Brooklyn-based indie-rockers Bear Hands have been working the scene since they emerged in 2006 and broke out as a New York buzz band in 2007, after the release of their debut EP. Four year straight at CMJ and three years at SXSW plus opening slots for a number of influential indie artists have provided them fresh fans along the way, but the release of their first LP, Burning Bush Supper Club (Cantora Records, 2010) is the long-awaited piece solidifying the band’s locale on the indie map. Bloggers went crazy for the album’s two singles, “Crime Pays” and “What A Drag”. The full record was released into the atmosphere on November 2nd.

Like fellow labelmates MGMT, Bear Hand formed as a result of their Wesleyan University connection. All four members graduating from the Connecticut school. TJ Orscher (drums/vocals) and Val Loper (bass/percussion) used to be members of an emo hardcore band called In Pieces. In August of 2006, Rau (vocals/guitar/keyboard), arguably one of their biggest fans, asked the two to flesh out some of his musical ideas and record a demo with him. The three rapidly realized that there was potential for a band and Bear Hands was born. Ted Feldman (guitar/percussion) joined soon after to fill out the sound. The four members of Bear Hands grew up listening to punk music and together meld those young influences into their driving, melodic, and vocal rock heavy explorations.

The band’s quirky, hook-filled new record is filled with distorted, reverb heavy guitar lines, pulsing beats, and Rou’s soulful falsetto. His gritty, strangely melodic vocals bring up comparisons to Modest Mouse’s Isaac Brock and MGMT’s Andrew VanWyngarden. Abstract lyrics also form the basis of BBSS and lend to its artfulness. “Tablasaurus”’s cryptic lines meld with layers of sound atop a hypnotic tabla sample. The album ebbs and flows between atmospheric tracks like the deeply textured “Wicksey Boxing” and the slow-building “Julien” and rock-heavy screamers like “Blood and Treasure”. “What A Drag”, the album’s standout pop track, contains solid images that tease and pull you until the song’s infectious chorus about her “goddamn long nails” forcefully hits.

mp3: Bear Hands – What a Drag
mp3: Bear Hands – Tablasaurus
mp3: Bear Hands – Julien

The band’s sound has evolved since the release of the Golden EP in 2007. The band’s early instrumentation was founded upon two guitars, bass and drums. Since then, the songs have become more danceable and rhythmically oriented with additions of keyboards, samplers and programmed drums. This was partly due to the influence of Chuck Brody (Lykke Li, Santigold) who produced both albums.

Over the past three years, Bear Hands has opened for a long list of indie sensations including MGMT, Vampire Weekend, The XX, Les Savy Fav and has toured across North American and Europe with Passion Pit, Obits, We Were Promised Jet Packs, Hockey, Manic Street Preachers, and Mayer Hawthorne and The County. Dylan Rau was classmates at Wesleyan with MGMT’s Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser, who selected Bear Hands on numerous occasions to be one of their opening acts. Bear Hand’s shows are known to be deeply powerfully and sonically textured.

Stop by the Larimer Lounge to catch them live on Wednesday, November 24th. The band will be finishing up their fall tour at locales across the midwest and northeast through mid December.

11/24 – Larimer Lounge, Denver, CO
11/26 – Schubas, Chicago, IL
11/27 – MOTR Pub, Cincinnati, OH
11/28 – Lager House, Detroit, MI
11/29 – Sneaky Dee’s, Toronto, ON, Canada
11/30 – Casa del Popolo, Montreal, QC, Canada
12/1 – Great Scott, Allston, MA
12/2 – Pearl Street Clubroom, Northampton, MA
12/3 – The Met Cafe, Pawtucket, RI
12/16 – Lilly’s Pad at Toad’s Place, New Haven, CT
12/17 – Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY

ITN – New York indies Bear Hands

“What A Drag”
I’m smearing a look, in a bottomless pit.
I am sending my love, but they won’t let it in.
You are dragging me down, I am punching a tree.
When I fall back now, deeper and deeper.

You’ve got them long nails, I’m dreaming of your god damn long nails.
You’ve got them long nails, I’m dreaming of your god damn long nails.
You have your finger so deep.

Listening is really just a valueless deed.
When you live underground, it’s the way that you sleep.
It’s the light in your hair, it’s the weight of the breeze
and when I fall back now, deeper and deeper.
deeper and deeper, deeper and deeper.
deeper and deeper, deeper and deeper.

You’ve got them long nails, I’m dreaming of your god damn long nails.
You’ve got them long nails, I’m dreaming of your god damn long nails.
You have your finger so deep.

Website | MySpace

Download Burning Bush Supper Club through iTunes

This entry was posted on Monday, November 22nd, 2010 at 11:50 pm and is filed under Album Reviews, Electro, Indie, Pop, Songs, Upcoming Tour, Video. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.