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Thursday, March 4th, 2010

Tour of Happy Times

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This is the cover of our tour book that Gooze made.

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

New SSION Video, Plus Hawt Song by Azari & III

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Here’s a brand spanking new video for the SSION’s classic “Clown.” Peep it:

And then to boot, here’s an amazing dance track which reportedly Cody Critcheloe of SSION fame is recording with (!!!)

Listen up!

Bonus Azari & III rad song/video!

Saturday, February 6th, 2010

Two New Videos

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Old friends Efterklang are set to release their stunning new album Magic Chairs this February on their new label 4AD.

Check out their lovely first video here:

BONUS GREAT SONG/VIDEO
Cibelle’s rendition of “Lightworks”

Snazzy stuff.

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

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(via nastynets)

Wednesday, December 9th, 2009

Amazingly Cute!

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Description says: Andrew is ‘playing’ along to ‘Two Weeks’. He taught himself ‘the lyrics’ and ‘the parts’ he’s playing … this really blows my mind since he just turned 3. I did not teach him anything, not directly, he’s only observed me (his dad) boppin’ to it in the car & stuff. Andrew is obsessed with Veckatimest, Grizzly Bear’s new album.

Wednesday, September 30th, 2009

Sad Piano

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Thursday, September 24th, 2009

Japan

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Monday, September 14th, 2009

New Bear in Heaven is so wonderful!

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Can’t stop playing this track:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

[Download]

Artist: Bear in Heaven
Track: Lovesick Teenagers
Album: Beast Rest Forth Mouth
Out: Oct 13th on Hometapes

I want a T shirt of the album cover!

Cover of Bear in Heaven's forthcoming album Beast Rest Forth Mouth

Thursday, August 20th, 2009

Dispatch from Belgium’s Pukkelpop Festival!

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Simon Guzylack and Victoria Legrand embracing the free nipple caps!

Simon Guzylack and Victoria Legrand embracing the free nipple caps
Simon Guzylack and Victoria Legrand embracing the free nipple caps (top view)

Wednesday, May 20th, 2009

Letterman Cancellation

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It’s with a sad face I must report we were last-minute bumped from this evening’s Letterman performance. We had gone through all the motions, only to be alerted of the cut as we watched Dave mutter the “I’m sorry we ran out of time for Grizzly Bear” at the end of the show. Make up on, faces clearly bummed, we packed our bags and left disheartened. Being bumped for a car commercial was lame, especially since we’d been so attentive to the details and parameters that network television production always have.

That said, we were lucky enough to get to debut a song on Letterman last summer and get another chance to play again this year and are really happy we received the invitation again. The producers felt so bad they offered us tomorrow’s slot, but our string quartet was unavailable and we’d grown attached to the idea of doing something new and fun for a late night TV show. So the good news is we’ll be coming back in July to perform the song as it was meant to be seen tonight. May not be as “fresh” then, but it’ll still be lots of fun, and we really want to get a chance to perform with the lovely string quartet again, as they were so gracious and wonderful to us after all these mishaps!

All is still wonderful in GB land, though. We feel extremely lucky and blessed to have even been IN a situation like this and would like to thank all our fans for making this record release feel so exciting and anticipated. We couldn’t be more thrilled to hit the road and play for you all. I followed the disappointment of the last minute cancellation with a lovely taco and beer session with a few friends in the sun. All was forgotten; no hard feelings anywhere; just happy to be doing what I
am doing.

Onwards and upwards to Letterman, the string quartet, and you all! :)
XO

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About Grizzly Bear

Grizzly Bear released Yellow House in 2006. It was a slow, steady and stunning ride—boundless in scope and elegance. Given the album's otherworldly charm and staying power, it's hard to believe three years have gone by.

That might seem like a long time. But given Grizzly Bear's hectic touring schedule, including stints with Radiohead, TV On The Radio and Feist—as well as several performances during a five-night tribute to Paul Simon at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, a co-headlining show with the L.A. Philharmonic, and the release of Friend, a 10-song EP of re-recorded and re-worked songs, collaborations and covers—all of this seems very reasonable. They've been busy.

But about a year ago, singer/songwriter Ed Droste, drummer Christopher Bear, bassist Chris Taylor and singer/songwriter/guitarist Daniel Rossen —whose other band, Department of Eagles, released the sublime In Ear Park last fall—began passing demos around and working together creatively in different pairs and permutations. A few months later, blessed with producer/engineer Chris Taylor's willingness to transport his recording equipment, they began the recording process for Veckatimest, which would unfold over the next six months in three very singular locations. And in many ways, it is the recording process that reveals this record—each space catalyzing different interactions, inspirations, and ultimately, songs.

In July, the band spent three weeks at the Glen Tonche house in upstate New York. The beauty, mystery and surrealistic feel to the estate made anything seem do-able, possible and even magical. Though still finding their feet, much of the album's groundwork was laid there. After breaking briefly for the Radiohead tour in August, the band convened at a house on Cape Cod (graciously provided by Droste's grandmother) where they re-addressed and solidified the compositions they'd started at Glen Tonche. Lastly, Grizzly Bear came home, to a church in NYC, to fine-tune and complete the album—named Veckatimest, after a tiny, uninhabited island on Cape Cod that the band visited and was inspired by, particularly liking its Native American name. Following initial mixes by Chris Taylor, the band brought Gareth Jones (Interpol, Liars) over from England for a final mixing session with Taylor. The album was then mastered by Greg Calbi. Artist William O'Brien created Veckatimest's colorful, hand drawn artwork—a perfect compliment to the album's enigmatic title.

There is an unbelievable clarity of sound and vision to Veckatimest: vocals (a duty now shared by all band members) are sharper and more complex, arrangements are tighter, production is more venturous and lyrics more affecting. Having opened the creative dialogue at such an early stage, Grizzly Bear was able to realize these 12 songs together as a band, making it their most collaboratively compositional album to date. Taylor's artistry as a producer and engineer has only gotten stronger, both Rossen and Droste's conviction as singers and lyricists has swelled, and Bear's authority behind the drums is striking.

This yielded an unexpected mix of material that feels more confidant, mature, focused—and most of all, dynamic. From songs like "Dory" (a gracefully psychedelic, ever-evolving work),"Ready, Able" (a synth-y opus, and one of four songs that boasts string arrangements by composer Nico Muhly) and "Foreground" (a plaintive, vocal-driven send-off, and one of two songs to feature choral arrangements also by Muhly) to more resounding pop songs like "Two Weeks" (an other-worldly doo wop featuring backing vocals from Beach House's Victoria LeGrand) and "While You Wait For the Others" (a triumphant and melodically cacophonous pop masterpiece), Veckatimest is an album of the highest highs and lowest lows—an unbelievably diverse collection of songs that celebrates the strength of each band member, and the power of the whole. It was well worth the wait.

Photos of Grizzly Bear

  • Press photo of Grizzly Bear Dwnld hi-res JPG ↓
  • Press photo of Grizzly Bear Dwnld hi-res JPG ↓
  • Press photo of Grizzly Bear Dwnld hi-res JPG ↓
Photos by Tom Hines.
Art by William O'Brien. Photos by Tom Hines.