Blog: Indie Music Reviews and Resources at Palebear

... And, we're back? Hello. I feel like I've been living under a frigging rock for eons. Musically, that is. There have just been so many shakeups in the music industry, in the recording and selling of music and in the way that indie bands interact with fans and labels. As I've said before, it [...]

Hello. HELLO. You are not going to believe this, but here I am posting in April of 2010. It turns out I'm going to try and upgrade the Wordpress on the site. Finally. If it doesn't work out, this will be the last thing you ever see on this website before I delete it off the [...]

OK, sorry. One last bit of bizness before I take my leave. Most of you know I also play in various bands. I figured I'd go out with a little self promotion. Come on, I've earned it... Avoidance Theory is releasing a FREE EP of four songs - this may be increased as time goes on. [...]

"The time has come," the Palebear said, "To talk of many things..." Well, yeah. I already knew that reviewing music for free just couldn't last for me. I'm just surprised that this post hasn't come sooner. If you know me well enough, you're now expecting me to launch into a blistering attack on the music industry, the [...]

I haven't posted a review on the Fleet Foxes' super-excellent album that came out awhile ago. I just can't find enough good things to say about it, but that's ok because they're getting a ton of good press. Already, being talked about for people's best-of-year lists and such. It really IS a great album - a [...]

I'm going to admit that I'm a little bit out of my league trying to review this Oren Lavie CD. No doubt it's a wonderful collections of smoky, quirky, mellow tunes. And actually, there is a very good chance that you've already heard a song. The opening track, "Her Morning Elegance" was used in a [...]

If you're wondering what's with all the reviews on the same day, the way it works over here is that there's a long, long, long, farking long queue of music. Every so often, I need to purge that queue so that I can reclaim space on my floor and in the closets. I haven't done [...]

This is another CD that's been kicking around in my player for a few months. I've been trying to "figure them out", and it's becoming increasingly clear that this is the wrong direction. But you know what, I've no time for wrong directions. So here is a blurb I found directly from Filter: "Actually Sounds Like: [...]

If you have an aversion to atonal mathy-rock, I can guarantee that you won't like this album by The Transport Assembly. I REALLY liked it, however. It has a trippy, twiggy, twisted feel to the songs. I'm not surprised to see a Jim Yoshii Pileup connection. Other bands brought to mind are Deerhoof, XiuXiu, etc. [...]

As an example of how far behind I've gotten, this disc by The Duke Spirit came out in April and I'm just getting to it now at the end of June. Oh well. I've been contemplating taking a long break until the end of the year. If I do, I'll put up a notice on [...]

What's wet, wild, and Weezer-esque? Why, the new Pork and Beans video from Weezer's upcoming Red Album of course. It's a mishmash of popular internet memes - but who cares about that, is the song any good? Yeah, actually, it's not too bad. Having been a Weezer fan since the Blue days, it's nice to [...]

I don't usually post these quickie types of things - I leave that to the other music blogs who are all caught up in the "grind". This is a Band of Horses video for "No One's Gonna Love You" from Cease to Begin. I need not mention BOH is one of my favorite "newer" band. Hm... [...]

Out of about 25 CDs I just pulled out of the "queue" to see if they were worth reviewing, Chauchat was the only band left standing at the end. How's that for an endorsement. I haven't yet figured out what it is exactly about a particular type of music that encourages me not to gravitate toward [...]

• Chauchat - Yoko Turns 71

Seeing as how this is my namesake, I must say - it's about fricken time! Now if we could just get music reviewers added to the list, we'd be in bu$ine$$. Source: LA Times article Sorry, for the two "science" posts in a row. Music reviews will resume, er, shortly.

No, Colony Collapse Disorder is not the title of the latest Apples In Stereo album. If you've read this blog for any length of time, you'll know that I like to throw in occasional "science-y" stuff into the mix. Because I like to annoy everyone who comes here thinking this is a pure music review [...]

Initial Thoughts on Sudden Ensemble's album "Life In A Birdcage": 1. Slightly atonal indie rock is "interesting" at 8:30am in the morning. 2. "Beautiful Shape" is a shambling beautiful shape. 3. "Combustion Blues" is an earful! 4. Robert Pollard vs. Sudden Ensemble in a barfight: not sure who would win yet. 5. I bet this album could get good airplay [...]

I lost the sheet that came with this CD, but decided to give it a review anyhow. The Texas based husband / wife duo Annabella makes lovely indie pop that really reminds me of Innocence Mission, Mojave 3, maybe Sarah McLaughlin a little. Later into the CD, on "Just So You Know", I realized [...]

• Sun Is King » SUN IS KING.mp3

Dear Bands Who Sent Me Stuff This Year, Sorries, I've been very slow to get to yer music - you see, like normal polar bears I usually hibernate through the winter. Seeing as it was a very long and cold winter, I haven't really gotten my paws under me yet. Thusly, there are a million and [...]

I'd actually been looking forward to this album for a really long time. Funny, the first time I heard Sera Cahoone I had no idea she also sprang forth from the (now seminal) band Carissa's Wierd. I just knew she was somehow related to Band of Horses and I really liked the songs from her [...]

We used to have Dungeons and Dragons campaigns going in the 70s and 80s. Good times. Dungeon Master: "You can't carry a 10 foot pole in a backpack..." Me: "But I have this backpack of Infinite Holding..." Encumberance? What Encumberance. Most games ended up getting involved in a 9th level Wish spell somehow... In honor [...]