The Bird and the Bee

The Bird and the Bee shake up a sonic cocktail consisting of jazz, lounge, and electro-pop that balances dry irony with a splash of emotion. The L.A.-based duo consists of singer Inara George (“the bird”) and prolific producer/songwriter Greg Kurstin (“the bee”), who formed the project in 2006 after they teamed up to work on George’s debut album. The pair established their blend of earnestness and humor on retro-tinged synth-pop numbers like 2006’s “F-cking Boyfriend” and 2007’s “Again & Again.” They continued adding a dash of modern attitude to throwback sounds on 2008’s Ray Guns Are Not Just the Future, featuring dips into electro-exotica (“Love Letter To Japan”) and midtempo dance (“Polite Dance Song”). They have also covered the works of the famous ‘80s groups that inspired them—like ‎Daryl Hall & John Oates and Van Halen—in their signature style.