For a show whose key components included a smoke machine and a guy singing soprano, there was nothing cheesy about The Besnard Lakes‘ May 12 performance at the Casbah. Over the course of three albums, the Montreal four-piece has made its name playing loud, epic art-rock with a sugary Beach Boys center. Their cinematic compositions could have sounded sloppy or unruly in a live setting, but the band proved that they needn’t rely on recording studio trickery. Continue reading…
The peasants rejoiced! O&B’s favorite “sonic bludgeoners” The Besnard Lakes are planning to pillage San Diego as part of their tour to support Are the Roaring Night, their new record. Continue reading
As promised, we bring you the brand new single from The Besnard Lakes‘ forthcoming Are The Roaring Night LP. Picking up right where their first album, Are The Dark Horse, left off, “Albatross” is a sonic assault on the senses that combines epic drone with Beach Boyish melodies.
The band have a string of shows lined up in North America for April and will also be wowing audiences at this year’s SXSW in March. The new album will be released March 9th in the US and March 8th in the UK through Jagjaguwar records. Download “Albatross” (MP3) and check out the tour dates after the jump. Continue reading
We loved The Besnard Lakes‘ 2007 release Are The Dark Horse; the album mixed Beach Boys vocals and haunting atmospherics with periodic sonic bludgeonings thrown in for good measure. Now, after three years away from the spotlight, the husband and wife team of Jace Lasek and Olga Goreas (and their crew) will unleash Are The Roaring Night, which is sure to be another ethereal kick in the teeth.
Recorded at Lasek’s Breakglass Studio on a vintage 1968 Neve germanium mixing console, Are The Roaring Night is sure to further push the envelope of the group’s eerie and epic sound. It will be released on Jagjaguwar March 9 U.S., and March 8 in the U.K. For a taste of their previous effort, check out the excellent track “And You Lied to Me” (MP3). Are The Roaring Night‘s track list is after the jump. Continue reading
The last time Ontario, Canada’s The Rest played at the Casbah, we missed it. But we won’t make that mistake again. After all, according to their MySpace page, The Rest like all the things that we like: doing push-ups, shooting each other with water guns, howling at the moon, and delicious Thai food. (More details below.) We have other reasons, too. For one, their new album, Everything All At Once, is amazing. For another, they graciously agreed to write the latest installment of Poetic Memory. Also, they use the word “rascal” in their lyrics.
We’ve featured The Rest on our podcast a few times, but in case you missed it, here are a couple of MP3s. The wondrously haunting “Drinking Again” is definitely one of our favorite songs of 2009. Also, be sure to check out “Everything All At Once“, the epic titular track from their new album.
Poetic Memory is a regular Owl and Bear feature in which musicians disclose their influences—whether it’s albums, songs, artists, or something random. If you’re interested in being featured here, send us an email. Continue reading