Bummed you missed Grizzly Bear on the road last fall? Not to worry, because the indie-rock band is on a joint headlining tour with Spoon through June 30, in support of their sensational "Painted Ruins," one of last year's best albums. Drummer Chris Bear shares a playlist of recent favorites with USA TODAY.
"First Flight," Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith
Firstly, very excited to be touring with Kaitlyn this June. It'll be so great to see her play every night. She is doing something very special in combining the complexities and capabilities of modular synthesis with a beautiful voice and songwriting that makes you think. A mystical sound that massages my brainwaves.
"Tesselation," Mild High Club
I’ve been hooked since I heard “Windowpane” when it came out a few years back. It reminded me of Stereolab and older British psychedelia. Since then, he’s pushed the envelope into even more chordal extensions, leading to a more Steely (Dan) direction that I am fully in support of. Can’t wait to hear what’s next.
"E70 No. 01," Scott Gilmore
This whole record is a beautiful study of tone, subtle groove, and gentle hooks that really does it for me. All of the seemingly simple elements meld into a wonderfully complex web of analog warmth. Looking forward to hearing more from Scott and fortunately we just got to meet while he was on tour with Ariel Pink.
"Your Letter," Paul Cherry
I stumbled across this record thru its graphic designer, who also made a T-shirt design for us. I love the slinky jazz fusion qualities of this song while still maintaining a moody '80s pop sensibility.
"Dark Love," Sam Evian
I’m just getting to know his new record, but the previous record, "Premium," has been on heavy rotation since it came out. Really fantastic songwriting, paired with a great band and adventurous sonic choices make for an addictive listen.
"Shofar," John Carroll Kirby
The man… the enigma… Kirby. I love this record. Another master of tone and vibe… he will take you on a journey that crosses continents and has you doing some sweaty yoga at the end.
"Them Changes," Thundercat
We’ve had the pleasure of seeing Thundercat a lot on our recent tours and every time I am blown away. The entire band shreds so hard and it’s amazing to see people that are not usually very exposed to much improvised music getting into the whole thing. Beyond that, he still knows how to write a damn catchy song.
"Dark Spring," Beach House
Victoria and Alex are like family… probably the band we’ve toured with the most. I’ve loved them from Day 1 and it has been so amazing to "grow up" together. They continue to grow and their new record is beautiful. I love this song for it’s driving energy and the unexpected chordal movement that is a real treat.
"I Rain You Thunder," Art Feynman
I should have picked a track with vocals because I love his voice, but the snaky trance of this one is so intriguing. This is the new(ish) project from Luke Temple of Here We Go Magic… He also put out an incredible record in 2013 called "Good Mood Fool" that is very worth checking out.
"Evan Finds the Third Room," Khruangbin
One of the funkier songs on this record. … I just love their dedication to groove and great sounds. They make mostly instrumental music that is so well done, you don’t miss the vocals. Really looking forward to seeing them live at some point.
WSBTV
