Cool Hunting

In a time when bands like Animal Collective and Gang Gang Dance are fast becoming household names (at least among the music nerd set), Brooklyn-based Grizzly Bear comes at a rare moment when experimental music is getting its due. Their recent two-disc debut release, Horn of Plenty, is proof of avant-pop's current fertile grounds, featuring one disc of their moody melodic tracks and another remixed by the likes of Dntel, Soft Pink Truth, and Safety Scissors. Thanks to densely-layered vocals, atmospheric clicks and whispers, and eclectic effects, when the electronica outfits take over they blend well with Grizzly Bear's neo-romanticism. Like two sides of the same coin, each album compliments the other while conjuring different moods. Disc one's mournful traipse through genres ranges from folk to psychedelic, at times sounding like a more tame version of Xiu-Xiu. The other disc comes alive with blips and bleeps that propel the originals, seamlessly integrating with the haunting tracks in much the same way that Dntel did with Ben Gibbard on The Postal Service, making for a rare example of a remix album that's as good—if not better—than the source.

Check out some tracks on Grizzly Bear's Myspace page and pick up the CD from Kanine Records.