Please Clap Your Hands arrives just nine months after the duo's full-length debut, but the Bird and the Bee have already widened their aviary considerably. Taking a cue from "F*cking Boyfriend," whose breezily crisp rhythms sat atop the Billboard Club Play charts for weeks in 2006, Hands quickens the pace by adding more dance textures to Greg Kurstin's lush studio creations. "So You Say" swirls with garage rock-psychedelia, its summery riff pumped by a Farfisa organ, while "Man" mixes spacy sound effects with some of Kurstin's most involved percussion to date. Throughout it all, vocalist Inara George remains calm and collected, willing to incite her listeners to dance but reluctant to join in the fun herself. This proves to be an interesting dichotomy; while Kurstin plays the bee and buzzes around the studio, George assumes a songbird's stance from an elevated, disengaged perch, her honeyed melodies driving the bee into fits of instrumental frenzy. She can sing, undoubtedly, and she does so with the cool, measured sass of a Bond girl. But it's often her overdubbed harmonies -- quick, jazz-chorded bursts that flank the melodies stylishly -- that show her real dexterity as a vocalist. George handles herself like a veteran card player, waiting for key moments to throw down a loaded hand, and her controlled style allows Kurstin's orchestrations to become something more than background music. When paired together -- Kurstin, the hyperactive composer, and George, the composed siren -- the Bird and the Bee become an engaging mix of yin and yang, jazz and electro-pop, Burt Bacharach and the Bee Gees (whose "How Deep Is Your Love" is reprised here).
As many have said before me, Los Angeles is so much more about angles than angels. But what strange and terrible force has pulled me out the benign comfort of San Francisco and dragged me down to Southern California and, specifically, L.A. yet again? My callous mistress, Show Business.I motor hither and yon, working and playing – sometimes simultaneously. I take meetings that masquerade as dinn.
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On December 6th my friend Jason sent me a link to a video. I finally got around to checking it on December 14th. Last night my shipment from Amazon containing The Bird And The Bee's catalogue arrived.This is not an uncommon occurrence. I'm rather excitable and enthused when something catches my fancy. I research it extensively, immerse myself in it, digest the details.I love to understand thing...
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As many have said before me, Los Angeles is so much more about angles than angels. But what strange and terrible force has pulled me out the benign comfort of San Francisco and dragged me down to Southern California and, specifically, L.A. yet again? My callous mistress, Show Business.I motor hither and yon, working and playing – sometimes simultaneously. I take meetings that masquerade as dinn.
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Compiled by: BONA FIDE, mome rath, and vedaholli 01. The Bird and the Bee - “Polite Dance Song” (Please Clap Your Hands – EP) 02. Carina Round - “Into My Blood” (The Disconnection) 03. The Duke Spirit - “The Step and the Walk” (Neptune) 04. Feist - “Sea Lion Woman” (The Reminder) 05. Janelle Monae - “Sincerely, Jane” (Metropolis: The Chase Suite) 06. Joanna Newsom - “The Bo
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On December 6th my friend Jason sent me a link to a video. I finally got around to checking it on December 14th. Last night my shipment from Amazon containing The Bird And The Bee's catalogue arrived.This is not an uncommon occurrence. I'm rather excitable and enthused when something catches my fancy. I research it extensively, immerse myself in it, digest the details.I love to understand thing...
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keep art alive: art by joshua petker"i believe in youyou know the door to my very soulyoure the light in my deepest darkest houryoure my saviour when i falland you may not thinki care for youwhen you know down insidethat i really doand its me you need to show."lucy.
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I saw this (video embedded below) last night on TV and then immediately went and bought the albums. The Bird and the Bee make delightful, sinister, dark pop songs with a Tropicalia feel. I was delighted to find that the band is made up of half of Geggy Tah, and Inara George (daughter of the late founder of Little Feat).Released on Blue Note, the two records I scored (self titled and the Please ...
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| Title | Lyrics | Buy |
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| 1 Polite Dance Song |
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| 2 Man |
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| 3 The Races |
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| 4 So You Say |
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| 5 How Deep Is Your Love |
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Click to purchase…
© 2006-2009 Mog Inc. All Rights Reserved
 "Please Clap Your Hands")
