All posts by chris maroulakos

san diego, video

Cloud Cult Playing Casbah May 14th

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Cloud Cult

In case you haven’t noticed yet, we at Owl&Bear really love Cloud Cult. Their most recent effort, Feel Good Ghosts (Tea-Partying Through Tornadoes) earned a much-deserved spot on our Best of 2008 list, and still hasn’t lost any of its resonance, despite the endless rotations we’ve subjected it to. So, it is with no small amount of giddiness that I remind you that the Minnesota septet are bringing their quirky and cathartic sounds to San Diego’s world-famous Casbah on Thursday, May 14th.

Cloud Cult are currently on tour in support of their new DVD No One Said It Would Be Easy, which documents the eco-friendly band’s storied career from its humble beginnings to its auspicious present. Their San Diego show is one of but a handful of dates remaining on the tour and, since rumor has it the band may unfortunately be calling it quits soon, you should make it a point to check them out while you can. Say Hi and Ice Palace will be joining them for what is sure to be a memorable night.

We’ve got a video of the band performing their song “Pretty Voice” after the jump. I know we’ve posted it before, but it’s just so good it would be a crime not to watch it again. Plus, I’m pretty sure the violinist has a crush on me.* Continue reading →

music news, san diego, video

Metric Declare Their Independence

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Metric

Metric are having a good year. The Canadian quartet recently released the excellent Fantasies, their first album in four years, which adds new layers to their dark, angular rock and roll. They’re also set to blow audiences away at the FM 94/9 Independence Jam on June 7th, alongside Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Black Keys, and local acts Dirty Sweet, Scarlet Symphony, the Creepy Creeps, and Apes of Wrath.

As if that weren’t enough, the band has lent their new song “Help, I’m Alive” to fellow countryman Deco Dawson for his new short film of the same name. The frequent collaborator of auteur Guy Maddin, Dawson is renowned for infusing films with his unique visual style, and Help, I’m Alive is no exception. Utilizing concert footage of Metric performing the hit single, he turns it into what the band describes as “Yo Gabba Gabba on acid”.

You can watch Help, I’m Alive after the jump and, since we’re pretty sure it’ll be stuck in your head for a while anyway, we’ve got a remix of the song by The Twelves for you too. Continue reading →

interviews, san diego

Black Mamba Eat Octopus, Discuss New EP

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Black Mamba

In anticipation of the band’s star-studded EP release show at the Casbah tomorrow night, CityBeat has published an interview with Aimee Sanchez and Keith Milgaten of San Diego dream-pop quartet Black Mamba. In it, the pair discuss the new EP, fleshing out the band’s sound, and what it’s like creating music with your significant other:

“I remember the first time we hung out,” Milgaten recalls. “It was at my house. We looked at Aimee’s MySpace page so I could hear her music. I was really blown away by it, even though her recordings were very, uh, very demo-y at the time—.”

“That’s because they were demos!” protests Sanchez with a giggle.

Milgaten smiles. “Yes, they were demos. I was fascinated by her singing style and how she wrote for the piano. I could tell that she was very special.”

And cute, right?

“I’m trying to pertain to the subject,” he laughs. “You don’t even want me to go off on how cute she is.”

Aren’t they adorable? Come by the Casbah tomorrow and bask in the warmth of their gorgeous, sensual compositions. The Paddle Boat, Tape Deck Mountain, and Drew Andrews will be on hand to make the evening even more special.

contests, listen, san diego

San Diegans: Win Tickets to See the Greycoats May 4 at Soda Bar (MP3)

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The Greycoats
We at Owl & Bear love you. Sure, sometimes we treat you badly, or forget to call, or embarrass you in front of your friends, but that’s just our way, and it doesn’t mean we don’t care about you. And because we love you—and not because it’s your birthday, or Valentine’s Day, or any other obvious date—we got you something nice. Because that’s just the kind of art/environment/politics/San Diego-themed website we are.

On May 4th, Minneapolis-based quartet The Greycoats will be gracing San Diego’s own Soda Bar with their cinematic and harmonious brand of rock and roll, and we think you should be there. After all, you like Radiohead, Arcade Fire, and Sigur Rós—see, we do pay attention—and we think you’ll like these guys too. So, just because you’re you—and not because we’re admitting to being wrong or feeling guilty about anything—we’re giving away two tickets to see the show. Continue reading →

video

See Leonard Cohen in Concert for Free

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Leonard Cohen

If you missed out on Leonard Cohen’s stellar San Diego performance earlier this month, you’re probably not feeling too good about yourself. And if you blew your second chance to see Cohen this month—at last weekend’s Coachella festival—you probably feel downright awful. But don’t worry, because—even though you don’t deserve it—you now have yet another chance to experience Mr. Cohen in concert. Well, sort of.

For this week only, the nice folks at Pitchfork are streaming Cohen’s Live In London concert film for free. The concert film, included as a DVD companion piece to his recently released live album of the same name, proves that the remarkable Cohen is still at the top of his game.

So sit back, turn out the lights, set the video to full-screen mode, and pretend you’re enjoying the unmistakable crooning of the great Leonard Cohen in person. How many more chances do you need?

[Video has since been removed.]