INDIE ALT -- The Bird and the Bee

I recently came across this band on Pandora, and I immediately fell in love with them. The station was set to Ramalama by Roisin Murphy, a song I had heard on So You Think You Can Dance two years ago, and when I finally heard The Bird and the Bee's Love Letter to Japan, I had to listen to the song over and over again.



The band has a light, ethereal sound to it and the beats are infectious and carefree. The songs, performed by Inara George (the "bird") and Greg Kurstin (the "bee"), are great for chilling out, hanging out, and anything in between. Hailing from L.A., they bring with to their music their love for jazz and experimentation, and so far, their product has been nothing less than amazing.

For those of you who like Chairlift, Feist, and Ingrid Michaelson, The Bird and the Bee is worth checking out. Aside from "Love Letter to Japan," "My Fair Lady" and "I Hate Camera" are must-hears. Most of the band's music from their self-titled debut album and sophomore effort, Ray Guns are Not Just the Future, is available on imeem.

Check out their MySpace here: http://www.myspace.com/thebirdandthebee

POP--Charlotte Sometimes, AEIOU

When I first heard this song, I immediately loved it. Her voice is unique and distinctive and her lyrics are pretty simple and relevant. What's also really good is that the song isn't overproduced the way many songs are these days. The beat is catchy and her voice is addictive. This Jersey girl has attitude and she isn't afraid to show it, but she definitely as a soft side, which can be heard on her track called Build the Moon. Fans of Sara Bareilles will definitely appreciate this up-and-coming singer/songwriter. Charlotte Sometimes is worth checking out and I have a feeling we'll be seeing much more of her soon.

Visit her MySpace page here.

POP-ROCK -- Orson: The American Expatriates

In a class this past semester, I researched a band called Orson for a music ethnography project in order to investigate why they just didn't catch on in their home country of America. All in all, the band is satisfied with being a BRIT award-winning artist rather than having a Grammy under their belt. This doesn't mean, however, that Americans don't have the privilege to listen to their catchy music.

With the help of Orson's MySpace page, the band's music can reach American ears with ease. Although this ease comes after a little bit of effort (how would you know that a band named Orson exists to begin with?), more and more Americans are growing aware of the Hollywood, California band.

Orson delivers a really fresh, upbeat sound that people can dance or chill out to. My personal favorite is their song called Broken Watch, which is available on their album, Culture Vultures.

Although No Tomorrow and Ain't No Party (from the band's debut album, Bright Idea) are Orson's two most well-known songs to date, the band's two albums contain many gems that were never released as singles, such as Little Miss Lost and Found and Cool Cops.

All in all, the band has catchy riffs and well-written lyrics that deserve attention and success.