Owl and Bear writers’ favorite albums of 2009. Continue reading
Category Archives: listen
Daylight Shines on The Besnard Lakes (MP3)
We loved The Besnard Lakes‘ 2007 release Are The Dark Horse; the album mixed Beach Boys vocals and haunting atmospherics with periodic sonic bludgeonings thrown in for good measure. Now, after three years away from the spotlight, the husband and wife team of Jace Lasek and Olga Goreas (and their crew) will unleash Are The Roaring Night, which is sure to be another ethereal kick in the teeth.
Recorded at Lasek’s Breakglass Studio on a vintage 1968 Neve germanium mixing console, Are The Roaring Night is sure to further push the envelope of the group’s eerie and epic sound. It will be released on Jagjaguwar March 9 U.S., and March 8 in the U.K. For a taste of their previous effort, check out the excellent track “And You Lied to Me” (MP3). Are The Roaring Night‘s track list is after the jump. Continue reading
Jason Lytle Gets into the X-Mas Spirit
When Grandaddy broke up in 2006, it could have spelled the end for front man Jason Lytle‘s career. Fraught with tension and years past their prime, the group had already parted ways by the time their final album, Just Like The Fambly Cat, was released to faint fanfare. Lytle disappeared from the public eye, abandoning his hometown of Modesto, CA for the quietude of Montana.
But, in 2008, he quietly reemerged to sign a solo deal with ANTI- Records. The resulting album, Yours Truly, the Commuter, finally answered the question of exactly what Lytle had been doing with his time since the band split; he had been getting his groove back.
Yours Truly is an outstanding record, every bit as good as classic Grandaddy works Sumday and The Sophtware Slump. It maintains the moody longing fans have come to expect, but marries it with exquisite production and a transcendent atmosphere of hope. The album is easily one of this year’s best, and marks the first chapter in a creative renaissance for the songwriter. So, to celebrate his comeback year in style, Lytle has just released a surprise EP as a Christmas gift to his fans. Continue reading
Lay Low – ‘By And By’ (Video)
Welcome to Iceland Appreciation Day at Owl&Bear—or “Owl och Björn†in Swedish, which we assume sounds pretty close to Icelandic—where we spotlight up-and-coming musicians from the subpolar island country. Incidentally, Iceland boasts a population of 320,000 and its popular dishes include liver sausage and cured ram scrotum. You heard me.
Okay, it’s not actually Iceland Appreciation Day, but we did just run a story on Seabear, so I figured I’d roll with it. Our next artist to be featured from the land of the great Strokkur geyser is LovÃsa ElÃsabet Sigrúnardóttir, better known as Lay Low.
The Patsy Cline-inspired singer/songwriter has already developed an immense following in her homeland, claiming the country’s top-selling original album last year with her debut, Please Don’t Hate Me. Lay Low will be turning her sights on the US with the release of her new album, Farewell Good Night’s Sleep, on March 9th, to be followed by an extensive tour. Continue reading
Boy Without God Never Sleeps
Boy Without God‘s Gabriel Birnbaum isn’t just godless; he’s also restless. The overachieving singer-songwriter released Your Body Is Your Soul earlier this year, a captivating album propelled by Birnbaum’s insightful lyrics and creaking baritone. But while other musicians might be content to rest on their laurels, Birnbaum is already at work recording his follow-up to Soul, entitled God Bless the Hunger.
As if putting out back to back full-lengths weren’t enough, Birnbaum is also releasing two free EPs of material recorded in between those albums. The first EP, Eight Delicate Olives Slowly Chewed at Midnight, is already available as a free download from the Boy Without God blog. The second EP is due for release in a couple of months. Here’s what Birnbaum has to say about Olives: Continue reading