Bear Tone

Quick Hits - The Royal Halls

Extra Bonus Episode!  Here are some extra convo time with our friends The Royal Halls where we discuss guilty pleasures.  We hope you enjoy this Quick Hit!

The Royal Halls

Alt Country band The Royals Halls joins us for a conversation around there new record "Center of the Frame".  We caught up with them to discuss how the record was made and other very entertaining topics!  

Quick Hits - Ian Zumback "Wasted Years"

Quick Hits is a short form version of our regular podcast (Bear Tone).  These are episodes geared toward talking about one song and then playing the tune in its entirety at the end of the show.  It's a lot of fun! 

This episode is with Ian Zumback as we discuss his latest single, an Iron Maiden cover called "Wasted Years". It's awesome! 

The Trees Community

"The Trees Community was a collective of musicians seeking to work out their faith through musical expression and communal living for seven years in the 1970s. Initially meeting in a Manhattan loft, they were a group of young people searching for God but not even sure who or what they would find.

  In 1971, having been mentored some in Christianity, the five members loaded up a bus with 10 people, 2 cats, and 80 musical instruments and began the "pilgrimage to nowhere". For the next 6 years they toured the US and Canada sharing their music. 

  Only one formal album exists of their music: 1975's The Christ Tree. This album showcases the band's style as both experimental and experiential. Ethereal voices and complex avant-garde arrangements of ancient sounding folk music are the hallmark of the Trees Community sound. 

  Over the decades this recording has garnered a ton of indie credibility, being referred to as an influence of the Fleet Foxes and Sufjan Stevens. The original vinyl pressings of The Christ Tree are rare and are purchased by collectors for hundreds of dollars. 

Roemer (I Fly Solo)

Old Bear Records released a new album by artist Roemer as a follow up to his critically acclaimed EP, "Straight Bars and Guns." "I Fly Solo" is a nine song full length album engineered, mixed, and mastered by Ljudevit Ivic at Funkhaus in Berlin, Germany.  This beautiful and haunting collection of songs were written and performed by Roemer.  Topics ranging from friendship, love, chaos, and time are undergirded by Roemer's distinct and recognizable voice dancing over the dynamic and at times dissonant chord phrases that make up Roemer's unique sound.  We know you're going to love this new album as much as we do.  We caught up with him to discuss his new release.  Enjoy!

Opal Hush

Philadelphia resident and Old Bear Records newcomer Ryan Anderson AKA Opal Hush is punching above his weight class and giving Rocky Balboa a run for his money. Remote Viewer is poetic and cinematic while invoking a sacred imagination that will meet you new each time whether listening on vinyl by the fireplace with a whiskey or in the car making a last minute grocery run with the kids after school. Each listen through confronts you with making decisions as to whether focus on the lyrics which sits seductively almost behind the music or raptured up in to the worlds that Opal Hush is sonically creating. It's safe to say that this album will meet you where you are but it will sound different every time.

James Duke of All The Bright Lights

Old Bear Records reissued the self titled debut album by atmospheric instrumental rock band, All The Bright Lights on vinyl to commemorate the ten year anniversary of its original release.  All The Bright Lights was a North Carolina based trio that quickly made a name for themselves with alt rock and indie fans due to their unique brand of melodic swirling guitars, brooding arrangements, sonic patchwork, and a masterful approach to writing and performing instrumental music that cuts right to the heart.  Members James Duke, Jon Duke, and Jacob Arnold’s musical chemistry is still ear candy for the music lover and we simply couldn’t be more excited to add this release to our growing instrumental Old Bear catalog.  All the Bright Lights’ debut album will be a delight for fans of the Cure, the Smiths, Radiohead, Swervedriver, and Arcade Fire.   

Roemer

Roemer is based in Berlin, Germany and came to Old Bear Studios in 2019 to record a 5 song EP produced by Old Bear producer, Chris Hoisington.  The project is unlike any project we’ve recorded or released before as its direction and expression finds its bearings as songs of protest and social commentary ranging in topics from firearms, the dark side of grace, staying hopeful when the chips are down, alcoholism, and more.  Roemer’s unique, sobering lyrics, and deep faith roots combined with a folk aesthetic and unique layered sounds which include grenade pins hitting the floor and gunfire make for an equally unnerving and hypnotizing listening experience.  We simply can’t categorize this guy.  

Be sure to check out his music here... 

http://smarturl.it/sf41e3 

Paul Levinson

What happens when you mix the experimental production of Old Bear Records producer, Chris Hoisington with the Old Bear Session Squad and an award winning science fiction author?  You get “Welcome Up” by Paul Levinson, that’s what!  We can honestly say, we’ve never done a project like this and we are really proud of the results of this artistic collaboration with Paul!  

Chris Hoisington knew of Paul from his 1972 album release “Twice upon a rhyme” that has since been reissued four times (once in Japan and once in South Korea!)  Chris felt that Old Bear could make a great album with Paul that combined Paul’s penchant for all things science fiction with Paul’s natural musical bents towards sunshine-pop and psychedelic folk-rock.  We believe Chris was right!

“Welcome Up” is a collection of eight songs that beam you up into a creative galaxy where you take on the persona of an astronaut exploring sonic spaces that at times are reminiscent of The Beach Boys on tracks like “Welcome Up” and “Tau Ceti;” and at other times can feel like the MC5 being shot out of a ray gun on tracks like “Samantha.“

Bob Gebelein

'Uncle Bobby's Record' is a private press gem from folk artist Bob Gebelein. Put this record on the turntable and you'll be transported to a Greenwich village coffee house in the era of Dave Van Ronk and Bob Dylan. As Bob was working on the album, his neices began referring to it as 'Uncle Bobby's Record' and thus it received its title.

  While the sound is endearing in its stripped down approach, deeper listening to his societal commentary on a song like 'Civilized Blues' reveals a surprisingly punk kind of edge. Uncle Bobby is to be taken more seriously than you thought when initially hearing his quaint folky strumming. Uncle Bobby doesn't care what you think, he's just being himself.

  Discussions with Colombia Records never panned out for Bob, but listening to this album it isn't difficult to imagine a parallel universe in which he ended up on the 60's folk Mount Rushmore.