The Bird and the Bee

  • Los Angeles, CA
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  • Rock
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  • 2006
    started
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About The Bird and the Bee


Multi-instrumentalist Greg Kurstin and doe-eyed vocalist Inara George draw upon a fondness for jazz standards and '60s tropicalia to deliver the stylish tones of the Bird and the Bee. The two musicians were introduced in 2004 by mutual friend Mike Andrews, whom George had enlisted to produce her solo debut, All Rise. Needing someone to contribute piano to several tracks, Andrews called upon Kurstin, who had studied under renowned jazz pianist Jaki Byard during his college years. George and Kurstin soon found themselves spending hours together in the studio, where a shared interest in jazz-based music -- something that George hadn't explored much on All Rise -- helped lay the foundation for the Bird and the Bee.

Apart from Kurstin's work with Byard, neither musician had done much with jazz or tropicalia before. Kurstin had previously contributed keyboards to selections by Beck, and his production credits included work with the Flaming Lips, Peaches, and Lily Allen (with whom the Bird and the Bee would later tour). On the other hand, George -- the daughter of Little Feat's Lowell George -- had pursued work as a Shakespearean actress before forming the post-grunge band Lode and subsequently embarking on a solo career. Both George and Kurstin began to explore new sounds and textures in Kurstin's studio in Echo Park, CA, eventually composing enough sun-kissed material for their debut EP, Again and Again and Again and Again, which arrived in late October 2006. The Bird and the Bee's self-titled LP was released the following year by Blue Note Records, spawning a number one hit on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart with a remix of the sassy "Fucking Boyfriend."

After enjoying positive press from such outlets as NPR, the pair returned to the studio. Please Clap Your Hands, a five-song EP featuring a cover of the Bee Gees' "How Deep Is Your Love," arrived in September 2007, and the duo heralded its release by joining Rilo Kiley on a fall tour. Two digital EPs, One Too Many Hearts and Live from Las Vegas at the Palms, helped placate the group's audience in early 2008 while Kurstin and George readied a second album, which eventually arrived in the form of 2009's Ray Guns Are Not Just the Future. Meanwhile, Inara George also found time to issue two albums: An Invitation, an orchestral project recorded with Van Dyke Parks, and Accidental Experimental, a digital album released several months later.

Kurstin kept himself similarly busy. After wrapping up the recording sessions for Lily Allen's second album, he spent 2009 producing music for the likes of Kris Allen and KeSha. By the end of the year, however, he'd teamed up with George once again, this time to pay tribute to the music of Hall & Oates. Interpreting the Masters Vol. 1: A Tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates was released in early 2010, comprising eight cover songs and one original number. ~ Andrew Leahey, Rovi

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Music

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  • Polite Dance Song
    the-bird-and-the-bee
    Video
    Polite Dance Song
  • Again & Again
    the-bird-and-the-bee
    Video
    Again & Again
  • 11428790
    SoundStream
    SoundStream
    song name
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    All the music you want, just 10 bucks a month. Try it free.
    • I Can't Go For That
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/5/5/5/1/4/245541555.mp3
    • My Love
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/2/5/4/9/8/159989452.mp3
    • Love Letter To Japan
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/8/1/7/9/8/159989718.mp3
    • Private Eyes
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/5/6/7/3/9/227693765.mp3
    • Kiss On My List
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/2/6/2/3/9/227693262.mp3
    • Maneater
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/9/5/0/5/9/227795059.mp3

Photos

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  • The Bird and the Bee
    Courtesy of Capitol Records
  • The Bird and the Bee
    Brigitte Sire

News

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  • The Bird and the Bee
    News in Brief: The Bird and the Bee, Too Pure, Georgia Anne Muldrow & Declaime, The Triffids
    www.pitchfork.com
    others. -- The Triffids were a 1980s Australian folk-pop band whose frontman, David McComb, died in 1999. On April 5, Domino will release Come Ride Wi...
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Discography

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  • Interpreting the Masters, Vol. 1: A Tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates (2010)
    The Bird and the Bee
    Interpreting the Masters, Vol. 1: A Tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates (2010)
    Blue Note
  • Ray Guns Are Not Just the Future (2008)
    The Bird and the Bee
    Ray Guns Are Not Just the Future (2008)
    Blue Note
  • Please Clap Your Hands (2007)
    The Bird and the Bee
    Please Clap Your Hands (2007)
    Blue Note
  • The Bird and the Bee (2007)
    The Bird and the Bee
    The Bird and the Bee (2007)
    Parlophone
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