Tag Archives: elvis costello

interviews, listen, san diego

Poetic Memory: Luke Rathborne (List)

Leave a comment
Click to enlarge

MP3: Luke Rathborne – “I Can Be One”
MP3: Luke Rathborne – “You Let Me In”
MP3: Mrs. Magician – “Tabloids”

Like clockwork, the Rumble— the monthly musical roadshow that takes place in nine U.S. cities every month — returns to San Diego’s Bar Pink tomorrow.

This month’s event features San Diego surf popsters Mrs. Magician, sludgy shoegazers Colony, and superb singer/songwriter Luke Rathborne. (DJs Pet Rock and Rob Dylan will spin vinyl between sets.)

We at O&B are especially excited to see Luke Rathborne, whose The Dog Years and I Can Be One EPs show a songwriter with a true artistic vision — one that (unlike many of his peers) is not overly fixated on the meaning of life, but about telling its stories.

In anticipation of the show, we asked Mr. Rathborne to provide us with a list of influences. He kindly obliged, and you may find his “10 favorite records of 1977” below. Continue reading…

interviews, san diego

Poetic Memory: Tristen (List)

Leave a comment

Pop debutante Tristen will play the Soda Bar this Sunday, January 30, and all of us at Owl and Bear are very, very excited. The Nashville resident’s debut album, Charlatans at the Garden Gate, has been in constant rotation at the O&B offices lately, and all that listening has only increased our admiration for her silky vocals and whip-smart songwriting.

So naturally, we can’t wait to hear instant classics like “Eager For Your Love” (MP3) and “Baby Drugs” (MP3) live, and we want you to be there with us.

As if creating a terrific album like Charlatans at the Garden Gate wasn’t enough, Tristen was also kind enough to share her Poetic Memory with us. Check out her list of “favorite albums released in the 1980’s” below, then head down to the Soda Bar on Sunday for what promises to be an incredible show. We’ll see you there. Continue reading…

interviews, listen, san diego

Poetic Memory: Dinosaur Feathers (List)

Leave a comment

Dinosaur Feathers have made a bit of a name for themselves back East. With a sound often compared to Animal Collective and the Beach Boys, these Brooklynites have received rave reviews from music fans everywhere, including Paste magazine:

When asked what…generated a bit of blog-buzz in recent months, Sullos demures: “The more you play, the more people talk about it.” True, but it likely has a bit more to do with the band’s melange of Latin and African-infused drum machine beats — plus the fact that these guys can really sing. Sullo and his bandmates use their voices like instruments, stacking and weaving them into a textured sonic tapestry that drips with 60s nostalgia.

We’re excited to see them at The Rumble this weekend, and you should be too. For a taste of their sound, check out “Fantasy Memorial” (MP3). Then, read their Poetic Memory (below).

interviews, listen

Poetic Memory: Cougar (List)

Leave a comment

Cougar

Cougar, Madison Wisconsin’s all-foxy-grandma-instrumental-post-rock band, just released their sophomore effort, Patriot. Along with it came two starkly different—yet excellent—singles,”Stay Famous” (MP3) and “Foil Épée Sabre” (MP3, EP only). “Stay Famous” plays with old-school indie dynamics, while “Sabre”, a meandering folky piece, may or may not have something to do with fencing. You can check out their catalog at iTunes, as well as other places.

We recently got together with Cougar to talk Poetic Memory, and after listening to the two songs above, it should be no surprise that their influences range from Timbalada’s “boobs” album (whose cover is NSFW, by the way), to Bach, Hendrix, and Tortoise’s TNT. If you are surprised, it’s all explained below.

They have one gig in their hometown of Madison, Wisconsin before they embark on a European tour. Tourdates are at the bottom of the post. Continue reading →

listen, music news

Boy Without God Has “Soul” (MP3)

Leave a comment

Boy Without God

Within seconds of hearing Gabriel Birnbaum’s deep, syrupy vocals, several names spring to mind. Evoking Magnetic Fields singer Stephen Merrit, but with the folksy croon of Handsome Family vocalist Brett Sparks and the slurred swagger of Elvis Costello, Birnbaum draws from a plethora of influences for his solo project, Boy Without God.

Though a mere 23 years old, Boston native Birnbaum has already paid his dues in bands like Catholic Skin, The Abraham Lincoln Brigade, Drug Rug, Eli Reed, and The Tiny Tornadoes. He opted for the solo artist route in 2006, and has since released six home-recorded EPs and two full-length albums under the Boy Without God moniker. His newest album, Your Body Is Your Soul, finds Birnbaum pairing low vocals with high fidelity, spinning his acoustic tales of love and inadequacy into buoyant, witty, and touching meditations.

For your downloading pleasure, we’ve got the endlessly catchy and charming ditty “If You” and the Xiu Xiu-esque, slightly batshit “Holy Holy Little Fist“. You can also read CMJ’s interview with Birnbaum here.