about
kosmøs : Nick Fiore (drums), Tim Tonak (bass, vocals), and Ben Tonak (vocals, guitar).
The release of the 6-song EP Skeptics In Love in 2010 marks kosmos' 3rd cd release, following the full-length Ways of Letting Go in 2006 and The Bifurcation (EP) in 2008. As with all of kosmos' releases, Skeptics In Love was produced by the band and recorded in Colorado, this time at Boulder's Coupe Studios. While Skeptics In Love is a sort of concept album, telling the story of a single hypothetical relationship between two young lovers, each song stands on its own with smart lyrics and catchy hooks.
"Skeptics In Love is a tribute to growing up in rural America," says frontman, Ben Tonak. "The characters and themes are an amalgam based on different people I knew and my own experiences."
2010 marks kosmos' fifth year in Colorado, after the Tonak brothers moved to Denver in 2005. Nick Fiore's rock solid drumming contributes a self-assured backbone to the band's solid arrangements and production values. With a workmanlike and confident approach to live performance, kosmos aspires to a "garage band sensibility mixed with arena rock accessibility." The band's sound ranges from catchy, guitar-driven anthems to slightly more ethereal pop/rock.
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reviews
"...the trio wails, big and broad. You can get the idea without listening too closely, but the attentive will be rewarded with Tonak's thoughtful turns of phrase" - Westword review of Skeptics In Love ...full review
"Kosmos is destined for big things. Song after song is accessible without being overproduced. I know I'm sold when I want to listen again and again." - Ace Young - 14 years of morning drive at top rated KMET-FM, Los Angeles (album-oriented rock, 94.7FM)
"I get about 125 CDs in here every month, and this is one of the top five for the year. You should be proud of this. I think it is beautiful and heartbreakingly good." – Rhonda Kelly, Rainmaker Publicity, Boston, MA
"We record a lot of projects here because we have to pay the bills, but this project is one that I will enjoy listening to in my car on the way to work." - Steve McElhenney, Owner, Maximum-Joy Studios, Denver
"Kosmos are the real deal Smart rock at its finest. This band has done their homework." - Russ Davidson, Program Director, Sheridan Media, Sheridan, WY
"Kosmos connects with my ears. Ben Tonak is a gifted young writer whose songs are about to break through." - Jim Pewter, Former Program Director, KEarth L.A. & KRLA, Pasadena
"The moment the band took the stage, as each member quietly set up his gear like he’d done it a million times before, it was apparent that the group's output would be different... Indeed, a more reserved approach came through in the music: Kosmos was careful not to overwhelm, letting each song unfold in its own time. With little stage banter, the act let the music speak with songs that were bouncy and fun and at times bordered on dreamy and ethereal." - Kevin Galaba - Westword