The album continues and expands the psychedelic splendor of Grizzly Bear's sound, while at the same time pushing the band in new and different directions, probably due to the collaborative efforts of minimalist composer Nico Muhly (who also contributes vocals). A few tracks closely resemble last year's release from Daniel Rossen's other project, Department Of Eagles (see my best of 2008 list), as they have more propulsive rhythm that is common among the psych-folk scene nowadays (Dodos are the perfect example.) In tracks like "Two Weeks" and "While You Wait For The Others," they also capitalize more on a signature Grizzly Bear trait: the use of ghostly, choir-like background voices that harmonize with Rossen and Ed Droste, the other driving force behind the band. A change in song-writing is also present, as several tracks including opener "Southern Point" and "Ready, Able" have more complex structures than what we're used to, though the change is not necessarily an improvement, it just seems different. Apparently Victoria Legrand of Beach House also guests on this album, though I can't seem to figure out where (she's probably lurking in the background of "Two Weeks" or "Dory".) I guess that's just a testament to how seamless the album is, though, and I prefer how Grizzly Bear carefully integrates the individual elements to create something entirely different from its components rather than succumbing to a more gimmicky approach. Yellow House is one of my all-time favorite albums, and as such I am not quite ready to decide how I think Veckatimest compares, but the bottom line is that it's definitely an incredible album in its own right and was definitely worth the 3-year wait.
Showing posts with label grizzly bear. Show all posts
Showing posts with label grizzly bear. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Veckatimest
I just recently got my hands (or ears?) on the latest effort from Brooklyn-based Grizzly Bear, Veckatimest (to be released May 26th, 2009). Named for the summer vacation spot in which it was written and recorded, the long-awaited follow-up to 2006's Yellow House has instantly placed among my list of favorites in 2009.
The album continues and expands the psychedelic splendor of Grizzly Bear's sound, while at the same time pushing the band in new and different directions, probably due to the collaborative efforts of minimalist composer Nico Muhly (who also contributes vocals). A few tracks closely resemble last year's release from Daniel Rossen's other project, Department Of Eagles (see my best of 2008 list), as they have more propulsive rhythm that is common among the psych-folk scene nowadays (Dodos are the perfect example.) In tracks like "Two Weeks" and "While You Wait For The Others," they also capitalize more on a signature Grizzly Bear trait: the use of ghostly, choir-like background voices that harmonize with Rossen and Ed Droste, the other driving force behind the band. A change in song-writing is also present, as several tracks including opener "Southern Point" and "Ready, Able" have more complex structures than what we're used to, though the change is not necessarily an improvement, it just seems different. Apparently Victoria Legrand of Beach House also guests on this album, though I can't seem to figure out where (she's probably lurking in the background of "Two Weeks" or "Dory".) I guess that's just a testament to how seamless the album is, though, and I prefer how Grizzly Bear carefully integrates the individual elements to create something entirely different from its components rather than succumbing to a more gimmicky approach. Yellow House is one of my all-time favorite albums, and as such I am not quite ready to decide how I think Veckatimest compares, but the bottom line is that it's definitely an incredible album in its own right and was definitely worth the 3-year wait.
The album continues and expands the psychedelic splendor of Grizzly Bear's sound, while at the same time pushing the band in new and different directions, probably due to the collaborative efforts of minimalist composer Nico Muhly (who also contributes vocals). A few tracks closely resemble last year's release from Daniel Rossen's other project, Department Of Eagles (see my best of 2008 list), as they have more propulsive rhythm that is common among the psych-folk scene nowadays (Dodos are the perfect example.) In tracks like "Two Weeks" and "While You Wait For The Others," they also capitalize more on a signature Grizzly Bear trait: the use of ghostly, choir-like background voices that harmonize with Rossen and Ed Droste, the other driving force behind the band. A change in song-writing is also present, as several tracks including opener "Southern Point" and "Ready, Able" have more complex structures than what we're used to, though the change is not necessarily an improvement, it just seems different. Apparently Victoria Legrand of Beach House also guests on this album, though I can't seem to figure out where (she's probably lurking in the background of "Two Weeks" or "Dory".) I guess that's just a testament to how seamless the album is, though, and I prefer how Grizzly Bear carefully integrates the individual elements to create something entirely different from its components rather than succumbing to a more gimmicky approach. Yellow House is one of my all-time favorite albums, and as such I am not quite ready to decide how I think Veckatimest compares, but the bottom line is that it's definitely an incredible album in its own right and was definitely worth the 3-year wait.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Sweet Love For 2009
So 2009 is actually shaping up to be quite a year, and it's still only February. Not only are there a ton of great new albums from reputable artists, but there are also some great new groups (and more are on the way!) A key element to the success so far, however, is this compilation album:
Dark Was The Night, the brainchild of Aaron and Bryce Dessner (both members of indie rock greats The National), is a Red Hot Organization compilation released on the 4AD label to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS. Also, it's pure genius. It's like they read my mind when gathering these 31 exclusive tracks spread across 2 CDs or 3 LP records. If you like the same music I do, you're likely to immediately recognize about 50% of the artists just from the tracklisting and then recognize another 45% when you actually hear the songs, as there's a lot of solo work here from members of notable bands. Not only are the brand new tracks representative of the best work from each artist (a lot of which happen to be my personal favorite musicians), but about half of the tracks are duets(!!!) I can't really think of anything I enjoy more than hearing two extremely familiar voices pair up to create something greater than the sum of its parts. My favorite tracks from the album include "Knotty Pine," an unexpected collaboration between Dirty Projectors and David Byrne, "Cello Song," which features the vocals of Jose Gonzalez crooning over the electronic sample-based pop of The Books, and "Service Bell," a chilling interplay between Leslie Feist and Daniel Rossen of Grizzly Bear. I don't think I've ever heard another compilation album that's quite as strong.
Aside from that, I've found more information about some important albums that are due this year and heard some more rumors of things to come that sound very interesting:
1) Hold Time, M. Ward's follow-up to the acclaimed Post-War, will be here on February 17th. It's already gotten good reviews, so keep your ears out for this one.
2) Black Moth Super Rainbow's Eating Us is set to follow their Dandelion Gum and will be released May 26th.
3) It's official: Veckatimest, Grizzly Bear's proper follow-up to one of my favorite albums, Yellow House, is scheduled for release also on May 26th. It will supposedly feature guest appearances by minimalist composer Nico Muhly (who, incidentally, provided the score for "The Reader", possibly my favorite movie of the season) and Victoria Legrand of Beach House.
4) On May 19th, Sub Pop will release a collection of rarities from Iron & Wine, and I'll finally be able to hear that really long ballad song that everyone's been talking about. There will also be some Postal Service, Flaming Lips, and New Order covers, so get excited!
5) In addition, Patrick Wolf, Swan Lake, Akron/Family, Metric, Royksopp, Echo & The Bunnymen, Alela Diane, Vetiver, Phosphorescent, and Architecture In Helsinki will also be releasing new albums this year (some of which should be out before the end of the month.) Crystal Antlers, after a couple of introductory EPs, will release a debut this month as well. Blind Man's Colour, a band gaining popularity through covers of Animal Collective's "Taste" and "Brothersport" and which has a very similar sound (from what I heard from a fellow BSR program), will be releasing a debut album and EP as soon as a record label will sign them. I think someone better get on that...
I'll keep y'all posted on any news, as long as you'll keep your fingers crossed for a new Sufjan, Panda Bear, and Joanna.
Dark Was The Night, the brainchild of Aaron and Bryce Dessner (both members of indie rock greats The National), is a Red Hot Organization compilation released on the 4AD label to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS. Also, it's pure genius. It's like they read my mind when gathering these 31 exclusive tracks spread across 2 CDs or 3 LP records. If you like the same music I do, you're likely to immediately recognize about 50% of the artists just from the tracklisting and then recognize another 45% when you actually hear the songs, as there's a lot of solo work here from members of notable bands. Not only are the brand new tracks representative of the best work from each artist (a lot of which happen to be my personal favorite musicians), but about half of the tracks are duets(!!!) I can't really think of anything I enjoy more than hearing two extremely familiar voices pair up to create something greater than the sum of its parts. My favorite tracks from the album include "Knotty Pine," an unexpected collaboration between Dirty Projectors and David Byrne, "Cello Song," which features the vocals of Jose Gonzalez crooning over the electronic sample-based pop of The Books, and "Service Bell," a chilling interplay between Leslie Feist and Daniel Rossen of Grizzly Bear. I don't think I've ever heard another compilation album that's quite as strong.Aside from that, I've found more information about some important albums that are due this year and heard some more rumors of things to come that sound very interesting:
1) Hold Time, M. Ward's follow-up to the acclaimed Post-War, will be here on February 17th. It's already gotten good reviews, so keep your ears out for this one.
2) Black Moth Super Rainbow's Eating Us is set to follow their Dandelion Gum and will be released May 26th.
3) It's official: Veckatimest, Grizzly Bear's proper follow-up to one of my favorite albums, Yellow House, is scheduled for release also on May 26th. It will supposedly feature guest appearances by minimalist composer Nico Muhly (who, incidentally, provided the score for "The Reader", possibly my favorite movie of the season) and Victoria Legrand of Beach House.
4) On May 19th, Sub Pop will release a collection of rarities from Iron & Wine, and I'll finally be able to hear that really long ballad song that everyone's been talking about. There will also be some Postal Service, Flaming Lips, and New Order covers, so get excited!
5) In addition, Patrick Wolf, Swan Lake, Akron/Family, Metric, Royksopp, Echo & The Bunnymen, Alela Diane, Vetiver, Phosphorescent, and Architecture In Helsinki will also be releasing new albums this year (some of which should be out before the end of the month.) Crystal Antlers, after a couple of introductory EPs, will release a debut this month as well. Blind Man's Colour, a band gaining popularity through covers of Animal Collective's "Taste" and "Brothersport" and which has a very similar sound (from what I heard from a fellow BSR program), will be releasing a debut album and EP as soon as a record label will sign them. I think someone better get on that...
I'll keep y'all posted on any news, as long as you'll keep your fingers crossed for a new Sufjan, Panda Bear, and Joanna.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Looking Forward
So, after finishing off an amazing year in the music business, the time has come to start anew. Each year, I start off thinking that the previous year would never be topped. After 2007's slew of new releases from really important artists such as The Shins, Modest Mouse, Panda Bear, Stars, etc., I was expecting 2008 to be a bit less active. Now, sitting at the front end of '09, I've been thinking that it can only be downhill from the fantastic albums I just finished describing with my year-end posts.
To get my spirits up, I've been doing research to find out what might be exciting in 2009, and, to my surprise, I found a whole lot to look forward to. Here's 10 things that will (hopefully) get Baby New Year started off on the right foot to beat its older brother:
1. Starting the year off right is Merriweather Post Pavilion, a new full-length from my favorite band, Animal Collective. Though it's already out on vinyl and digitally (I actually just finished giving it a first listen, but I'll save my thoughts for later), the CD doesn't hit US shelves until January 20th, so there're still two more weeks of eager anticipation.
2. A double EP from another favorite, Beirut, is scheduled for release in February. It's called March Of The Zapotec/Holland, and the first is influenced by Zach Condon's trip to Mexico while the second will have more of an electronic sound (according to a reliable source, Wikipedia.)
3. A Modest Mouse EP featuring outtakes from the two most recent albums, We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank and Good News For People Who Love Bad News, is in the works. Modest Mouse EPs are usually about the length (and top the quality) of almost any other band's studio albums, so I'll bet it'll be worth the wait.
4. The follow-up to So This Is Goodbye by Junior Boys is slated for release in "early 2009." It's as of yet untitled but I'm sure it's going to be brilliant.
5. Similarly, Menomena is working on a follow-up to Friend And Foe and plan to release it sometime in 2009.
6. The Flaming Lips, after finishing their movie project Christmas On Mars, plan to release a follow-up to At War With The Mystics and said it can be ready for release as early as June.
7. Hazards Of Love by The Decemberists will hit stores in April. I'm not sure how excited I am about this one, however, seeing as the songs on their Always A Bridesmaid singles series were extremely underwhelming.
8. Dan Deacon's follow-up to 2007's Spiderman Of The Rings, Bromst, will hit shelves in March.
9. Dogs Die In Hot Cars, as part of their 2nd album project, will be challenging fans to mix and touch up the 17 song demos they've posted on their website. Sometime this year, they'll choose their favorites and release them as the follow-up to 2004's Please Describe Yourself.
10. Two new artists that sound fairly exciting will be releasing debuts in the near future: Dreijer Andersson of Swedish electronic group The Knife will be releasing a solo album in February under the name Fever Ray while Sholi, an experimental/psych-folk group likened to Xiu Xiu, will be releasing a self-titled album the same month.
On top of all of that, old friends Joanna Newsom and Sufjan Stevens are both long overdue for a new full-length, so keep your fingers crossed that they'll get their act together before the year ends. Also, Grizzly Bear have been working on a follow-up to their mini-masterpiece, Yellow House. And, Deerhoof and Bradford Cox of Deerhunter and Atlas Sound have been releasing albums like crazy every year of recent history, so what's to stop them from continuing their trend into 2009?
To get my spirits up, I've been doing research to find out what might be exciting in 2009, and, to my surprise, I found a whole lot to look forward to. Here's 10 things that will (hopefully) get Baby New Year started off on the right foot to beat its older brother:
1. Starting the year off right is Merriweather Post Pavilion, a new full-length from my favorite band, Animal Collective. Though it's already out on vinyl and digitally (I actually just finished giving it a first listen, but I'll save my thoughts for later), the CD doesn't hit US shelves until January 20th, so there're still two more weeks of eager anticipation.
2. A double EP from another favorite, Beirut, is scheduled for release in February. It's called March Of The Zapotec/Holland, and the first is influenced by Zach Condon's trip to Mexico while the second will have more of an electronic sound (according to a reliable source, Wikipedia.)
3. A Modest Mouse EP featuring outtakes from the two most recent albums, We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank and Good News For People Who Love Bad News, is in the works. Modest Mouse EPs are usually about the length (and top the quality) of almost any other band's studio albums, so I'll bet it'll be worth the wait.
4. The follow-up to So This Is Goodbye by Junior Boys is slated for release in "early 2009." It's as of yet untitled but I'm sure it's going to be brilliant.
5. Similarly, Menomena is working on a follow-up to Friend And Foe and plan to release it sometime in 2009.
6. The Flaming Lips, after finishing their movie project Christmas On Mars, plan to release a follow-up to At War With The Mystics and said it can be ready for release as early as June.
7. Hazards Of Love by The Decemberists will hit stores in April. I'm not sure how excited I am about this one, however, seeing as the songs on their Always A Bridesmaid singles series were extremely underwhelming.
8. Dan Deacon's follow-up to 2007's Spiderman Of The Rings, Bromst, will hit shelves in March.
9. Dogs Die In Hot Cars, as part of their 2nd album project, will be challenging fans to mix and touch up the 17 song demos they've posted on their website. Sometime this year, they'll choose their favorites and release them as the follow-up to 2004's Please Describe Yourself.
10. Two new artists that sound fairly exciting will be releasing debuts in the near future: Dreijer Andersson of Swedish electronic group The Knife will be releasing a solo album in February under the name Fever Ray while Sholi, an experimental/psych-folk group likened to Xiu Xiu, will be releasing a self-titled album the same month.
On top of all of that, old friends Joanna Newsom and Sufjan Stevens are both long overdue for a new full-length, so keep your fingers crossed that they'll get their act together before the year ends. Also, Grizzly Bear have been working on a follow-up to their mini-masterpiece, Yellow House. And, Deerhoof and Bradford Cox of Deerhunter and Atlas Sound have been releasing albums like crazy every year of recent history, so what's to stop them from continuing their trend into 2009?
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