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Birds & Batteries is the experimental indie-pop of Mike Sempert with Christopher Walsh (guitar and pedal steel), Jill Heinke (bass, synth and percussion) and Brian Michelson (drums, percussion and samples). Ranging from synth-based dance music to Americana, the band loosens the bonds of genre to reveal the basic element of a well-crafted song. Their music is deeply influenced by the rock, funk and soul music of the 70's but is often accented by the blips and boops of contemporary electronic music. This juxtaposition allows for a sound and aesthetic that is at once familiar, surprising and completely unique to the Birds & Batteries catalogue. Song topics are frequently centered around the entanglements of city and country, technology and nature, and the various selves we occupy in a lifetime. Birds & Batteries are on a steady rise with consistently sold out shows in San Francisco, a new record, a Daytrotter session and more national touring ahead. "Panorama" is the third full-length from Birds & Batteries and their finest work to date (Spune/ Velvet Blue Music). The new album is a rare mix of organic and electronic, pop and experimental and an effortless play of surprising elements. Birds & Batteries' "Up To No Good" EP (2009, Eightmaps) showed singer / bandleader Mike Sempert exploring synth-funk and the influences of Bowie's "Scary Monsters" and P-funk. On "Panorama" (2010, Spune/Velvet Blue Music) his love for artists like Harry Nilsson, ELO, and David Byrne shines through, and he trades in a bit of the irony for empathy. Sempert might as well be a scientist in his next life, as he is able to blend his classic folk-ish voice with synth textures for down right futuristic results. When pressed for a simple summary, he's described the sound as "Art-rock meets Tom Petty." Basically it's not all that easy to define. Sempert is joined by Christopher Walsh (guitar), Jill Heinke (bass), and Brian Michelson (drums). The new record conjures up blue skies and big views. It is heartfelt and bold and unlike anything in the current indie landscape. After playing festivals in the spring of 2010 - SXSW, Noise Pop, NX35 - Birds & Batteries toured nationally in the summer and are out again in late November and December. For show dates, mp3s and video please go to www.birdsandbatteries.com
 

Hometown:
San Francisco 

Record Label:
none 

General Manager:
Dan Koplowitz (dan@friendlyfirerecordings.com) 

Booking Agent:
Mike Sempert (eightmapsrecords@gmail.com) 

Press Contact:
mikesempert@gmail.com 

Members:
Mike Sempert, Brian Michelson, Jill Heinke, Christopher Walsh 

Interests:
playing shows, making records, gettin' jumpy 

Artists Liked:
Thee Oh Sees, Maus Haus, Telegraph Canyon, Man/Miracle, Still Flyin', Oh No Ono, ARMS, Snowblink, Kacey Johansing, Honeycomb, Odawas, Foxtail Brigade, Judgement Day, Dirty Projectors, Here We Go Magic 

Influences:
The Band, Talking Heads, Sam Cooke, John Lennon, P-Funk, The Kinks, David Bowie, Thomas Mapfumo, Steely Dan, Kiss, Gerry Rafferty, Blondie, Bjork, Giorgio Moroder, ESG, Graham Parsons, Harry Nilsson, Hot Chip, Huey Lewis, Jay-Z, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Jim O'Rourke, John Adams, Kraftwerk, Les Savy Fav, M83, Metro Area, Milton Nascimento, Neil Young, Tom Petty, Patsy Cline, Paul Simon, Queen, Randy Newman, Gary Numan, Roy Orbison, Roxy Music, Sparklehorse, Squeeze, Staple Singers, Super Furry Animals, Talk Talk, Television, Thelonius Monk, Joseph Zawinul, Wayne Shorter, Yo La Tengo, the Sea and Cake, LCD Soundsystem, Flaming Lips, Broken Social Scene 

Website:
www.birdsandbatteries.com www.myspace.com/birdsbatteries