Arts & Life, Music

Spotlight on local bands: Curly Bear

Curly Bear brings a vintage vibe that fits beautifully with retro Long Beach and conjures images of a modern Beach Boys or Stone Roses.

The band is currently comprised of Jon Rivera, a junior sociology major at Cal State Long Beach, Oscar Gallegos, a junior communications major at CSULB, and Crystal Cerecedes, a Cerritos City College student.

It’s quite a shame that they don’t yet have an album, because their music is truly pleasurable to listen to.

In fact, Curly Bear’s Facebook page reads “A bunch of dudes together for the same purpose: to spray our indie surf tones all over your purty faces.”

Like true surf tunes, they infuse lighthearted arpeggios with strong drumming and tender vocals that make you want to swing dance and jump around at the same time.

Deep crooning of the vocals in “Handyman,” a song that Curly Bear carried over from the Bukkakes, “Oh, girl, I wanna hold your hand,” a lyric that can alone hint at the genre that Curly Bear embodies.

Another song, “Inside Of You,” features slow, surfy bass accompanied by rhythm guitar and drumming with a healthy dose of high-hats.

If you’re still unable to imagine what Curly Bear sounds like, think of a mix of indie, blues and a drowsy surf rock.

Q: So how did you three decide on the name Curly Bear?

Crystal Cerecedes: In high school, [Jon] had a group of friends and everyone had nicknames like Blonde Bear, Gold Bear, etc. And he was Curly Bear.

Q: When and why was the band formed?

Jon Rivera: In high school, Crystal and I played a show, a backyard show, together. I really liked the experience of writing music and playing at shows. I wanted to create something. I had a band before Curly Bear called The Bukkakes, but when the band was renamed Curly Bear, no one transitioned over but me.
Oscar Gallegos: That’s actually why the name was changed, since Jon was the only original band member.

Q:Where have you guys played before?

JR: Aside from backyards…
OG: A bunch of bars.
JR: The Five-Star, and the Redwood Bar.

Q: Is it difficult to find venues?

JR: If we were newer then maybe, but we’ve been at this a while and we network pretty well with other bands, so it’s not too difficult.

Q:
What would you say has been your favorite gig?

JR: Oscar’s house.

Q: Any upcoming shows?

JR: We took a hiatus and we’re focusing on recording right now.

Q: Since you were originally another band, do any of those songs carry over and officially become Curly Bear songs?

JR:
Yeah, they’re all our songs now.
OG: We use a lot of old Bukkake songs.

Q: If a fan goes to one of your shows, likes your music, and wants to listen to it online, can they?

JR:
Um, not yet.
OG: We don’t have a Bandcamp right now.
JR: Just two songs on Youtube uploaded by friends.

While anyone who’s gotten a taste is dying to hear more, there is sure to be a wait; the band is currently in search of a drummer. Tryouts will be held next week, and according to a post on their official instagram, they plan to record their new EP “Typical Hipsters” in May.
Curly Bear can be found online at www.facebook.com/TheBukkakes.

One Comment

  1. Avatar

    I saw these guys at some bar and again at some backyard show. Trash. No stage presence, the music is bland, & the lyrics as far as I can tell are poorly written. The melodies are ok from the guitarist (fhe one not singing) but the singer is pretty bad.

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