Bowerbirds Show Their Teeth (MP3 & Video)

Bowerbirds

Hailing from Raleigh, North Carolina, Phil Moore and Beth Tacular of Bowerbirds create acoustic music for the soul. With their subtle arrangements that boast guitars, piano, autoharp, violin, percussion, upright bass, and a cornucopia of other musical instruments, Bowerbirds are perched on the cusp of indie rock stardom.

Their new album, the excellent Upper Air, dropped on July 7th through their Dead Oceans record label. We’ve got two songs (“Teeth” and “Northern Lights”) from it, as well as their upcoming tour dates, after the jump.

Can’t hear so good, but love pretty visuals? Don’t sweat it: we’ve got the Alan Poon-directed video of “In Our Talons”, from their maiden release Hymns for a Dark Horse, for you too. Continue reading

A Girls Tale

Girls

San Francisco’s Girls craft lo-fi, hazy pop songs that get in your head and leave you with a euphoric Oxycontin buzz. Singer/songwriter Christopher Owens’ life has been a picaresque tale of sex, drugs, and the saving graces of rock and roll. He was born into the Children of God, a cult founded in California in 1968. As a child, he was forced to endure a barrage of psychologically damaging events, such as traveling through Japan with his mother, an unwilling prostitute forced to raise money for the cult.

Despite his troubled upbringing, Owens was able to find solace in music, and began playing guitar at a young age. Interestingly enough, his first guitar was given to him by Fleetwood Mac’s Jeremy Spencer, also a member of the Children of God cult. To this day, Owens still records with the guitar.

At the age of sixteen, Owens escaped the cult and moved to Amarillo, Texas, where he fell in love with its burgeoning punk scene. Unfortunately, he also fell in love with the town’s drug scene, launching into a downward spiral that would nearly kill him. Continue reading

Zach Galifianakis Wants Pics of Your Tunts

Visioneers

Yup, Tunts. I’m not exactly sure what a Tunt is, but I do know Zach Galifianakis is definitely a Level-3 one of them. Another thing to consider is, you are or become a Tunt at the Jeffers Corporation, which, if you didn’t know, is “the largest and friendliest and most profitable corporation in the history of all mankind.”

Also, everyone at the Jeffers Corporation greets one another by flipping the bird, which seems to have spread like some sort of meme in New York and Los Angeles. This makes sense, since Zach is willing to meet you in one of these places if he’s really into pics of your Tunts.

Ready to send Zach pics? It’s for a contest, so make sure your Tunts are fetching. Here’s what’s going on: First, host a screening of Visioneers, a movie starring Zach, which comes out on DVD July 21. Second, take pictures of the audience, who, it seems, by virtue of viewing Visioneers, are now a bunch of Tunts, and so will you be among them. Third, send those Tunts to Zach, or whoever’s judging the contest. Finally, win, meet Zach in NYC or LA, and have him sign your beard, which you grew to win a consolation prize in case your Tunts did nothing for Zach and his people. (It’s probably better to go to the movie’s official website where they can officially tell you about the contest all nice and official-like.) Continue reading

Poetic Memory: Olivia Broadfield (List)

Olivia Broadfield

Given the slightest provocation, most people can’t wait to tell you about their favorite bands, albums, or influences. But when we asked Leicestershire, England’s Olivia Broadfield to compile this list, she demurred. “I don’t really have a very cool taste in music, but then neither is my music very cool, so I guess it makes sense. I managed to refrain from writing down Britney but only just.”

If you listen to her music (MP3: “Dont Cry“), you can tell that the modesty is unwarranted. Her style is a cross between (good) Regina Spektor and Feist, with a dash of electro-pop. A pianist since age six, and a self-taught guitarist since age 13, she also prides herself on her strong DIY ethic, which is impressive considering the richness of her sound. Olivia Broadfield’s debut album Eyes Wide Open is out today on Vagrant.

Poetic Memory is a regular Owl and Bear feature in which musicians disclose their influences—whether it’s albums, songs, artists, or something random. If you’re interested in being featured here, send us an email. Continue reading

Anna Ternheim – What Have I Done (MP3)

Anna Ternheim

The dark-yet-somehow-sweet “What Have I Done” (MP3) is Anna Ternheim’s first single from Leaving on a Mayday. The album was produced by Bjorn Yttling (Peter, Bjorn, and John) and will be released on August 11.

Ternheim will tour with Lonely Dear/Asobi Seksu this fall, and she’s kicking it off with a little Casbah love. If you like the MP3, check out her new video and tourdates after the jump. Continue reading

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