Somewhere amidst my non-homo love affair with Grizzly Bear, I found out that their guitarist Daniel Rossen has a side project called the Department of Eagles. I got their more recent album, 2008's In Ear Park, first and it's pretty rad. It's sounds like Grizzly Bear because it's basically Grizzly Bear without Ed Droste which is still a very good thing.
Yet 2003's The Cold Nose LP is my focus here, because it's just so goddamn creative and awesome. Though it probably wont reach that many ears on it's own merits because it's a bit inaccessible and is now a few years old, it's a goldmine for the open-minded listener. Danny and bandmate Fred Nicolaus met as assigned roommates at NYU and started fucking around with samples and recording guitars and vocals. The result, The Cold Nose (originally called The Whitey on the Moon LP), is a diverse collection of hip hop beats, string section swells, and Radiohead-esque rock songs, all arranged in a trippy, psychedelic way.
Highlights of the album are "Romo Goth" a unique rollicker, the trip hoppy "Gravity's Greatest Victory/Rex Snorted Coke," and the cluserfuck pieces "The Origin of Love" and "The Curious Butterfly Realizes He's Beautiful." The quality of the rest of the album is just as good as those highlights, but those are the one's that caught my ear first. The whole thing is a meandering stoner treat that was pretty much just meant to please them and their friends so don't blame it for seeming a little insular. I'm sure if you give it a little time, you'll dig it a lot.
Video For "Romo Goth"
And, not to undermine the greatness of In Ear Park, here are some samples of that, too. It's really great but it speaks for itself, whereas the Cold Nose requires a little explaining.
Video For "No One Does It Like You"
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