Browse by Artist: SEABEAR

Artist:	SEABEAR
Title:	The Ghost That Carried Us Away
Label:	A NUMBER OF SMALL THINGS (GERMANY)
Format:	LP + 7"
Price:	$19.50
Catalog #:	ANOST 014LP

Originally released by Morr Music in 2007, now re-released on vinyl by sub-label A Number Of Small Things, also including the sold-out 2007 Teenage Kicks vinyl 7". This is the debut release by Iceland's Seabear. The Ghost That Carried Us Away flatters in a rather unobtrusive way: fragile hymns of nonchalant casualness, created by Sindri Már Sigfússon. Guitars, piano, his almost bashful and yet present voice -- themes of nature, mortality and love from Iceland's musical heartland, Reykjavik. There's a violinist with her voice in the clouds, Gudbjörg Hlin Gudmundsdóttir (violin, vocals, harmonica) and Orn (guitar, lapsteel). Other members include Eiki, Orvar, Gudni and Dóri: one plays the flugelhorn, the slide-guitar and upright-bass, one belongs to the live line-up of Sigur Rós and another is part of the sensational Múm. Some are stage members of Benni Hemm Hemm's band. Sigfusson invited them into his small studio, placed them in front of the only microphone and let them think about his musical thoughts. He likes the notion and the feeling of lo-fi, and for the recording of the drums, only three microphones were used. The result is reminiscent of the reduced stereo recordings of the 1960s. "Libraries" is tiny and gigantic, unobtrusive and exciting at the same time -- a song like blinking into the most beautiful sunrise. A tumbling piano, swinging drums and melancholy melodies. "Hands Remember" includes murmuring vocals and two violins. In "Summer Bird Diamond," birds twitter to the sounds of an old banjo and glockenspiel. It is almost like a chamber folk radio play. And "Seashell" at last, is a pocket symphony, arranged around jumping drums.

Artist:	SEABEAR
Title:	Lion Face Boy/Cold Summer
Label:	A NUMBER OF SMALL THINGS (GERMANY)
Format:	7"
Price:	$7.00
Catalog #:	ANOST 021EP

This is the first single from the second Seabear album, We Built A Fire. While "Lion Face Boy" features the classic Seabear indie-folk-virtues, the flipside "Cold Summer" surprises with an intense and unsettling ballad that breaks new territory. Seabear started out as a one-man project of singer/guitarist Sindri Már Sigfússon, but grew into today's collective of 7 Icelanders with their debut album The Ghost That Carried Us Away (ANOST 014LP/MORR 076CD) in 2007.

Artist:	SEABEAR
Title:	The Ghost That Carried Us Away
Label:	MORR MUSIC (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.50
Catalog #:	MORR 076CD

This is the debut release by Iceland's Seabear. The Ghost That Carried Us Away flatters in a rather unobtrusive way: fragile hymns of nonchalant casualness, created by the 24-year-old Sindri Már Sigfússon. Guitars, piano, his almost bashful and yet present voice -- themes of nature, mortality and love from Iceland's musical heartland, Reykjavik. There's a violinist with her voice in the clouds, Gudbjörg Hlin Gudmundsdóttir (violin, vocals, harmonica) and Orn (guitar, lapsteel). Other members include Eiki, Orvar, Gudni and Dóri: one plays the flugelhorn, the slide-guitar and upright-bass, one belongs to the live line-up of Sigur Rós and another is part of the sensational Múm. Some are stage members of Benni Hemm Hemm's band -- the other Icelandic artist on Morr music. Sigfusson invited them into his small studio, placed them in front of the only microphone and let them think about his musical thoughts. He likes the notion and the feeling of lo-fi, and for the recording of the drums, only three microphones were used. The result is reminiscent of the reduced stereo recordings of the 1960s. "Libraries" is tiny and gigantic, unobtrusive and exciting at the same time -- a song like blinking into the most beautiful sunrise. A tumbling piano, swinging drums and melancholy melodies. "Hands Remember" includes murmuring vocals and two violins. In "Summer Bird Diamond," birds twitter to the sounds of an old banjo and glockenspiel. It is almost like a chamber folk radio play. And "Seashell" at last, is a pocket symphony, arranged around jumping drums.

Artist:	SEABEAR
Title:	We Built A Fire
Label:	MORR MUSIC (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	MORR 097CD

This is the second full-length album by Iceland's Seabear. Defying its humble beginnings as the lo-fi solo project of singer/multi-instrumentalist Sindri Már Sigfússon, Seabear has morphed into a rambling experimental/indie/folk septet. Joining Sigfússon (whose unassisted musings are now released via his Sin Fang Bous moniker, which just made Rolling Stone call him the "Icelandic Beck") are Gudbjörg Hlin Gudmundsdottir, Ingibjörg Birgisdóttir, Halldór Ragnarsson, Örn Ingi Ágústsson, Kjartan Bragi Bjarnason and Sóley Stefánsdóttir -- all working in a wide range of solo-, band- (Kimono, Skakkamanage) and visual art projects in their own right. For We Built A Fire, all members of the band had equal input in the writing process, thereby creating Seabear's first real collective album. While Sigfússon's unmistakable voice remains the centerpiece, the new joint approach is reflected in songs like "I'll Build You A Fire," where the whole band joins in on vocals. While retaining their signature simplistic and addictive naive indie-folk, the band have branched out stylistically to include elements of straight-up indie rock, intense balladry and even some country twang. There is something instantly familiar about Seabear's songs that resonates with fans and critics alike. Despite scant promotion and airplay behind their debut album release, 2007's The Ghost That Carried Us Away (MORR 076CD), their songs and animated videos were a social media hit generating millions of plays. It's a very Icelandic DIY setup -- their music is recorded by the band in their basement studio with its apple carton-covered walls. All artwork and videos are hand-made by Sindri's partner and band mate Ingibjörg Birgisdóttir.

Artist:	SEABEAR
Title:	While The Fire Dies EP
Label:	SOUND OF A HANDSHAKE (GERMANY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$14.00
Catalog #:	SHAKE 006LP

Vinyl release. Released in conjunction with their second album We Built A Fire (MORR 097CD/CD-LTD/LP), While The Fire Dies EP brings you the vinyl version of the six tracks that are on CD2 of the limited 2CD version of the We Built A Fire album (MORR 097CD-LTD). Seabear started as the solo-project of Sindri Már Sigfússon (aka Sin Fang Bous) and meanwhile has become a creative collective of seven Icelandic musicians. While the album showcases Seabear's wide range of styles and influences from indie-rock to intense balladry, the While The Fire Dies EP focuses more on the band's folky and laid-back side. The country-esque uptempo opener "Pocket Knife" is followed by alternate acoustic versions of the Seabear classics "Arms" and "Singing Arc" as well as the perfect Seabear-ballad "Bright House." After a short country twang interlude ("Leafmask II"), this EP ends with "Doctor," a string-dominated elegy and a perfect epilogue to both: album and EP.

Previous Page Index of Artists Next Page