Win “End Times” by Eels (Contest)

Your favorite slithering Southern Californians are back, having never left in the first place. To celebrate, we’re giving away three copies (count ’em) of Eels‘ newest record.

End Times, the band’s eighth long player, will be released by Vagrant on January 19, and it follows up Hombre Loco, released just six months ago. For a nibble of the new material, check out “In My Younger Days” (m4a) and “A Line In The Dirt” (m4a).

We’re happy to offer the latest effort from the band known for “offending” the Bush/Cheney 2000 presidential campaign; clearly, the title End Times was picked to please our praying president. Hopefully, he signs up for the contest.

For your chance to win the CD, comment on this post and include your email address in the form (your email won’t be visible to the public). Three winners will be chosen at random on January 31, 2010.

The Morning Benders Make ‘Promises’ You Can Keep (MP3)


If youthful exuberance were a baseball bat and pitch perfect pop songs were candy, The Morning Benders would be a ruptured piñata. The Berkeley, California natives are gearing up for a big 2010 that includes a new LP—Big Echo, out on March 9th through Rough Trade—and a headlining tour in support of the album.

On March 26th, they’ll be joined by opening act Miniature Tigers for an evening of indie pop goodness at San Diego’s dearly beloved Casbah. If you haven’t had a chance to hear The Morning Benders, we just so happen to have a fresh MP3 download for their new single, “Promises”. View the complete list of tour dates after the jump. Continue reading

Watchlist vol. 1: Surfer Blood

Only a few days into the new year, and already so many albums to play. Here at O&B, we’re constantly on the prowl for new bands to love, and there certainly is no shortage of candidates.

That’s why we’re starting the O&B Watchlist, a semi-regular feature that allows you to sit back, relax, and continue to listen to the old standbys while we do the legwork and put the new guys to the test.

Now, the bands we feature may not necessarily be the brandest of new or the buzzingest of buzz bands. But the bands we choose for Watchlist will be ones that we dig: plain and simple.

After the jump, the first installment of the Owl and Bear Watchlist. Continue reading

Drew Andrews Celebrates His ‘Birthday’

Let it never be said that Drew Andrews can’t multitask. The multi-instruentalist’s best-known gig, San Diego flagship electronic act The Album Leaf, are set to release their fifth full-length album, A Chorus of Storytellers, on February 2nd through Sub Pop records. Andrews also plays in the side project Via Satellite with fellow Album Leaf member Tim Reece. He’s even written two novellas, The Shepherd’s Journals and Lella, both of which are available as free downloads from Feedbooks. But when Drew Andrews isn’t dividing his time between those worthy endeavors, he devotes his energies to his best project yet: Drew Andrews. Continue reading

The Builders and the Butchers Return to San Diego

When The Builders And The Butchers come to San Diego, they show up to play. The band’s Casbah performance last February was a fever dream of apocalyptic backwoods folk voodoo that had even the most uptight hipsters in the crowd unfolding their arms and busting a move. As if to prove that lightning can indeed strike the same place twice, the group will be returning to the Casbah on Saturday, January 16th. Continue reading

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