Blog: Bears and Bullets

Jon Hopkins video - Open Eye Signal

Apr 24, 4:11pm Bears and Bullets

Director Aoife McArdle , in his most recent project, undertook the joyous and lengthy single from long-time English producer Jon Hopkins in "Open Eye Signal." The eight-minute plus piece could simply be looked at as a display of skating tricks, but it opens up as a captivating cross-country trip of a mute figure, intrinsically focused as the song continues to develop. It's a must watch.

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New Joy Orbison - Donell

Apr 24, 3:45pm Bears and Bullets

Since breaking through with "Hyph Mngo" back in 2009, English producer Peter O'Grady - better known as Joy Orbison - hasn't seemed to match his outstanding debut. Despite taking what seems like a permanent residency in Manchester's Meandyou club last year, the producer has some new material. "Donell," free to download, is a reworking of forgotten '90s R&B singer Donell Jones ' '97 hit "U Know What's Up," stripping the original Left Eye verse for more house-oriented construction. Check out the new track below.

• Joy Orbison - Donell

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Artist:	Joy Orbison
Title:	Donell
File Name:	SoundCloud

New Sigur Rós - Ísjaki

Apr 24, 3:24pm Bears and Bullets

After the departure of band member Kjartan Sveinsson, who joined the band on keyboards in 1998 as the only band member with any sort of formal musical training, Sigur Rós are set to release the newest, far more uptempo LP Kveikur . The release isn't until June 18 on XL , but the band has released the second official single from the follow up to last year's excellent Valtari , with "Ísjaki." This comes after the late March release of " Brennisteinn " and a few live performances of new material. [...]

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WTCHS - Thoughts On Air 7"

Apr 24, 3:07pm Bears and Bullets

Another Record Store Day release that may have fallen under the rocks comes from Canadian noise rock cave minds WTCHS . The Ontario band released a double-sided 7", Thoughts On Air , which is also free to download via the WTCHS Bandcamp page. It's a claustrophobic, achingly harmonic two-track set that feels comfortable as a soundtrack on the edge of the world. Stream it below as well. WTCHS/Thoughts On Air 7" by WTCHS

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New Bonobo video - First Fires (ft. Grey Reverend)

Apr 23, 3:32pm Bears and Bullets

Following up the swirling-psyche melter "Cirrus," the first single from Bonobo's The North Borders , the British producer debuted the newer, slightly more normal video for "First Fires." The new video dabbles more on the cinematic side of things, using Grey Reverend's vocals to play a bigger story. Check the video out below and grab The North Borders today.

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Album Stream: Deerhunter - Monomania

Apr 23, 3:17pm Bears and Bullets

If the moment where Bradford Cox stepped onto the Late Night with Jimmy Fallon stage dressed in half-drag, drawing out the bloody fingered enigmatic drawl of Deerhunter's " Monomania " didn't real you in (there was a large portion of people that were off-put by the whole thing), then you must be lost. For those that were, the band is streaming its fifth studio LP Monomania now courtesy of NPR . Listen to what aims to be another stellar release from the band below before its May [...]

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New Baths - Ironworks

Apr 23, 2:59pm Bears and Bullets

Baths has found a comfortable middle-ground between eccentric dream-haze pop and minimalist electronica. The formula, used to obscene precision on the 2010 album Cerulean , is apparent again on the most recent release, "Ironworks." However, Baths, Will Wiesenfeld, uses vocal execution as a higher priority, while still sprawling tapered effects throughout. Check out "Ironworks" below from Baths' upcoming album Obsidian , set for release May 28 via Anticon .

• Baths - "Ironworks"

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Artist:	Baths
Title:	"Ironworks"
File Name:	SoundCloud
Genre:	Electronic
Year:	2013

Review: Iceage @ First Unitarian Church (Philadelphia, Apr. 19)

Apr 22, 2:32pm Bears and Bullets

Photo by Oda Edjar Starheim The ruminations of one of Philadelphia's most well put together punk shows had a risk. Heading the formative billing of White Lung , Night Birds , and METZ was Iceage , the youngest of the four bands with easily the most buzz surrounding them. And with that favor came the band's less-than proud reputation of its listless live shows, which, given their youth, was somewhat unsurprising. Preceding Iceage were three groups with consummate energy. White Lung, starting relatively early, ripped through last [...]

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First Unitarian Church, April 19 - Iceage (Preview)

Apr 19, 2:54am Bears and Bullets

Culminating an impossibly stellar lineup of garage punk up-and-comers Night Birds , White Lung , and METZ , is frequent buzzing Dutch four-piece Iceage tonight at Philadelphia's First Unitarian Church. The outstanding youth of the group is still well known, despite crossing over on the U.S. scene roughly two years ago. Still, the power and brevity of the band's most recent LP You're Nothing on a jump to Matador makes Iceage leading the other bands almost unquestionable. The Copenhagen band, led by workaholic at-heart Elias [...]

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New The Knife video - A Cherry On Top

Apr 18, 4:22pm Bears and Bullets

For those that haven't attempted to divulge into The Knife's Shaking The Habitual , there's still time. While it is a taxing album in many ways, the sheer brilliance and unfiltered outpouring of originality oozing from its seams is unignorable. The newest video from the Swedish group for "A Cherry On Top," while more of a .gif than a video, doesn't overwhelm the user on visual alone (the stirring pink and green neon contrasts on the cover are used here), but the menacing dark churns are something totally unfamiliar. Simply put, it's a whole different level of [...]

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New Babies video - Mess Me Around

Apr 18, 4:08pm Bears and Bullets

From last year's Our House On The Hill LP, the second from the side-project of Woods and Vivian Girls members Cassie Ramone and Kevin Morby as The Babies , has a brand new video for "Mess Me Around." Directed by Scott Jacobson, the free-flowing catchy West coast garage pop soundtracks the nervous misadventures of carpooling with complete strangers on the way to a show at sunset. Check it out below and grab Our House On The Hill today via Woodsist .

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New Fat Tony - I Shine

Apr 18, 3:57pm Bears and Bullets

The second Smart Ass Black Boy track from Fat Tony doesn't feature the welcome help of Despot and Kool A.D. like " Hood Party " did, but some stylish production from Tom Cruz does its duty to set it apart. Stream/download the new track below and grab Tony's upcoming album June 11.

• Fat Tony - Hood Party (ft. Kool A.D. and Despot)
• Fat Tony - I Shine

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Artist:	Fat Tony
Title:	Hood Party (ft. Kool A.D. and Despot)
File Name:	SoundCloud

Artist:	Fat Tony
Title:	I Shine
File Name:	SoundCloud

Gorilla Warfare Tactics - drugDILLA

Apr 18, 3:45pm Bears and Bullets

Quiet since their debut in 2011, Gorilla Warfare Tactics , a trio of NYU students (still in school!), released the "drugDILLA," the first from the upcoming Zoology mixtape at the end of April (which you'll be sure to grab here). Clever, precise, and free-flowing, "drugDILLA" is as good as any track that references the Detroit great should be. Check it out below and grab Zoology April 30.

• Gorillawarfaretactics - drugDILLA

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Artist:	Gorillawarfaretactics
Title:	drugDILLA
File Name:	SoundCloud
Genre:	Hip-Hop

New Laurel Halo - Throw

Apr 17, 3:45pm Bears and Bullets

Less than a year after debuting her full-length Quarantine , New York producer Laurel Halo released the first cut from her upcoming Behind The Green Door EP, with "Throw." The skewed piano-laden track splits the seem of unconscious house with deceptively dark undertones, finishing with a unconventional sendoff. It's a rigid line between iconoclastic Detroit techno (she is originally from Michigan) and UK house dubs, which she often prefers as a contrasting style. Check out "Throw" below and grab the four-track EP next month on Hyperdub .

• Hyperdub Records - HDB071A1 Laurel Halo - Throw (Taken From Behind The Green Door 20/05/2013)

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Artist:	Hyperdub Records
Title:	HDB071A1 Laurel Halo - Throw (Taken From Behind The Green Door 20/05/2013)
File Name:	SoundCloud
Genre:	Techno

New Bibio - You

Apr 17, 3:32pm Bears and Bullets

From Bibio's forthcoming seventh studio LP Silver Wilkinson is "You," a sample-polished beauty pleasantly reminiscent of his early work. The album is set for release May 14, which is available to pre-order at Bleep . Listen to "You" along with a a sampler of Silver Wilkinson below.

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New Solar Year - Global Girlfriend

Apr 16, 4:38pm Bears and Bullets

It's been three year's since the relatively unknown Solar Year released the mind-splitting, transcendentally chaotic "Hands Out," which even in internet circles has become a rarity. Luckily, not settling as a undiscovered one-and-done, the group is planning the release of a debut LP later this year via Brooklyn's Ceremony Records . "Global Girlfriend" is a decidedly different outlook than "Hands Out," offering more vocal resonance and pop humility. Listen to the new track below and grab Waverly June 25.

• Solar Year - Global Girlfriend

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Artist:	Solar Year
Title:	Global Girlfriend
File Name:	SoundCloud
Year:	2013

88-Keys - Rhythm Roulette (Mass Appeal)

Apr 16, 4:17pm Bears and Bullets

Early last month , we got our first taste of the ongoing and totally awesome Rhythm Roulette series from Mass Appeal , featuring Party Supplies . The premise of the series is to take some of today's best young producers, head over to a record store, have them pick three records blindfolded, and turn those records into a track. Party Supplies made it out fine, coming out with obscure disco-era funk LPs. 88-Keys, however, "bombed" his picks, even ending up with a Steve Martin's 1977 Grammy-winning comedy album Let's Get Small [...]

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New Thundercat - Heartbreaks + Setbacks

Apr 16, 3:33pm Bears and Bullets

Brainfeeder's resident bass funk and soul standby Thundercat has announced the follow up to his 2011 breakout Golden Age of the Apocalypse with the shortened Apocalypse . The first single, "Heartbreaks + Setbacks," features frequent Thundercat collaborator and all-around great guy Flying Lotus on production, which gives a wonderfully distorted atmosphere to the liberating vocals. Check the single out below and grab Apocalypse July 9.

• Thundercat - Heartbreaks + Setbacks

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Artist:	Thundercat
Title:	Heartbreaks + Setbacks
File Name:	SoundCloud

New Empire of the Sun - Alive

Apr 15, 3:41pm Bears and Bullets

Nearly five years after the jubilant Walking On a Dream , Empire of the Sun have finally debuted the first single from the upcoming Ice Dune , "Alive." Dutifully, the song is alive and invigorating, tracing back to why the band's 2008 release became so endearing. Check out "Alive" below and grab Ice Dune this June.

• Empire Of The Sun - Alive

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Artist:	Empire Of The Sun
Title:	Alive
File Name:	SoundCloud
Genre:	Alternative

Pharrell Williams on Daft Punk

Apr 15, 3:08pm Bears and Bullets

There's no trying to escape it, the campaigning Daft Punk have done for Random Access Memories is totally engrossing. No album in recent memory has done so much to garner this amount of hype and done it so effectively well as have the electro pioneers, asking the question, are Daft Punk ready to be the biggest thing in music? After teasing fans at Coachella and during Saturday Night Live with a preview of "Get Lucky" with Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers [...]

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