bear in heaven

this album is pretty good!

for fans of: synthy indie music

― caek, Saturday, 28 November 2009 23:29 (3 years ago) Permalink

spinning off from What are the Hipster Albums of 2009?

The Bear in Heaven album is the only album I have found remotely interesting. It has some really cool rhythms and textures happening, and the album never stagnates from a mixing standpoint.

Animal Collective have become too formulaic to be interesting, XX is intolerable, and it is beyond me why people think the Girls album is worth any attention.

― drainCosmetics, Friday, November 27, 2009 7:25 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

i didn't even tweet review Bear In Heaven!

Way way before CMJ fallout and glowing Pfork review I interviewed 'em for the Village Voice.
http://blogs.villagevoice.com/music/archives/2009/09/yes_in_my_backy_17.php

I got their CD and I liked it and I thought "Oh this is pretty good, I'd like to give them some attention." But at no point did I think "Man, people are gonna flip the fuck out over this."

― eatin' spaghett' (Whiney G. Weingarten), Friday, November 27, 2009 7:30 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Enjoying the Bear In Heaven album 100x more than MPP. It's not going to end up on my year end or anything, but it is a pretty good hispter album of 2009 imo.

― caek, Saturday, November 28, 2009 11:15 PM (14 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Oh, didn't know there was a Bear in Heaven record! I really liked them live the couple times that I saw them, and I liked Red Bloom of Boom, and then I kind of lost track of them. I had thought they were kind of slept on, so it's good to see them getting Pitchfork love.

― Bay-L.A. Bar Talk (Hurting 2), Saturday, November 28, 2009 11:21 PM (8 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Ahhhh . . . I'm sold. I'm going to have a beer, finish watching the UM/USF game, and download the Bear In Heaven disc all before I'm forced to watch the new iCarly at 8.

― Daniel, Esq., Saturday, November 28, 2009 11:23 PM (6 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

― caek, Saturday, 28 November 2009 23:31 (3 years ago) Permalink

Digging You Do You and a few others. Still think the P4K review oversold the "towering choruses." (FWIW, when I think of "towering choruses," I think of Journey, so I'm no authority).

― Daniel, Esq., Saturday, 28 November 2009 23:32 (3 years ago) Permalink

You Do You is the peak for me after a handful of listens, yeah.

The choruses are no More Than A Feeling, this is true. But I think the Caribou comparison in that review was not complete bullshit. I have heard maybe 5 TVOTR songs, it's true, but they do remind me of TVOTR.

― caek, Saturday, 28 November 2009 23:37 (3 years ago) Permalink

Still think the P4K review oversold the "towering choruses." (FWIW, when I think of "towering choruses," I think of Journey, so I'm no authority).

Exactly the sort of thing that always gets oversold in Pitchfork reviews -- "catchy hooks" "infectious dance grooves" etc. -- as though there's some across-the-board lower standard for indie music.

― Bay-L.A. Bar Talk (Hurting 2), Saturday, 28 November 2009 23:43 (3 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, I get that. Also, I'm liking that Youtube'd song more-and-more. Ironically, there doesn't seem to be much of a chorus at all. It's just that snake-y synth line.

― Daniel, Esq., Saturday, 28 November 2009 23:44 (3 years ago) Permalink

"towering choruses" is just preposterous here, yeah.

terrible, awful, name for a pop group also, which pitchfork failed to call them out on, for shame.

― caek, Saturday, 28 November 2009 23:46 (3 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, there's a weird clustering of indie band names around certain words, e.g., "bear" and "crystal." No Crystal Bears so far, thankfully.

― Daniel, Esq., Saturday, 28 November 2009 23:47 (3 years ago) Permalink

love the cover

thought the xx was pretty anodyne; this is on spotify tho so will give a listen

― cozwn, Sunday, 29 November 2009 08:53 (3 years ago) Permalink

not the slightest bit of southern rock in this. that pitchfork review got me all excited for some southern rock dammit! seems ok otherwise...

― Moreno, Tuesday, 1 December 2009 22:14 (3 years ago) Permalink

there is indeed something that is totally hard to place about this record--it's like highly evocative without evoking anything in particular. it's a little wallpapery tbh. but damn lovesick teenagers has been in my head for days.

― call all destroyer, Monday, 7 December 2009 18:53 (3 years ago) Permalink

wholehearted mass -> you do you -> lovesick teenagers is a great run.

― caek, Monday, 7 December 2009 18:56 (3 years ago) Permalink

all i think when i listen to it is "there is something really 70s about this" but again i can't get more specific. then i was thinking the singer is a dead ringer for thomas mars and/or the dude from mew and sure enough they opened for mew in nyc.

― call all destroyer, Monday, 7 December 2009 18:58 (3 years ago) Permalink

would you know my naaaaaaame
if i saw you in heaven
will it be the same
if i saw you in heaven
i must be strong, and carry on
cause i know you don't belong,
bear in heaven

― being being kiss-ass fake nice (gbx), Monday, 7 December 2009 19:01 (3 years ago) Permalink

I keep thinking this is going to be a hilarious 1p3 thread when I see it in new answers. But I'm okay with pleasant indie things, too.

― retrovaporized nebulizer (╓abies), Monday, 7 December 2009 20:30 (3 years ago) Permalink

"Deafening Love" is pure evil. I loves it.

― Dave Depper (Davey D), Monday, 7 December 2009 20:59 (3 years ago) Permalink

Loving this.

― Bay-L.A. Bar Talk (Hurting 2), Tuesday, 22 December 2009 07:15 (3 years ago) Permalink

i am no official bih street team, so take everything i say on this thread with a pinch of salt, but:

1. Beast In Peace (The Hundred In The Hands Beast In Beat Remix)
2. Lovesick Teenagers (Twin Shadow Remix)
3. Ultimate Satisfaction (The Field Remix)
4. Wholehearted Mess (Pink Skull Remix)
5. Fake Out (BRAHMS Remix)
6. Drug A Wheel (High Places Remix)
7. Deafening Love (Deru Remix)
8. Dust Cloud (Justin K. Broadrick Remix)
9. You Do You (Studio Remix)
10. Casual Goodbye (Epstein’s Galloping Gertie Remix)

23 august.

― caek, Friday, 18 June 2010 00:29 (2 years ago) Permalink

i am now official street team

― caek, Friday, 18 June 2010 00:30 (2 years ago) Permalink

South Street Seaport show was incredibly good. Heard some songs I didn't recognize that seem promising for whenever the next album comes out.

― surfer blood for oil (Hurting 2), Saturday, 10 July 2010 02:36 (2 years ago) Permalink

Also I just wanted to point out:

------------------

I just played a show with this Brooklyn band called Bear in Heaven and holy shit they were awesome. Their opener was like this weird mix of dance punk, prog and "Won't Get Fooled Again" by the Who (I don't know a better way to describe that keyboard effect where you hold down the chords and it plays a consistent rhythm). Incredible drummer too.

They do have a myspace page but it REALLY REALLY doesn't do them justice -- in fact I think this might be from the guy's older project because it doesn't really sound much like what I heard last night.

http://www.myspace.com/bearinheaven

― Abbadavid Berman (Hurting), Sunday, January 22, 2006 10:51 AM Bookmark

― surfer blood for oil (Hurting 2), Saturday, 10 July 2010 02:38 (2 years ago) Permalink

wholehearted mass -> you do you -> lovesick teenagers is a great run.

― caek, Monday, December 7, 2009 1:56 PM (7 months ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

otm

― johnny crunch, Saturday, 10 July 2010 15:25 (2 years ago) Permalink

the remix album is pretty great. there's a 10 minute lindstrøm remix of lovesick teenagers kicking around too that i hope will see the light of day.

― caek, Saturday, 10 July 2010 15:37 (2 years ago) Permalink

I don't know a better way to describe that keyboard effect where you hold down the chords and it plays a consistent rhythm

― stuff that's what it is (bernard snowy), Saturday, 10 July 2010 15:42 (2 years ago) Permalink

They also closed with a Lindstrom cover.

― surfer blood for oil (Hurting 2), Saturday, 10 July 2010 17:26 (2 years ago) Permalink

the remix album is pretty great. there's a 10 minute lindstrøm remix of lovesick teenagers kicking around too that i hope will see the light of day.

― caek, Saturday, 10 July 2010 15:37 (5 hours ago) Bookmark

tried looking for this lindstrom remix and had no luck. Link?

Really looking forward to the remix LP and Studio's remix especially.

― du mein bestie (micarl), Saturday, 10 July 2010 21:15 (2 years ago) Permalink

i love "lovesick teenagers" pretty intensely. i don't particularly need to hear a remix i just want the song to be 3x as long as it is!

― jed_, Saturday, 10 July 2010 21:28 (2 years ago) Permalink

the lindstrom thing is unreleased. not sure what's happening with it, so i can't link : / i hope this changes!

the arpeggiated synth stuff which was probably the best thing about the original is gone from the studio remix, but there is a lot of studio-style acoustic + electric guitar. works for me.

you should all check out this album! /street team.

― caek, Saturday, 10 July 2010 21:46 (2 years ago) Permalink

Does Philpot sing through some kind of modulator? His singing voice sounds so high and nasally live compared to his speaking voice.

― surfer blood for oil (Hurting 2), Monday, 12 July 2010 03:28 (2 years ago) Permalink

Been going back to Red Bloom of the Boom recently and enjoying it more. It's sort of more home-recorded sounded and less cohesive than BFRM, but good.

― surfer blood for oil (Hurting 2), Monday, 12 July 2010 03:49 (2 years ago) Permalink

not the kind of thing i'm generally into, but i'm enjoying this a lot. like a lot a lot. "lovesick teenagers" of course, but most of the rest too. dunno why, but it's hitting me just right, especially side 2's slide into relative darkness. this despite my lack of interest in the strain of wispy indie psych/pop i keep wanting to slot it with (anco, grizzly bear, tvotr).

moments reminding me vaguely of three mile pilot, peter gabriel, geggy tah, pinback, mgmt, but none of those comparisons really hit the mark.

― a CRASBO is a "criminally related" ASBO (contenderizer), Sunday, 22 August 2010 22:16 (2 years ago) Permalink

it took me a while to figure it out but these guys are way more consciously retro-sounding than any of the present-day comparables would indicate.

― call all destroyer, Sunday, 22 August 2010 22:58 (2 years ago) Permalink

remix album came out in the uk earlier this week, on itunes et al. or lol cd from us http://www.dreamboatrecords.co.uk/catalogue/beastremixed/

apparently the lindstrøm remix will show up eventually but it is not on this album : ( it is fantastic.

/street team

― caek, Thursday, 26 August 2010 09:20 (2 years ago) Permalink

U.S. in mid-september btw

― caek, Thursday, 26 August 2010 09:23 (2 years ago) Permalink

it took me a while to figure it out but these guys are way more consciously retro-sounding than any of the present-day comparables would indicate.

― call all destroyer, Sunday, August 22, 2010 3:58 PM (4 days ago) Bookmark

this makes intuitive sense to me, but i'm having a hard time nailing the specific reference points. "beast in peace" recalls yes circa "roundabout", but only in moments. same way "you do you" suggests moody 80s pop in the verses. and i keep hearing traces of arty 90s alt rock throughout, especially three mile pilot.

― a dystopian society awaits if we continue on this path. (contenderizer), Thursday, 26 August 2010 16:24 (2 years ago) Permalink

more 60s/early 70s than 80s. i may be the only one but i don't think a souped-up silver apples is an insane reference point.

― call all destroyer, Thursday, 26 August 2010 16:36 (2 years ago) Permalink

i only know the silver apples 1st album, and can't see the connection

― a dystopian society awaits if we continue on this path. (contenderizer), Thursday, 26 August 2010 17:39 (2 years ago) Permalink

I also feel like there are echoes of Philip Glass, David Tudor, and other 60s/70s synth and/or minimalist music.

― Ground Zero Mostel (Hurting 2), Thursday, 26 August 2010 18:40 (2 years ago) Permalink

i can see as how there might be echoes of minimalist musics (i dunno, i don't hear any philip glass), but not so much that i'm inclined to think of bear in heaven as distinctly retro in that regard. i mean, CAD's point feels intuitively correct to me, there's an echo here that's more pronounced than the beach boys vibe anco/panda sometimes give off, but i can't quite pin it down. yes still strike me as the closest reference point - both 70s & 80s incarnations of the band, both "roundabout" and "owner of a lonely heart".

― a dystopian society awaits if we continue on this path. (contenderizer), Thursday, 26 August 2010 22:14 (2 years ago) Permalink

so the lindstrøm remix will show up on a 12" along with a bear in heaven cover of a song off the lindstrøm and christabelle album.

― a cankle of rads (Gukbe), Monday, 13 September 2010 06:31 (2 years ago) Permalink

excellent!

― du mein bestie (micarl), Monday, 13 September 2010 08:26 (2 years ago) Permalink

hoping this happens soonish

― du mein bestie (micarl), Monday, 17 January 2011 00:19 (2 years ago) Permalink

So new one forthcoming
http://bearinheaven.com/?page_id=6

They're doing this thing where they're playing a single runthrough of the album "stretched" over like three months, which I think is a little corny, but w/e love these guys anyway and looking forward to the record

― Oh shit, that's my bone! (Hurting 2), Wednesday, 4 January 2012 20:15 (1 year ago) Permalink

http://pitchfork.com/news/45074-listen-to-the-new-bear-in-heaven-track-the-reflection-of-you/

like it

― johnny crunch, Thursday, 12 January 2012 20:07 (1 year ago) Permalink

seeing these guys on sat - p excited

― johnny crunch, Tuesday, 28 February 2012 14:54 (1 year ago) Permalink

that song u posted above is good--maybe i'll try to see them in bos in may

― call all destroyer, Tuesday, 28 February 2012 15:03 (1 year ago) Permalink

i can't stand the upside-down beat on that song. don't know what they were thinking, except for trying to be clever.

― 40oz of tears (Jordan), Tuesday, 28 February 2012 15:13 (1 year ago) Permalink

paging johnny crunch--how were these guys when u saw them?

this album jams, i'm trying to decide if i should see em or not.

― call all destroyer, Thursday, 19 April 2012 16:36 (1 year ago) Permalink

present!

were ok, i had the flu or something tho & the venue was lame so im p sure that affected my judgment

it's prob worthwhile 2 see them. they seemed like nice dudes & yeah, new album is p interesting, im not 100% sold on it

― johnny crunch, Thursday, 19 April 2012 16:47 (1 year ago) Permalink

thanking u! i will try to make the effort and drag my ass across town on a weeknight #old

― call all destroyer, Thursday, 19 April 2012 16:53 (1 year ago) Permalink

these guys were fun live. singer guy has an interesting case of frontman syndrome but on further review i'll allow it. he's also secretly old which makes his weird voice even weirder.

― call all destroyer, Friday, 4 May 2012 14:37 (1 year ago) Permalink

yeah that guy has actually been kicking around brooklyn making music for something like 15+ years IIRC

― Scott, bass player for Tenth Avenue North (Hurting 2), Friday, 4 May 2012 14:47 (1 year ago) Permalink

https://twitter.com/BearInHeaven/status/213721456855621632

― congratulations (n/a), Friday, 15 June 2012 20:26 (11 months ago) Permalink