Seabear

 

Iceland. Home to a little over 300,000 people. Home to the popular children’s program LazyTown and the magnificent waterfall Dettifoss. Home to the modern progenitors of heartachingly gorgeous melodies. Luminaries such as Bjork, Sigur Ros, and now. . .Seabear.

I could spin a yarn about the subtle complexity of the record, add a couple paragraphs about the existential beauty of the songs, perhaps even the an excessively verbose track-by-track analysis. I could tell you the single “I Sing, I Swim” alone would be worth the purchase price of the LP.

But all of that would only keep you from finding out for yourself one of the brightest new stars on the indie scene today, and you’ll want all the time in the world to enjoy this beautiful, exquisitely crafted gem.

“I Sing, I Swim” from The Ghost That Carried Us Away (2007)

“Libraries”  from The Ghost That Carried Us Away (2007)

Klaatu

Would you entrust these guys with a recording contract?

“Sub-Rosa Subway”. Had it not been for this track it’s likely Klaatu would not have achieved the success they attained. Formed in the early seventies, the band strove for years to garner attention until they finally landed a deal with Capitol. Klaatu released their debut album 3:47 EST in 1976 to surprising success.

For whatever reason, there was a distinct lack of information about the band and a rumor began that Klaatu was, in fact, the Beatles. The record label and the band did nothing to dispel this rumor, and as a result many avid music consumers truly believed the gossip.

In particular the track “Sub-Rosa Subway”, which the band themselves admitted was structured as a tribute to the Beatles, fueled the madness.

It didn’t take long for natural sensibilities to quell the Beatles rumors and, as one might expect, the band was subjected to severe backlash from fans who felt misled and essentially duped into buying the record.

Still, Klaatu carried on with four more albums before finally disbanding in 1981.

Perhaps the most favored track in Klaatu’s short career, “Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft”, was later covered successfully by The Carpenters.

“Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft” from 3:47 EST (1976)

“Sub-Rosa Subway” from 3:47 EST (1976)

BONUS MP3

“Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft” from Passage (1977)