Artist description The Pretensions produces a wide variety of music, from humorous novelty songs to mysterious trance rock. Downloading only one song will NOT give you a complete picture of the band's abilities! Whether you're in the mood for a spooky story set to heavy folk music or acoustic psychedelia accompanying mythic poetry, The Pretensions has a song to entertain you.

Music Style Heavy Folk, Psychedelia, and Other Weirdness

Musical Influences AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Tom Petty

Similar Artists Bongwater, Jonathan Richman, Beck, AC/DC

Artist History After playing bass for bands in Birmingham (January Myth) and New Orleans (Noisecandy, Bliss), Eric Haarbauer turned to the New Orleans coffeehouse scene as a singer/songwriter. He soon encountered two frustrations: 1) He loathed collaborations with other musicians, and 2) he could only play one instrument at a time. Haarbauer evaded these problems by pouring his talents into his home recording studio... and into your MP3 player. Eric Haarbauer now lives with his wife and three cats in Athens, GA.

Group Members Eric Haarbauer

Instruments Vocal, Bouzouki, Mandolin, Electric & Acoustic Guitars, Jazz Banjo, Bass, Samples, Synth, Water Jug, Kazoo

Albums Bizarre Terrain, Haunty, Mouth of Set Preview

Press Reviews "The first half of this eight-song release is full of Celtic psychedelia with Gothic fogginess and new romantic overtones. Are you confused? Imagine Duran Duran's Simon LeBon dropping acid with Jefferson Airplane's Paul Kantner. Now see them writing lyrics with visions of Syd Barrett, Depeche Mode and any fire and brimstone preacher dancing in their heads. That's what the first two bizarre tracks sound like. The extremely trippy 'Anointed' is fueled by a weird vocal melody and takes a turn for the stranger when the 5/4 time guitar comes flying into the picture." Chris McKay, Flagpole Magazine, Athens, GA, April 26, 2000 "...brings to mind the best oddball of Frank Zappa or Ween.... Haarbauer is a brilliant technician: Bizarre Terrain sounds like it cost millions to make." Richard Fausset, Flagpole Magazine, July 29, 1998

Additional Info Join The Pretensions' mailing list! The link is just above the song list. (Powered by ListBot.)

Location Woodstock, GA - USA

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