― zach faver, Saturday, 12 February 2005 08:14 (nineteen years ago) link
― owen reading, Saturday, 12 February 2005 22:21 (nineteen years ago) link
― rob mackey (mackey), Saturday, 26 March 2005 20:01 (nineteen years ago) link
Friday, March 25, 2005; Page WE08
GRIZZLY BEAR "Horn of Plenty"Kanine
While hip-hop, teen-pop and nu-metal battle for the future, a new generation of psychedelic folkies has unexpectedly arisen. From Tokyo to Stockholm to (of course) Brooklyn, N.Y., these troubadours make music that's odd, quiet and sometimes irksomely childlike; they may use electronics, but rely heavily on acoustic guitars and intimate vocals. Although hardly the goofiest of the lot, Grizzly Bear is not unrepresentative.
The 14 tracks on "Horn of Plenty" began as Brooklyn singer-songwriter Edwin Droste's demos and didn't become substantially more ornate once Christopher Bear appended his singing and playing. (Since the album was recorded, multi-instrumentalist Chris Taylor has also joined.) Actually, there are many layers to these recordings; they aren't simply unplugged guitar and untempered sincerity. Yet the album's sound is deliberately scruffy, a blend of homemade electronica, languid raga-rock and lots of reverb. With their drowsy melodies, boys' choir harmonies and low-tech effects, such songs as "Showcase" and "Merge" resemble a back-porch jam session's take on "Good Vibrations."
If such comparisons suggest Grizzly Bear is a little precious and more than a little half-baked, that's about right. By the standards of this newly reborn genre, however, "Horn of Plenty" is reasonably focused and unusually tuneful. It's a somewhat vague trip, but not a bad one.
-- Mark Jenkins
Appearing Monday at DC9 with the Chance and Something for Rockets
― steve-k, Saturday, 26 March 2005 20:38 (nineteen years ago) link
― Mr. Harvey Weinstein (mr harvey weinstein), Saturday, 26 March 2005 20:42 (nineteen years ago) link
― breezy, Sunday, 27 March 2005 03:42 (nineteen years ago) link
― Mr. Harvey Weinstein (mr harvey weinstein), Sunday, 27 March 2005 04:41 (nineteen years ago) link
― breezy, Monday, 28 March 2005 22:38 (nineteen years ago) link
― still, Wednesday, 27 July 2005 03:50 (eighteen years ago) link
makes no sense whatsoever
― Dr. Glen Y. Abreu (dr g), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 03:53 (eighteen years ago) link
― still, Wednesday, 27 July 2005 04:00 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dr. Glen Y. Abreu (dr g), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 04:03 (eighteen years ago) link
― stilllllllllll, Wednesday, 27 July 2005 04:15 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dr. Glen Y. Abreu (dr g), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 04:23 (eighteen years ago) link
A++++ highly recommended
― critique de la vie quotidienne (modestmickey), Friday, 9 February 2007 02:59 (seventeen years ago) link
― Telephonething (Telephonething), Friday, 9 February 2007 03:09 (seventeen years ago) link
Man, the acappella version of "Knife" from the kexp compilation is quite astounding.
― van smack, Saturday, 3 November 2007 01:39 (sixteen years ago) link
love that video
― am0n, Saturday, 3 November 2007 02:00 (sixteen years ago) link
I was literally listening to Knife when I came on ILM and this was the top thread.
Freaky.
― three handclaps, Saturday, 3 November 2007 02:03 (sixteen years ago) link
Been listening to Yellow House a lot lately. Wonderful record.
― Scik Mouthy, Sunday, 4 November 2007 11:18 (sixteen years ago) link
yes it really is wonderful. the alternate version of "Easier" that they released as a single is much greater than the, already great, original version.
― jed_, Sunday, 4 November 2007 15:01 (sixteen years ago) link
It cracks me up that they played with Something for Rockets.
― St3ve Go1db3rg, Sunday, 4 November 2007 22:45 (sixteen years ago) link
Schreiber reviewed the new Friend EP today and gave it BNM.
― three handclaps, Tuesday, 6 November 2007 14:22 (sixteen years ago) link
I may have to go pick this up.
good show in ny couple of days ago.nice atmosphere. good band for watching while seating.
― Zeno, Tuesday, 6 November 2007 14:40 (sixteen years ago) link
Funny Grizzly Bear(ish) story.
― Billy Pilgrim, Tuesday, 6 November 2007 14:51 (sixteen years ago) link
xxxpost i hate when reviewers go through an album song-by-song in a review.
― stephen, Tuesday, 6 November 2007 14:52 (sixteen years ago) link
Nice new song played on kcrw.
― Freedom, Sunday, 22 June 2008 22:00 (fifteen years ago) link
http://mfrost.typepad.com/cute_overload/images/2008/06/20/animal_style.jpg
― Whiney G. Weingarten, Monday, 23 June 2008 15:21 (fifteen years ago) link
why are they not bad?
― Surmounter, Tuesday, 8 July 2008 01:18 (fifteen years ago) link
Anyone up for a bit of verbal masturbation over the songs they've been previewing recently? "While You Wait for the Others" and "Two Weeks" are far and away the best things I've heard this year. And I second the love for the acapella on the street version of "Knife".
― Freedom, Wednesday, 6 August 2008 15:57 (fifteen years ago) link
Very nice harmonies, but aside from that, this is another band whose appeal I don't get (aside from the awesome Knife). The new song on their MySpace page -- While You Wait for the Others -- is okay, but indistinct (which is my complaint about most of their songs).
― Daniel, Esq., Wednesday, 6 August 2008 16:08 (fifteen years ago) link
One of the few remaining arguments for paying attention to indie.
― I know, right?, Wednesday, 6 August 2008 16:14 (fifteen years ago) link
seriously brilliant.
I keep hearing "brilliant!" about Grizzy Bear. Maybe they're just not made for my (lol old lol) ears. I'll try listening to the band again.
― Daniel, Esq., Wednesday, 6 August 2008 16:17 (fifteen years ago) link
It's good to listen to them in order, that is start with horn of plenty. First few tracks of Friend EP are probably the best thing they've ever done though. Alligator Choir version esp
― I know, right?, Wednesday, 6 August 2008 16:20 (fifteen years ago) link
I just saw them live, and I'm more impressed with them as a live act than I am with them on record. The harmonies just seemed so much stronger and less buried in the mix. They should really bring them out more on the recordings, because that's their strongest point.
― Melissa W, Wednesday, 6 August 2008 16:25 (fifteen years ago) link
don't you like the ambiguity that it lends?
― I know, right?, Wednesday, 6 August 2008 16:26 (fifteen years ago) link
I saw Grizzy Bear do live backing vocals (of Knife) to a Girl Talk song on Pitchfork.tv recently (I think it happened at last year's Pitchfork festival). Based on that live clip, I think Melissa's OTM.
― Daniel, Esq., Wednesday, 6 August 2008 16:29 (fifteen years ago) link
They sound so fucking great it's near annoying. The Letterman version of Two Weeks sounds a bit muddy though is there a proper take on it anywhere?
― sonderangerbot, Wednesday, 6 August 2008 17:47 (fifteen years ago) link
xpost, this nearly put me off them
― I know, right?, Wednesday, 6 August 2008 17:48 (fifteen years ago) link
With Daniel: Knife is amazing, nothing else by the band has appealed to me half as much. Think they're better than okay, though.
(Was that faint enough? Is it still coming through?)
― contenderizer, Wednesday, 6 August 2008 17:52 (fifteen years ago) link
I assume all you Knife enthusiasts haven't heard Alligator (choir version) then?
― I know, right?, Wednesday, 6 August 2008 17:54 (fifteen years ago) link
On A Neck, On A Spit is better than Knife, surely?
― Scik Mouthy, Wednesday, 6 August 2008 17:55 (fifteen years ago) link
^this
― I know, right?, Wednesday, 6 August 2008 17:56 (fifteen years ago) link
The new song on their MySpace page -- While You Wait for the Others -- is okay, but indistinct Madness. The letterman version is what I'm basing my Two Weeks appreciation so can't be that muddy. The harmonies are certainly clear.
― Freedom, Wednesday, 6 August 2008 19:41 (fifteen years ago) link
Not to me, but I may be bats--t crazy, I guess. In fact, in ILX talk, Knife >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On A Neck (to me).
― Daniel, Esq., Wednesday, 6 August 2008 19:45 (fifteen years ago) link
blogotheque grizzly bear made me realise this
― I know, right?, Wednesday, 6 August 2008 19:45 (fifteen years ago) link
Knife isn't even in the top tier of the songs on Yellow House.
― jed_, Wednesday, 6 August 2008 19:51 (fifteen years ago) link
i think my favourite of theirs is the alternate version of Easier. they are incredible live.
― jed_, Wednesday, 6 August 2008 19:52 (fifteen years ago) link