Brooklyn’s Grizzly Bear were originally supposed to be in town at the ElMo this past Saturday night in support of their new record Yellow House, but abruptly cancelled when they got a better offer for how to spend their Fall – opening for TV On The Radio. At first, I thought it seemed a peculiar bill but the more I listen to their respective new albums, the more sense it makes.
While stylistically quite different – Grizzly Bear’s pastoral, ghostly medieval folk songs are light years (and centuries) removed from TVOTR’s urban, post-modern, synthesized soul but they’re both dense, challenging works that for all their experimentalism, still manage to have enough accessibility points so as to not be impenetrable. But that said, I’m surprised at the number of comments on the the Grizzly Bear record that declared instant love for it – I was definitely intruiged by it from the get go, but it’s been the very definition of a slow grower for me. That the record is beautiful is obvious – but it’s an intangible, ethereal sort of beauty. I’m still feeling kept at a bit of a distance, like the attraction is purely aesthetic. The emotional connection isn’t there yet. We need to talk a little, first. Get to know one another. It might take a while yet, but I’m patient. But either way, their show at the Opera House on October 12 should be quite the mind-altering experience.
Brooklynvegan recently conducted an interview with chief Bear Ed Droste while Stereogum got a look into their studio. Droste also does the blog thing from the road. The band has been unusually generous with MP3s from the new record – here’s three tracks from the new record, Salon can hook you up with another and finally, there’s a track from their recent mini-album of early material.
MP3: Grizzly Bear – “On A Neck, On A Spit” (from Yellow House)
MP3: Grizzly Bear – “Lullabye” (from Yellow House)
MP3: Grizzly Bear – “Knife” (from Yellow House)
MP3: Grizzly Bear – “Sure Thing” (from Sorry About The Delay)
MySpace: Grizzly Bear
As for their tourmates, CMJ talks to TVOTR about the importance of their Prospect Park show back in June. AZCentral.com and Jambase also have features on the band, which is kicking ass and taking names over at Metacritic. Like Grizzly Bear, I am still growing into Cookie Mountain, but it’s happening.
The Toronto Star talks to Polaris-winner Owen Pallet, aka Final Fantasy, about spending the next year with that adjective next to his name.
You may already have grabbed it from elsewhere, but there’s a new, sanctioned Okkervil River song up for grabs – “The President’s Dead” led off the Overboard And Down Aussie-only EP, but will be getting a domestic release as the A-side of a limited edition 12″ single (that’s vinyl, folks). The b-side is another track from the EP. And another new song has cropped up on a compilation accompanying the new issue of Yeti. Alls I can say is that if these songs are any indication of where the band’s songwriting is at right now, I am declaring their new album – whenever and whatever it is – tops for 2007.
MP3: Okkervil River – “The President’s Dead”
Since no one I asked knew, I did some sleuthing and found out that why? are opening for Yo La Tengo at the Phoenix next Monday as well as many other dates on the tour. Of course, once I found this out I was emailed the exact same info…
So who saw Lambchop on Sunday? Good? I will have to satisfy myself with reading press clipping sfrom The San Francisco Chronicle, The Globe & Mail and The Philadelphia Inquirer as well as this downloadable radio session with WNYC. Many of these links courtesy of Merge.
Check out the new video from Mates Of State – is there anything about this band that ISN’T stupid cute?
Video: Mates Of State – “Like U Crazy” (MOV)
Billboard reports on the distribution deal that will finally see Nellie McKay’s Pretty Little Head
finally get a release on October 31 via her own label, fully 10 months after it was initially supposed to come out.
Some shows – The Dears have booked a 2-night stand at Lee’s Palace on November 16 and 17 (via For The Records) and after touring all of Europe and North America, The Hidden Cameras will return for a hometown gig on December 14 at a venue to be determined. And simply because I can’t resist – Guns’N’Roses have booked a date at the ACC on November 15. Anyone want to start a pool as to how long before they cancel that gig?
np – Sparklehorse / Dreamt For Light Years In The Belly Of A Mountain
More contests than you can shake a stick at! This time, I have one pair of tickets to the sold-out TV On The Radio show at the Opera House in Toronto on October 12, courtesy of Universal Music.
Another day, another contest. Courtesy of 
I used to watch a lot of TV as a kid. Like A LOT. Naturally, as I got older there was less time for boob-tubing and the television landscape is quite different now with the advent of TV-on-DVD and cable shows that run on their own schedules, but I still get a bit of a tingle when September comes and with it, the new (network) television season. I’m of the opinion that despite the amount of utter dreck on the air, that we’re still in the middle of something of a television renaissance right now. I can’t remember the last time (if ever) there were so many shows on that I’ve heard good things about or would like to try and catch if only I had an infinite amount of time at my disposal. But as it is, I’ve had to be very picky and choosy about what I watch because otherwise, I’ll watch everything. It’s depressingly easy to hook me on a show – I watched 90210 for three or four season in university even though I found it wretched. I just couldn’t stop (and it was great for procrastinating).
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