Poetic Memory: The LeBarons (List)
If you’re looking for a new band to fall in love with this year, you’d be hard pressed to find a better one than The LeBarons.
The two-piece just released its debut album, Sounds From The Parallel Present, as a name-your-price download on its website. No matter what you choose to pay, the album is a steal. From the evocative opening track, “Black Adam,” onward, Parallel Present draws you into a world of rich melodies and finely-tuned compositions. The songwriting is built upon a foundation of classic rock greats like David Bowie and Led Zeppelin, but the end result feels fresh and timeless.
The Los Angeles duo plans on touring Southern California in the fall. In the meantime, you can read band members Nathan Berqvist and Daniel J Frankeberger’s Poetic Memory below. Continue reading…
Interview: The Morning Benders
The Morning Benders are still coming down from the success of Talking Through Tin Cans, their 2008 album that earned them Alternative/Indie Album of the Year on iTunes.
For their sophomore effort, they have teamed up with Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear to create Big Echo. Taylor’s fingerprints are all over the album; instead of three-minute pop songs, the band has opted for more sprawl and experimentation. The result is a more mature album, both in its lyrics and musical composition.
The band is currently trekking across the country on a tour that includes a stop at The Casbah on March 26th. We recently had a chance to catch up with singer/guitarist Chris Chu to discuss what it was like working with Chris Taylor, and what we can expect from the new tunes. (more…)
Owl and Bear’s Best Albums of 2009
Owl and Bear writers’ favorite albums of 2009. (more…)
The Rest Never Sleep (MP3s)
Remember The Rest? We profiled them for Poetic Memory back in July.
Well, the Ontario-based band just signed to Something in Construction records. To celebrate, they’re offering their Walk on Water EP for all to download—free of charge! (more…)
Poetic Memory: Local Natives (List)
Silver Lake-based Local Natives just completed a U.S. tour with Ben Kweller, then went to London, then stormed barns across the midwest. They even blog. Needless to say, these guys (and occasionally girl) are both creative and busy. They’re also great musicians who put on a rewarding and fun show. They have a new album called Gorilla Manor coming out soon.
Recently, the band recorded an acoustic version of their song “Camera Talk” (MP3) for the website Aurgasm, who pretty aptly summed up our feelings for the band:
The quintet’s unique brand of indie folk highlights their tight vocal harmonies without sacrificing on rolling guitars, keys and percussion or sharp lyrics. Their laid-back and layered folk is a perfect way to wind down the rest of summer.
Local Natives are also currently touring extensively in the west through late September, with a stop Thursday (9/3) at San Diego’s Casbah, and then they’re moving on to Europe for six weeks. Complete list of tourdates is below.
Meanwhile, we caught up Ryan Hahn, Taylor Rice, and Kelcey Ayer to talk Poetic Memory. Check it out. (more…)
Grizzly Bear – Two Weeks (Video)
Animator and artist Gabe Askew is a fan of Grizzly Bear. He created his own video for their song “Two Weeks”.
How to Hug Your Independent Record Store
“Indie record stores,” says Chrys Hansen of Modern Music, the Caribbean’s most visited record store, “are where you go when you first realize there’s a whole new world of music for you to explore.” The Internet notwithstanding as perhaps one’s first stop when searching out what the world has to offer musically, Hansen’s words ring sentimental and otherwise true.
Independent record stores, unlike the CD sections of Wal-Mart and Best Buy, often feature carefully procured selections of good popular music and local and alternative groups that are either too vulgar or not Hoobastank-y enough for other outlets. The quality of independent record stores is only enhanced by the personal touch offered by the staff.
Free Live Shows (MP3) From NPR & KEXP via iTunes Store
There are a ton of free live shows available through the iTunes store.
Check out these links:
KEXP: Includes shows from Thurston Moore, Twilight Sad, Battles, Beirut, Watson Twins, Stars, Grizzly Bear, Wrens, Magic Numbers, Okkervil River, etc.
Review: Grizzly Bear/LA Philharmonic; March 1, 2008 at Walt Disney Concert Hall; Los Angeles
Grizzly Bear and the LA Philharmonic split a bill at the impressively designed Walt Disney Concert Hall. You must see this monstrosity designed by Frank Gehry. I swear there is not a single right angle inside or outside, and I’m willing to wager that it was constructed with stealth technology.The LA Philharmonic played the first set, and the clarity delivered by the venue is phenomenal. It’s easy to realize that no medium (be it vinyl, CD, or reel-to-reel) really does a symphony justice. Selections of their performance were pieces chosen as influences by Grizzly Bear.
Pitchfork Music Festival 2007 (II)
Note: Photos in this essay depict re-enactments of actual events, not the events themselves.
Thursday, July 12
McCaskill picked me up at my folks’ house at 9PM. We weren’t planning to leave Jackson until about 1 or 2AM, but we’d decided to hang out a while and say goodbyes because, naturally, we may never come back.
Instead of going to the bar, for obvious reasons, we opted for dinner. Regardless, as with alcohol, we are both bottomless pits for food. The meal was uneventful, save for the fact that our waitress had apparently served McCaskill once before, and had taken offense to a conversation about foreskins. Despite this, the food was palatable and (hopefully) spit-free.
