NEW YORK (Top40 Charts/ Manhattan Records) - the bird and the bee, the irrepressible L.A. duo made up of singer Inara
George and keyboardist/producer Greg Kurstin, will be premiering the video for 'Love Letter to Japan' - the lead single from their forthcoming album 'Ray Guns Are Not Just The Future' - Friday, December 19, 2008 on MySpace.
The video was directed by Barney Clay who has worked with Gnarls Barkley, Dirty Pretty Things, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Zero 7, and Bonde Do Role.
The single for 'Love Letter to Japan' was also released on iTunes on December 9. 'Ray Guns Are Not Just The Future' will be released by Blue Note Records on January 27, 2009.
'Tis the time of year, so in the spirit of giving the bird and the bee are also offering a free holiday song to their fans. '12 Days of Christmas' is currently available as a free MP3 download through their website: www.thebirdandthebee.com.
The song will also be KCRW's 'Today's Top Tune' on December 25, 2008, and will be streamed all day on www.kcrw.org.
2008 was another eventful year for the bird and the bee. The duo's cover version of The Bee Gee's 'How Deep Is Your Love?' appeared in Sex and the City: The Movie, they made their debut at L.A.'s much buzzed about Coachella festival, and they released Live at the Sands, an exclusive live EP for iTunes.
Inara and Greg also kept busy with side projects; Inara released 'An Invitation' - her second solo album and a collaboration with legendary composer and arranger Van Dyke Parks - to wide acclaim, while Greg produced the entirety of singer Lily Allen's upcoming album 'It's Not Me, It's You'.
The band is looking forward to an exciting 2009 with the release of the full-length follow-up to their self-titled debut. 'Ray Guns Are Not Just The Future' is definitely new sonic terrain for the bird and the bee. Every bit as beguiling as their debut, the album retains its predecessor's lithe melodies and Brazilian influences, but takes its stylish '60s pop deeper into the psychedelic period of the Tropicalia era.