Frank Ocean - Golden Girl (ft. Tyler The Creator)

Channel Orange has effectively exploded. The new album from Frank Ocean features a rampant number of guest stars, which include (as you might have expected) some from the Odd Future crew.

"Golden Girl," featuring Tyler The Creator, is included as a bonus cut for the album, which is out now.

Tuesday Bears: New Odd Future video - Rella

A little bit of hype died with a 'so-so' reaction to Tyler, The Creator's Goblin early last year, despite the emergence of other acts outside of Odd Future beginning to flourish. So with the release of the obscenely fantastic "Rella" video with verses from Hodgy Beats, Domo Genesis, and Tyler, there's something to get excited about again.

Oh, by the way, through Tyler's Formspring (which does exist), the group will apparently be at this year's Lollapalooza. Not a confirmation, but why the hell would he say yes to the question?

Grab the group's upcoming album OF Tape Vol. 2 in the near future, and watch "Rella" below.

Friday Bears: BADBADNOTGOOD and Tyler, The Creator

Forgive me for not knowing too much (okay, anything) about BADBADNOTGOOD. There's not a ton of information out there, but from what I can tell from the group's Youtube channel, is that they're fairly high-caliber hip-hop instrumentalists. Most of the videos are worth a viewing, but the video for "Orange Juice" below featuring Tyler, The Creator is pretty fucking spectacular. Watch below.

Bears and Bullets Top 25 Songs of 2011: Part V

We'll continue our countdown today with songs #5 through #1.

#5: The Rapture - How Deep is Your Love?
There's a strong, clear attempt at profound meaning in Luke Jenner's wailing on "How Deep is Your Love?," the Rapture's love-cry to loss, both in this world and in Jenner's spiritual one. It's a sound difference from the band's previous stops, who are clearly focused on the religious side of things. In that, it's hard to make a band sound good when they look to religion for most of their material, but forgive the pathways to "How Deep is Your Love?" was made. It sounds good enough so no one on either side of the spiritual spectrum pays any mind.



#4: Bon Iver - Holocene
It's hard to not find something that resonates in Bon Iver; the soft-lulled sensibilities, the unconscious, yet artful construction, and Justin Vernon's ease to cast light on enlightening visual elements. "Holocene," the center-piece of Bon Iver, still sounds like Vernon circa 2007, but there's a level of depth that takes a few listens. The subtle instrumental movements take a quiet, serene song, and make it sound more lavish, almost contextual with nature, than it seems. Vernon's reliable falsetto paces through soft horns and marching drums, slowly carrying the air under "Holocene" up to a point where it seems majestic. And while some songs have an uncharacteristic ability to mimic nature, Bon Iver truly sound immersed in it.



#3: Dum Dum Girls - Coming Down
Dum Dum Girls have effectively cornered the Mazzy Star aesthetic on "Coming Down," which blasts heroically through the aforementioned Star-like vocals and Jesus and Mary Chain drum snares. While the influences do rain heavy, the band sounds surprisingly huge here, especially for a group that teetered on the fence of "which indie girl group is that again?" The four-piece set themselves apart with "Coming Down," effectively standing their ground on something that can be called as beautiful as it is memorable, going on for nearly seven minutes, without losing a step any way through.



#2: Tyler, The Creator - Yonkers
"Yonkers" should effectively go down as 2011's "Holy Shit" moment. Here's Tyler, The Creator, the head-piece of Odd Future, the biggest up-and-coming group in hip-hop, rapping about killing Bruno Mars, Columbine, cartoons, and being a totally non-understood rapper. "Yonkers" screams anti-rap, almost to a rounded punk nature. Rather than take the music too seriously, the 20-year-old Tyler opts to fuck with it, laughing in the game's stereotypes and coming through as a generally fucked-up mind. Maybe it's all in character, but "Yonkers" isn't just a showcase for an all character, no substance artist. Sometimes genuinely weird people make genuinely weird, interesting music.



#1: M83 - Midnight City
It feels like a cop-out, I get that. The same song that was on my #1 Album of 2011 and Pitchfork's pick for song of the year, makes it as #1 on Bears and Bullets Top 25 Songs of 2011. But that decision was made months ago when "Midnight City" leaked - before Hurry Up, We're Dreaming was released and before the Victoria's Secret ad caught a bit of national attention. "Midnight City" has all the proponents of a visionary M83 piece; the roaring, romantic vocals, stand-out synth work,and  memorable hooks. But the wailing, off-beat chorus of what sounds like animal shrieks blended in between and the totally out of nowhere sax solo during the climax make "Midnight City" stand out far, far more than any other track released this year. How all of those components were put together to make something not only memorable, but insanely invigorating, is something to be admired.



We'll that makes Bears and Bullets last post of 2011. Have a happy New Year, everyone, and I'll see you in 2012.

Tuesday Bears: Odd Future n' Funny or Die

Music is bit eh today so far, so I'm glad this Funny or Die video with Odd Future and Paul Scheer came about.

Thursday Bears: Odd Future on Fallon

For those who missed it, Odd Future made their late night television debut last night on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon in an impossibly epic performance that included: the girl from The Ring/Exorcist, Tyler jumping on Jimmy's back, and Mos Def just showing up making sure we all caught the "swag."

See for yourself.

Odd Future - Sandwiches 

Friday Bears: New Tyler, The Creator video - Yonkers

Premiering shortly after midnight today was Tyler, The Creator's newest video for "Yonkers," a stark, tightly wound epitaph that comes off closer to a self-contained rampage than a free form rap track.

Tyler, the headman at Odd Future, who released his first album Bastard free via his Tumblr, will not be releasing his new album Goblin, which features "Yonkers" the same way. But, the video is what's important.

Tyler, The Creator - Yonkers