Magnificent vocal harmonies, indebted to The Beach Boys.
After âonlyâ three albums, the popularity of Brooklyn's indie-rock union Grizzly Bear can't be hindered. Their debut âHorn Of Plentyâ (â04) received the label anti-folk at the time but their love for electronica was soon clear when they had the album remixed by the likes of Dntel and The Soft Pink Truth. Successor âYellow Houseâ was an instant hit. The influential Warp Records took them on board in â06 and the album landed in the Top 10 of 2006 at Pitchfork and the New York Times.
âVeckatimestâ , from â09, also brought the big breakthrough and again provided quite some nominations in the âalbums of the yearâ charts of the New York Times, Wall Street Journal (!), Time and Pitchfork and others. Aside from many headline shows, they've also performed as opener at the special request of the likes of Radiohead and Paul Simon, who openly announced themselves to be huge fans. Even Jay-Z praised the band after having seen a show of theirs and proclaimed: âIncredible!â. Though we're willing to bet that it sounded more like âYo! Incredible!â
Ed Droste and Daniel Rossen's superb vocal harmonies â that near perfection live too â leave none unmoved. Their new album will be released in September. For the moment you can sate yourself musically on their first three albums but also on the just recently released EP/pure pop gem âSilent Hour/Golden Mileâ by Daniel Rossen (see too: Department Of Eagles).
Support-act will be Irish band Villagers,with impressive vocalist Conor J. O'Brien as frontman. Humo:âjust like, say, Conor 'Bright Eyes' Oberst or the late Elliot Smith , OâBrien has mastered the art of putting inconsolable, sometimes even morbid, lyrics to merry musicâ. Their debut âBecoming A Jackalâ even got itself onto the shortlist for the Mercury Prize.