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Ray Guns Are Not Just The Future

The Bird and the BeeAudio CD
4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)

Price: $13.99 & FREE Shipping on orders over $25. Details
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 : Includes FREE MP3 version of this album.
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Formats

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MP3 Music, 14 Songs, 2009 $9.49  
Audio CD, 2009 $13.99  
Vinyl, Double LP, 2009 --  

Listen to Samples and Buy MP3s

Songs from this album are available to purchase as MP3s. Click on "Buy MP3" or view the MP3 Album.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Samples
Song Title Time Price
listen  1. Fanfare0:28$1.29  Buy MP3 
listen  2. My Love 3:45$1.29  Buy MP3 
listen  3. Diamond Dave 3:14$1.29  Buy MP3 
listen  4. What's In The Middle 3:21$1.29  Buy MP3 
listen  5. Ray Gun 4:41$1.29  Buy MP3 
listen  6. Love Letter To Japan 4:07$1.29  Buy MP3 
listen  7. Meteor 3:21$1.29  Buy MP3 
listen  8. Baby 3:49$1.29  Buy MP3 
listen  9. Phil0:09$1.29  Buy MP3 
listen10. Polite Dance Song 3:46$1.29  Buy MP3 
listen11. You're A Cad 3:09$1.29  Buy MP3 
listen12. Witch 3:54$1.29  Buy MP3 
listen13. Birthday 3:47$1.29  Buy MP3 
listen14. Lifespan Of A Fly 3:14$1.29  Buy MP3 


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Biography

The last time Inara George and Greg Kurstin (a.k.a. the bird and the bee) made a full-length album, their acclaimed self-titled debut, they weren’t certain anyone would ever hear it. “We made our first record for ourselves,” says George, “we didn’t expect to get signed to a label and have it be released.” But it was heard, and then released by Blue Note ... Read more in Amazon's The Bird and the Bee Store

Visit Amazon's The Bird and the Bee Store
for 8 albums, 11 photos, discussions, and more.

Special Offers and Product Promotions

  • Buy a CD or a vinyl record, get a $1 Amazon MP3 Credit. Limit one promotional credit per customer. Here's how (restrictions apply)
  • Includes FREE MP3 version of this album Here's how (restrictions apply)

Frequently Bought Together

Ray Guns Are Not Just The Future + The Bird & The Bee + Interpreting the Masters, Vol. 1: A Tribute to Daryl Hall & John Oates
Price for all three: $33.07

Buy the selected items together


Product Details

  • Audio CD (January 27, 2009)
  • Original Release Date: 2009
  • Number of Discs: 1
  • Label: Blue Note Records
  • ASIN: B001IKE6BA
  • Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #61,941 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Greg Kurstin (`bee') and Inara George (`bird') make syncopated danceable pop that sounds like audible sunshine." -- Rolling Stone

Product Description

2009 release. Ray Guns Are Not Just the Future is definitely new sonic terrain for the Los Angeles-based duo. 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. 14 tracks.

Customer Reviews

The entire album is a fusion of jazz, pop, electronica and indie dance rock. bren2k9  |  7 reviewers made a similar statement
This album is amazing and is even better then their stellar debut album. Nathanishot  |  5 reviewers made a similar statement
Those two EPs, laid end to end, would make one short but darn good album. Eric J. Anderson  |  8 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Happiness Is A Warm Ray Gun January 28, 2009
Format:Audio CD
There is, in fact, much to like about this album...finely crafted songs, witty lyrics, Inara George's lovely voice. For my money, the standouts are "Love Letter to Japan" and "Birthday", though I can't say there's any one song that's unlistenable. You're usually setting yourself up for disappointment if you pigeonhole an artist based solely on their first album, particularly artists as talented as The Bird and the Bee. While you may or may not prefer their eponymous debut over this release (or even one of their EPs, for that matter), a 1 star release this is not.
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14 of 16 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Another Excellent Addition!!! January 28, 2009
By Sam
Format:Audio CD
The Bird and the Bee seems to just keep getting better and better! Such wonderful catchy melodies, intricate instrumentation, and Inara George's sultry voice send tingling feelings throughout me everytime I listen to this CD. Make no mistake - this is NOT just another blase generic "American Idol" sounding hum-drum lowest-common-denominator type of album. It's the real thing. Inara George and Greg Kurstin understand what songwriting is all about. I'm not sure why one of the reviewers (who admits to not having heard the entire CD) would state that this album isn't catchy. I find this very far from the truth. As much as I love the first album and their other song releases since then ("Come As You Were" is an excellent tune in my opinion), this album adds an additional level of maturity to their sound. Just when you think a melody in one of their choruses is predictable, The Bird and the Bee throws you for a loop and takes you in an unexpected direction. How utterly delightful. This is exactly how the legendary Rodgers and Hart would operate in writing their songs decades ago - by throwing the listener in unexpected directions.

My favorite track of this album is "Meteor." Listening to the opening verse, I was confident this track was going to be the low point of the album. Then, suddenly, the chorus kicks in and all the pieces of the song unexpectedly fit together in a very lush, creamy sort of way. I can't think of any other way to describe it. "What's in the Middle" is another great tune with a very interesting melody, "Love Letter to Japan" is a small tribute to bubblegum J-Pop (and a fun video if you get the chance to see it), and "You're a Cad" has a theatrical flair to it replete with major and minor chords that seem to do-si-do around each other. The other tunes on this album are deserving of similar praise! (By the way, it is true that 2 songs on this album have previously been released. I'm not sure about "Polite Dance Song," but "Birthday" is not a carbon-copy of the same song from their previous album. There are changes in some of the instrumentation that were quite noticeable to me compared to the previous version.)

It's easy to get tired of songs on mainstream radio that sound pretty, but end up being the same old thing and are forgettable after a month or two (and aim to please 98% of radio listeners). Groups like The Bird and the Bee, The Ditty Bops, The Divine Comedy, and Air (just a few of my favorites) are the ones I cherish because they offer something different. Most importantly, their melodies are hummable long after you've hit stop on your CD/MP3 player.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars B & B Ray Gun January 28, 2009
Format:MP3 Music|Amazon Verified Purchase
Another fine effort by B&B. Some songs are better than others, but all are enjoyable. My favorites are 'Diamond Dave' which features those trademark swirling, near-robotic hamonies; Love Letter to Japan, with its slick anthem-like background vocals; and You're a Cad, which has a cheesy-cool ragtime feel. There are other good ones, like Witch and Birthday. In fact the only song I wasn't crazy about was Lifespan of a Fly. If you're already familiar with B&B, you won't be disappointed. If you're new to the duo, give them a shot- they're a lot of fun.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent.
I came here for Meteor and Love Letter to Japan, and I left with an entire collection of great tracks.
Now if only they'd tour in the states more... -_-
Published 9 days ago by Joshua J. Sleeper
4.0 out of 5 stars Great album!
This work surely presents a more mature style of Inara and Greg, really nice compositions, some of them stick to your mind both by their lyrics and harmonies, and proves to more... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Saulo P.
1.0 out of 5 stars Already Dated
I heard many of the songs from Ray Guns on YouTube and found the album totally unlistenable--even dated. Read more
Published 7 months ago by SimpsonsFan99
5.0 out of 5 stars No problems
Arrived promptly, no scratches, case was not broken, CD jacket was not missing anything, great CD. Straight forward and no problems. :)
Published 15 months ago by earthuranus
5.0 out of 5 stars Good album. Shame that they get no airplay.
This album is yet another example of what's wrong with the music industry. Garbage played 24-7 on local radio stations.... Read more
Published 18 months ago by Moose Of Evil
3.0 out of 5 stars Norah Jones vocals set to a Nintendo soundtrack
Bought this album for easy listening background music. It quickly turned just plain annoying though, the same monotone high pitch drone goes on and on and on an... Read more
Published on July 3, 2010 by Jared M. Lund
4.0 out of 5 stars Very Poppy
I can't stop listening to this CD.... very catchy beats and lyrics.
They definitely evolved their sound to be more commercially successful.
Published on June 6, 2010 by shyguy
5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific!!
The Bird and the Bee, two true original artists who truly care about the art of the music itself. They have a clear direction; Burt Bacharach like melodies with quirky and sweet... Read more
Published on December 11, 2009 by Fossy Boots
5.0 out of 5 stars Masterful
In the age of Ipod singles it's rare to find a CD full of great songs from the same album. Not since Radiohead in 2000 have I enjoyed an LP so thoroughly as this album. Read more
Published on November 29, 2009 by Neil D. Mclaughlin
3.0 out of 5 stars Love/Hate
I have a love/hate reaction to this album. I love most of the catchy songs but I hate the cutesy lyrics. Read more
Published on September 17, 2009 by DW
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