August 4-10, 2005

musicpicks

Friendly Bears

Rock/jazz/experimental

Somehow the experimental art-rock community got the idea that the path to success begins at band names that sound like PBS children's shows. Henry Cow paved the way, conjuring the image of a British-accented talking bovine. If New York's Friendly Bears evoke carefree teddies frolicking in a forest glade, then that pastoral idyll would be scored by King Crimson, Steve Reich and Fugazi. With their unusual trumpet/guitar/baritone guitar/drums lineup, the Bears have a wide-ranging palette at their disposal, building surprisingly unified moods from perpetually shifting fragments and employing limited instrumentation for an orchestral array of sounds. Less overtly influenced by metal than many current neo-prog bands, the Bears share affinities with minimalist rock-influenced jazz acts like the Claudia Quintet and Yeah No. It's unclear whether the band's just-released debut, On Oceans, Light and Sleep (Pralaya), is a step forward for jazz or for rock, but it's a step in the right direction in either case.

Sun., Aug. 7, 8 p.m., $8, with Powerlunch, Diamond Nights and The Misteriosos, The Khyber, 56 S. Second St., 215-238-5888, www.thekhyber.com.

—Shaun Brady