All posts by chris maroulakos

Video: Metric – “Sick Muse”

With its upbeat charm and infectious chorus, “Sick Muse” is probably the best song on Metric‘s new album Fantasies, and now there’s a video for it. If you have half as much fun watching it as the band did making it, you’ll still be having twice as much fun as you should today. Also, if you didn’t get tickets to see Metric with Yeah Yeah Yeahs and The Blacks Keys at the sold out FM 94/9 Independence Jam next week, don’t worry, because your friendly neighborhood Owl&Bear news team will be there to cover the happenings for you. Now, now, there’s no need to thank us.

Review: Cloud Cult; May 14, 2009 at The Casbah; San Diego

Cloud Cult

Cloud Cult have worked hard to get where they are. Their early albums contained moments of brilliance, but were weighed down by a lack of focus, frustrating silence, and cacophonous filler. After releasing six promising but inconsistent albums, the band finally struck gold with 2007’s The Meaning of 8, which balanced quirkiness and catharsis without succumbing to the ADD-addled wanderings of previous efforts.

They further refined this aesthetic on 2008’s Feel Good Ghosts (Tea-Partying Through Tornadoes), and in doing so crafted one of the year’s finest albums. With the one-two punch of those records, Cloud Cult had ascended to a new creative peak; naturally, the prospect of seeing them live during this renaissance promised to be thrilling and memorable. Why, then, did their May 14th performance at the Casbah prove disappointing? Continue reading

Neko Case Announces Summer Tour

Neko CaseA few months ago, Neko Case played a “secret show” at the Casbah, which was announced ahead of time on the underground Internet site MySpace. The show, designed to promote music enthusiasts TurboTax, was set to open its doors at 7pm and would only admit people on a first-come, first-serve basis.

However, people on the Casbah’s e-mailing list were told that they could show up at 3pm to get a wristband guaranteeing entry, and then reappear later and walk right in—information that was unavailable to anyone who found out the correct way (through MySpace). This therefore greatly benefited otherwise oblivious Casbah mailing list members; in other words, lots of people showed up a mere three to four hours ahead of time to find the show already sold out.

Those who missed Neko that night may be wondering if San Diego is to be included in her upcoming North American tour, but this time as a real show with purchasable tickets and an adequately-sized venue. Well, San Diegans can now rest easy because Neko has finally announced her tour dates and, if you did miss her last time, you remain hopelessly and utterly screwed.

However, if you live in any other city in North America, you’re in luck. Neko and her goddess-like vocals are coming to you! Tickets can be purchased here, and we’ve got the dates for you after the jump. You know, in spite of everything, we do still love you, Neko. Continue reading

Review: The Avett Brothers; May 10, 2009 at The Belly Up Tavern; Solana Beach

The Avett Brothers

No one likes a gushy reviewer. People want evenhanded critiques that take a band’s flaws as well as their strengths into account. Reviews that seem overly positive wreak of bias and/or ignorance, smack of unchecked fandom, and can diminish the credibility of the reviewer. But, like it or not, this is going to be one of those reviews, because when The Avett Brothers performed to a packed house at The Belly Up on Sunday, it truly was a flawless show.

Backed by Bob Crawford on standup bass and—because no country/folk/bluegrass band is complete without a long-haired, head-banging Asian guy—Joe Kwon on cello, brothers Seth and Scott Avett took to the stage with understated confidence. Their aw-shucks Southern humility dropped no hints as to the stellar performance they were about to deliver but, from the moment they began to play, The Avett Brothers nailed each note with baffling ease and agility. Continue reading

Single Screen Signs Maren Parusel

Maren Parusel

San Diego’s Single Screen Records has just added German export Maren Parusel to its rapidly growing roster.

The former front-woman of Wild Weekend—which started as a The Zeros cover band but whose local prestige eventually grew to rival that of its muse—and the also-defunct Squiddo, Parusel has decided to fly solo. Her debut 7-inch is currently being pressed and will be released sometime this summer.

Single Screen has been melting a lot of wax lately. In addition to signing Parusel, the label has 7-inch releases planned for The Powerchords, Beaters, The Atoms, The Illuminauts, and Charles Musket, as well as the debut full-length from The Paddle Boat.

You can catch Parusel’s wistful pop melodies live at the Beauty Bar on May 23rd, where she’ll be playing with The Dabbers and Red Pony Clock. We’ve also got a video of her performing the captivatingly carnivalesque “Ordinary Day” after the jump. Continue reading