The Bird & The Bee... Mod or Fraud?
Photo by: The Wong Way
I took a little online quiz the other day... called Mod or Fraud and it led to some pondering...
I've always been a fan of music inspired by lounge, exotica and mid-century mod so over the past fifteen years or so I've come to love a few artists that have their own take on it. Some go all out on the full band jazz angle, others translating it into modern electronica and a few just molding their inspiration into hints of kitsch...
What happens if you blend all of these together? You get awfully close to the LA band The Bird & The Bee. I really do like their new album but every time I see someone writing about them it's as if they're the only indie band in recent memory to infuse their sound with a love of mod culture. I was further confused by seeing their live show at SxSW. I thought when I heard the record that Inara George would be a shy little stage mumbler but she totally captivating everyone in attendance. By the time they were done she had the entire crowd eating out of her hand. This leaves me a bit torn. The Bird and the Bee aren't the most original band in the world, but they are making some damn catchy music so perhaps I should just stop judging.
Buy some: The Bird And The Bee, The Legendary Jim Ruiz Group, Papas Fritas, Combustible Edison, Arling & Cameron, The Aluminum Group