Tag Archive: Bear in Heaven


Bear in Heaven – Live Review – Grog Shop – 8/2/10

Filed Under: Live Shows
Aug.03, 2010
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This isn't going to be a lengthy review, but instead one that gets right to the meat on the bone.  Bear in Heaven just wrapped up their tour in Cleveland last night, and the show was outstanding on all fronts.  Citizen Rob and I caught the band when they played at Case Western Reserve toward the end of last year, and after that show, it was apparent that many of the tracks from Beast Rest Forth Mouth needed to be perfected in a live setting.  The former quartet-turned-trio rolls onto stage with a lot of bells and whistles, and last year's show was slightly off-kilter with some performance flaws.  It was such a treat to see how much these epic songs have blossomed with time and practice.  BIH moved through most of BRFM's ten killer tracks, highlighted by the intense build and release of "Dust Cloud" and the relentless and wicked, "Ultimate Satisfaction."  Maybe I'm in the minority, but I think that the move to a trio actually expands this sound and will allow for future mobility.  Jon Philpot is still the brains behind the animal, but Adam Wills gets a little room to breath on the bass/guitar, and Joe Stickney is, hands down, one of the best indie rock drummers I've ever seen.  True story.  If you're a fan of BRFM, then you know how heavily it relies on percussion.  In a live translation, the near tribal frenetics on the skins are loud and pronounced.  It's impossible not to get into a groove with these three steering the ship.  Twin Sister opened for BIH throughout most of the tour and were on their top game last night as well.  Cleveland's own, Emeralds, swung in on a last second add-on and shredded in a 30 minute non-stop wall of sound.  Their live improvisational entrancement was the perfect appetizer for BIH. Those that made it off their asses on a Monday night were treated to some of the best up and coming musicianship in the country.  Be sure to check out Bear in Heaven's upcoming remix version of Beast Rest Forth Mouth by going over to Hometapes and enjoy the show video of "Casual Goodbye" above (apologies for the camera work.  The Grog Shop is notoriously dark).

Bear in Heaven – Ultimate Satisfaction (The Field Remix)

Twin Sister – All Around and Away We Go

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Bear in Heaven w/ Twin Sister Ticket Giveaway

Filed Under: Contests, General Interest, Live Shows
Jul.31, 2010

Wake up boys and girls.  We've got something you want to take advantage of Monday night @ The Grog Shop.

The fine folks at The Grog have offered us a pair of giveaway tickets to catch the Brooklyn act, Bear in Heaven, along with Twin Sister, this Monday night.  If you weren't planning on walking out the door Monday after work, it's probably best to rethink that strategy.   This tour has been tweeted and buzzed to hell and back across America, and we're hoping Clevelanders come out in droves to see it.  BIH  has been one of my favorite acts since Sara at Hometapes sent us the advance of Beast Rest Forth Mouth early last year.  We included their record on our Best Albums of 2009 list, and on September 14, the band is releasing a double-album version, complete with a full remix version of each track.  I caught their live show at Case Western Reserve last year, and I'm completely revved to catch it this time.  Each BIH song is an epic, swirling masterpiece.  One part electronic, one part prog-rock largeness, and one part experimental, each and every song manages to hook and mesmerize completely.  BRFM has been a mainstay on my turntable for the better part of a year.  We've not seen a lot of exposure in Cleveland, so if they are completely new to you, let's change that Monday.  Take our word for it and shake the cobwebs off for this show.  Look for the attractive ginger shaking his ass and say hi to me.

Leave us a comment in the comment section or email us directly at dicks at citizendick dot org to enter our little contest.  You don't have much time so fire away at this last minute deal.  Tell us why you want to go.  We'll pick the big winner, hopefully, sometime early Sunday.

Enjoy two of the remixed tracks from the upcoming release, and two orginal tracks from Beast Rest Forth Mouth below.

Bear in Heaven – Wholehearted Mess

Bear in Heaven – Lovesick Teenagers

Bear in Heaven – Dust Cloud (Justin K Broadrick Remix)

Bear in Heaven – Ultimate Satisfaction (The Field Remix)

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New Bear in Heaven Video – Dust Cloud

Filed Under: General Interest
Apr.23, 2010

Grounded due to the volcanic ash flying around Europe, Brooklyn's Bear in Heaven seized opportunity and placed a video camera on a baggage claim belt.  Here's to making the most of a bad situation.

"Dust Cloud" includes probably one of the best two minute segments of music created in 2009.  The track begins and meanders into a hypnotic and sparse direction, and then blossoms into an intensified crescendo in its final minutes.  When we got the chance to hang out with and see the band last year at Case Western, this track was, in a word, cathartic, in a live situation.  We're absolutely stoked to see them again at Pitchfork Festival this summer, and we're just as excited to hear that they eventually made it out of Madrid and into London.  Enjoy the vid, and also, for old times sake (or perhaps for the first time for some of you), we've included "Lovesick Teenagers" from last year's stellar Beast Rest Forth Mouth. (below the video)

Bear in Heaven – Lovesick Teenagers

Buy Beast Rest Forth Mouth by clicking HERE

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Radio Dick – Sunday Brunch Edition

Filed Under: General Interest
Mar.07, 2010

This week’s been at least a touch calmer over at Citizen Dick headquarters and while I’m probably not in any shape to have an excellent brunch, this week’s tracklist is pretty stout.  The forecast for the next three months looks promising, and we’ll do our best to keep you updated.  As we usually advertise, don’t forget to follow us on Twitter HERE and on Facebook HERE.  Enjoy this Sunday’s list and kick your feet up, folks.  You deserve it.

Woven Bones – If It Feels Alright – Woven Bones does a whole lot of things right.  The fuzzy and gritty garage clanging rock of this Austin band looks good in your headphones and even better on the turntable.  They’ve been slowly garnering buzz over the last year or so with slowly leaked tracks and a killer EP that hit quietly last year.  On May 18th, the proper debut from the trio hits the shelves and we’re excited to put our ears to it.  Enjoy the first released song, “If it Feels Alright,” and hit the back catalog by going to their myspace page HERE.

Woven Bones – If It Feels Alright

Sleep Over – Fog Juice – I’ll first admit I know very little about this trio, other than the fact that I love their sound.  I was an internet troll whenever I found a few seconds this week and I stumbled upon this incredibly eye-opening track over at Chocolate Bobka.  This is 1/3 post rock breakdown, 1/3 electronic ambiance, and the remainder is probably best left to listeners.  In the headphones, this song comes alive, shrieking and delicately haunting all the way to its close.  Don’t expect this to appeal to the pop starlet in you.  Let’s provide that disclaimer front and center.

Sleep Over – Fog Juice

Bear in Heaven – Lovesick Teenagers (Twin Shadow’s Twins in Heaven Remix) – There are a couple of reasons to include this track.  First of all we’d like to congratulate this Brooklyn quartet on getting the nod for Pitchfork Festival 2010.  Just recently named to the bill, this band is one of the more underrated players in the Brooklyn music scene right now.  Beast Rest Forth Mouth is easily one of the best albums of 2009, and their recent string of relentless tour dates should have them primed and ready for an excellent showing at P4K.  “Lovesick Teenagers” is redone well here.  However, if you’re not hip to BIH, we highly recommend snagging the entire album HERE.

Bear in Heaven – Lovesick Teenagers (Twin Shadow’s Twins in Heaven Remix)

Horse Feathers – Belly of June – The calming and soothing sounds of Horse Feathers is just what the doctor ordered for me this winter.  The last couple of days have broken the monotony here in Cleveland and the sun has peeked its hesitant head out of the opaque gray of our winter skies.  One of the things I loved about their last album, House Without A Home, is that the tracks take their time to get embedded into your head.  Sure, it’s a folk-based sound, but there’s an awful lot of talented musicianship here.  It’s lulling and intriguing at the same time.  We’re stoked for Thistled Spring to hit the shelves via Kill Rock Stars on the 20th of this month.

Horse Feathers – Belly of June

Julian Lynch – In New Jersey – We caught this track over at Pitchfork’s forkcast and loved it immediately.  Julian Lynch’s upcoming album, tentatively titled Mare is expected soon and this leaked track is stellar.  As if finding a unique balance between the progressive/jazz model and straight forward indie rock, this track belts out plenty of positive omens of things to come.  Keep an eye on this one.

Julian Lynch – In New Jersey

Javelin – Oh!  Centra – I don’t think I take myself too seriously, and any Javelin album always reminds me of this.  Not only is the Brooklyn duo incredibly adept at dredging up conglomerate sounds that remind me of my youth, but they do it with enough color and flavor to bring a smile and plenty of enjoyment.  Their upcoming album, No Mas is dropping on March 20th, and “Oh! Centra” is a teaser.  Electronic sampling may not be your thing, or possibly it is.  Those in either camp can’t deny these dudes are excellent at what they do.

Javelin – Oh! Centra

Mumford and Sons – Cousins (Vampire Weekend Cover) – When I first heard Mumford and Sons, I got excited.  Then I saw the entire blogosphere in America sort of apprehensively sigh in contempt.  Nonetheless, their most recent album is an ass-shaker. Fittingly, they opted to cover fellow indie darlings, Vampire Weekend.  The track suits their strengths well.  I sort of envision Ezra Koenig riding a four-wheeler through mounds of cow shit in the lush English countryside.  If that’s not an image worth listening to at least once, I’m not sure what is.

Mumford and Sons – Cousins (Vampire Weekend Cover)

Drake – Over - A girl that I have been spending a lot of time with lately loves Drake.  I don’t particularly love Drake.  I don’t particularly dive to deeply into the hip hop scene unless there are perks to be gained in the process.  Did I mention that she likes Drake?  She’s also gorgeous.  Here is the new Drake track.  If I could smash everyone’s auto-tune machine with a sledgehammer I would be the first to do just that.  However, I can actually stomach this one.  You be the judge.

Drake – Over

Titus Andronicus – A More Perfect Union – The newest TA effort, The Monitor,  hits full throttle from the jump and the Civil War inspired concept album is well worth the purchase.  It just hit on Tuesday, and the recently released “A More Perfect Union” is an excellent taste of what’s to hear on record.  For the record, this latest album jumps above previous work, and the conceptual tilt is something that works well.  I suppose it’s a bit presumptuous to just lay one track of the album out there for you.  This is a track full of loud color and intensity.  It’s probably best to listen to the entire album here. Contrary to what the opening dialogue suggests, we warn you not to “Take a drink from the Ohio River.”  Ill-advised, folks.

Titus Andronicus – A More Perfect Union

Cloud Nothings – Hey Cool Kid (Memoryhouse Remix) – Cheers to the hometown boys getting a little national exposure.  I just snagged Turning On, Cleveland based, Cloud Nothings’ debut effort on vinyl last week at Music Saves.  Let’s be honest.  There’s not a lot of exposure of Cleveland bands, and the DIY ethos of our very own Dylan Baldi is well worth all the attention it’s receiving.  The entire record is a ball of fuzzy melody that perfectly balances the gritty underbelly of Cleveland with bouncing energy.   If getting remixed is a sign you’ve made it, then welcome to the discussion Dylan.  For the record, I’ll take the album’s original cut of “Hey Cool Kid” any day of the week.

Cloud Nothings – Hey Cool Kid (Memoryhouse Remix)

Phosphorescent – It’s Hard to be Humble (When You’re From Alabama) – Here’s To Taking it Easy will be released on May 11th to (at least we’re expecting) quite a bit of fanfare around the blogosphere.  If you were situated underneath a rock last year, you missed the Willie Nelson tribute album that allowed Matthew Houck to tour a good portion of the US and gain a larger audience.  This year’s album should be the litmus test, for me at least, to see if this is as good as advertised.  I’ll have to say that this first track is excellent, and in rotation with that Horse Feathers track above, has helped me through the week.  For more, hit the myspace page HERE.

Phosphorescent – It’s Hard to be Humble (When You’re From Alabama)

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Bear In Heaven – The Spot @ CWRU – Live Review

Filed Under: Live Shows
Jan.18, 2010

Brooklyn quartet Bear in Heaven’s 2009 LP, Beast Rest Forth Mouth wound up as one of our Best Albums of 2009, and as the band tours around the US, armed with even more European/US touring on tap, the Hometapes label act is primed for the stars.  The inclusion of the record on Pitchfork’s top 50 album releases of 2009 doesn’t surprise us a bit.  The huge and sprawling album has drawn high critical nods from all the right places.  Nonetheless, the quietly advertised stop at Case Western Reserve’s student-only concert venue, “The Spot,” was a must see for us at Citizen Dick.  Jon Philpot and crew, importantly, are nice dudes, and putting the entire package together (i.e. recorded material, live show, and introductions) exhibits a mature band that is facing the limelight with vigor and grace.  The largeness of the band’s sound translates perfectly live, and perhaps, requires an audience and stage.  For the, maybe, one hundred students that attended Wednesday night’s show, a fully loaded and sonically limber Bear in Heaven both stole the show from headliners, Freelance Whales, and offered solidified proof of why they’re one of the more underrated artists coming from the Brooklyn independent label assault right now.

Citizen Dick writer Rob and I took this one in, and although we’re not Case Western students, we were able to sneak onto the list and hit the venue early.  Eerily reminiscent of Dazed and Confused’s The Emporium, “The Spot” is a pretty sweet student hangout located in the basement of Leutner hall at Case Western, complete with a snarky little bar, pool tables, and pub style college table and chair set ups.  Case houses some of America’s best and brightest students, so it came to no surprise that our early entrance was met with a few stares as students sat with laptops and completed homework while both bands soundchecked and set up the stage. Even as Bear in Heaven began their opening set, it felt like a middle school party, as the students were reluctant to hop up and close in on the stage.  Rob and I are a little more seasoned, and we stood up in front of everyone as the band began playing.

One of the distinct markers of Bear in Heaven is its brilliant and pummeling percussion, and when put into a live setting, this leaps outward. Drummer Joe Stickney never stops moving, whether it’s the near tribal pounding bass drum booms of “Beast in Peace” or the cymbal heavy crashing of “You Do You,” the percussion is what glues the sound together.  Stickney lined up to the left of the stage due to the Freelance Whales setup behind, but this move was excellent for showcasing all of the members’ talents.  Jon Philpot sets up with more wires and gadgets than just about any band I’ve seen.  Rolling loops and pre-recorded flourishes splash through each song, and Philpot is the engineer, hitting switches and keys as the largeness of the songs borderline overwhelm the audience.  In post-show discussions with Philpot, we chatted about the expansive nature of BIH’s sound and how the tracks need room to breath, which didn’t make “The Spot” the most ideal setup for the sound.  The electronic underpinnings of the songs absolutely require a larger setting, lasers and arena filling light arrangements.  Of course, the lack of these things didn’t stop folks from shaking their asses and getting lost in the fuzzy and progressive sounds unleashed on them at the show.

The band rolled through most of BRFM with swagger.  Fans eventually inched forward to the stage and let the sound saturate them.  At the third song, guitarist Adam Wills went into the fuzzy, siren-like riff of “Ultimate Satisfaction,” and any rust was washed away for the remainder of the show.  In each review I’ve written, I’ve alluded to how much I love this song, and hearing it live plunges it back into my heavy play rotation.  The crowd favorite, “Lovesick Teenagers” was played once early, and then the band aptly ended with “Casual Goodbye” which launches into the previous track’s flighty and soaring chorus at its close.  This was oddly relevant, considering most of the Case students probably fit the description.  I’ve also mentioned the album as one that listeners MUST listen to in its entirety.  Tracks begin one way and often progress into eye-popping and chill-inducing grandiosity.  Move this into a face-to-face meeting, and those tracks are downright enormous.  Particularly speaking, “Dust Cloud” slowly builds into a chanting, vocal-morphed slow rhythm blitz at the close.  Hearing this live was the cherry on top for the evening.  Cymbals crashed and most of the fans in attendance seemed to look around and collectively breath out a “woah” in unison.  I suppose that’s what draws me to the band’s sound the most.  A breathtaking mixture of electronic and rock sounds take listeners into a spaceship of balanced chaos.  If you’re unhip on BIH, check out their website by clicking HERE, and try to catch their upcoming tour with indie darlings, Cymbals Eat Guitars, as the year moves onward.  In our opinion, the list of must-see shows this year is long, but we’ve got a repeat visit in high ranking.  Do yourself the favor and, if Bear in Heaven is within 200 miles, make the drive and grab a seat close to the stage.  Earplugs are for wimps, might I add. Check out the dates below as they embark on the tour with CEG.  Also, enjoy both “Lovesick Teenagers” and “Wholehearted Mess.”

Bear In Heaven’s Upcoming Dates (With Cymbals Eat Guitars)

Mar 05 Johnny Brenda’s – Johnny Brenda’s Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Mar 06 Rock And Roll Hotel – Rock and Roll Hotel Washington, Washington DC
Mar 07 Local 506 – Local 506 Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Mar 09 The End – The End Nashville, Tennessee
Mar 10 Pilot Light – Pilot Light Knoxville, Tennessee
Mar 11 Earl – The Earl East Atlanta, Georgia
Mar 13 Will’s Pub – Will’s Pub Orlando, Florida
Mar 16 Mango’s – Mango’s Houston, Texas
Mar 22 The Rhythm Room – Rhythm Room Phoenix, Arizona
Mar 23 Casbah San Diego – Casbah San Diego, California
Mar 24 Echo – The Echo Los Angeles, California
Mar 25 Bottom Of The Hill – Bottom of The Hill San Francisco, California
Mar 27 Berbati’s Pan – Berbati’s Pan Portland, Oregon
Mar 29 The Biltmore Cabaret – The Biltmore Cabaret Vancouver, British Columbia
Mar 31 Kilby Court – Kilby Court Salt Lake City, Utah
Apr 01 Hi Dive – Hi Dive Denver, Colorado
Apr 02 Replay Lounge – Replay Lounge Lawrence, Kansas
Apr 03 Turf Club – Turf Club Saint Paul, Minnesota
Apr 04 Schubas Tavern – Schubes Chicago, Illinois
Apr 06 El Mocambo – El Mocambo Toronto, Ontario
Apr 07 Il Motore – Il Motore Montreal, Quebec
Apr 08 Middle East Downstairs – Middle East Downstairs Cambridge, Massachusetts
Apr 09 Music Hall Of Williamsburg – Music Hall of Williamsburg Brooklyn, New York

Follow Bear In Heaven on Twitter by clicking HERE

Bear In Heaven – Official Site

Bear In Heaven – Lovesick Teenagers

Bear In Heaven – Wholehearted Mess

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Citizen Dick Retrospective – Best of 2009 – Bear in Heaven

Filed Under: Best Albums of 2009
Dec.31, 2009

bearinheavenbeastBear in Heaven is coming to play for students at Case Western Reserve early in the new year, and even if I have to crawl inside a guitar case to smuggle myself into the show, I’ll somehow manage.  To put it mildly, Brooklyn-based Bear in Heaven’s Beast Rest Forth Mouth was a huge blast of refreshing energy to my music arsenal this year.  If anyone has a music list without this album squarely featured, they’re missing the boat.  In my October review of the album, I couldn’t have used a better simile than “It’s like someone’s singing you a lullaby while your bed’s on fire.”  This ten track album is epic in scope, full in sound and intensity, and intricate in its arrangement.  We’re excited to host the band in Cleveland in a few short weeks, and even more intrigued to hear these tracks in a live setting.  Jon Philpot has alluded in interviews that many of the tracks on BRFM have been honed over the long haul since their debut LP, and one listen in its entirety brings this idea home abruptly and pleasantly.  To put it mildly, there’s not an album released in 2009 that sounds like this.  In this business, that’s saying something.

Much of BRFM’s value lies in the multiple listens it requires.  Huge tracks with major prog-rock tendencies are laid out with multiple layers of sound, spiraling between primal percussion and swirling synth driven pulsing.  Most of the record is electronically situated, but what makes the album sing is that it doesn’t have that feel to it.  It’s gritty and loud, intense, and full of hooks.  “Ultimate Satisfaction” is one of my favorite tracks of the year.  Much hype has been given to “Lovesick Teenagers” due to the pushing of Edward Droste and our great pals at Pitchfork, and while the song is good, it’s in no way indicative of the largeness of the album.  Tightly coiled rhythms bounce and pummel throughout the album, and create a catchy and infectious vibe that remains edgy enough to tense the shoulders and hit people with.  Songs like “Dust Cloud” and “Drug A Wheel” soar into nearly freakout mode, but the band always manages to rein things in just enough to keep their sound from exiting the arena.  From percussion, to synthesizers, blips, sludgy fuzz, to soaring and cinematic vocal delivery, this album has a present for every listener.

In the year that was, much heraldry was placed on the experimental side of things in the indie world.  I’ve come to the conclusion that experimental doesn’t always equate genius or intelligence.  I’ve listened to a lot of music this year, and Beast Rest Forth Mouth takes home the blue-ribbon in about fifteen indie categories, and they do it with enough intricacy to keep this on your turntable for years to come.  Enjoy the aforementioned, “Lovesick Teenagers,” and “Wholehearted Mess.”

Check out the rest of our slowly building “Best Albums of 2009″ list.

Bear in Heaven Official Site

Buy Beast Rest Forth Mouth at Insound now!

Bear in Heaven – Wholehearted Mess

Bear in Heaven – Lovesick Teenagers

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Radio Dick – Paranormal Friends Edition

Filed Under: General Interest
Oct.11, 2009

I have a friend that’s soon going to be a famous actress.  This is not a lie.  I woke up yesterday morning to find “Paranormal Activity” as the top Twitter trending topic.  See, I have friends in high places, and soon you’ll have to recognize that this is just how I roll.  I eat fine cheeses and fly around in helicopters on the weekend.  Brad Pitt sends me Christmas cards.  Occasionally, I email the Olsen Twins about good music; I do this for fun and because people like me.

Not really.  But I’m absolutely stoked that my friend, Ashley, appears on the short cast list of Paranormal Activity, supposedly one of the scariest movies ever made.  I’ve posted the trailer below, and if it doesn’t get your ass off the couch and to your nearest movie theater, check your pulse immediately.  I graduated high school with Ashley, and she’s been working her ass off since college trying to break in and the current flurry of buzz surrounding this movie just may be her ticket.  A couple of years ago, she landed a “reality TV” spot on a show about party planning.  I flew out to LA and actually appeared for six seconds on the TV show.  While this is my six second claim to fame, I certainly wish Ashley (who’s dating my best pal, Aaron) all the luck in the world.  Originally, the movie wasn’t set for viewing in every city, but the viral marketing has exploded.  It should be playing in a theater near you.  By the time you’ve read this post, I will have seen the movie.  From what I understand, it’s so creepy that you’re probably reading this post as I cower in my room, afraid to open the door.  If you’ve seen it, hit the comment section.  I’d love to hear your thoughts.  Here’s the trailer for it…

YouTube Preview Image

On the music front, I’d like to use this space to atone for some music blogger sins lately.  I feel a little dirty every time I write our Radio Dick post, particularly because I blast the ether with 10-15 tracks with very little discussion about the music I’m peddling.  The main reason for this is that it’s a weekend post, and we try to keep things smooth and simple as the week draws to a close.  The flip side of this, however, is I don’t often write about the worth and merit of the tracks we’re posting on Sundays.  Throughout the week, we hit some in-depth reviews, but this day is usually reserved for simply handing you free tunes of emerging bands.  In this effort, I always feel like I screw over the record stores.  When the dust settles, you probably should be spending your cash at the record store.  I’ll go out on a limb and assume that a majority of our readership has a turntable.  If you’re digging deep for obscure indie music, it’s no secret at this point that vinyl is the best way to listen to any of the music we post.  So I’d like use this space to showcase two of our favorite local stores that just so happen to do business on the same eastside Cleveland street.

CLEtee

Music Saves and Blue Arrow are excellent local record stores and the people are great, to boot.  Melanie and Kevin at Music Saves are on top of things, and a quick browse through their website shows the soft and gentle nature of their enterprise.  I grow tired of pompous and abrasive “smarter than thou” record store owners.   You know who I’m talking about, right?  The snobby and aloof musical genius that judges every purchase you make, taking every chance they get to show you their prowess in uncovering emerging music.  Melanie and Kevin steer widely clear of this mentality and their shop is more homey and inviting.  The interior is warmly decorated, “Vinyl” the cat marches around you while you shop, and both owners make it a point to promote the Cleveland Scene.  Check out their website HERE and if you’re in the area, make it a point to stop by Waterloo Road in Collinwood and say hello.

l_3c9dbbcb95174cb28c9f34b5f4b1bae3

Blue Arrow Records is a kickass vintage vinyl store a few doors down from Music Saves.  To tell a family secret, I’ve not been able to shop here as much as I’ve liked due to my schedule, but from what I can gather, they’ve been doing well and the several visits I have been able to make have been great.  Just like Music Saves, Blue Arrow is a husband/wife enterprise, focusing on collecting and reselling quality vintage vinyl.  They run the gamut here from obscure records (we actually managed to see a copy of Trent Reznor’s first band’s LP) to the staples of any decent vinyl collection.  The prices are insanely affordable and it’s a great place to catch an in-store as well.  An elevated stage sits in the back and they host DJ sessions and in-stores whenever possible.  The point of emphasis with Blue Arrow, however, is the unique floor design.  The entire floor is made up of old LP covers, lacquered over and polished.  No expense was spared on the floor, and it has to be the most unique and coolest idea I’ve seen in a record store.  Check out more photos through their website, HERE.

So as you listen to today’s big ass list of music below, make it a point to support your local independent record stores.  Even though I get a lot of music demos handed to me free over here, I make it a point to pick up anything I love on vinyl.  I try my best to give back to the industry and you should, too.  Today’s list is a mixture of the remix and the upcoming.  Oddly, the tracks on this list I keep playing are not new, particularly “Mouth Breather” from The Jesus Lizard.  Remastering and re-releasing is popular for this iconic band lately and as tracks get released, I keep playing them like crazy.  I hit up the excellent Canadian music blog, Chromewaves, the other day to catch a great live version of White Rabbits’ “Percussion Gun” and posted it here.  I don’t think he’ll mind.  Check out the blog while you have the chance.  We’ve also got a new Royksopp remix that’s fresh out of the birth canal and sure to get you moving this morning.  Enjoy the list and have a great week of work, folks.  Good times.

Molina & Johnson – Twenty Cycles To The Ground

Tape Deck Mountain – Bat Lies

Sleep Whale – We Were Dripping

White Rabbits – Percussion Gun (Live On Myspace Transmissions)

Slaraffenland – Meet and Greet

T.H. White – Fantasy Pictures

Princeton – Sadie and Andy

Ganglians – Blood on the Sand

Of Montreal – Brush Brush Brush

Alela Diane feat. Alina Hardin – Bowling Green

The Jesus Lizard – Mouth Breather

Bear in Heaven – Dust Cloud

Mando Diao – Dance With Somebody (The Hood Internet Remix) Feat. GZA and Cadence Weapon

Royksopp – Tricky Tricky (Feat. Fever Ray) (Salem’s Remix)

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Bear In Heaven – Beast Rest Forth Mouth – Album Review

Filed Under: New Music
Sep.24, 2009

TeamClermontPublicity_BearInHeavenBeastRestForthMouth72_11-300x292We can get behind the fine folks at Hometapes.  They’ve been throwing darts all year at the music scene, and it’s no closely guarded secret how much we raved over Megafaun’s release earlier this year.  As a side note, we also got the chance to meet and hangout with the folks from the label.  Not only are they fine people, but they have impeccable taste in bands they choose to sign.  There’s a mildly eclectic and experimental side to the label, with a mainline feed into emerging musical trends.  Their lineup isn’t as lengthy as other labels, but the value lies in the quality of output they dish out.  We’re on board here, and if you get the chance, check out their homepage to explore a bit.  To connect all of this rambling, Bear in Heaven is set to release Beast Rest Forth Mouth on the Hometapes label on October 13th, and in what seems to be the typical fashion, it’s blowing our mind over here.  Large melodies, pummeling percussion, and electronically centered throwback sonic bombast hasn’t sounded this unique and refreshing all year.

Jon Philpot’s semi-rotating Brooklyn ensemble has been garnering plenty of indie rock cred over the last few months of anticipation for this album, and not without merit. Grizzly Bear’s Edward Droste has been blogging and twittering up a storm over the first track release, “Lovesick Teenagers,” a track filled with just the right dash of discord; it’s slightly brooding and dark, swirling with ambient sound that juxtaposes the cursory image of fast paced indie-pop.  It hypnotically captivates but the tightly coiled rhythms create a catchiness that is impossible to shake.  We’re in full agreement with Droste hat the track is a keeper, and also a fully tuned example of what to expect on the entire album.

An important aspect of Beast Rest Forth Mouth is, in fact, its duality.  Tracks like the opener, “Beast in Peace” and “Ultimate Satisfaction” resonate the overall importance of rhythm and percussion throughout the album’s ten lengthy tracks. Drummer Joe Stickney is the real deal, splashing triumphant percussion throughout.  Sometimes tribal, sometimes frenetic, and sometimes jazz inspired, behind everything is the percussion.  “Beast in Peace” interrupts your peace and quiet and announces that attention is required for a little while.  Although much of the album is electronically situated, it’s refreshing to know that not everything can be created with garage band.  The garage infused drum cadences inflect quite a bit of sludge and realism to the songs. The dual structure of the album is in the surrounding arrangement.  Electronic waves, pulses, and sonorous largeness stand in stark contrast to the more primal percussion of the album.  Songs are upbeat but entirely lulling at the same time.  Bear in Heaven also isn’t afraid to let a full song develop for listeners.  Broad strokes are painted initially in “Dust Cloud,” with singularly monotone vocal delivery and synth stabs hitting in unison.  An earthy and gritty intensity slow burns and rises until cymbals are crashing and pulsing noise is swirling above everything.  Large arena rock hooks and soaring vocals stay pinned down behind this methodical attention to detail.  They rein in the largeness by keeping intrigue flowing.  Songs shift angularly, like “Drug A Wheel,” with balmy night campout sounds into freaked out synthesizer flourishes and over-the-top rhythmic pulsing.  Songs need to be played from start to finish on the album.  This is where the true value rings clear with this effort.  The juxtaposition between raucous fuzzed out garage pop and dreamy epic grandiosity is present throughout.  It’s like someone’s singing you a lullaby while your bed’s on fire.

Pitchfork mentions the overall Baroque-ness of the sound, and this is an apt descriptor. Bear in Heaven has one foot in huge sonorous sound and the other in slow burning psychedelia.  The sound of this entire album is refreshing and the catchiness of each song creeps up on listeners.  We’re entirely behind this album and hope you’ll be in line snagging it upon its release in two weeks.

Bear in Heaven – Wholehearted Mess

Bear in Heaven – Lovesick Teenagers

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Radio Dick – Homecoming Edition

Filed Under: General Interest
Sep.20, 2009

Playboys_high

Today’s Radio Dick is shot straight from the hip from a busy guy in Cleveland.  In the world of high school education, nothing spells “important” like the magical and enchanting homecoming dance.  In American education, not one single night of the entire school year involves so much preparation for such little return profit.  Kids spend hours determining hairstyles, attire, dates and venue decorations, all for an anticlimactic three hour rumble in the school cafeteria.  Sometimes it’s important for me to think backwards and try my hardest to remember what it was like being a teenager.  This always fails miserably, and because I’m the student council adviser at my school, I have to sit through the wholly uncomfortable experience each and every year.  This post was actually written yesterday (Saturday) and most of the day was spent positioning spotlights on big masquerade-inspired art murals, hanging clear Christmas ornaments from the shitty tile ceiling of the cafeteria, and duct taping black construction paper like a mofo.  No time for music blogging when so much is at stake, my friends.  It’s, like, homecoming.  It’s, like, the most important day of the year.  Like, seriously.

An interesting snippet of my morning adventures does involve music, however.  As thirty or forty sleepy high school kids spent their early morning decorating, I was the only smart guy with enough foresight to bring in an iPod dock and mini-stereo.  Kids flocked toward the stereo trying to play Taylor Swift, T.I., and a thousand other bands that don’t even come close to my listening preference.  My only requirement for allowing students to use my iPod dock was that for the last half hour, I was allowed to be DJ with my own music.  In fine, impulsive fashion, the kids said “gimme gimme” and I listened to 2 1/2 hours of garbage before I could finally kick back and put in some good music of my own.  Of course, none of the students had heard a single song I played, but three or four walked out with several new bands to choose from, and several bands wound up with several new fans.  The few kids that were turned away by my music preference are probably at home listening to Shakira and figuring out how to tie a tie.  I love my students, but it’s literally mind boggling how entrenched they are in mainstream media and music.  There’s no better vantage point to witness this than in a high school setting.

Dan ManganAll this to say that my post is not long, today.  This post will hit the ether around 7 AM Sunday and with the long night I’ve got planned babysitting doesn’t allow much time for in-depth analysis.  Nonetheless, we’ve got a healthy mix of new shit for your ears.  We’ve got a couple remixes, including one of The xx’s “Shelter” and a Friendly Fires remix of Phoenix’s “Fences.”  We’re also stoked to notice longtime Citizen Dick favorite, Dan Mangan, sitting currently at number 13 on the Elbo.ws “hot tracks” list with “Robots.”  We coined this track one of our favorite tracks of 2009 way back in February when Mangan released the stellar EP that preceded his newest release, Nice, Very Nice.  We defy you to listen to “Robots” and not hit repeat immediately.  I still listen to it almost daily 8 months after it was released.  It’s great to see people finally noticing it.  Thao With The Get Down Stay down is an upcoming album we’re going to be long-form reviewing soon, and the newest leaked track “Know Better Learn Faster” is kickass.  For fun, we’ve also got a Daniel Johnston cover by Soul Coughing alum, Mike Doughty, up for grabs.  Enjoy the tunes this weekend folks.  As you read this, you can rest assured that I’m sleeping my ass off, relieved that the homecoming nonsense is now a thing of the past.  Like, I’m so glad.  Yeah.

Land of Talk – May You Never

The Good Graces – Pretty New Song

Thao With The Get Down Stay Down – Know Better Learn Faster

The xx – Shelter (Them Jeans Drum Edit)

Hush Arbors – Devil Made You High

Roman Candle – They Say

Dan Mangan – Robots

Bear In Heaven – Lovesick Teenagers

Phoenix – Fences (Friendly Fires Remix)

Mike Doughty – Casper The Friendly Ghost (Daniel Johnston Cover)

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Radio Dick – Bickering Spouses Edition

Filed Under: General Interest
Aug.02, 2009

couple_bickeringIf you’re a regular reader of our site, you’re probably aware of our Radio Dick portion and how it differs greatly from our regular content throughout the week.  We consider it a sort of round up of sorts, covering some of the week’s biggest releases.  It also serves to whet our own appetite for upcoming albums we may feature in our typical long-form album reviews.  While this isn’t an exact science, we’ve found it works pretty well for us.  The key problem with this weekly post is that it somewhat negates our ethos of critically evaluating all of the music we place on our site.  Surely, if there is anyone that enjoys breaking down a track, album, or video into its most crucial parts, it’s me.  Nonetheless, we try our best to hit you with our evaluative content throughout the week.  In other words, if you’re here for the music, enjoy it friends, but make sure to swing back to see what we’re really about here.

Switching thoughts for a few moments, it’s been a trying week at CD headquarters, primarily due to the growing pains of adding additional collaboraters here.  The extra email addresses and increased intensity in communication has drained us a bit and has lain the groundwork for some excellent war room brawls.  Brian re-emerged from his summer camp hiatus and is still shaking the sleep out of his eyes.  James, still reeling from a big move across town in Chicago, is a crabby asshole.  As for me, I’ve done my share of jabbing throughout the week, as well.  The only two innocents in this equation are Justin and Rob, our two newest dicks.  I suppose this is as good a time as any to apologize to our new co-workers and bury the hatchet with James and Brian.

So what, in reality, does this have to do with you, our reader?  Lots, fortunately.  As we expand and grow, we’d like you to get to know who we are so that we’re not just mindless drones and poor critical voices out in the ether.  When you read Brian’s reviews, we’d like you to know a little about him and what his tastes are, for example.  Likewise, it’s important for us to maintain integrity in the music we review here.  The extra people involved in the process should hopefully bring you better reviews and more effective coverage of the scene.  As our britches get bigger, our basic tilt remains the same:  We don’t bash albums here, and if a review lands on our site it’s because it’s good.  If you don’t see it anywhere on our site, it’s either because we missed it, or have not found concensus on its worth.

In the nature of good tunes, we’ll move onward with the music for today.  This list is pretty fresh, and should put you right on key with what’s going to be moving and shaking on the interwebs this week music-wise.  As a guilty pleasure, I’ve included 2007′s “Crimewave” by HEALTH just to get (some of you) psyched for the upcoming album.  As for the other tracks, all are set to rip on full LP’s soon.  There’s a Memory Tapes track, remixed by The Horrors, new Roadside Graves, The Mountain Goats, and Sea Wolf, as well.  One of my favorites on this list comes from Hometapes’ own Bear in Heaven, and I’ve been playing it since I snagged the download.  Throw Me The Statue just released another MP3 off of their release, but I’m sticking with “Ancestors” because it’s the one I can’t stop playing.  There are several others on the list, as well, so enjoy.

As far as this week, we’ve got some reviews on tap and, hopefully, a whole lot less bitching.  Enjoy the work week peeps.

The Mountain Goats – Genesis 3:23

Princeton – Calypso Gold

Memory Tapes – Bicycle (Horrors Cosmic Dub)

Roadside Graves – Work Itself Out

Sea Wolf – Stanislaus

Early Day Miners – So Slowly

Hallelujah The Hills – Blank Passports

Bear in Heaven – Bag of Bags

Throw Me the Statue – Ancestors

Music Go Music – Warm In The Shadows

Shannon Stephens – In the Summer in the Heat

HEALTH – Crimewave

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