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Free gifts at HUSH. A little help from my friends.

HUSH Records is pleased to offer up some totally FREE musical gifts to you today from Yours Truly. The Lost Album collects the last 11 original songs posted in the run up to number 156 in the P Bear Podcast, whereas Remixes Vol 1 collects the remixes peppered throughout the year. The Box Set, also available in the shop as 10 CD set or download (new), collects the rest of my big ol’ catalog thus far. Just click on over to the HUSHshop to download these pups.

And for anyone who has heard The End and has an opinion on it, please consider a little shout out on iTunes in the form of a customer review. It is presently (and surprisingly) now on the iTunes Music Store home page (in the “indie” window) and the Electronic genre page. But alas no customer reviews yet. Here’s a link to it.

A couple of teaser mixes:

The Lost Album

Remixes Vol 1.

The Lost Album

1. Sparkletone
2. Janky Cluster
3. Nature Kid
4. Robin’s Egg Blue
5. Simple To Operate
6. Drama Queen
7. Misfit Toys
8. Hook Line & Slinker
9. Proof
10. Invisible Is Not Invincible
11. Graduation

Remixes Vol I

1. I Believe In You (YACHT)
2. Father Of Failure (Horse Feathers)
3. Au Naturale (Radiohead)
4. Shake Shugaree (Laura Gibson)
5. Val K (Graves)
6. Radio Campaign (M Ward)
7. No Where (Graves)
8. Dumb Luck (Dntel)
9. Sweet Deception (Laura Gibson)
10. Perfect For Light (Bobby Birdman)

New P Bear Podcast: Sound of Picture!

Hello friends,

Please turn your attention to a completely new music outlet for me:

Sound of Picture Blog

Sound of Picture Podcast (iTunes – click subscribe)

The simple idea of Sound of Picture is to pair an original short composition with an original photograph in the hope that they enhance each other. The second idea is that this will inspire people to make their own pairings with this music (in animations, YouTube videos, podcasts, films, slideshows, and so forth.)

Sound of Picture posts may be more experimental, atmospheric, abstract, brief, and simple than the tunes that I have made for the Modern Music Grower podcast. Nonetheless, I think you will find they make a satisfying, if different, playlist. If you like what you hear, I beg of you to leave a comment on iTunes, so it doesn’t look so sparse up in there.

I previously reported that there are only 5 more songs to go til I get to the ‘finish line’ for my Modern Music Grower podcast goal. Lots of people have asked if I’m retiring after that and I’ve thought of various options. In all honesty I can’t imagine not making new P Bear songs in a similar mold. So, yes, the show will go on, but the frequency of updates is completely without guarantee (as it has been for a wee bit now)

Lastly, I did my first phone interview. Basically I just ramble, and the audio quality does a pretty good job of masking my voice, but if you’re curious you can listen in at dailysplice.com

truly,

p bear

This American Life

‘allo folks.

Just got back from the This American Life Live via Satellite show. I’m absolutely thrilled to have my music associated with the top shelf creative work of Ira Glass and all the staff and contributors at the show. I’ve been a fan for a decade now, and it’s almost like a fairy tale to me to have Ira crediting me by (code)name. So, by request here is a list of songs that were used in the pre-show quiz thing, and under Ira’s commentary:

Squirell Commotion

Climbing The Mountain

Airliner

Raccoon Family Robinson

1-800-Podbear

Streetbeat Heat

Yip Yop

Elephants On Parade

Assmack

Wednesday Night Flever (sic)

Huah

Zoot Suit

Sweet n’ Sour Sanich

Niagara Falls In A Raft

Depeche Mold

Kitty In The Window

You can navigate to long samples of these and 100+ more tunes in the sidebar over there.

My best advice (without being too much of a salesbear, if you’ll forgive the quick pitch) is to just order the box set if you feel like you can afford it, and like what you heard. It’s cheaper than iTunes ($3 an album) and it’s a nice compact keepsake chock full of delightful songs that work in the background and front. Good for the car, work, for cleaning the house, for home slideshows and movies, and more. If you’re not flush with 30 bones, or want to try before you buy, head on over to iTunes and download a few songs by subscribing to my podcast!

And if you’re up for it, feel free to leave a comment! OK.

-p bear over and out.

P Bear Update Bits

Just a few announcements.

1. One of my fave vlogs, Rocketboom, recently used one like half a dozen of my tunes as a soundbeds for their recent episodes. That Joanne is a charmer. Have a look.

2. I’ve just heard that P Bear songs are confirmed for the first four episodes of This American Life Season Two. They will be having a theatrical premiere in several cities. Here’s a trailer

3. HUSH Records will not only be releasing The End –the final installment from P Bear for the box set collection–but the box set itself in stores on June 24th. That’s the cover up yonder.

4. I’m counting down to posted song #149 as my finish line. (Adding the seven songs from The End brings the total to that magic 156. [52 weeks x 3 songs a week = 156]) That leaves only five more after today! (Sorry if some of you thought “Drunken Bees” was kind of a dud. I thought it was funny.)

ps. Keep in touch with me via the mailing list signup o’er there to your right.

Big Announcements!

Hello all.

Wow. Plenty of announcements:

• The final P Bear album entitled Play This When I Am Gone “The End” is almost finished! I’ve been secretly working on it since last October and I’m really excited to share it with everyone, but I’m afraid we’ll have to wait on that, as it is destined to be released widely (in stores and so forth) with the help of Portland’s HUSH Records (and, fear not, it will be mailed to Box Set buyers about a week in advance of the street date, as the capstone to the Box Set). The album consists of seven long tracks, and I have agreed to release only portions of these album tracks via the podcast, starting in May and working up to the release date June 10 (labels require a lot of lead time for promotion and stuff!)
• Complete P Bear albums are being sold at the new Polyfree Download Shop for only $5.59. (Mixed Bag, and Make-out Music to arrive soon)
• The Box Set price has been reduced to $29.99 given the reduced cost of mailing 9/10 CDs at once. (Thanks to all of the early supporters who paid a bit more. I have a surprise for you when the final CD goes out.) Those of you who have been holding out, now may be the time to buy as it will ensure that you will be one of the first to hear The End !
• The 9th Album, Make-out Music is on it’s way to box set buyers now.
• I will be working up to song #149 with originals as well as remixes. It’s a lot of work getting tracks and clearances for remixes. (You’ll notice many of the artists I remixed are available on HUSH Records–my official new pals–and I thank them for being easy to work with. Indeed, they have been kind enough to consult me on business stuff from the very early days!)

New songs soon.

Be well,

p bear

A New Look.

You may have noticed a different visual orientation here. I hope you will join me in being pleased about the little things: color photos greeting you on the index page, and instant access to streaming any one of over 135 songs I made in the last year.

Though I’ve always adored my old WordPress Theme, I’m settling into this one nicely. Soon you will find the link to the ‘Download Shop’ up there in the right corner working like a charm, talk soon.

-p bear

iTunes Best Podcast Of 2007

The nice people who work at Apple iTunes were kind enough to include Yours Truly on their Top New Podcasts of 2007 list (even though I didn’t make my regular installments at the end). Schucks, thanks guys.

I’m looking forward to finishing the box set in early 2008 with a special final album.

P Bear’s First Score: Icebreaker

I did the score to this short film.  (I also acted in it.)

Icebreaker from grammar school on Vimeo.

A newly hired elementary school teacher is confronted with the secret lives of his fellow faculty members.
Directed by Matt Knapp
Screenplay by Matt Knapp & Joe Ballman
Story by Michael Johnson
Produced by Matt Knapp & Joe Ballman & Payam Karamooz
Director of Photography Anthony Georgis
Music by P.Bear
Michael …. Michael Johnson
Ken ……… Jim Craig
Gerry …… Gerald A. Lewis
James ….. Micah Moss
Steven …. Chad Crouch
Denise …. Audrey Walker
Melinda … Judy Bennett
Don …….. Payam Karamooz