Under The Radar Magazine: Grizzly Bear Cover Issue

Grizzly Bear: Under The Radar February 2009

Under The Radar consistently ranks as my favourite music magazine - it’s always teeming with unbelievably beautiful photographs (taken by co-founder Wendy Lynch Redfern) that are coupled with insightful interviews (often written by her husband and founder of UTR, Mark Redfern) and all laid out in a sharp glossy format.

I’ve been buying UTR since its inception in 2001 (it’s one of the rarities that’s actually not cheaper to get via subscription), and even though new issues have become exceedingly difficult to locate (Pages doesn’t carry it, and only certain Chapters locations ever update their issues), I always manage to hunt it down. In 2003 the magazine snagged (and published) the last ever Elliott Smith interview and they’ve devoted an issue entirely to Canadian indie music. The magazine is trumps.

Back to the topic of this post: Grizzly Bear. The Winter 2009 issue (#25), pictured above with the band on the cover, hit newsstands last Thursday and I’m eager to devour it. I picked up two copies of the mag - one to dissect and one to preserve. Along with a massive Grizzly Bear feature, it’s got all of the best that 2009 plans to offer us.

Grizzly Bear’s third album (as yet untitled) is being released by Warp Records on May 26 and it’s on my list of most anticipated albums of the year. I have high hopes and very few doubts that it’ll top my “best of” list at the end of 2009. So far the internet has heard three new tracks (”Fine For Now”, “Two Weeks” & “While You Wait For The Others”) and I have chills just imagining what the rest of the album sounds like.

Grizzly Bear is a Brooklyn-based band made up of vocalists Ed Droste & Daniel Rossen (Daniel also makes up one half of Department Of Eagles, who put out a stunning album of their own in 2008), drummer Christopher Bear and bass/woodwinds/electronics/backup vocalist/virtuoso/producer Chris Taylor (aka my current obsession).

The band recruited friend and classical music composer Nico Muhly and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus to work with them on the new album. I can’t wait to hear what Chris Taylor has produced and put together (Chris also produced 2007’s Yellow House).

For now, sate your appetite for Grizzly Bear’s wonderful harmonies with my five favourite tracks - and if you’re heading to SXSW in March, be sure to check out Grizzly Bear’s set, cause they’ve just been added to the lineup!

Grizzly Bear - He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss) (from Friend EP; live on KEXP)