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BEAR CAT
Pop / Pop / Chinese pop

In USA+want album? http://cdbaby.com/cd/BearCat




New Zealand

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Last Login:  11/11/2009
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   BEAR CAT: General Info
Member Since4/19/2006
Band Websitecdbaby.com/cd/BearCat
Band MembersJocee Tuck, Chopper Dan
InfluencesRamones, Ronettes, pandas
Sounds Likethree chords, overblown melodrama, oohs and ahhs, cheap dynamic shifts in lieu of considered construction, hamfisted metaphors, boys and girls, two bedroom studios + one good engineer (Dave), swooning, singing, shortcomings
Record LabelWanna release our cassingle? :-)


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BEAR CAT's Latest Blog Entry  [Subscribe to this Blog]

Xiong Mao available in US/worldwide  (view more)

Bear Cat in Real Groove, on National Radio + The Corner  (view more)

Bear Cat's Xiong Mao available to order online now!  (view more)

bear cat album release show next friday sept 4th! @ cassette  (view more)

follow Bear Cat on Twitter  (view more)

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   About BEAR CAT
BEAR CAT RELEASES DEBUT ALBUM XIONG MAO

Xiong Mao is available at an affordable price to US/international listeners in CD and MP3 format at the wonderful CD BABY

Auckland band Bear Cat have been working hard at being the best panda pop band in the universe. At the moment this has been pretty easy because they are the only panda pop band in the universe. You would think that occupying such a niche might limit the appeal of Bear Cat. This may very well be true, but they're doing quite alright, thank you very much. Formed by Chopper Dan and Jocee Tuck in 2006, Bear Cat have grown from bedroom pop origins to play shows with the likes of Chicago's acclaimed Andrew Bird, Sufjan Stevens labelmate Halfhanded Cloud and Brooklyn dance-poppers Matt & Kim. In 2008 their track Red Panda Blues was featured on Real Groove's Awesome Feeling II compilation and they were one of five national finalists in the MTV Kickstart competition.

And now, in some sort of a silly play on the idea of a self-titled first album, they're releasing an album called Xiong Mao, which means 'Bear Cat' in Chinese. It may also help to mention that in the Chinese homeland of the giant panda, the word 'panda' is written by writing the symbols for Bear and Cat alongside each other. Yeah I know, amazing. It features eight pop songs about pandas self-produced and recorded with friend Dave Parker in their bedrooms.

We just talked up the fact Xiong Mao is about pandas, but it's also about literally dozens of other topics. There's songs about being the only one of your kind in lonely Auckland City and singing the American Tail theme song 'Somewhere Out There' from a rooftop garden ('City Beat'), about what happens when you finally meet your celebrity crush/penpal in person ('Set, Set, Set My Eyes On Fire'), about having dark circles under your eyes, about being set free, about crusading journalists on midnight dashes to the Beehive to face off with Helen Clark in the 'Pandagate' saga of 2002 ('New Zealand Adopt This Panda'). Ohyeah, LOTS of stuff.

Xiong Mao is best listened to on headphones while floating in a pit filled with coloured balls, like the one they used to have at Glenfield Georgie Pie. It's sort of a concept album - though they don't think it should be considered a novelty to have a thematically and musically connected set of songs. Armed with big ambitions and a series of dinky instruments, they've constructed toy orchestras around cartoonish story telling lyrics. After two years plus of on and off recording, Xiong Mao's final tracklist encompasses casiotones, Hammond organ, saxophone, violins, trumpets, triangle, omnichord, typewriter, melodihorn, harmonica, glockenspiel and more.

With such stirring ideas, melodies and instruments it's surely not too long before there is a revolution in the music world. Quickly realising the well of 'love songs' could be running dry, other bands will flock to write love songs from the perspective of pandas. Pretty soon there will be literally millions of panda pop bands, at which point Bear Cat are planning to throw a curve ball and start firstly playing panda metal... or maybe, with their particular craft mastered - expanding to other topics. Oh boy, the possibilities! The band are currently residing in a tiny flat in Auckland and working on a follow up to Xiong Mao.

Contact Bear Cat on bearcatmusic@gmail.com

BEAR CAT'S ALBUM XIONG MAO IS AVAILABLE IN STORES AND ON ITUNES, DIGIRAMA AND AMPLIFIER.CO.NZ FROM AUGUST 7

Follow Bear Cat on Twitter RIGHT HERE
NZ listeners purchase Xiong Mao in CD or MP3 format at AMPLIFER.CO.NZ or go to NZ iTunes. USA/international listeners purchase Xiong Mao in CD or MP3 format at the American distributor CD BABY

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BEAR CAT's Friends Comments
Displaying 25 of 530 comments  ( View All | Add Comment )
I Am The Light*

I Am The Light*



Oct 29 2009 12:39 AM

Hello my favourite Pandas!
I FINALLY have new songs up! Do take a listen.
Lets have burgers again soon :D
xx
Urbantramper

Urbantramper



Oct 28 2009 7:15 AM

Friday night @ the Wine Cellar...
Non attendance will result in regret...
8.30 start...

Looking forward to it people.




Zebratron

Zebratron



Oct 22 2009 2:46 AM

Wow, ill be sure to look them up. :)
And you two are pure animal loving (in the most wholesome of ways) musical genius!
Heaps inspiring.
These Dancing Wolves

These Dancing Wolves



Oct 12 2009 2:30 AM

That's crazy mad. There's a panda revolution happening in the country right now, and they don't even notice it.
Racists.
Yeah, we sent an mp3 into Blink last week. Just waiting to hear back. It'll be super fun.
But we'll go if we don't play anyway!
Are you guys playing at Camp?
These Dancing Wolves

These Dancing Wolves



Oct 10 2009 7:13 AM

Chopper Dan... was that you on the MTV awards category clips thing?

I thought so.
R.E.Muncies!™indigochild>NDN

T. Quitsmoking



Oct 8 2009 2:33 AM

( hello
Royal Falcon

Royal Falcon



Oct 6 2009 10:06 PM

would you guys be interested in playing the King's Arms on oct 25th - :Labour Weekend?

Dan
Polka Dot Dot Dot

Polka Dot Dot Dot



Oct 6 2009 10:06 PM

Crushvibes!

Hope all is well!

Looooooove,
Polka Dot Dot Dot
kimi

kimi



Oct 6 2009 10:05 PM

:) i am very good!
are you fullas hitting camp this year?
Up Brothers

Up Brothers



Oct 6 2009 10:05 PM

Thanks a lot for accepting us as friends guys!!!

So... MAP means: Music Alliance Pact... a blogger from a different country of the world selected the best indie band from his coutry and they made like a list...

You guys were there... so thats great... isn't it?

See ya
Brittany Kusserow

Brittany Kusserow



Oct 6 2009 10:05 PM

Good morning on the verge of afternoon! I played before you guys at Bunker Hill Folk Review a few millenia ago, if you remember. Just wanted to encourage you to keep fighting the good fight.
the rabbits of waterview

the rabbits of waterview



Oct 6 2009 10:05 PM

Dear Friends,
We have songs. If you want, listen. Lo-fi homages to small town New Zealand.

TROW
Little Fire and the Funeral Choir

Little Fire and the Funeral Choir



Oct 6 2009 10:05 PM

Dan! Jocee!

Awesome recordings! Actually amazing.
YOU DUMB

YOU DUMB



Oct 6 2009 10:05 PM

i have friends in china who can infiltrate the party system also i have a very advanced computer hacking program which will destroy all chinese computers and turn them into bamboo yum yum :D
NATALIE AND THE VIDEO MACHINE

NATALIE AND THE VIDEO MACHINE



Oct 6 2009 10:05 PM

you too. I hear the show w as great.
sweet tunes!
lilly

lilly



Oct 6 2009 10:05 PM

ta for the add =]
0.00 Horses

0.00 Horses



Oct 6 2009 10:04 PM

WE HEART BEAR CAT!
THE TOP ¶¶

Radio Active



Oct 6 2009 10:04 PM

:)


Brent West

Brent West



Oct 6 2009 10:04 PM

NACHOES!

Image and video hosting by TinyPic

I have Dan to thank for a lot of things!
Flying Scribble

Flying Scribble



Oct 6 2009 10:04 PM

NOT AGAIN!
Great North

Great North



Oct 6 2009 10:04 PM

I am so glad that we are finally friends!
Matt Watts -new song online

Matt Watts -new song online



Oct 6 2009 10:04 PM

i've posted my new record,

all the best,
-matt
James

James Burke



Oct 6 2009 10:04 PM

Chuffed to bits to finally have you coming down to Pukekohe to do Acoustic Edge. I've badgered Todd FAR too many times over the last few years! WOOHOO!!!
DREAMS of the DEAD

DREAMS of the DEAD



Oct 6 2009 10:03 PM

come check our new music out!?!?!??!?   see you tonight!!!!!!!
Little Fire and the Funeral Choir

Little Fire and the Funeral Choir



Oct 6 2009 10:03 PM

RIDICULOUS amounts of fun last night guys. Thanks heaps for the goodtimes.

Little Fire
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