Grizzly Bear

Grizzly Bear came on strong in 2006 with Yellow House, an album that itself doesn’t come on particularly strong. That’s not a slight, but an acknowledgment of what has grown to be Grizzly Bear’s most appealing trait: the patience and/or wisdom to let songs unwind slowly, surely, and to mesmerizing effect. The group has grown tons in terms of status—playing with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, touring with Radiohead, and breaking off into the successful side-project Department Of Eagles—and really broke through with the release of 2009’s Veckatimest. Not only did it debut at No. 8 on the Billboard charts and put the band on a number of year-end lists, but the album also propelled the band into its most ambitious yet pop-friendly territory so far. More importantly, it gave Grizzly Bear the chance to collaborate with Michael McDonald on a b-side version of “While You Wait For The Others."

Updated 08/05/2010