'The Straw Bear Band' have a magpie nature.
Lyrically mixing folklore, myth, history and fiction.
Musically they're just as eclectic. Ranging from
delicate acoustic song to scratchy electronica,
ending up like a Joe Meek production of Tim Buckley.
Recently their sound has taken another turn,
and live they create a kind of 'medieval Krautrock'
or 'garage-folk'. This direction has inspired
the songs for the new 'Eccentric Heart' project;
an A-Z of British eccentrics. They confess to love
concept albums such as 'SF Sorrow' and
'In An Aeroplane Over The Sea', and this
has spilled over into their writing.
The band sing with fervor and heart, carving
songs from wood and lung.
Their first album 'From The Sea To Stars'
was released on Hobby-Horse Records in 2007.
The new album 'Eccentric Heart', and a single
will be out in the summer.
Lead singer Dom Cooper, also plays in 'The Owl
Service'. Whose debut album is released on
Southern Records in May. Their track 'The Two
Magicians' (which Dom sings on) is included on
the forthcoming Butterfly Recordings compilation
'What The Folk 2'.
The band are named after a festival that takes
place in the town of Whittlesey, where founder
Dom Cooper grew up.
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Trial By Bread & Butter
{Live at Cecil Sharp House 01/12/07}
The Werewolf (Michael Hurley)
{Live at Cecil Sharp House 01/12/07}
Lunar Light
{Live at Cecil Sharp House 01/12/07}
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The first Straw Bear Band album 'From The Sea
To The Stars' was released on St Pirans day,
5th March 2007.
'From The Sea To The Stars' tells the story of a car
that turns into a boy. The boy suffers migraines,
and dreams of the stars to escape. Upon waking
he sees those stars drip and form a girl. A girl
who he spends only a short time with, before they
both turn in to a red giant.
'From The Sea To The Stars'
1:The Engine/The Heart 2:Clustered Lights Above
3:Everything Hums 4:Migraine Season
5:Dream 1 6:Comfort In The Stars
7:Falling, Dripping 8:In A Safe Place 9:Dream 2
10:The Red Giant
Available to order through Paypal from Hobby-Horse
10 tracks, 30mins long, full artwork
Buy direct from us on cd:
UK orders £5 (incl shipping)
Non UK orders £6 (incl shipping)
Available to download for £5 from
Woven Wheat Whispers
'On the Same label as The Owl Service, the folk
inspired wonder of The Straw Bear Band is fully
realised on "From The Sea To The Stars",
a wonderful collection of delicate acoustic songs,
that are lifted by warm vocals and an attention
to detail such as the electronic ripples that grace
the superb opener "The Engine/The Heart". Having
impressed with the opening track, the band go for
the emotional jugular with "Clustered Lights Above",
one of those songs that will linger in you memory
forever, delicate as a moonlit cloud. "Everything
Hums" has a more modern feel, with nods toward
Tuung or King Creosote, a feeling continued on
"Migraine Season" with its sinister and scratchy
electronic heart perfectly in keeping with the
headache inspired lyrics. Throughout the album
this mix of modern technology and acoustic songs
is realised with certainty and belief, creating
a wonderfully textured free-flowing collection of
songs that is damn near impossible to prize
off the stereo'.
{Terrascope's Review from Simon Lewis}
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As well as playing some live shows, the band are
currently working on recording four albums. The new
project, called 'Eccentric Heart', will be an A-Z of British
Eccentrics. Each song, a story about a character
from history. Inventors, witches, pirates, gentry etc.
The first album is well under way.
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Other Recent Musical Adventures:
For info and discography Hobby-Horse Records.
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It helps us to decide. Thanks.
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