The Most Amazing Thing I’ve Seen Today Part XVII

If you read this blog you know I have written extensively about Grizzly Bear’s stunning 2009 release, Veckatimest. Lucky for us the band has explored a number of innovative endeavours to promote said  recording milestone. With this one, artist Allison Schulnik creates a blurry rainbow-dripped claymation landscape for their sublime, "Ready, Able." Possessing an intensely ethereal beauty this, dear reader is the most amazing thing I’ve seen today.

Grizzly Bear to Release Expanded Veckatimest Album

Grizzly Bear are set to release an expanded version of their very terrific Veckatimest album on November 2nd. Originally released in May of this year, the expanded edition will feature an additional disc with seven session tracks and an extensive twenty four page photo booklet. The two CD set will feature songs from sessions including those recorded for the BBC in Maida Vale and Santa Monica’s KCRW- Morning Becomes Eclectic. The new edition surprisingly doesn't have a physical release date set for North America though the bonus material will be available digitally via iTunes worldwide on the same date. To make matters worse, this fool believed that the Grizzly Bear /Michael Macdonald collaboration would have been a natural for inclusionin the set. Doesn’t look like it…

The tracklisting for both CDs can be seen below.

Grizzly Bear Veckatimest

01 - Southern Point

02 - Two Weeks

03 - All We Ask

04 - Fine for Now

05 - Cheerleader

06 - Dory
07 - Ready, Able
08 - About Face
09 - Hold Still
10 - While You Wait for the Others
11 - I Live With You
12 - Foreground

Bonus CD:

01 - Southern Point (KCRW Session)
02 - All We Ask (KCMP Session)
03 - Ready, Able (KCRW Session)
04 - Foreground (Duyster Session)
05 - Two Weeks (BBC Maida Vale Session)
06 - Dory (World Café Session)
07 - While You Wait for the Others (BBC Maida Vale Session)

Last night Grizzly Bear visited Conan O’Brien on the Tonight Show in Los Angeles with their Beach House compadre Victoria Legrand for a take on their sublime "Two Weeks," Matt Popieluch from Foreign Born was also spotted playing keyboards for the band.

If you missed it, check it out below.

Yah Mo B-side

Brooklyn indie darlings, Grizzly Bear have always done things somewhat unconventionally. News from their camp today that the B-side of the single “While You Wait for the Others” from the very fine Veckatimest, features vocals on the same track as interpreted by the one and only blue-eyed and beardy soul legend Michael "I Keep Forgettin'" McDonald. Yes, it is indeed that ex-Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan dude, Michael McDonald…

Thanks Grizzly Bear, you just blew my mind again. (Get the song on iTunes, or order the 7" directly from the band.)

Watch the band performing that song sans Macdonald on Later with Jools Holland in May.

LOLA Fest This Weekend

At last it's here. Opportunities like this one are rare. Be sure to attend. Click to see the lineup and times.

London Ontario Live Arts Festival (LOLA) has its second wild and wonderful incarnation starting on Thursday. Over its four-day run, LOLA vows to transform downtown London into a massive public art gallery and concert space.

British artist Brian Eno's generative exhibition 77 Million Paintings is being unveiled Thursday at the Wolf Performance Hall. (Eno is said to be recording with Coldplay and won't be on hand.) Grizzly Bear, Constantines, Basia Bulat, Torngat, Hylozoists, the Acorn, Prefuse 73 and Akron/Family are among the free attractions at Victoria Park. There are also some admission-charging club shows.

Posters, venue and artist information here.