Some Songs Considered - Posts Tagged 'grizzly bear'

May 28, 2010

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“Deep Blue Sea (Daniel Rossen home recording)” – Grizzly Bear
(Traditional Song, Arrangement: Daniel Rossen, available on Friend EP, Warp 2007)

With no offense intended toward Ed Droste, Daniel Rossen’s songs tend to stick with me with more frequency. He sings in a calm way without sacrificing a rich tone, and his voice evokes the same qualities as Nick Drake at times. Even when given the full-on Grizzly Bear wall-‘o-sound, they have a more immediate intimacy than some of the band’s other compositions. Where other songs lean on the harmonies for their effectiveness, Rossen’s songs sound built up starting with just voice and guitar.

So naturally, I’m not surprised at how much I love “Deep Blue Sea,” particularly Rossen’s demo recording of the song. The full band version appeared on the Dark Was the Night compilation last year with a few embellishments familiar to those who own Veckatimest. Rossen’s solo recording keeps the focus on his hushed and nimble fingerpicking and his voice. The simplicity works wonders, particularly with this folk song’s sweet melody. Even when Rossen embellishes the recording (with double-tracked harmonies, unsurprisingly), his voice remains the focus with the ghostly harmonies playing a supporting role. Even though their more ambitious sonic collages might be more impressive, the simple melody and harmony in this song feels just as beautiful.

Also, if you stick through the last minute of silence, there’s a crazy spaghetti western style instrumental featuring Beirut’s Zach Condon. Don’t blame me if/when it catches you by surprise.

More on Grizzly Bear: Allmusic | Amazon MP3 | Emusic | Last.fm

January 12, 2010

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“While You Wait for the Others” – Grizzly Bear
(Words/music: Grizzly Bear, available on Veckatimest, Warp 2009)

“Two Weeks” did a lot of the heavy lifting for Grizzly Bear last year, but “While You Wait for the Others” bore its share of the load as well. If nothing else, it pulled together most of the pieces that made so many people interested in Veckatimest last spring. Yes, the harmonies are there (and used particularly well in place of a traditional hook) but it’s not the main attraction. Daniel Rossen’s quiet voice and guitar drenched in dry reverb makes him sound like he’s in a cavern, especially when the rest of the band plays and overpowers him. The louder parts in the verse have a dark tone to them as well, making Rossen sound like he’s the sole dissenter against this sonic fog enveloping him. Even if it’s only a fleeting moment before the harmonies take over, Rossen continues along nobly before becoming part of the larger sound, giving way to the inevitable.

Back to the harmonies for a minute; to some, the harmonies are the band’s featured attraction. While this song won’t change that perception (nor should it), it thrives on a dry, crisp sound that foils these softer harmonies. “While You Wait for the Others” instead suggests that Grizzly Bear has more than one trick in their arsenal.

More on Grizzly Bear: Allmusic | Amazon MP3 | Emusic | Last.fm

May 12, 2009

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“Knife (Girl Talk Remix)” – Grizzly Bear
(Words/music: Grizzly Bear and The Clipse, arranged by Greg Gillis, non album track)

With the formal promotional cycle for Veckatimest gearing up, Grizzly Bear prepares to step into the spotlight as the “band of the moment.” I’ve only heard a few new songs, but these new songs seem worthy of the band’s swelling audience. For the most part, Grizzly Bear’s first two albums are acquired tastes. Proponents tell you that this is “patient” music – compositions that require a few listens to appreciate. While this usually suggests dense arrangements, these songs require patience due to their unorthodox sounds. At times, Yellow House jars the listener with dissonant chords only to follow with gorgeous vocal harmonies, creating this deliberately raw sound infused with a strangely dark, slightly sinister undercurrent. “Knife,” Yellow House’s breakthrough track, combines both the sublimely sinister with the melodically beautiful. The members of the band intertwine their vocals, presenting countermelodies for each melody – the Beach Boys are the frequent touchstone, yet it’s far more unsettling than anything on Pet Sounds. Allmusic calls it a “hazy love song” and from the vocal introduction through the first two lines it’s a fitting description. Then, when it feels like it might get comfortable, Ed Droste changes the course by singing “with every blow / comes another lie.” Ultimately, the song seems more about betrayal by a loved one than being in love, but the band plays with this tension through the entire song – dark harmonies undercut every beautiful melody, creating a woosy, slightly disorienting, and darkly beautiful song.

Greg Gillis must hear something similar, as he turns “Knife” into a weirdly compelling hip hop hook. By adding vocals from the Clipse’s “Wamp Wamp” and a few extra percussion sounds, Gillis hones in on the aesthetic feel in the original song. While most of his work as Girl Talk feels like iTunes run through a blender, Gillis seems to approach this mix in a way that focuses our attention on the original’s melody. Ed Droste becomes an unwitting Nate Dogg by providing the melodic hook, and the bits of vocals scattered throughout the verses makes the track seem haunted. If the original sounds dark and beautiful, Gillis emphasizes the ghastly qualities to the vocals. Sure, it neuters the nuances in the original track, but Gillis shows how to use a remix to highlight a specific part of the original song. The net result is an adventurous and exciting remix, and while few would suggest Yellow House raises testosterone the way this remix might, it shares the same adventurous, experimental spirit as the parent album.

More on Grizzly Bear: Allmusic | Amazon MP3 | Emusic | Last.fm

January 19, 2009

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“Mykonos” – Fleet Foxes
(Words/music: Robin Pecknold, available on Sun Giant EP, Sub Pop 2008)

When Fleet Foxes topped many of the year end “best of” lists, I snidely declared it as a sign that 2008 was the “Year of Bland Music.” Sure, there was a lot of good music last year (much of which will sneak its way into Some Songs Considered, I’m sure) but nothing that struck me as truly exceptional and “great.” I even liked the self-titled Fleet Foxes album (although I think I preferred the EP more, but I’ll get into that) but I thought that it was “good” and not “great.” I guess I mean “good” in the sense that I enjoyed listening to it, I listened to it a few times, and I’ll probably listen to it again in the future. I realize that I’m probably understating that (and the other albums I enjoyed last year too), but for as long as I can remember, there’s been at least one album each year that went beyond this enjoyable listening experience and into a mildly obsessive fandom. These albums, the “great” ones, if you will, caused me to go weeks listening almost exclusively to one band, making my friends copies of the album, obsessively checking tour dates with hopes that the band would come within two hours of me. There was a lot of excellent music last year, but nothing new that became part of my life for even a short while.

That being said, I understand why so many people fell in love with the Fleet Foxes album. The album is full of flawless harmonies, crystal clear arrangements, and songs that somehow bridge the gap between Woodstock folk and 21st century indie pop. They seem to be equal parts CSNY and Grizzly Bear – traditional yet unconventional, throwback yet timeless. It also seems like they deliver the goods live as well, quelling one fear that their harmonies were studio creations. It’s one thing to read a live account, but it’s another to witness the genuine article, so when the band played “Mykonos” on Saturday Night Live this past weekend, I was suitably impressed. Yes, the harmonies are just as spectacular when done on the spot (and kudos to the SNL director, who did a great job framing the faces of the different band members during some of the more complex vocal arrangements – a nice touch - it also makes the performance seem more intimate, and I’m sure that many are drawn in to the “intimacy” of these songs, as they seem like the best rehearsed campfire singers I’ve ever seen). The song also took on a little more spring – it wasn’t suddenly anthemic, but it moved a bit more. Ultimately, this is probably why I like the EP more than the LP. After a few tracks, I’m used to the harmonies and the quiet arrangements, but I’m ready for a different wrinkle. Sure, the songs are nothing to sneeze at, but I find my hand reaching for the skip button (or into my LP crate, depending on the location) by the end of the album. With the Sun Giant EP, I get the best of both worlds – a few modern folk gems for about twenty minutes before moving on to something that stimulates a different part of my musical brain.

PS – until the Powers that Be remove it, enjoy this video of “Mykonos” on SNL.

More on Fleet Foxes: Allmusic | Amazon MP3 | Emusic | Last.fm

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