Toofer Toosday - The Muggabears & Bear Hands

The Muggabears are a trio from Brooklyn comprised of Travis Johnson on guitar and vocals, Emily Ambruso on bass, and Gabriel Wurzel on drums. They play a brand of music called noise pop, a genre that seems to be thrown around a lot these days. Sonic Youth pioneered this style and seemingly everything else pales in comparison to them. Well not anymore. The Muggabears do what most noise pop bands fail to do...and that's the pop side to it. They layer cacaphonic distorted guitars and wild sharp drums into fully realized and sometimes melodic pop songs. Their most recent EP, Night Choreography, is full of these rich strains that sit in your ears and echo through your mind. If you get a chance, check them out at SXSW later this month.

mp3: The Muggabears - The Goth Tarts --> website --> buy
mp3: The Muggabears - Automatic Others

Speaking of Brooklyn, there seems to be a lot of good music in that town. Who would have guessed? Another band that is consuming my musical rotation is Bear Hands, a four piece from Brooknam. They recently released a four song EP, Golden, that teases me with the short length, but satisfies every sense associated with great rock music. Dylan Rau on vocals/guitar, Ted Feldman on guitar, Val Loper on bass, and TJ Orscher on drums all form to make rhythmic catchy pop rock that doesn't concern itself with anything but getting you(the listener) to bob your head and sing along. The remind me of We Were Scientists in that sense. Forceful beats propel the songs, but Rau's pensive brooding lyrics and voice take it to the upper tiers of great indie rock. Bear Hands leave me with one question. When's the LP coming out? You can catch them at the Rock and Roll Hotel this Saturday on March 8th with Jukebox The Ghost, Tereu Tereu, and Modern Skirts (holy crap that's a friggin awesome show!).

mp3: Bear Hands - Long Lean Queen --> website --> buy
mp3: Bear Hands - Bad Blood