Bear Hands

The day after graduation, right around this time last year, I took a trip to New York. In addition to the traditional tourist attractions like the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, and passing out on a subway train at 4am and almost missing your stop before being woken up by a homeless guy asking for change, I also wanted to see a concert. After searching through a few venues and previewing bands on myspace, Brooklyn's own Bear Hands came out on top.

At that time, the only music they had released was from their 2007 Golden EP, so their set did not last very long. There were multiple opening bands (most notably Action Painters) to give the audience more music for their dollar, but Bear hands drew top billing and proved worthy by filling the Mercury Lounge with animated post-punk/experimental indie rock sounds that have been compared to both Modest Mouse and Ted Leo.

Additionally, bassist Val Loper added some showmanship to the music at center stage with spirited head banging, jumping, occasional use of other instruments (tambourine, maraca, and drum), and frequently using his bass as a phallic symbol. Loper also ended the set with a stage dive, which was risky given that it wasn't too packed in the front, but he pulled it off. Other band members include Dylan Rau (vocals/guitar/having big hair and wearing unusual shit), Ted Feldman (guitar/percussion), and TJ Orscher (drums/vocals).

I bought the EP, containing "Long Lean Queen", "Golden", "Sickly Brunette", and "Bad Blood", and was eager to follow their progress on a full-length album.

"Golden"


Unfortunately, it's been nearly 2 years since the release of the EP, but the band is yet to put out another album. However, I remain hopeful that something new is on the horizon due to their myspace promotion of their new single, "What a Drag", earlier this year and their appearance at this year's SXSW festival. I'll keep you posted, but in the meantime, check out their EP, the new single, and a few additional tracks on their myspace page, including "Vietnam", which is one of my favorites.

"What a Drag"



"Vietnam"