Video: Dawes and the Morning Benders – “When My Time Comes”

Download: Dawes – “When My Time Comes” (M4A)

On November 27 at The Casbah, Dawes will celebrate the end of their epic fall tour. We can’t wait to see them, and we can’t wait to give away two tickets to the show.

The L.A. indie rockers released their debut album, North Hills, about a year ago, and it has received rave reviews across the board. Rolling Stone called them “Rookies of the Year,” Paste called them “Best of What’s Next,” and Daytrotter declared North Hills “hands down one of the finest records of 2009.” It can’t hurt that Wilco heartthrob Pat Sansone appears on the release. They also recently recorded a live session with The Morning Benders (see above).

We’re offering two tickets to see Dawes at the Casbah on 11/27. To enter the contest, just comment below and include your email address in the form (your email won’t be visible to the public). The winner will be chosen at random on November 24, 2010. Full list of Dawes tour dates is below.

Live Review: Foals at the Casbah, October 14, 2010

MP3: Foals – “Balloons”
MP3: Foals – “Spanish Sahara” (Deadboy Remix)

“Listen to Foals – Spanish Sahara.” That was the text message I received several months ago, late at night, completely out of the blue, and from a friend I hadn’t been in touch with for ages. I listened, and then I listened again, hitting reload on the YouTube video and turning the volume up a little more each time.
Continue reading…

Watchlist vol. 8: Cloud Nothings (MP3s)

MP3: Cloud Nothings – “Hey Cool Kid”
MP3: Cloud Nothings – “Can’t Stay Awake”

In recent years, Ohio has found itself on the receiving end of many jokes. Yet despite some unfortunate sports teams and economic problems, the Buckeye State remains fertile ground for great music.

In particular, the Akron, Ohio scene has produced legendary punk bands like The Cramps, Dead Boys, and Devo. More recently, The Black Keys exploded onto the national scene with their intoxicating mix of garage rock and blues. And, if it wasn’t for Oberlin College, the world may never have heard of Yeah Yeah Yeahs — singer Karen O and drummer Brian Chase met while attending the school and were both inspired by Ohio’s legendary 80s and 90s-era punk scene. Continue reading…

Sezio Presents Four Day Weekend

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Are you sick of eagerly waiting for the weekend to arrive, only to have it fly by before you know it? Do you find yourself sitting at your desk Monday morning, wondering where the heck the last two days have gone?

Thankfully, local music supporters Sezio have devised a great way to help you savor the weekend — they’ve made it twice as long. Beginning Thursday, November 4th, Sezio will host Four Day Weekend, an “anti-festival” comprised of four performances by eight West Coast bands.

The festival gets off to a fine start on Thursday with the Joel P. West-fronted The Tree Ring and local favorites The Vision of a Dying World, who are reassembling their classic, four-piece lineup just for the night. Friday will pair San Francisco’s Dominant Legs with hometown heroes Writer.

Saturday’s show features the most exciting lineup yet, with local buzz-band Cuckoo Chaos — who recently signed to Lefse Records — opening for none other than San Francisco psych-folk act The Dodos. Anybody who has heard The Dodos’ fantastic 2008 album Visiter knows that their presence is a very big reason to be excited. The festival will meet a classy end on Sunday with performances by San Diego’s reverb-happy Chairs Missing and Long Beach chill-pop band Avi Buffalo. Continue reading…

Owl and Bear and SoundDiego Present: Miss Erika Davies and the Smart Brothers – 10/28

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San Diego, have we got a treat for you. On October 28th, a day that will live on in both infamy and plain old famy, your friendly neighborhood Owl and Bear will curate its first-ever show/party thing. The hoedown will go down at Analog Bar, the recently-opened, vinyl-themed watering hole at 5th and F downtown.

The night will begin at 7pm with an hour of hosted drinks, free appetizers, and some sweet dee-jaying by the Owl and Bear writers. After that, folk duo The Smart Brothers will wow you with their incredible harmonies. If you’ve never seen The Smart Brothers in person, their performance at Analog will be a great way to acquaint yourself with one of San Diego’s most talented bands.

After some more spinning from our ruggedly handsome writers, it’s on to the main event, and boy will it be a doozy. Local siren Erika Davies will blow you away with her incredible voice and irrepressible charm. Davies has long been one of San Diego’s brightest stars, and lately that star is on the rise. Her golden voice was recently featured in a Subaru commercial and she also just signed with local label Single Screen Records, who in the coming months will release her debut LP.

We’re pleased as punch to bring you two of San Diego’s absolute best acts, and none of it would be possible without SoundDiego, who were kind enough to let us hijack their monthly live event. We do a lot of talking about music on Owl and Bear, but we’re thrilled at the prospect of finally delivering it directly to your grubby little ears. On October 28, come down to Analog Bar and celebrate San Diego with us.

RSVP on Facebook here.

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