Owl and Bear writers’ favorite albums of 2009. Continue reading
Tag Archives: tortoise
Poetic Memory: Cougar (List)
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
Poetic Memory: Alan Wilkis (List)
Brooklyn’s Alan Wilkis calls himself “a sponge type of listener” who is “influenced by many different artists, genres, and time periods” and it’s easy to tell from his music. His new EP is called Pink and Purple, and it’s a blast. To describe his taste, Wilkis says, “One day I might be listening to some death metal, next day it’s 80s hip-hop, then Bach fugues, and then it’s Elvis Costello all weekend.” His style will take you by surprise, but it’s a good thing—and it’s plain that he writes for sheer enjoyment.
We described his last album, Babies Dream Big, as “reminiscent of anything from funk to deep soul to something like the soundtrack to Ghostbusters,” and Pink and Purple operates in a similar dimension. Given last week’s passing of Michael Jackson, it seems only appropriate to publish Wilkis’ list of influences, which he readily admits is “a little 80s funk-heavy.” Below are Alan Wilkis’ top 10 influences.
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
Bonnaroo 2007
When I left Thursday afternoon, I felt like shit with an ungodly case of mono and, apparently, Lyme disease. I thought I might die there, but by Friday, I felt much, much better. It may be stupidly-named, but Bonnaroo apparently cures all ills.