Yeasayer video - Glass Of The Microscope

Featured on last year's Fragrant World, Yeasayer have debuted the brand new science-centric video for "Glass Of The Microscope."

Filmed at Leiden University in the Netherlands, the very place where Antoine van Leeuwenhoek apparently invented one of the earliest versions of the microscope, director Ruben van Leer follows the band look for the cure of an unnamed sickness. That of which appears aptly trippy.

Watch the video below (per Wired) and order Fragrant World today on Secretly Canadian.

New Yeasayer video - Longevity

From the Brooklyn band's recently released Fragrant World, check out the brand new video for "Longevity," featuring lead singer Chris Keating going reverse Benjamin Button on everyone. Check it out below.

Yeasayer on Fallon

Celebrating the release of their brand new album Fragrant World, Yeasayer performed "Longevity," on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon with bigger-than-you'd-expect stage props gracing the background of the artful pop performance. Check it out below and grab the album today.

New Yeasayer - Longevity

Earlier today, Yeasayer, which is on the cusp of releasing their newest album Fragrant World in August, released a download/vignette of their newest single "Longevity." You can watch below, or enter your email address in the widget for the download.

Wednesday Bears: New Yeasayer - Henrietta

Yeasayer fans recently on their mailing list recently received a CD version of their most recent release, "Henrietta." The track should be part of the band's upcoming release, but finer details of it aren't known. If there is an album in the near future, it'd be the first since 2010's Odd Blood. Listen to the new track below.

New Yeasayer - Swallowing the Decibels

Yeasayer, still reeling off the release of last year's Odd Blood, released an exclusive 7" on Record Store Day fittingly titled End Blood.

End Blood's A-Side, "Swallowing the Decibels," features variations Odd Blood fans will surely recognize, as the Brooklyn group continues to evolve their suddenly synonymous sounds. Listen to it below, courtesy of Pretty Much Amazing.

Tuesday Bears: New MGMT video - Congratulations

If any of you are already familiar with Yeasayer's recently released video for "Madder Red," then you've already experienced the pain of losing your freak pet one too many times. But, just in case you're into that sort of thing (aren't we all?), here's MGMT's newest video for "Congratulations."

MGMT - Congratulations

Friday Bears: Lollapalooza 2010 Review - Day Three

With only one day left, and the weather turning for the worse, I took my final trip to Grant Park Sunday, August 8. Could Sunday turn my whole vacation into a pile of shit? No, not really.

Day Three:

Well, it really didn't start out too well. Early in the Chicago afternoon, the clouds had crossed over from the west, flooding the area with rain and heavy (emphasis on heavy here) winds. Leaving the Blue-Line train before noon, the rain began to careen, lets say, horizontally. Incidentally, my $5 umbrella snapped and I had to park myself inside a Barnes & Noble until it got better. Weather reports had rain in the area throughout the day, giving me two options: bitch and moan or just bear with it. I think it's pretty obvious at this point that I'd just deal with it.

Arriving slightly late, the rain lightening up a little and the wind calming, I tried to make the best of what was quickly becoming a terrible day. But I guess my luck hadn't run aptly dry just yet, because the clouds ended up subsiding. Take that every weather person that day.

Now if you read the first two parts of my review (you didn't) you'd know that I've grown to appreciate Perry's place more than the previous two years. So while day three started out a bit late, and the early schedule wasn't too much to fawn over, the long hours I spent at Perry's, jumping with crowds with the Felix Cartal, Didi Gutman and Nervo made even my down-time more than worth it.

Nervo

Yeasayer were the first big act on my radar for the day, so after another mistaken trek to the opposite side of the park (something I did before last year), I made my way back to the Budweiser stage at the north side. The sun had hit its apex at this point, reaching above 90 degrees and glaring on the Brooklyn band. Despite the newfound heat, and Yeasayer lead-singer Chris Keating's affirmation that it "never rains on this band," the show was a bit average. Maybe it was the less-than crowd reception, or the deafening heat index, but one of my more eagerly anticipated bands really just didn't jump out that afternoon.

Yeasayer

Again, I found myself stuck in a 5:00 p.m. dilemma. Erykah Badu or Frightened Rabbit? Well, if you guessed neither you'd end up being right. So, it was back to Perry's for another hour and half or so. It's worth noting that the real reason I didn't see Frightened Rabbit was because the crowd was way, way too large, by the way.

A couple more hours of Perry's under my belt, coupled with a nice surprise performance from JFK of MSTRKRFT, had changed the tone of my weekend completely. No longer had I been so compelled to run my head off, trying to catch at least a song out of every single act I had the slightest interest in, but to just relax, see who I really want, and go to Perry's in my down-time.

JFK of MSTRKRFT

I was more tired than I ever, and The Temper Trap failed to interest me enough to weather their larger-than you may think fan base, so I settled with waiting patiently for the night's final two acts: The National and Arcade Fire.

Matt Beringer and the rest of The National don't have the usual bombast of bands playing into the night and closing out stages. It's pretty well-established that their type of sound is more casually wrought for the serene closed-door crowd, with songs like "Apartment Story" and "Lemonworld" finding more seams for quiet somberness than a 20,000-plus crowd. Regardless of whether the found fit the scenario, The National are too unique and too enriching to ignore. Plus, there's zero children there.

The National

Unfortunately, I had to leave the National set early to grab an at least "not so bad" seat for Arcade Fire, seeing as how Soundgarden didn't seem so big anymore, despite what ever 30-40 year old guy there would tell you. But whatever you've heard about the Arcade Fire's live performances, they're severely understated. The band, live, is an experience - an all-enriching oeuvre of lights, energy and a youthful orchestra of raw bliss that is not matched by many other acts. Truly, after the show, I was enthralled but not overwhelmed. Looking back, however, I understand now the sheer thrill I saw not only for myself and my friends, but every single other person there that day. It really was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Arcade Fire

And there it was; three days of pure joy, once again proving why I ever decided to go in the first place. As it is, again, I'll be counting down the days until Lollapalooza 2011. Hell, the dates are already set. See you again Chicago, August 5 - 7.

Best Performances: Arcade Fire, The National, Nervo, JFK
Worst Performances: Yeasayer

Highlights: "Crown of Love," by Arcade Fire, "Apartment Story," by the National
Lowlights: The overcrowding at the Sony Bloggie stage for Frightened Rabbit and The Temper Trap.

Thursday Bears: Lollapalooza 2010 Must-See Artists, Pt. II

As the days to Lollapalooza 2010 swiftly approach, we continue the list of my top ten must-see acts of the festival. And now, here's part two.

#8: The Walkmen

A relatively under-billed, for some reason, act at this year's festival, The Walkmen are on the cusp of releasing what is expected to be another stellar album to their frequently filled catalog. Five years after the group broke into the hearts of indie-philes everywhere with their dynamic, and all-engrossing single "The Rat", The Walkmen, led by lead-singer Hamilton Leithauser are on the cusp of yet another studio release, Lisbon.

The new album, scheduled for release in September, via Fat Possum Records, is a continuation of the matured sound from 2008's You & Me, with plenty of modern saloon-esque horns cascading the slow decadence of Leithauser's surprisingly booming voice. For more on Lisbon, you can read an NPR highlight on the band's new works here.

The Walkmen will be performing at 1:00 on the Adidas Mega stage, Friday, August 6.

The Walkmen - Stranded - MP3

#7: The New Pornographers

Canadian super-group The New Pornographers - led by singer-songwriters AC Newman, Dan Bejar and Neko Case, who made her own appearance at Lollapalooza last year - will be making their first appearance at the festival as a whole group in four years.

After a successful string of critically acclaimed albums released in the first half of the 2000's, The New Pornographers, coupled with their various side projects, took a bit of a side-step with their somewhat disappointing 2007 release, Challengers. Fast-forward three years, and you have Together, a collective reshaping of the band back to the enduring sounds fans first experienced with Mass Romantic.

The group will be performing at 4:00 on the Budweiser Stage, Friday, August 6. Together is out now via Matador Records.

The New Pornographers - Crash Years (Live on Fallon)

Check in tomorrow for Part III ...

Wednesday Bears: Lollapalooza 2010 Must-See Artists, Pt. I

That heavily-anticipated time of year has finally drifted within the week. Next Tuesday, August 3, I'll make my annual departure to Chicago for Lollapalooza. If you don't know that by now, well, now you do. And as with the coming days, I'll give out my list of my ten most anticipated acts of the festival.

Now keep in mind, because of schedule restrictions and conflicts, that seeing literally every act I wish would be utterly impossible. So, there will, unfortunately, be some omissions in this list; including: The Black Keys, Grizzly Bear, and others.

So to start my list, we'll highlight two artists that made my first official top ten list, Gogol Bordello and Yeasayer.

#10: Gogol Bordello
Eugene Hutz and Co. are somewhat frequent here (considering how much I adored them in 2008), so me seeing them as much as I can always ends up being a must. The group, an eclectic mix of European, Asian and American gypsy punks (the only title that works) are well-known for their electric live shows and rampant fan base.

Fresh off the release of their fifth studio album, Trans-Continental Hustle, Gogol Bordello will be performing at 3:45 on the Parkways stage, on Saturday, August 7.

Gogol Bordello - Immigraniada (Live on Jools Holland)



#9: Yeasayer
Another act I first saw at Lolla 2008, Yeasayer have gained a little more recognition in the past few years, especially after the release of their Odd Blood last February. Over those years, the group's sound has evolved from slow, psychedelic jams from their All Hour Symbols album in 2007, to a more flexible electro-pop.

The group will be performing at 4:00 on the Budweiser stage, Sunday, August 8.

Yeasayer - O.N.E.



Part II will be continued tomorrow ...

Wednesday Bears: New Yeasayer Video - O.N.E.

Yeasayer's new 80's-stylo-esque Radical Friend directed video for the band's new single "O.N.E.," reads more like an off-shoot Tron promo than a video from the band who brought us 2007's All Hour Cymbals. It's a visual escapade, full of neon and bright crystals and a dash of humor. I would say this is probably directed by Eric Wareheim if I didn't know any better.

Yeasayer - O.N.E.

Bears and Bullets Top 25 Songs of 2009 (Pt. IV: #10 - #1)

We'll continue our top 25 countdown with songs #10 through #1.

#10: Stillness is the Move - Dirty Projectors

As much as people fawned over Merriweather Post Pavilion, Dirty Projector's Bitte Orca rivaled it many ways. Some would even suggest that Orca surpasses MPP in brilliance with its sheer ingenuity and creative flourish, thanks in part to "Stillness is the Move." Often pop music is regarded is simplistic and rudimentary because of lack of originality and mass consumerism. With "Stillness," however, the rhythms, hooks, and harmonies of Amber, Angel and Haley is as uncommon and inventive as anything else we heard this year. Nearly impossible to replicate, although Solange Knowles did a good rendition.

Dirty Projectors - Stillness is the Move

#9: What Would I Want? Sky - Animal Collective

After over three minutes of distorted samples and crashes, Animal Collective's "What Would I Want? Sky," begins to glisten in a clash of brilliant vocal sequences, with a sample of the Grateful Dead's "Unbroken Chain" gently grazing in the background. Few and far between do Animal Collective's songs sound so gloriously uplifting and enriching, with Avey Tare asking, "Is everything alright? You feeling lonely? You feeling homely? You're not the only." The direct contrast between the first and the second half are what make Animal Collective such a polarizing and ingenious group -- with mess is beauty, in the brightest places.

#8: You're a Target - No Age

"You're a Target" accomplished something somewhat rare for No Age; they compiled a rousing, loud and boisterous noise-rock song with a collective harmony and memorable bridge. The song, part of the band's four-track Losing Feeling EP, wouldn't so much as fit with their 2008 album Nouns, because it sounds too mature, too frank and welcoming. "You're a Target," sounds, however, more embracing because the visceral fuzz and melody actual comes clean, unrushed, and still categorically immense.

No Age - You're a Target - MP3

#7: People Got a Lotta Nerve - Neko Case

How any artist retooled Hall & Oates coined "Maneater," to not only an extent of not only relevance but revitalization is beyond me. In Neko Case's "People Got a Lotta Nerve," the red-haired singer-songwriter boasts her man eater lifestyle not to the party-styled anthem idea of commanding and conquering the opposite sex, but ravaging them until their nothing. And yet, it's insatiably sweet coming from Case's exquisite alt-country voice -- both terrifyingly honest and beautifully broadcast.

Neko Case - People Got a Lotta Nerve

#6: Ambling Alp - Yeasayer

Before first listen to "Ambling Alp," Yeasayer could be deemed more psychedelic than pop. Their 2007 album All Hour Cymbals, aside from the wonderful "2080," sounded like a mirage in the Sonora desert -- long, labored, loose and fluid. "Ambling Alp," albeit very new (released only a few weeks ago), is a terrific step for the Brooklyn band. Pop is often curiously standard and continuous, always looking to achieve what's already been heard. Yet, every so often an artist with enough gall and ambition can make those strides toward a higher level. Radiohead did it, Animal Collective did it, and with "Ambling Alp," Yeasayer is doing it.

Yeasayer - Ambling Alp

#5: Lisztomania - Phoenix

With most of 2009 rumbling over Merriweather Post Pavilion and Bitte Orca, Phoenix's Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix reveled in their indie shadows and helped the band make their first leap into popular culture. "Lisztomania," creates a mass-appeal without asserting itself. Its bright melodies and cheery and leaping chorus, makes Phoenix sound lighter and more alluring than ever before, and it's not even the best song of the album.

Phoenix - Lisztomania

#4: Heads Will Roll - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

The border between dance and rock music is hard to define. Often times those in music business will attempt to trespass on that border, and, more or less, failure is certain. What the Yeah Yeah Yeahs achieved with "Heads Will Roll," not only crosses that border, but takes it down. Karen O shrieks and shrills on a "chrome" dance floor, imploring that everyone should "dance, dance, dance till your dead," while Nick churns a haunting synth lead, almost sounding like noir with poise. The finishing product, glistening in a metallic stream, is heavier than it appears; it rips and tears through the dance-floor with a midnight castle element -- glowing in the dark and shining under the lights.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll - MP3

#3: My Girls - Animal Collective

"My Girls" rushes into the ear with a earthy stream, followed by the emerging electro beat, humming quietly in the back. The song yearns for simplicity, imploring that Panda Bear doesn't "care for fancy things," but that gloriously simplicity is already there. "My Girls," sounds like sped-up evolution. The sounds careen and swirl around the listener, with tiny percussions, vocal samples and bass punches popping out of the back like small cracks on the Earth's surface. It leads and ends in the same fashion, slowly swelling, rising, climaxing, and falling back down to Earth. But before it falls, "My Girls" goes somewhere Animal Collective, until now, haven't found before -- a place lost between sounds and meaning, combining for something unbelievable.

Animal Collective - My Girls

#2: 1901 - Phoenix

"1901" is Phoenix's advertisement for the rest of the world -- it's the culmination of the bands work for the majority of the decade; smart, invigorating, inviting pop music that can make someone smile for days. The song's fuzzy interlude and landscaping synths make Thomas Mars sound cleaner and cooler than ever, bringing the band in the commercial spot light that has been years in the making.

Phoenix - 1901

#1: Two Weeks - Grizzly Bear

"Two Weeks," is Grizzly Bear's triumph on Veckatimest. It's stark, luring, brilliant and incredibly intelligent. Every key note hit by Ed Droste and the rest of the band, honing in on their trademark harmonies, sounds crisper and better than ever. The alarming exceptionalism of "Two Weeks" makes one wonder how much further the band can progress after Veckatimest and 2006's Yellow House. Indeed, if "Two Weeks" can prove anything other than indelible craftsmanship, it's that Grizzly Bear seem to progress at each and every try. How much better can they get?

Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks

Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks - MP3

Merry Christmas, yall.

Wednesday Bears: New Yeasayer Video - Ambling Alp

Earlier this month we heard the first bit of Yeasayer's upcoming album, Odd Blood, with the instantly insatiable "Ambling Alp." With positive word of the new album catching a strong wind, the Brooklyn via Baltimore band have quickly released a video for the single.

For those with puritanical impulses, there is nudity in the video. And for those with an innate fear of boxing and deserts, there's boxing and a desert too. Odd Blood is scheduled for release February 9, via Secretly Canadian.

Oh, and for those who aren't guessing, Bears and Bullets will be on brake until next Monday. So, happy Thanksgiving and Black Friday, until then.

Yeasayer - Ambling Alp

Yeasayer - Ambling Alp - MP3

Monday Bears: New Yeasayer - Ambling Alp

Yeasayer have been rising further and further atop the dense indie-music spectrum with their searing new-age psychedelic pop. Their 2007 album All Hour Symbols, featuring one of the year's best tracks "2080," was a rushing score with a hint of The Flaming Lips and late 60's melodies. Their single "Tightrope," featured on this year's Dark Was the Night, was a bit of a growth for the Brooklyn band, slightly departing from the long-winded psychedelic songs of All Hour Symbols and Wait for the Summer EP, giving listeners a friendlier, more accessible sound without losing their original swirls and vibe.

The band's newest single, "Ambling Alp," is featured on their upcoming studio album Odd Blood, scheduled for release next February. The song is undeniably uplifting and enticing, coursing through in a bright electric rhythm. It seems the band is continuing to improve early in their careers at an alarming rate. And if "Ambling Alp" proves anything, it's that Odd Blood should be one of the more talked about albums of 2010.

Yeasayer - Ambling Alp - MP3
Yeasayer - 2080 - MP3