Bears! Bears! Bears!
What I Do In the Dark

San Jose, CA
Recorded at Popsmear Studios in San Rafael, CA and Hyde Street Studios in
San Francisco, CA | self-produced | Mixed by Scott McDowell at Hyde
Street Studios in San Francisco, CA | Mastered by Daniel Mckenzie

Bears! Bears! Bears! exists for the same reason we have Kobe beef hamburgers, Budweiser Select and the Corolla “S.” They are a value-added concept; a refined take on something simple; the familiar made better. In these most competitive of days, human rock simply doesn’t cut it, so this cunning trio of youthful gentlemen propose the logical progression: bear rock.

Like Interpol, except cheekier (and furrier), the San Jose natives excel at making dark, danceable post-punk music suitable for house parties, pre-gaming for a Cure concert, going to see a Tim Burton flick, and [insert hipster and/or goth-approved activity]. Frontman Phillip Calá takes the best chapters from an imaginary Lou Reed to Julian Casablancas: Lessons in Atonal Singing and adapts their melodic bits over skin-tight rhythms sharpened by Ricky Rios’ angular, ringing riffs. The opening power combo of “I Guess We’re Both Lonely” and the popping, coming-of-age bromance, “Julian,” particularly glow – the former because it could have sneaked onto side two of Turn on the Bright Lights and the latter because it’s genuinely heart-warming. And, oh yeah, catchy as hell.

The refreshingly giddy whoa-oh-ohs in the chorus of “Julian” translates as follows: we get it. See, what distinguishes B!B!B! (or is it B!x3?) from their self-absorbed peers is that they’re in on their own joke. And so for all the visual shtick and song titles like “Bear Bands vs. Wolf Bands” (score one for bear bands!), you also get lines like, “Now I’m older and I understand/no matter what I do, somebody will hate me based off where I stand.” Intelligent, right? You could even say, smarter than the average band?

Wink wink, nod nod – that’s the spirit here. So, yes, they wear masks, and it does get dicey trying to reconcile the gimmicky from the genuine. But rest assured, this is a step up, a giant evolutionary leap in the right direction – not your father’s new wave band, your much cooler trail guide’s new wave band. (self-released)
-Robbie Hilson

myspace.com/bearsbearsbearsmusic

Hands and Knees
Et Tu, Fluffy?



Boston, MA
Recorded at Ghost Town Recording | Produced and Engineered by Jed Smith | Mastered by Jed Smith at Wood Bee Music Studio

Straight out of Boston comes Hands and Knees, whose fun, indie swagger makes heads turn. The quartet’s second studio album, Et Tu, Fluffy, brings surprise after surprise with tracks that stimulate all the senses.

Throughout the 11-song album, Hands and Knees take you from a jam in your friend’s basement to a lighter-heavy encore at your favorite local music venue. The opening track, “Midnight in the Applefield” has the nostalgic quality of being the audience to your buddies’ jam session in college, and with all the clapping and tambourine you can’t help but want to go back. The radio ready “Hot Little Item,” with its infectious chorus, speaks of a wind-up toy and makes you wonder if it’s a girl, or merely a prize in the Cracker Jack box. Et Tu, Fluffy works its way through fast, catchy tunes toward mid-album, where it becomes more relaxed with “A Great Pain,” only to rev it back up with the exciting and energetic “You Got Pop, You Got Style,” where the band emphasizes, “Well, it’s a long walk to the bottom.” It’s hard to pinpoint one single influence for Hands and Knees, although on tracks like “Do You Really Need a Drummer?” and “What Happened to that Beautiful City?” the vocals echo with a hint of The Cure’s Robert Smith, which is the perfect charm needed to keep you entranced.

Hands and Knees bring an individual flavor to the indie rock scene with Et Tu, Fluffy. With heavy drums, a dash of spastic guitars, and what can only be described as the perfect amount of xylophone, Hands and Knees create the perfect recipe for an auditory masterpiece. (Midriff Records)
-Lisa Perron

myspace.com/handsandknees

New Music in the Office

Here's what we got in the office today...

Just-Truckin- Fearless
Warren Teagarden- Ugly As a Monkey
The Repeat Offenders- Strange Circumstance
The Honors- Wasted Places
Flight of the Conchords- I Told You I Was Freaky
Toni Rackard- Are You Ready For War?

The Sunsets Quick
The Sunsets Quick

Boston, MA
Mixed and mastered by Mike Bourque at Milk Lightning Studios

Ripe with creativity and head-bopping melodies, this upbeat quartet, consisting of Matt Roselli on lead vocals and guitar, Chase Livingston on lead guitar and vocals, Ashton Jones on bass guitar and vocals and Liz Maynes-Aminzade on drums, do a stellar job of pumping out instrumentation that is just as seductive as Roselli’s lyrical self-deprecation, as found on the song “Deaf Dumb”: “And if I’m running out of things to say/I guess I’m just another bill you have to pay.” Despite acknowledging his innate inconvenience, Roselli’s vocal stylings fluctuate on the track, going from 0 to 100 in about five seconds.

Comparatively speaking, to get a sense of the band’s sound, think of a stripped-down Bright Eyes singing about relationships minus the melodrama. On this self-titled debut record, The Sunsets Quick personify that all too interchangeable adjective known as rock.

While the band does a good job trying to encompass their influences into their sound (Pavement, Weezer, Built to Spill), they still manage to be a breath of fresh air. Every song on the album seems like a fail-safe, which can be a little disheartening for the more imaginative listener. It doesn’t take away from the coziness of their sound, however, which appropriately peaks on the last track, “Sorry,” which is full of melodic guitar, smooth vocals and whistling.

The Sunsets Quick is a perfect addition to any indie kid’s collection who is desperate to keep their finger on the pulse of Boston’s ever-evolving music scene.
-Candace McDuffie

myspace.com/thesunsetsquick

Xu Xu Fang
Seven Days Now

Los Angeles, CA
Produced and engineered by Bobby Tamkin | Recorded by The Wrangler at The Sound Ranch
in Culver City, CA | Mastered by JJ Golden at Golden Mastering

It requires no less than seven members to produce the broad soundscape exhibited by Xu Xu Fang’s latest EP, Seven Days Now. The Los Angeles psychedelic septet follows their successful previous release, The Mourning Son, with five ambitious and bold tracks that define the phrase, “larger than life.” The record already ranks high on several distribution sites and even includes a song featured in the hit show, Gossip Girl.

Seven Days Now opens with a cover of The Cure’s “Fascination Street.” Xu Xu Fang’s rendition contrasts the original by providing a grittier, more electronic take on the popular song, somehow managing to make an already spacious song more ambient. The next track, “Seven Days Now,” brings the EP down to its most comfortable mellow. Soft and gentle with wispy vocals harmonizing atop one another, the song serves as a refreshing aperitivo for the darker melodies on the following tracks. That the following, “Your Way,” found airplay on Gossip Girl comes as no surprise. Xu Xu Fang’s ability to create atmospheric melodies provides their songs with plenty of soundtrack-suitable material. “Your Way” is a strong, perfectly groove-able track painting a glorious scene of clicks, chimes and beats.

The 11-minute finale, “Where Is Everybody?” may very well be the most poignant track on the EP. It opens with the sound of cars moving, feet against pavement and a haunting hum draped over a series of airy effects. Bells ring against the sound of rain and unintelligible voices can be heard in the background. There’s an element of sadness and fear implemented into the otherwise portrayed simplicity and innocence of everyday street life. The culmination of these sounds leads directly into an exotic trip-hop session with a strong Middle Eastern flavor. This grand conclusion allows Xu Xu Fang’s Seven Days Now an exit that also acts as a doorway into their more robust universe. (CSSR)
-Keane Li

myspace.com/xuxufang

The Highway | The Middle East Upstairs | Cambridge, MA | July 16, 2009

As I wander in after The Highway has already started I'm a bit pissed at myself and my deadlines, but the wafts of warm sound bubbling off the stage immediately flip my mood. The band is a trio, but not in the “power” sense – rather it's almost like they kept their numbers down to leave room for your presence among them. They're that inviting.


Hints of a drunken Dylan slither from bassist/vocalist Daniel Tortoledo's mouth, an endearing drawl that matches well with the band's rootsy rock. Guitarist Isaac Cohen's open-chord strumming fortifies this style, but he never remains locked in tradition. His Mars Volta-like sprinkling of spiraling licks and reverb keeps you on your toes and reminds that, yes, the world of Harrison and The Band is comforting, but complacency always needs shaken up. The straight-forward “Set Me Free” acknowledged this in its own way, dropping into three for a crunchy, feedback-swollen guitar solo, then back into four for the booming ending and release.


Though “Frozen Sun” wrestled with bittersweet homesickness, the partnership between Tortoledo on bass and Ted MacInnes on drums could not have been closer. MacInnes is thoughtful in accenting the low end, propelling The Highway forward and allowing Cohen plenty of room to spin some psychedelia. More upbeat tunes head in a prog direction, marching into glorious fantasy battles without the bummer of enemies or bloodshed.

The Highway's songwriting benefits from collaboration from all three members, though frontman Tortoledo's engaging vocals are clutch. Some artists beg their audience to clap along and only receive a few bars of help – Tortoledo's voice gently smiles its way into your muscles and compels.



-Nate Leskovic

www.thehighwaymusic.com
www.myspace.com/thehighway

New Music in the Office

Here are the new CD's we received today:

Richard Lloyd – The Jamie Neverts Story
George Usher – Yours and Not Yours
Holdcell – 7 Heavy Grins
Chet Williamson – Chromology
Patrick Beckman – Big Muddy
Hondo – Hondo Presents: Space Songs
Naree – Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Umbrella Tree – The Letter C