As a rule, I think band's should rip off as much as they can from Hall and Oates. I'm not talking some goofy, ironic appreciation of the fashion or mustache, I'm talking musically -- Hall and Oates are badass, and their string of hit singles is an enduring example of how to do it right: compact, tuneful, funky, and poppy as hell.
So I was feeling good a couple week's ago when Tucson Weekly and occasional New Times contributor Dan Gibson hipped me to the "Dial-A-Song" -like Callin' Oates hotline, a minor miracle in which you call 1-719-26-OATES and can select and listen to a few of Hall and Oates' greatest hits (all without leaving your cellphone).
Local folkers Bears of Manitou got the message loud and clear, and have launched their own hotline. Simply call 1-866-25-BEARS and you'll be greeted by a robotic message:
"Welcome to the Bears of Manitou hotline. Please listen to the following options because you have probably never heard them before."
The service give you five options: "Everything I Want," "Your Story," "Straight Ahead," "Houses," and "Out of Colorado" (though when you select "Out of Colorado" you are informed that you are a "silly person" and that the songs hasn't been released yet.
The familiar robotic voice also pimps the band's official site, and suggests checking out the merch and "buying all the things."
The band's featherlight sound translates nicely to my phone speaker, though I have to admit it sounds better when played via the much-more-high-tech SoundCloud player:
Everything I Want by bearsofmanitou
