Golden Bear (C-Side)
By Ryan Harig
Friday. Aug 04, 12:02 AM
You can never deny the rock!

How do you deny rock? Especially when you’re a 20-something boy from the Midwest with a penchant for fast food, video games, and the girl that got away? I think it’s relatively unheard of. Granted, there's still the kids from the big city pushing their hip hop eight mile dreams, but even they will tell you that the sound of a unchained guitar and a couple o’ nice AC/DC riffs – or maybe even a little Zeppelin – can definitely feed that testosterone urge. The manly grit of teeth and feet stomping / car singalong that everyone – no matter how much of a sad sap they are – can deny. It feels good to rock: it’s a nice fuzzy distorted feeling in the chest where one realizes that Kiss were right, I do want to "rock and roll all night and party everyday!" I believe it is in that unhindered place of love for rock that a band like Texas natives Golden Bear live.

Right from the get go, the first five tracks of this album are an exuberant collage of all the best mixings of classic rock that has come before. You hear The Who's scrawling anthematic riffs, the pounding heavy drums of classic Zeppelin, and the piano-driven rock of The Band. It’s a big meaty stew of music, really, and an incredibly startling, unique experience upon repeated listening. I’ll be honest: I didn't really like this disc all that much when I first heard it. It was almost too sure of itself, and that can be a turn off as a first impression. But what is rock and roll without a little bit of ego? If you’re going to really bleed it and know it, you gotta say “I know we can do this.” The band’s gotta live it through the music, and for all intensive purposes Golden Bear do. Golden Bear have that drive, the right hooks, and the right attitude of a rock band. This record is overloaded with hip shaking singalongs and the right amount of classic stylings to make them a present day kick ass rock band. No joke.

Chris Gregory knows it: the songwriter / guitar smasher has a vision for this group and a purpose. It’s apparent in his ability to keep up with his fellow band members, as his songs are balanced by an above all excellent set of sticks from Andy McAllister and keys work from Matt Gardiner. "The Saddest Songs" features an interesting choice of vocal accompaniment in the form of Will Oldham cohort Pink Nasty, as well as an excellent appearance by Dixie Chicks dad and pedal steel legend Lloyd Maines.

The band had a definite idea of what they set out to achieve from the get go, and Golden Bear make it apparent from start to finish. There isn't a bad tune to be had here. These guys are out there somewhere: hips swaying, fists pounding, the legend of rock living and breathing, showing them all why it’s so important that such a scene should be repeated across the country. There's nothing better than the rock that drives us: you can’t deny it, and Golden Bear know it.
www.goldenbeartheband.com
www.c-siderecords.com

Ryan Harig

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