Thursday, April 24, 2008

The New Brooklyn Interpol



Last night, I attended a majestic show at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) called “American Tunes” that featured the songbook of Paul Simon. While Simon played plenty of his hits through the years, he also invited several current musicians to join him on stage to reinvent some of his greatest songs. Performers included Amos Lee, Gillian Welch, Josh Groban, Olu Dara and a little known, Brooklyn-based, band called Grizzly Bear.



Ten minutes alone on stage was enough to establish their unique sound by reinventing two Simon classics, “Graceland” and “Mother and Child Reunion.” I was immediately struck by Grizzly Bear’s controlled sound. Every note was consciously meant and meticulously emphasized. I could hear their intent beyond the notes. “Graceland” was reinterpreted to incorporate a several minor chord changes and new syncopations while “Mother and Child Reunion” was slowed down considerably and layered with a stark guitar wailing over a sprawling, undulating bass.



So for all you Interpol lovers, the next big thing has arrived. Grizzly Bear’s quiet, haunting sound creates a deep trance similar to Interpol’s breakout “Turn on the Bright Lights.” Tracks like “Deep Sea Diver” and “Knife” are fine examples of their slow, chilling effected sound. If only we could get the Paul Simon songs recorded too.



1 comment:

wade said...

I actually never thought to compare Grizzly Bear to Interpol. Somehow they seemed to make me think more of Animal Collective, though they really don't sound very similar. The new fad in band names seems to be animals, maybe a spinoff from all the wolf-names. Grizzly Bear, Panda Bear, and also Fleet Foxes (who remind me a bit of Grizzly Bear) come to mind. Grizzly Bear also does a great cover of an old misogynistic 50s song "He Hit Me, It Felt like a Kiss."