Welcome to a brand new feature on Muzzleofbees.com. In hopes of getting to know the people behind our favorite music blogs, I have decided to sit down/e-mail some of my favorite bloggers in a new feature called “Get to know your blogger.” I was extremely pleased to have Chris from Gorilla Vs. Bear agree to be our first interview. He did an amazing job….

In between posting on his hugely popular music blog, and catching The Rosebuds play a packed show at the Gypsy Tea Room, Chris Cantalini opens up to Muzzle of Bees about some of his favorite albums, blogs, and a even his favorite t-shirt.

Chris and Diplo

If you are a fan of indie rock, Gorilla Vs. Bear is a daily stop for MP3′s, new artists to watch out for, photos and reviews from concerts in the Dallas area. I’ve been a big fan of the site since it first went up earlier this year, and was happy that Chris was kind enough to lend his time to the new “Get to know your blogger” feature on this site.

Let’s get some general background on you. You currently reside in Texas, correct?

Yeah, I’m actually moving into a new house next weekend in Lakewood, an Old neighborhood near downtown Dallas. I was born in Detroit, MI, but I moved to Texas when I was about 7. I went to college in San Diego, and have also lived in Denver and Miami.

I want get an idea of your musical taste evolution if you will. What were some of the first albums/tapes/CD’s you bought?

The first CD’s I remember buying with my own money were Nirvana’s Nevermind, Pearl Jam’s Ten, and A Tribe Called Quest’s Low End Theory. I think I got all three on the same day when I got my first CD player when I was like 13 or so. Before that, I remember having tons of crappy tapes of bands that will remain nameless. And as an even younger kid, the first albums I remember being obsessed with were my parents’ Beatles records, particularly Abbey Road.

When I started listening to music, there were certain musicians that led me in the path of a lot of other bands. Did you have any similar experiences with bands growing up?

Definitely. I think the bands that sort of broadened my musical horizons and really got me into “indie rock” were Sonic Youth and Radiohead, when I was about 15 or so. Me and hundreds of thousands of other kids.

What are some of your favorite records of all time?

Oh man, too many to list. There are a few I listen to religiously, and they never leave my car: Tripping Daisy’s ‘Jesus Hits like the Atom Bomb‘, which is probably the most underrated album of all time, Digable Planets‘ ‘Blowout Comb‘, A Tribe Called Quest’s ‘Midnight Marauders‘, the Beatles’ ‘Revolver’, the Zombies ‘Oddesey and Oracle’, Arcade Fire’s ‘Funeral’, The Shins’ ‘Oh inverted world’. Currently, I’m obsessed with The Knife’s ‘Deep Cuts’, Jose Gonzalez’s ‘Veneer‘, Tapes ‘n Tapes‘ ‘The Loon’, and The Rosebuds‘ “Birds make good neighbors’. I know I’m leaving a bunch out, but I’ll stop there so I don’t bore your readers to death.

Any idea how many albums are in your collection?

Probably about 300 on CD, another 100 or so on vinyl, and like 60 GB on my hard drive.

If you could spend time with 3 musicians, who would you choose?

Tim DeLaughter, Joanna Newsom, and Chan Marshall.

Where do you buy the majority of your records? Do you support a particular record store in your area, buy online, and if so, where?

The majority of my CD’s are purchased at Good Records in Dallas, TX. other than that, I’ll buy stuff online from labels or band websites, or at used record stores.

I’m sure you’ve seen some great concerts. Can you tell me what the first concert you saw was and when? To follow that up, are there any particular shows that stand out in terms of being favorites?

The first concert I went to without my parents was Tripping Daisy, when I was 15 or 16 I think. I was blown away. That still stands out as one of my favorites among the hundreds of shows I’ve seen. Other shows that stand out include Digable Planets my senior year in high school.

And the first time I saw The Polyphonic Spree in 2001. At the risk of sounding overly dramatic, I was pretty cynical at the time about music and life in general, so that was a fairly life-altering show. I hadn’t experienced the same feeling I get at a Polyphonic Spree show until I saw Arcade Fire for the first time in January of this year. and recently Broken Social Scene really impressed me, and every time I’ve seen the Black Keys I have been amazed.

I can remember the day you posted on the Arcade Fire message board that you had started a blog. Can you tell me what got you into blogging, and are you surprised by the popularity your blog has attained?

Wow, yeah I remember that. Well I’ve been reading blogs like Stereogum and Fluxblog for the last couple years, but when I found blogs like My Old Kentucky Blog and You Ain’t No Picasso at the beginning of ’05, I started thinking that blogging would be something fun to do to kill some time at work. I originally started it as a way to share music w/my friends, so yeah; you could say I’m pretty surprised at how many people actually read it now. It’s pretty insane, actually.

What are some of your favorite blogs?

There are so many good ones right now, and I really mean that. I read every single blog on my sidebar at least a couple times a week. That said, I think Music for Robots and Said the Gramophone are particularly essential.

Being a blogger you develop a unique relationship with certain artists, who you almost befriend, have you had any experiences like that?

I’ve had the chance to get to know quite a few artists a little bit over email and at shows. I won’t name drop, but the indie artists I’ve met in general are all very humble and generous and very appreciative of what all bloggers are doing.

How important do you think music blogs are in general? Do you think they will continue to be as popular as they are today?

I think it’s pretty obvious that music blogs have a ton of influence, but I’m not sure how ‘important’ they are. But a band that immediately comes to mind is Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. I mean, they’re a pretty decent band, but come on. The hype surrounding them was generated almost entirely by blogs. And every label/promo company would love to recreate the success of a band like the Arcade Fire, and I think the general perception is that it was bloggers that sort of “broke” them into the mainstream, whether that’s true or not. I don’t think the number of blogs will continue to explode like they did this year, just based on saturation. But I think the handful or so of the best ones will continue to thrive and be influential.

Let’s get away from music for a bit. What are some of your favorite movies and television shows?

I have a few favorite television shows, namely Freaks and Geeks, Arrested Development, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Wonder Showzen. I’ve probably watched my copy of ” Freaks and Geeks: The Complete Series” on DVD like 18 times. I highly recommend it. My favorite movies are anything Wes Anderson does (especially Rushmore), Donnie Darko, Amelie, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, City of God, and Disney’s the Fox and the Hound..

I know you are a Detroit Pistons fan, are you a fan of other sports teams? Can you talk a little about your “Detroit Pistons girl?” How you found her, etc?

Yeah I’m also a huge fan of the University of Michigan football. But they suck right now. And any Detroit teams. Sadly the Tigers and the Lions have both seen better days. And I also like the Dallas Mavs again now that they waived that punk Doug Christie. I still credit the Hot Detroit Girl with helping to make my blog popular. I remember the first time I posted a pic of her, some porn site linked to me and my traffic exploded.

A lot of people have a favorite t-shirt, do you have any?

I love my “Happiness is a Dachshund” t-shirt that I got at a vintage store about 5 years ago. I had a little miniature dachshund named Lucy when I found that shirt, so it holds some sentimental value even though it’s got some holes in it and the label is peeling off.

Chris (with aforementioned t-shirt) and “Butterfly” of Digable Planets fame.

I saw on your website that a friend of yours was pimping a Gorilla vs. Bear t-shirt. Any chance of those ever hitting the marketplace?

I don’t think the demand for those would be too high. But I have to admit, that was a pretty sick homemade shirt, we got a lot of compliments on that one.

In your opinion, what animal would win the fight between a Gorilla and a Bear? Please give your reasons why.

It’s funny; it was my friend’s obsession with these theoretical animal fights that was actually the inspiration for the blog’s name. I think a gorilla would clearly win, for obvious reasons. I don’t think it would be as close as most people think. Most people think a bear would win, but they’re all wrong.

Who is the hottest woman on Earth in your opinion?

Wow, that’s a tough one. How about a top 5? in no particular order, Audrey Tautou, Sarah Silverman, Jessica Alba, Chan Marshall, Katrina Kerns.

Make sure you also stop by the Gorilla Vs. Bear Myspace page and sign up to be their friend. Big thanks to Chris for his time in this feature!

Muzzle of Bees loves 4 day weekends. I’ve got some MP3′s for you to check out below, I think you’ll like them.

Morcheeba – In The Hands of Gods (featuring Biz Markie)

Morcheeba released their disc, Get Mashed this year, which was previously only available as a bootleg. If you’re like me, you are probably upset that Morcheeba now boasts a new female singer in their line-up. Either way, the track above features an amazing track laced with Biz Markie’s flow.

Matt Costa – Sunshine

After a successful summer tour opening for Jack Johnson and signing to Jack’s record label, Matt Costa is currently flying under the radar. His music, strongly influenced by early Lennon/McCartney collaborations, is refreshing and nice. The track “Sunshine” posted above is the standout on Matt’s album, “Songs We Sing.”

Jackson Browne – For A Dancer

I used to hate flying. In fact, I took a 3 day train ride from San Diego up to Washington and across to Wisconsin once. Since my job requires I travel a couple times a month, I had to get used to flying pretty quick. I stumbled across this song while my ipod was on shuffle. I only have one Jackson Browne album, and it’s pretty great. The song “For A Dancer” gets played every time I get on a plane. It’s just really calming.

Ray Charles – Do I Ever Cross Your Mind

I finally got “Ray Charles: The Complete Country & Western Recordings 1959-1986,” and it was more than I ever imagined it being. Ray Charles music means a lot to me, he’s up there on my favorite artists list. The MP3 above is strong enough to break a heart or heal a broken one in my opinion.

Mike Doughty – St. Louise Is Listening

I saw Mike Doughty a few months ago at the High Noon Saloon here in Madison. It was the first time I had seen him with his new band. I had seen him open for Galactic solo a number of times. I hesitate to say that I was blown away by his performance, but it was definitely very memorable. Towards the end of his set he played, “St Louise Is Listening.” It sounded great then, and so does this MP3, so give it a listen!

My Morning Jacket – I Will Be There When You Die

This version of the song was released on the “Songs From a Brown Hotel EP” soundtrack that was released from the Elizabethtown movie. It also appeared on MMJ’s album, “The Tennessee Fire.” I think this one sound a lot better.

I rarely blog about my personal life, but the combination of boredom and horrible weather we are enjoying in Madison today compels me to do so. I’m from a very small town in Wisconsin, and headed home for the Thanksgiving holiday. The purpose of this post is to give you some idea of what you can find in small town Wisconsin on any given night.

I’m not sure if it’s a Thanksgiving tradition or just an annual outing, but my friends and I make the 15 mile trip into the middle of nowhere to a bar that boasts a wide variety of taxidermied (I know this isn’t a word, but it works) animals and great prices on booze.

On the drive to the aforementioned bar, I was sure that it being the middle of hunting season the place would be packed with crazy hunter patrons drinking until the morning called them back to the hunt, I was wrong. It ended up only being a group of about 10 of us, but we had a great time. See for yourself.

A fawn on display.

My friend Alex displays the 7 beers he bought for $12.

Playing a game of “flip cup”

Doing an audition for the Arcade Fire in the basemet as a deer looks on.

According to the AP, Mr Miyagi has passed away at his home in Las Vegas of natural causes. The Karate Kid movies were huge for me as a kid.

Dodge at My Old Kentucky Blog put up his favorite albums from 2005.

If you’re looking for someone with a finger on pulse of what’s cool and fresh, Dodge is your man. He chose My Morning Jacket’s “Z” as album of the year, it’s going to be up there for me. Please also check out his dagger in the heart of Chris at Gorilla Vs. Bear, by leaving Sufjan Stevens “Illinois” album off his list.

Photo snagged from Chris.

Last week, I posted on Jenny Lewis and The Watson Twins upcoming album, Rabbit Fur Coat. So for some Thanksgiving desert, Gorilla Vs. Bear and Everybody Cares, Everybody Understands both hook you up with an MP3 from the 2006 release. FEAST ON THAT!

From what I’ve heard so far, and what other are saying, look for Rabbit Fur Coat to appear on a lot of people’s “Best of 2006″ lists. I know it’s early, but…..