Jack Bishop, the 20 year-old mastermind behind the moniker Mr. Bear, kicked off his musical career playing the trombone in the sixth grade. But with some seventeen instruments credited to him for the re-release of his album These Machines, Bishop has come a long way since his days as a middle school band kid in Little Rock, Ark. The trombone led to the piano, the banjo, and the guitar, and soon any and every instrument Bishop's friends or family members gave him, until the orchestration for These Machines reached critical mass.

Bishop masterfully weaves together fanciful yarns, playful sound effects, and delightful melodies to create an intriguing form of musical story telling. It's creative, colorful, and, at times, even shocking. After initially writing a batch of instrumental pieces, Mr. Bear began to add lyrics. One of the first songs, "How Tasty (Are The White)," is a tale about the desperation and guilt associated with cannibalism. The LP also features fun topics like rubber duckies and Big Foot, for good measure.

Bishop currently attends Columbia where he reports he is already at work on his next album.

Rachel Kowal

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