"Up To No Good" out Nov 17 on Eightmaps
MP3: Sneaky Times
"This Birds & Batteries song is like watching Halloween on a bunch of cough syrup and then having a dizzy and slowed dance party at the end-it's wildly unsettling and makes us feel kind of nauseous in a good way."
The FADER
MP3: Out In The Woods
"There's a lot of layering going on here, little riffs that ebb and flow, superseding one another, then coalescing into a whole. The effect is an electronic landscape that's actually pretty akin to being out in the woods, immersed in a barrage of chattering, ebullient life."
Pitchfork Media
Combining meticulously produced psych, synth-funk, americana, aching electro, and unveiling more surprises upon closer listen SF's Birds & Batteries return with their latest, the spooky, funky EP Up To No Good. Heavily influenced by Bowie's Scary Monsters, P-Funk and John Carpenter films, the EP manages to convey a degree of mystery/magic amidst post-modern wreckage, combining the fun of late 70's freak funk with a detached, studio cool of 80's r&b. The fine folks at the FADER unveil the honky-tonk chopped and screwed disco of "Sneaky Times" here. Pitchfork Media also had some nice words for "Out In The Woods" today. Stacked with addicting aching-electro/boogie jams and successfully pulling off mashing up genres many would think to be diametically opposed to each other, the Up To No Good EP is bound to be a sleeper hit for 2009.
UPCOMING SHOWS
11.5 Museum of Contemporary Art w/ Money Mark // San Diego, CA
11.6 Sandrini's // Bakersfield, CA
11.7 American Legion Hall w/ Parson Redheads // Los Angeles, CA
11.8 Cafe Du Nord (EP Release show) // San Francisco, CA
Still centered around the art of the song, redoubled by meticulous arrangements and rich atmospheres, B&B saw the EP format as an opportunity to dig deeper into one group of sounds, with synth bass, kick drum, percussion and voice at the forefront. The result is more focused than previous efforts, allowing for a unified statement and narrative to emerge as well as a nineteen minute dance party. This fusing of song craft and electronic music feels natural and easy, owing more to pioneering electro-funk than post-punk.
Birds & Batteries' live show focuses on the more energetic and rocking parts of their repertoire. "As we've toured and played more and more shows, we've found ourselves choosing set lists from the material that is most enjoyable to play live and that gets people loose."
They will be on the road this fall and winter to support Up To No Good and previewing songs from their upcoming full-length due in 2010.
"This is some freak-funk, alt-electro right here. Blast it in honkey-tonk dives and haunted houses alike."
RCRD LBL
"They reminded him of early Brian Eno, which I can also hear in their fine melding of electronic bleats and slow simmering pop. I also pick up on a similarly playful aesthetic that aligns them with groups like Super Furry Animals."
Pampelmoose
"It's rare that a band can remind you of Neil Young, Sparklehorse and The Legend of Zelda at the same time, but San Francisco's left-field electric-folk band, Birds & Batteries traffics in both the nerdy and beautiful."
Williamette Week
"When Neil Young discovered the synthesizer, he made Trans. San Francisco's Birds & Batteries demonstrate another-dare we say better?-way that combination could have worked."
RollingStone.com
www.birdsandbatteries.com
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