Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Grizzly Bear: Rooooaaarrr!

Grizzly Bear first came to my attention back in 2004 with their Horn Of Plenty release. I had the pleasure of promoting it when it was re-released with a CD of accompanying remixes. The band was going on their first US tour and I helped set them up with their show in Minneapolis and they crashed on my floor... even hooked me up with a rad t-shirt. I've seen them live four or five times and been blown away every time. I had goosebumps the first time I saw them live. I almost cried when I saw them perfom at SXSW in March at the First Presbatyrian Church. Their chamber pop meets Beach Boys harmony sound was made to be performed with those acoustics.

"Two Weeks" is a song I first heard performed on Letterman ages ago and the live version became a fixture on my iPod until I finally got my hands on the recorded version. Unbelievably catchy, relentlessly dreamy, pop perfection. The video is super creepy and actually a nice fit for the song. And seeing these guys smile is hilarious, hehe.

I also have this band to thank for my personal relationship of four years. Had it not been for their MySpace page and the lead singer's affinity for my bf's pics, we'd most likely not have met. Pretty crazy!

In addition to the video for "Two Weeks" above, I'm posting one of my favorite songs from the band: "He Hit Me" (their cover of the Crystals song). It's haunting, heartbreaking and utterly breathtaking.