The Indie Review

By Sean Duregger
May 16, 2008

Artist: Polar Bear Club
Album: Sometimes Things Just Disappear
Label: Red Leader Records

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Sometimes you want to ditch the “over production wonderland” of today’s music and hear what you’re going to get at a dirty, sweaty, stuffy live show. So many bands today are supported live by pre-recorded tracks and synth just so they don’t look like total jackasses live. Welcome my Saviors, Polar Bear Club with their debut full length Sometimes Things Just Disappear.

Polar Bear Club draw minor influences from bands like Hot Water Music and Lifetime, resulting in some of the most exciting songs I’ve heard this year. There’s no over produced vocals here, Jimmy Stadt’s voice is perfectly imperfect. His gruff voice adds the perfect touch to the music and isn’t over dominant, letting the clean background vocals add depth to each song. I absolutely love the vocals on this album.

Musically, the other members deliver on all fronts. There is a post-punk edge here, with a combination of clean guitar and distortion. I really enjoy the balance of the production as well. This is one of the few albums that will translate from album to live performance. A quality that more and more albums are lacking. This is what makes Polar Bear Club so special. They remind me of all the bands I’ve fallen in love with throughout the years. Bands that can translate their raw energy and passion and energy into an album are the ones who have staying power.

Sometimes Things Just Disappear captures the rawness and passion of Polar Bear Club. So, buy the CD, learn the lyrics and get to that small, dark, stuffy bar and scream the lyrics along with everyone else in the room. I know I’ll be there.

Stand Out Tracks

“Hollow Place”

“Burned Out In a Jar”

“Our Ballads”

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 IndieUprising #40: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (580)

Music By: Socratic. Pride Before The Fall. Polar Bear Club. Phantom Planet. Sera Cahoone. Brass. Steraon. The Cab. Pluto Revolts. Falco Does It Dirty. Incommunicado. Nothing Less. Oso Optimo. Pomegranates.

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RED LEADER RECORDS - March News
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* Polar Bear Club debut full-length out now
* New distro deal with LMMG
* Nakatomi Plaza at SXSW
* Free Label Sampler

Plenty of exciting stuff going on at Red Leader Records this month, beginning with the highly-anticipated full-length from Rochester, New York’s Polar Bear Club. Sometimes Things Just Disappear is officially out as of yesterday via the label’s new distro deal with LMMG. Unquestionably worth the wait, you can swing by your local indie record store and pick up a copy…or as always, get it directly from Red Leader.

If you’d like to listen beforehand, the fine folks at Punknews.org are streaming the record in its entirely. Go here to check it out.

Next up, Brooklyn’s hardest working band, Nakatomi Plaza, is playing three shows at SXSW this week. All these shows are FREE.

Nakatomi Plaza SXSW Shows!
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MAR 13 - Austin, TX @ The Parlor, 100 B. East North Loop Blvd, 7pm (Nakatomi at 8pm), AA, Free!
MAR 14 - Austin, TX @ Parts and Labour (back parking lot), 1604 S. Congress, Nakatomi at 5pm, AA, Free!
MAR 15 - Austin, TX @ Agave Bar, 415 6th St., Nakatomi at 3pm, 21+, Free!

Finally, to celebrate all the madness, Red Leader has made their new label sampler free to download. Go here for 20 awesome songs from recent releases, not to mention unreleased / rare tracks from End Of A Year, Marathon, Nakatomi Plaza, Dear Tonight, FireWhenReady and Scream Hello.

Speaking of Scream Hello, it’s worth noting that the band’s new 4-song EP, Smart & Stupid, will be out on April 8th via Red Leader. It’s the precursor to Everything Is Always Still Happening, Scream Hello’s upcoming full-length due out in the Summer of 2008.

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RED LEADER RECORDS CMJ Showcase
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* Oct 20 @ Bowery Poetry Club, 308 Bowery, New York, NY 10012
* featuring Polar Bear Club, Dear Tonight, The New Dress, Nakatomi Plaza, Scream Hello and Fire When Ready

Red Leader Records Showcase
October 20 @ Bowery Poetry Club - 5:30pm

A ridiculously amazing showcase for Red Leader featuring some of the label’s most amazing bands.

Polar Bear Club - 9:20pm
Nakatomi Plaza - 8:40pm
Dear Tonight - 8:00pm
Scream Hello - 7:30pm
The New Dress - 6:40pm
Fire When Ready - 6:00pm

$10 or Free with CMJ badge

LOOK MEXICO Show
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* Oct 18 @ Puck Building - Day Stage, 295 Lafayette St, New York, NY 10012, 12pm
* with Wild Light, Eagle*Seagull

The Look Mexico kids will also be playing tomorrow, October 18th on the Day Stage at the Puck Building. High Noon. Be there.

Look Mexico are at the beginning of yet another tour (it never stops, really) in support of This Is Animal Music which finds the band traveling up and down the East Coast. They’ll eventually end up at FEST 6 in Gainesville and you can expect more Nov / Dec dates with Chase Pagan!

Look Mexico TOUR
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OCT 18 - New York @ CMJ / Day Stage - Puck Building
OCT 19 - Greenwood, DE @ The Wood Stage
OCT 21 - Chapel Hill, NC @ Blend w/ Mowgli
OCT 22 - Roanoke, VA @ Martin’s w/ The Wading Girl
OCT 23 - Atlanta, GA @ The Drunken Unicorn w/ Georgie James, Le Loup
OCT 24 - Tallahassee, FL @ The Beta Bar w/ Summerbirds in the Cellar
OCT 26 - Orlando, FL @ The Back Booth w/ Summerbirds in the Cellar
OCT 27 - Gainesville, FL @ FEST 6 / Market Street Pub w/ Bridge and Tunnel, Fake Problems, Gaslight Anthem, Lumuria
NOV 02 - Merritt Island, FL @ Pizza Di Rock w/ One Small Step For Landmines

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