Grizzy Bear is the best band in the world at the moment for a few reasons. First, the release of 2009′s Veckatimest is not only a collection of infectious, complex, moody, wide-ranging, crescendo building, symphonic and sheer brilliant tracks, it found its way band on Billboard’s Top 10, with the likes of Hannah Montana and Lady Gaga. WTF! Second, the band overcame a venue that has been widely noted for its poor sound to pull off one of the best performances of this or any year.
Chris Taylor’s musical antics impress me to no end. The multi-instrumentalist plays the gamut of woodwinds along with his bass guitar throughout the show. At several points in the performance, he created a mock orchestra featuring samples recorded live. The effect is overwhelming and makes the band sound like it should be playing Carnegie Hall. Chris Bear’s drumming is still front and center, but he was turned down a bit in the mix compared to June’s show at the Trocadero. Ed Droste’s voice was angelic as usual, and his use of delay effects on his mic added dimension and ambiance. Daniel Rossen’s psychedelic chord progressions and technical mastery were beyond stellar.
Fever Ray may have put on a better “show” last week, but Grizzly Bear is all about the music. There are no pre-recorded tracks here. No ceremonial headdresses. No makeup. No laser light show. No gimmicks. It’s just four virtuoso musicians playing their instruments and songs from this year’s best album.
What happens when you mash up the two best songs of the 2000s? You get PAARKA’s 2007 mashup masterpiece “Knife/Heartbeats (Grizzly Bear vs. The Knife),” a inconceivably well executed remix of epic proportions. Each song is still more masterful alone, but the mash up concept extends beyond its reputation as a gimmick here. If you missed this when it was released two and a half years ago, you can download “Knife/Heartbeats (Grizzly Bear vs. The Knife) 
LOL!
Atlas Sound’s highly anticipated Logos album has leaked almost two months before its October 20 release. If you decide to listen early, please make sure you support Bradford on his Fall tour and pick it up on vinyl over at Insound.com. It’s easily one of the year’s best releases. In the meantime, we get to hear “Attic Lights” early. The song instantly represents one of my favorite tracks of the year. Right now it’s a toss up between this and Grizzly Bear’s “
An anxious crowd looked on as Grizzly Bear members Daniel Rossen and Christopher Bear set up their own equipment. After an exhausting three-night stint in New York and another gig in D.C. the night before, I wondered if the Brooklyn-based band had enough left to give a performance that would live up to the impossible hype that has built preceding the release of the brilliant Veckatimest. I saw Grizzly Bear once before back in 2006 when they opened up for TV on the Radio (also in Philly at Starlight Ballroom) but did not pay them much attention. Last night at The Trocadero in Philly, it just took the opening notes of “Southern Point,” and the entire crowd realized we were in for a something memorable.
Grizzly Bear founder and frontman Ed Droste promised early in the show that he had a special guest joining them later on in the show. About mid-way through the set, Beach House songstress Victoria LeGrand joined the band for a riveting performance of “Two Weeks.” The band continued playing mostly from their latest record with a few tracks mixed in from their sophomore effort, Yellow House, including “The Knife,” “Little Brother,” and an intoxicating performance of “Colorado” as an encore. As good as Yellow House was, hearing Veckatimest live was something to behold. Daniel Rossen’s guitar was stunning, especially on personal favorites “While You Wait For The Others” and “I Live With You.” Ed Droste’s slightly processed but wide ranging vocals were also a highlight. Droste’s voice mixed with the atmospheric instrumentation of “Ready, Able” led the crowd to a collective swoon. I was slightly disappointed that Droste didn’t play Veckatimest closer “Foreground,” as he did in each of the NYC shows.
Veckatimest solidifies Grizzly Bear as indie rock royalty and supports the argument that 2009 may already be the best year indie music has seen this decade. As one of the most anticipated releases this side of Merriweather Post Pavilion, Veckatimest exceeds all expectations and may just be the best album of the year. It’s difficult to describe a record that nears perfection, and Veckatimest deserves all accolades that come its way. The album leaked almost three months early, and less than adequate copies of this opus have been circulating for some time. Fortunately, the album officially releases next Tuesday (vinyl pre-orders have already shipped), and all of the intricate elements that make Grizzly Bear the best at their craft can be revealed.
“Ready, Able” may just be the best offering on Veckatimest. This song places Ed Droste in a category inhabited by few. His voice absolutely mesmerizes, and the additional vocal effects do not distract but add another dimension to the song’s composition not often seen in the band’s songwriting. About two minutes into the song, Droste brings us to the album’s highpoint, a repeating chorus that should never end. “They go we go, I want you to know, what I did I did,” confesses Droste over a crescendo of strings and guitar. Rossen continues the immaculate songwriting with the lovely “About Face” and “Hold Still.” “While You Wait For The Others” follows, and Veckatimest peaks once again. Rossen’s lyrics are especially strong, as he professes, “while you wait on the answers that I’ll pretend to find | keeping up with emotions still occupies our time.” The song features some very witty vocal deliveries, leading to harmonies that spellbind (the album is filled with them). “I Live With You” is another stamp of greatness and is as beautifully chaotic as the album gets. The album ends with the prettiest song that Grizzly Bear has conceived to date in “Foreground.” Ed Droste’s pop sensibilities shine through on this inspired piano ballad. The song and album end with an eerie choir of voices that slowly fade to silence.
Compilation releases rarely get much consideration on end-of-year lists, but this year’s Dark Was The Night will defy that logic. Produced by Aaron and Bryce Dessner from The National, the album’s proceeds go to the Red Hot Organization, a charity that raises money for HIV and AIDS. The double-length effort will not engage all the way through, as there are some snoozers mixed throughout. It’s obvious that many of the artists appearing on the album saved their best work for their own records (see Arcade Fire’s “Lenin”). However, the standout tracks make the album somewhat worthy of all the praise it has received so far this year.