Bear In Heaven (Photos: Shawn Brackbill)

If you follow them on Twitter, then news of a new Bear In Heaven album isn’t new to you. But if you don’t (or if you missed it), it’s official. The band has announced I LOVE YOU, IT’S COOL will be released on April 3, 2012. It will be released via Hometapes.

This is Bear In Heaven’s first album since 2010. Last Fall, I caught up with the band for an exclusive interview, which you can read here.

The band also released dates for a Spring 2012 tour. Complete dates below.

Tour Dates
3/28/12 – Andy Warhol Museum – Pittsburgh, PA
3/29/12 – The Bishop – Bloomington, IN
3/30/12 – The Basement – Columbus, OH
3/31/12 – MOTR Pub – Cincinnati, OH
4/01/12 – The Luminary Center for the Arts – St. Louis, MO
4/04/12 – Casbah – San Diego, CA
4/05/12 – The Echo – Los Angeles, CA
4/08/12 – The Independent – San Francisco, CA
4/12/12 – Mississippi Studios – Portland, OR
4/13/12 – The Crocodile – Seattle, WA
4/14/12 – The Biltmore Cabaret – Vancouver, BC
4/17/12 – 7th Street Entry – Minneapolis, MN
4/18/12 – Schubas – Chicago, IL
4/20/12 – Zanzabar – Louisville, KY
4/21/12 – Exit/In – Nashville, TN
4/22/12 – Hi-Tone Cafe – Memphis, TN
4/24/12 – The Parish – Austin, TX
4/25/12 – Fitzgerald’s – Houston, TX
4/26/12 – The Bottletree – Birmingham, AL
4/27/12 – The Earl – Atlanta, GA
4/28/12 – Grey Eagle – Asheville, NC
4/29/12 – Kings Barcade – Raleigh, NC
5/01/12 – Black Cat Backstage – Washington, DC
5/02/12 – First Unitarian Church – Philadelphia, PA
5/03/12 – Brighton Music Hall – Allston, MA
5/04/12 – La Sala Rossa – Montreal, QC
5/05/12 – The Garrison – Toronto, ON
5/06/12 – The Haunt – Ithaca, NY
5/08/12 – Bowery Ballroom – New York, NY
5/09/12 – Music Hall of Williamsburg – Brooklyn, NY

Benefit for the Recovery in Japan

Dozens of artists have contributed to a compilation album to benefit the victims of the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster in Japan. The album, Benefit for the Recovery in Japan, features many of the biggest names in indie/post-indie, including Bear In Heaven, Bradford Cox, School Of Seven Bells, Akron/Family, Prefuse 73 and many more. Full track listing is below.

Below is more information about the album via the official press release:

Benefit for the Recovery in Japan is a compilation album dedicated to the victims and survivors, their families, and the aid workers courageously struggling to deal with the aftermath of the earthquake, resulting tsunami, and nuclear emergency that occurred on March 11th, 2011 in Japan. 100% of the proceeds from the sale of this compilation will go directly towards the recovery and relief effort. The album features the contributions of sixty-four artists from around the world and clocks in at nearly five hours of music.

Civic Force is a Japanese not-for-profit organization that provides aid and emergency response in times of great domestic trouble in Japan. Civic Force developed from experiences learned during the Niigata Earthquake of 2004, and was established to provide faster and more effective disaster relief by cooperating closely with NGOs, the business community and government of Japan. For more information about Civic Force, see http://civic-force.org/english/index.html

Track Listing
Part One:
1. Fennesz: “Fearless”
2. Helado Negro: “Cabeza Bella”
3. Stephan Mathieu: “(Excerpt from) The Floating World”
4. School of Seven Bells: “Midnight Sun”
5. Lawrence English: “Hotaru”
6. Noveller: “Darkheart”
7. Zeena Parkins: “The Letter”
8. Tom Carter (of Charalambides): “Mended”
9. Akron/Family: “Deep Kazoo”
10. The Ex: “Cold Weather Is Back”
11. Shinji Masuko (of Boredoms/DMBQ): “Botsuon”
12. Oneohtrix Point Never: “The Inside World”
13. Tokimonsta: “Sound Caves”
14. Joshua Abrams: “Jackdaws”
15. Keith Fullerton Whitman: “Anzac #3″
16. Ben Frost: “Snæugla”
17. David Daniell: “Shiho-hiru-tama”
18. Grouper: “Cassiopeia”
19. Tape: “Mirrors”
20. Jefre Cantu-Ledesma: “Moon in a Dewdrop”
21. D. Charles Speer: “Steel Infant”
22. Evan Caminiti (of Barn Owl): “Blue Veil”
23. Blackshaw, Wood, Wood & Tomlinson (James Blackshaw & Hush Arbors): “Are You Alright? (Chump Change)”
24. Nat Baldwin (of Dirty Projectors): “In the Hollows”
25. Chris Forsyth & Shawn Edward Hansen: “Dirty Pool Blues”
26. Zelienople: “Stone Faced About It”
27. Elm (Jon Porras of Barn Owl): “Diamond Dust”
28. Lobisomem: “Kusha”
29. Stabbing Eastwood (Tunde Adebimpe & Ryan Sawyer): “Thundersnow Mountain”
30. Alan Licht & Greg Malcolm: “Natasha Utting Reporting”
31. Scott Tuma: “To: Hasty”
32. Rhys Chatham: “Prayer for the People of Fukushima”

Part Two:
33. Prefuse 73: “The Only Climactic Dissonant Hums”
34. Growing: “Untitled”
35. James Plotkin (of Khanate): “Broken ’96″
36. Totem Test: “Pulse Prayer for Japan”
37. Marcus Schmickler (of Pluramon): “2.71828 Up”
38. Tim Hecker: “Hatred of Music (Double Gate Mix)”
39. Sylvain Chauveau: “Colours in Darkness”
40. Bear In Heaven: “The Days We Have”
41. Spires That In The Sunset Rise with Michael Zerang: “Collision Theory”
42. C. Spencer Yeh: “Solo Violin March 13th 2011″
43. Lau Nau: “Oi Kuolema”
44. Oren Ambarchi: “Merely A Portmanteau”
45. Warm Ghost: “Uncut Diamond (Dripping Pollen Mix)”
46. Bradley & Geofrey (Atlas Sound + White Rainbow): “Mr. Stephen’s Private Service”
47. Peter’s House Music: “Half Step”
48. Leb Laze: “Da Plane Da Plane”
49. Matthewdavid: “Stop Laughing / Be Honest”
50. Sam Prekop: “Lakes River”
51. Simon Scott: “Of You (Before 2082)”
52. Tetuzi Akiyama/Jon Mueller/Jim Schoenecker: “Untitled”
53. Shelley Burgon: “Let It Be New”
54. Giant Sand: “Recovery Mission”
55. William Tyler: “Tears and Saints”
56. Mountains: “Still Life”
57. Ben Vida: “Quadsweep +2 (snkglazz iii)”
58. Maria Chavez: “Natural Disaster #2_2011″
59. Cleared: “Nova”
60. Neptune: “FIG IV”
61. Water Fai: “Tokitomori”
62. Parts & Labor: “Dokonimonai”
63. Jackie-O Motherfucker: “Blood of Life”
64. Greg Davis: “Sho Sai Myo Kichijo Dharani”

Bear In Heaven (photo: Denton Poteet)

Live Review: Bear In Heaven, Cloudland Canyon, Sunday, November 14, 2010, The Earl, Atlanta
By: Denton Poteet

There’s not much else Cloudland Canyon could have done wrong.

For starters, it took them twice as long to set up as it took them to actually play. That might have been more forgivable if their set been at all interesting, but it was nothing but 18 minutes of muddled, shapeless psych-rock. I think they played maybe five indistinguishable songs, all of which followed the same basic formula: throw assloads of delay and reverb on everything then bang away for a few minutes.

I suppose the idea is to condense the elements of drone, krautrock, and psychedelia into more concise songs, but they end up offering the worst of both worlds, hitting neither the exploratory peaks of those wilder forms of music nor the direct pleasures of a pop song.

Sometime around the halfway point, they asked for the lights to be turned completely off, and they finished their set in darkness. Seemed appropriate for a band that kept the audience at arm’s length and utterly failed at conveying a single shred of personality.

Is it piling on to mention that they cleared the room? Because they did. Maybe half the crowd fled.

Cloudland Canyon could learn a few things from headliners Bear in Heaven, who successfully shape some of the same influences into something much more personable. Many of their songs sound built upon the pulse of krautrock, but it’s not something much of the crowd probably spent much time thinking about. The finished product is direct, danceable synth-pop, and it plays well in a crowd. It’s progressive music that smoothly incorporates its experimentation.

The room had filled back up by the time the trio took the stage, with much of the audience made up of family and friends (all three members have Georgia ties). It didn’t feel like a Sunday night, and the homecoming vibe probably had something to do with that. The band and crowd both sounded energized.

Bear In Heaven (photo: Denton Poteet)

Live, Joe Stickney’s drums hit you a little harder than they do on record, and John Philpot’s upper register vocals are even more striking when you see the normal-looking guy they’re originating from.

The band also performs with lights set up around the stage that punctuate most of the shifts in the songs. It made the more anthemic portions sound more dramatic without ever becoming a distraction. It was especially cool the few times they went for a full on strobe effect.

The band left the stage after an hour. There wasn’t an encore, but I doubt anyone was complaining – they had already played most (all?) of Beast Rest Forth Mouth, and that’s clearly the most representative document of where they are as a band right now. I can’t wait for the next album.

Editor’s Note: Denton Poeteet is the also the author of Little Advances. You can follow him on Twitter @littleadvances.

Bear In Heaven

Exclusive Interview: Bear In Heaven
October 18, 2010
by: Chuck Norton

When you take a path that is not the least traveled, you may find that the path takes you on a longer journey than you assumed it would. On this point, I can’t speak for three current members of Bear In Heaven, but I can imagine it isn’t too far off base.

Ten years ago Jon Philpot and Adam Wills migrated from the Atlanta area to New York to pursue their music career. A couple of years later, Joe Stickney left Alabama for the music haven that is the Big Apple. But that was only the start of the journey for the guys.

After forming Bear In Heaven in 2003 – performing as a four-piece for most of the band’s tenure – success didn’t come quickly. Despite several albums and tours, the band was facing the reality of playing shows at venues that were sparely populated. Questions of the band’s future was omnipresent.

So when the band set our record their latest album, Beast Rest Forth Mouth, (which was released in 2009) it is more than speculation to infer that the album’s reception was more than idle curiosity for the band members.

It was a cross-roads in their career.

Fast-forward to November 2010. The band is in the midst of their second headlining tour this year. The album’s success, fueled in part by buzz from the blog-o-sphere – including a “Best New Music” label from the indie stalwart Pitchfork – has lead to tours with some of the best and brightest acts in emerging rock. The album’s critical and commercial success added with the respect they have with their fellow musicians lead to the release of a remix version of the album earlier this year.

I first became aware of the band in 2006, prior to the release of their Red Bloom of the Boom album. While I enjoyed the tracks I heard at the time; I didn’t dig much deeper. That isn’t to say that I didn’t keep them on my radar.

So with the success the band has seen this year, the timing was ideal to discuss the journey and find out what the future might hold for the band. What follows is my October 18, 2010 interview with Stickney which took place a few days before the band began their Fall 2010 tour.

To find out more about the band, you can visit their Web site, bearinheaven.com or follow them on Twitter: @BearInHeaven.

DeadJournalist.com brings you this exclusive interview with Joe Stickney of Bear In Heaven.

What was the impedance behind the band’s increased tour schedule this year?

JS: I think there was more momentum going on this time. We didn’t really tour any on the record before this. We did maybe one ten-day run that was really poorly attended in all the cities. There just wasn’t really that much interest.

It’s really exhausting to go out on the road and nobody comes out night-after-night – it’s expensive – and it sort of takes its toll on you. It gets really frustrating to bust your ass and yet no one is around.

So this time we just waiting until people were interested in coming out to the shows and then we went on tour … which has been this year.

It seems as though the bands that you have been touring with this year are all finding similar levels of success. I was talking with Local Natives a couple of months ago and you guys came up. There were talking about how they’d like to get on a tour with you.

JS: Yeah, those guys are great. We really wanted to go on tour with them – this Fall actually – but we just couldn’t get it to work out. We hung out with those guy in Austin for Austin City Limits, they are good dudes. I like that band.

What did you know about the bands, like Cloudland Canyon, that you are heading out on tour with this Fall?

JS: I didn’t know Kip – Adam did – but we had lots of mutual friends. I’ve had lots of friends who’ve played in Cloudland Canyon … it’s a similar circle of friends. I actually played in a band that Kip was in before he bounced to form Cloudland. I played in the band after he had left, though.

It seems like there is a resurgence of Brooklyn bands recently – not that there aren’t always Brooklyn bands – but what bands like Freelance Whales, yourselves, Twin Shadow, and a litany of other bands – have done it seems like teeming with emerging artists again.

JS: Yeah, Twin Sister is on their way up. Cymbals Eat Guitars are awesome. Mountain Man is totally awesome.

The band just completed a Daytrotter session. What was experience like and what was it like working with Sean and those guys?

JS: They were super cool. It was unfortunate because the regular studio that they use was being used by someone else so we had to record at another studio up the street. It was still a great experience.

That was the last day of our eleven-week tour and that was our last thing to do, so we were pretty burnt at that point. It was nice to come in though. And the people were super friendly.

Are you in the process of being to work on material for a new album or are you just focused on this upcoming tour and knocking it out before heading back into the studio?

JS: We just recorded a cover of a Lindstrøm & Christabelle song that is going to be release as a split, although I’m not sure if it’s going to be released over here or not. Lindstrøm remixed one of our songs, “Lovesick Teenagers” and we also recently covered his song “Lovesick”. I’m happy with how that came out.

We also re-worked a song from out first album for this stretch and we are trying to finish up another song now. We just haven’t had a lot of time because of our tour schedule to work on new material. We are all anxious to be able to work on new material.

Bear in Heaven : Lovesick Teenagers from SW Editorial on Vimeo.

Going back to something you mentioned about touring and audience and fan support … what do you think was the catalyst for surge in support for the band? I know the album coming was a factor, but were there other factors, like social media, that played a role the audience finding – or re-finding – the band this year?

JS: There certainly a lot to be said for different blogs helping us out. Pitchfork was really helpful to us and that sparked a lot of stuff. Our friend Ed at Grizzly Bear tweeted about one of our songs right as the album came out and that seem to spark a crazy amount of interest. It’s amazing the amount of influence you can get from a tweet. (laughs)

But really I think the new record was more solid that the other albums and I think more people were attracted to if for that reason. We polished a lot of ideas that we had going on the first record and brought everything together in a more concise way.

Knowing that it is early on in the process, musically, is there a place you want to take the next album? Do you think it will be a continuation of the last album or are you going to set out to do something a little different?

JS: We’re going to do something a little different for sure. We’re constantly refining our instrumentation set-up and how we all put the music together. Every time we write a new record we have a new line-up in the band – so far – and this will be our first record to write as a three piece so there’s going to be some changes that come from that.

It’s hard to say exactly what we are going to do because it has been a while since we’ve written new music. I don’t think we’re going to take and 180-degree turns, or anything like that, but it is going to sound different I’m sure.

Having spent so much time touring this year, what are the biggest day-to-day challenges you have while on the road?

JS: Finding decent food to eat for lunch has to be one of them. (laughs) It’s not that challenging, honestly. I was talking to Jon about this – the nice thing about being on the road is that you have all these easily obtainable goals everyday.

You check out of your hotel or leave the people’s houses that your staying at, find some food, get some gas, make it to the venue, wait around, hopefully people come out, hopefully play a good show … it’s all laid out in from of you when you’re on the road.

There’s not a lot that you need to worry about except trying to play well every night.

What is the more bizarre thing that has happened to you while you’ve been on the road this year?

JS: We haven’t really had anything crazy happen to us. We’ve met some really good people on the road. Sometimes you meet strangers in a town and they are willing to put you up. We’ve had some good times, but nothing really crazy has happened while we’ve been staying at someone’s house.

We try to be good house guests and not disrupt people’s lives too much.

Do you think that is because you are more of a “veteran” band and not a bunch of 18 or 19-year-olds?

JS: (laughing) Yeah, I think that has a lot to do with it.

What were you listening to ten years ago?

JS: Probably a lot of Will Oldham. Crazy to try and think back ten years ago. A lot of kraut-rock stuff. A lot of Smog.

Is there a band or artist that you’ve recently encountered that you’ve been recommending to your friends?

JS: I’ve been recommending Mountain Man around a lot after our last tour. And the new Das Racist album.

Of the four four, which do you prefer: CD, MP3, Tape or Vinyl?

JS: I spend most of my time listening to MP3s because I’m constantly in the van, so that’s the most relevant to me right now. I love playing a record.

I think everyone loves the tactile feel of a record, but the need to be stationary to flip the record makes it harder for most people to enjoying day-to-day.

JS: But that’s what I love about playing a record. If you’re working on something around the house and have go over and flip a record – it keeps you paying attention.

What Web sites do read on a regular basis?

JS: I read the MIT Physics blog on a regular basis. It’s pretty sweet.

I can say you are the first person in the history of DeadJournalist.com to come-up with an MIT-related answer for that question. And I’ll be honest, I thought Adam Cohen, who released a concept album around Stephen Hawking’s book early this year, would have brought it up.

JS: (laughs) But even he didn’t bring it? You should check it out. The Technology Review is pretty bad-ass.

One Drink. One Movie. One Album.

JS: Tequilla. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. The Band’s Songs From Big Pink.

Bear In Heaven

Bear In Heaven is heading out on a Fall 2010 beginning on October 26, 2010 with a show in Pittsburgh. They will be joined by several bands for different legs of the tour. Their tour includes a November 14 show in Atlanta.

Tour Dates
10/26 Pittsburgh, PA – Brillobox*%
10/27 Detroit, MI – Magic Stick*%
10/28 Bloomington, IN – The Bishop*%
10/29 Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall*%
10/30 Grinnell, IA – Grinnell College*%
11/2 Seattle, WA – The Crocodile*%
11/3 Portland, OR – Doug Fir Lounge*%
11/5 San Francisco, CA – The Independent*%
11/7 Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour*%
11/9 San Diego, CA – Casbah*%
11/10 Tucson, AZ – Club Congress*%
11/13 Baton Rouge, LA – Spanish Moon*^
11/14 – Atlanta – The Earl*^
11/16 Charlottesville, VA – The Southern*#^
11/17 Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s*#
11/18 Cambridge, MA – Middle East Downstairs*#
11/19 Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg*#
2/04 – Alexandria Street, Fortitude Valley – Brisbane, QLD
2/05 – Footscray Community Arts Centre – Melbourne, VIC
2/06 – Sydney College of the Arts – Sydney, NSW
2/11 – Fowler’s Live – Adelaide, SA
2/12 – Perth Cultural Centre, Urban Orchard, Northbridge – Perth, WA
% Lower Dens
*Sun Airway
#Twin Shadow
^Cloudland Canyon

Bear In Heaven

Bear In Heaven have announced Fall 2010 tour days, including three shows in September with Crystal Castles. Additionally, the band will be releasing the double album, Beast Rest Forth Mouth, which includes one original album and one remix album.

Tour Dates
9/7 Nashville, TN – Cannery Ballroom w/ Crystal Castles
9/8 Atlanta, GA – Masquerade Music Hall w/ Crystal Castles
9/9 Orlando, FL – Club at Firestone w/ Crystal Castles
9/11 Raleigh, NC – Hopscotch Music Festival
9/12 Washington D.C. – Rock and Roll Hotel w/ The Hundred in the Hands
9/29 Ithaca, NY – Castaways w/ Twin Sister and Oberhofer
9/30 Montreal, QC – La Salla Rossa w/ Twin Sister and The Luyas
10/ 9 Austin, TX – Austin City Limits
10/26 Pittsburgh, PA – Brillobox
10/27 Detroit, MI – Magic Stick
10/28 Bloomington, IN – The Bishop
10/29 Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall
10/30 Grinnell, IA – Grinnell College
11/2 Seattle, WA – The Crocodile
11/3 Portland, OR – Doug Fir Lounge
11/5 San Francisco, CA – The Independent
11/7 Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour
11/9 San Diego, CA – Casbah
11/10 Tucson, AZ – Club Congress
11/13 Baton Rouge, LA – Spanish Moon
11/16 Charlottesville, VA – The Southern
11/17 Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s
11/18 Cambridge, MA – Middle East Downstairs
11/19 Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg

Bear In Heaven

Bear In Heaven has added more dates to their extensive tour schedule. These new dates include shows with Crystal Castles. Complete tour details below. The band will also be touring with Twin Sister and Mountain Man.

Tour Dates
06/24 – Portland, ME @ Space
06/25 – Winooski, VT @ The Monkey House
06/26 – Buffalo, NY @ Big Orbit’s Soundlab
06/27 – Hamden, CT @ The Space
07/09 – New York, NY @ Pier 17 #
07/10 – Ottawa, ON @ Cisco Systems Bluesfest
07/13 – Cambridge, MA @ TT The Bear’s Place ^*
07/14 – Northhampton, MA @ Iron Horse Music Hall ^*
07/15 – Toronto, ON @ El Mocambo ^*
07/16 – Ann Arbor, MI @ The Blind Big ^*
07/17 – Chicago, IL @ Pitchfork Music Festival ^
07/17 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall ^*
07/19 – Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon ^*
07/20 – St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club ^*
07/21 – Fargo, ND @The Aquarium
07/23 – Seattle, WA @ Capitol Hill Block Party
07/24 – Vancouver, BC @ The Biltmore Cabaret ^
07/25 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir ^
07/26 – San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop ^
07/27 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo ^
07/29 – Denver, CO @ Hi Dive ^
07/30 – Lawrence, KS @ Replay Lounge ^
07/31 – St. Louis, MO @ The Luminary Center for the Arts ^
08/02 – Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop ^
08/06 – Berlin, Germany @ Festaal Kreuzberg
08/08- Katowice, Poland @ OFF Festival
08/06 – Berlin, Germany @ Festaal Kreuzberg
08/08 – Katowice, Poland @ OFF Festival
08/10 – Copenhagen, Denmark @ Vega – w/ Oh No Ono
08/11 – Oslo, Norway @ Blaa (Oya Club Night)
08/12 – Gothenburg, Sweden @ Way Out West
08/13 – Arhus, Denmark @ Musickaffen – w/ Sleepy Sun
08/14 – Haldern, Germany @ Haldern Pop
08/15 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Melweg – w/ Sleepy Sun
08/16 – Dresden, Germany @ Beatpol
08/18 – Frankfurt, Germany @ Ponyhof
08/21 – London, UK @ X0Y0
08/22 – Powys, UK @ Green Man Festival
08/23 – Edinburgh, UK @ Capital – Fringe Festival
08/24 – Belfast, Ireland @ Speakeasy
08/25 – Dublin, Ireland @ Crawdaddy’s
08/26 – Leeds, UK @ Leeds Festival
09/07 – Nashville, TN @ Cannery Ballroom %
09/08 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade (Heaven Room) %
09/09 – Orlando, FL @ Club at Firestone %
09/11 – Raleigh, NC @ Hopscotch Music Festival
09/12 – Washington, DC @ Rock and Roll Hotel
09/29 – Ithaca, NY @ Castaways ^
09/30 – Montreal, QC @ Pop Montreal ^
10/09 – Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits

# with Zola Jesus
^ with Twin Sister
* Mountain Man
% with Crystal Castles

Bear In Heaven

Editor’s Note: Updated with new dates on 4/28/10

The Brooklyn (via Atlanta) band Bear In Heaven, who is currently on tour in Europe, has announced dates for a Summer US tour, including several shows with Metric.

US Tour Dates
5/16 – Terminal 5 – New York, NY w/ Metric
5/18 – Newport Music Hall – Columbus, OH w/ Metric
5/20 – Vic Theatre – Chicago, IL w/ Metric
5/24 – Space – Portland, ME w/ Metric
6/25 – The Monkey House – Winooski, VT w/ TBA
6/26 – Big Orbit’s Soundlab – Buffalo, NY w/ TBA
6/27 – The Space – Hamden, CT w/ TBA
7/9 – South Street Seaport – New York, NY w/ Zola Jesus
7/17 – Pitchfork Music Festival – Chicago, IL
07/19 – Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon ^
07/20 – St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club ^
07/21 – Fargo, ND @The Aquarium
07/24 – Vancouver, BC @ The Biltmore Cabaret ^
07/25 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir ^
07/26 – San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop ^
07/27 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo ^
07/29 – Denver, CO @ Hi Dive ^
07/30 – Lawrence, KS @ Replay Lounge ^
07/31 – St. Louis, MO @ The Luminary Center for the Arts ^
08/02 – Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop ^
08/08 – Katowice, Poland @ OFF Festival
08/11 – Oslo, Norway @ Blaa (Oya Club Night)
08/21 – London, UK @ X0Y0
08/22 – Powys, UK @ Green Man Festival
^ – with Twin Sister

Freelance Whales

Freelance Whales
First off, I am disappointed to admit that I missed the first half of Freelance Whales’ set because for the first time in all the years I’ve been seeing shows at The Earl, a band actually started on time.

Who would’ve thought, right?

That being said, when I arrived the first thing I noticed was just how young this band is; it was like walking into the coolest high school talent show ever.

I had my doubts about how their album would transfer live, because it’s easy to play your banjo live if your band plays bluegrass, but mixing it with synth-pop show, even when it worked extremely well on the album, could easily comes across as a ridiculous gimmick.

Freelance Whales, however, really gambled and won, bringing almost every element full-circle into the live set. The band is obviously talented, but talent alone does not a good concert make. They seemed so excited to be playing that the crowd couldn’t help but join in the fun.

By the time they finished with “Generator – Second Floor” there were a few people who had even broken a sweat dancing. If you haven’t heard their debut album, Weathervanes, you need to do so now (http://www.lala.com/#album/504684635190114283/Freelance_Whales/Weathervanes), and if you haven’t seen them live I would suggest not missing them again.

Bear in Heaven
The second act up was Bear in Heaven. This former Atlanta-based band made the most of their homecoming and really delivered what I had hoped to hear. Even while missing a member, and performing as a three piece, their spacey sounds were full and thick (even if they had to turn their amps to 11 to overcome the reverb that the small back room has).

They created a rich sonic landscape but it took some getting due to the raucous finish that Freelance Whales provided. However, Bear in Heaven definitely brought me to their world before they were done.

Something that surprised me, though, was how much the band had in common with a lot of heavy metal acts that I wouldn’t have noticed if not for their live show. Songs like “You do You” seem like heavy shoegaze on the album, but watching the band live, with Joe Stickney (and his beard) pounding the drums and guitars joining synths in arpeggios, the band seemed like they had grown up on Slayer and just finished listening to M83.

While their recent album Beast Rest Fourth Mouth caught critics off-guard, I’m very excited to see what the now-Brooklyn based group does next.

Cymbals Eat Guitars
I would like to preface this review by saying two things:

1. I like to write about what I like, not complain about what I don’t like (except for TV on the Radio live, a discussion which breaks my own rule); and

2. Everyone has off days, and I don’t think a band should be held accountable for just one show.

That being said I was disappointed with Cymbals Eat Guitars live. Their debut album Why There Are Mountains was a record I really enjoyed, with a certain accessibility and quirk that showed some originality, which is pretty tough to find these days.

The only problem was that last Thursday at the Earl they seemed to become Cymbals Eat Get Up Kids. Don’t get me wrong, I will unabashedly admit my nostalgic love for emo music, but this was not at all what I was expecting or wanting, so I left before their set was over.

I will more than likely give the band another chance in the future, but for now I can’t fully endorse the band live.

Banjo or Freakout

We’re back with a full set this week chock-full of new videos by new and established artists. Videos this week are by: Banjo or Freakout, Le Sexoflex, Hurricane Bells, Spoon, Syntaks, Andrew Belle, State Radio, Postdata, Wild Beasts, The Soft Pack, Sleigh Bells, The Rural Alberta Advantage, Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson, Los Campesinos!, Bear In Heaven, Midlake and These New Puritans.

Video of the Week

Banjo or Freakout – “Upside Down”

Sunday Sixteen

Le Sexoflex – “Poop On Face”

Le Sexoflex – Poop On Face from Le Sexoflex on Vimeo.

Hurricane Bells – “Monsters”

Spoon – “Written In Reverse”

Syntaks – “Blue Sunshine”

Andrew Belle – “Don’t Blame Yourself” (live)

State Radio – “Knights Of Bostonia”

Postdata – “Tobias Grey” (live)

Wild Beasts – “We Still Got The Taste Dancin’ On Our Tongues”

The Soft Pack – “Answer to Yourself”

Sleigh Bells – “Crown on the Ground” (live)

The Rural Alberta Advantage – “Drain The Blood”

Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson – “The Sound”

Los Campesinos! – “My Year In Lists”

Bear In Heaven – “You Do You”

Midlake – “Acts of Man”

These New Puritans – “We Want War”

Freelance Whales

Freelance Whales have been added to one of the strongest touring line-ups this Spring – joining Cymbals Eats Guitars and Bear In Heaven on their 24 city tour.

Tour Dates
3/5 – Johnny Brenda’s – Philadelphia, PA
3/6 – Rock N Roll Hotel – Washington, D.C
3/7 – Local 506 – Chapel Hill, NC
3/9 – The End – Nashville, TN
3/10 – Pilot Light – Knoxville, TN
3/11 – The Earl – Atlanta, GA
3/12 – Harvest Of Hope Festival – St. Augustine, FL
3/13 – Will’s Pub – Orlando, FL
3/14 – The Engine Room – Tallahassee, FL
3/16 – Mango’s – Houston, TX
3/22 – The Rhythm Room – Phoenix, AZ
3/23 – The Casbah – San Diego, CA
3/24 – The Echo – Los Angeles, CA
3/25 – Bottom Of The Hill – San Francisco, CA
3/28 – Crocodile Café – Seattle, WA *
3/29 – The Biltmore Cabaret – Vancouver, BC
3/31 – Kilby Court – Salt Lake City, UT
4/1 – Hi Dive – Denver, CO
4/2 – Replay Lounge – Lawrence, KS
4/3 – Turf Club – St. Paul, MN
4/4 – Schuba’s – Chicago, IL
4/6 – El Mocambo Club – Toronto, ON
4/7 – Il Motore – Montreal, QB
4/8 – The Middle East – Boston, MA
* – Cymbals Eat Guitars not playing

Cymbals Eat Guitars

Cymbals Eat Guitars have announced a Spring 2010 tour with Bear In Heaven.

Tour Dates
3/5/10 – Johnny Brenda’s – Philadelphia, PA
3/6/10 – Rock and Roll Hotel – Washington, DC
3/7/10 – Local 506 – Chapel Hill, NC
3/9/10 – The End – Nashville, TN
3/10/10 – Pilot Light – Knoxville, TN
3/11/10 – The Earl – Atlanta, GA
3/13/10 – Will’s Pub – Orlando, FL
3/16/10 – Mango’s – Houston, TX
3/17/10 – Hailey’s – Denton, TXd
3/18/10 – SXSW – Austin, TX
3/19/10 – SXSW – Austin, TX
3/20/10 – SXSW – Austin, TX
3/22/10 – Rhythm Room – Phoenix, AZ
3/23/10 – Casbah – San Diego, CA
3/24/10 – The Echo – Los Angeles, CA
3/27/10 – Berbati’s Pan – Portland, OR
3/25/10 – Bottom of The Hill – San Francisco, CA
3/29/10 – The Biltmore Cabaret – Vancouver, BC
3/31/10 – Kilby Court – Salt Lake City, UT
4/1/10 – Hi Dive – Denver, CO
4/2/10 – Replay Lounge – Lawrence, KS
4/3/10 – Turf Club – St. Paul, MN
4/4/10 – Schubes – Chicago, IL
4/6/10 – El Mocambo – Toronto, ON
4/7/10 – Il Motore – Montreal, QC
4/8/10 – Middle East Downstairs – Boston, MA
4/9/10 – Music Hall of Williamsburg – Brooklyn, NY

Cymbals Eat Gutars

One of the break-through bands of 2009 and one of the up-and-coming bands for 2010 (although they are on their third album) will be touring together beginning in March 2010.

Cymbals Eat Guitars (a 2009 DJdc Interview alum) and Bear in Heaven have announced a Spring 2010 tour, including three performances at SXSW and a March 10 show at The Earl in Atlanta.

Tour Dates
3/5/10 – Johnny Brenda’s – Philadelphia, PA
3/6/10 – Rock and Roll Hotel – Washington, DC
3/7/10 – Local 506 – Chapel Hill, NC
3/9/10 – The End – Nashville, TN
3/10/10 – Pilot Light – Knoxville, TN
3/11/10 – The Earl – Atlanta, GA
3/13/10 – Will’s Pub – Orlando, FL
3/16/10 – Mango’s – Houston, TX
3/18/10 – SXSW – Austin, TX
3/19/10 – SXSW – Austin, TX
3/20/10 – SXSW – Austin, TX
3/22/10 – Rhythm Room – Phoenix, AZ
3/23/10 – Casbah – San Diego, CA
3/24/10 – The Echo – Los Angeles, CA
3/27/10 – Berbati’s Pan – Portland, OR
3/25/10 – Bottom of The Hill – San Francisco, CA
3/29/10 – The Biltmore Cabaret – Vancouver, BC
3/31/10 – Kilby Court – Salt Lake City, UT
4/1/10 – Hi Dive – Denver, CO
4/2/10 – Replay Lounge – Lawrence, KS
4/3/10 – Turf Club – St. Paul, MN
4/4/10 – Schubes – Chicago, IL
4/6/10 – El Mocambo – Toronto, ON
4/7/10 – Il Motore – Montreal, QC
4/8/10 – Middle East Downstairs – Boston, MA
4/9/10 – Music Hall of Williamsburg – Brooklyn, NY

Video of the Week

Hurricane Bells – “This Year”

Sunday Night Sixteen

Washed Out – “New Theory”

Junior Boys – “Like A Child”

Bear in Heaven – “For Beauty”

Muse – “Uprising”

Uprising

MUSE | MySpace Video

Joel Plaskett Emergency – “Fashionable People”

Deer Tick – “Cake and Eggs” (Live)

Nouvelle Vague – “ca plane pour moi” (live)

ça plane pour moi, performed by Jenia Lubitch

Nouvelle Vague | MySpace Video

Sponge – “Plowed” (live in ’94)

Black Grape – “Get Higher”

Black Lips – “Drop I Hold”

Royal Bangs – “Broke Calculator”

Micachu & The Shapes – “Golden Phone”

Architecture in Helsinki – “Do the Whirlwind”

Noah and the Whale – “5 Years Time”

The Postal Service – “We Will Become Silhouettes”

Phil Collins – “Easy Lover”