best Alternative at the San Diego Music Awards.

As of 2011, the band includes Jeremy Scott (who switched from drums to guitar), Garrett Prange, Wheeler, Milgaten, and Dave Mead. They’re being booked locally and for tours by Tom Windish at Chicago’s Windish Agency, which also works with Deerhunter, Girl Talk, and Animal Collective.

A seven-song EP Woman was released September 13, 2011, on Lefse Records (U.S./Europe), White Iris (U.S.), and Moorworks (Japan).

On October 18, 2011, they played four shows at the annual CMJ music fest in NYC, with a set at Pianos on the Lower East Side that earned a rave from the New York Times. They also recorded two live in-studio sessions (one for the Daytrotter website) and performed a Windish Agency showcase at Mercury Lounge during the festival. The Daytrotter session included Woman tracks “Slut Barf,” “Jesus Flag American Fish,” “Just Ride It,” and “Possessed by a Corpse.”

In Autumn 2012, a video for their song “Shanghaied” (the B-side of their then-new 7-inch) was described by Spinner.com as being “like a children’s book written by Timothy Leary.” A tour with L.A.’s Incan Abraham kicked off January 25, 2013 at the Soda Bar, wrapping up February 9 in L.A.

Discography

Video