Breath easy internet, I have returned to my blogging post. Over the last week and a half I’ve been journeying up the Pacific Coast with Bear Hunter . As it turns out, when I try and write on my laptop while in the van I start to puke all over my band mates — hence, my absence from Synthesis Blog. Over the next few days I will be recounting my harrowing journey (in between fascinating posts about pop stars getting busted for drugs, children with weird growths on their bodies and general paranoid-paranormal fodder). Get ready, dear readers. Get your asses ready.

Generally speaking a band comprised of dudes, some of which sport beards, is a good sign. As in the case of North Michigan’s Bear Lake, it totally works. From their look I was expecting a kind of Broken Social Scene shoegaze rock, but Bear lake take it in a much more peppy, upbeat direction, more akin to the Shins or Heatmiser-era Elliott Smith on the happy meds. The group’s beenfriends since kindergarten, and listening to their entwining noises, the chemistry is palpable. The band’s multiple singers and (presumably) multiple songwriters makes for pleasantly divergent, yet complimentary indie-pop-rock. Mixing electronic drums with standard kit and layering multiple electric and acoustic guitars and keyboards with well-placed backup vocals and effects results in a real wall of sound that tickles the ears just right.

Instrumentation:
Keith May (Bass/Vox; 26), Steve Stetson (Drums; 25), Matt Hines (Lead Vox; 26), Jon Rice (Rhythm Guitar/Vox; 26), Brian Kwasnik (Piano/Vox; 26)

Discography
“Catch the Sun” Copyright Bear Lake Music 2007

From the sounds on their MySpace Page, you should definitely investigate Bear Lake and consider picking up a copy of Catch The Sun. And for the record, me selecting Bear Lake as our Band of the Day has almost nothing to do with similar nomenclature to a certain band dear to our heart.

So the thing about the internet that kind of sucks is that, you get in the habit of being able to find out basically anything you need to find out. Especially when you’re kind of a Google Sav like me, you can literally mine for data on any subject and come up with something EXCEPT, it seems: THE GODDAMN COCKSUCKING SLEEPYTIME BEAR. I mean, to me, Sleepytime Tea and it’s mascot are as ubiquitous as Pepsi or Campbell’s soup or whatever. I’ve been drinking that shit since I was born, nahmean? So you would think, in this day and age when everything that is anything is online and searchable, that finding out who originally drew said bear, and where I can get at some fucking original prints to hang on my mantle to worship in front of as I drink my Sleepytime every night would be easy, but NO! I can’t find fucking jack shit. Wikipedia doesn’t even have a Sleepytime Tea page. WTF! They have a Wikipedia page for fucking every stupid thing on the entire planet, including two for DICK CHEESE. Celestial Seasonings, the compay that makes Sleepytime, even has a whole gallery devoted to the artists who draw their packaging. But did they have anything on Sleepytime? FUCK NO. They also have product page devoted to Sleepytime….but NO ARTIST CREDIT. FUCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK

Anyway, what I’m trying to say, if you’re the person responsible for the genius that is the Sleepytime Bear, fucking get at me ASAP I want to be IN YOUR LIFE.