"hell yeah, I know it's inappropriate, my teacher said I'd go to hell for this..."
The dense full tilt musicality of "Me / Yours" by Oklahoma-based Bee & the Hive is exhilarating from the start. It is exquisite jam band rock propelled by Jeffrey Stevenson's driving sax not only trading leads with an evocative electric guitar drop (though that happens) but as a defining punch with the rhythm section like the artful propulsion with a Springsteen or James Chance and the Contortions. Take that heavy, tightly wound sound as a framework for lead singer Bee Pichardo’s words with an empowered vocal performance and you have a recipe for something special.
The band shares this about "Me / Yours" which is the first track off of Bee & The Hive's debut EP "Flamingo Dancing":
[Me/Yours was written about the shame of having feelings for a person that is in a relationship with someone else, and how that correlates with guilt based on religious trauma. It discusses the willingness to show the most vulnerable parts of your identity to someone if only they could be yours.]
There is something decidedly 90's about the atmosphere of "Me / Yours", at least to me. It might be the songs vocal melodies that might remind me of that decades bohemian folk undercurrents on certain indie rock songs, or sort of busker rock edges that might have born the seeds of grunge in some way. I am not sure what I am reacting to. Doesn't really matter, it is just so good. Lest I forget the entire band kills including Bassist Nelson Gonzalez, guitarist Noah Roberts, and drummer Kyle Broadbooks.
-Robb Donker Curtius
https://open.spotify.com/artist/58UKeQThd43AZORBNT027s
https://www.youtube.com/@beeandthehive
https://beeandthehive.bandcamp.com/album/flamingo-dancing
https://www.instagram.com/beeandthehiveband/
https://www.tiktok.com/@beeandthehiveband
Bee & the Hive is an Oklahoma-based band that explores a combination of pop, punk, and indie rock. The band members’ formal background in jazz and classical music provides a unique take on the “midwestern indie rock band” trope. Their songs consist of quirky melodies, blunt lyricism, and jam-style solo sections. Each tune is meticulously designed to showcase the individual players’ own personal finesse, in addition to the collaborative sound they have built together.
The project was started by saxophonist Jeffrey Stevenson in the summer of 2021, as a little group playing lead singer Bee Pichardo’s songs for a house show (with very minimal rehearsal). The first gig was such a success that Bee & Jeffrey decided to more seriously pursue this band as a legitimate project. Bassist Nelson Gonzalez, guitarist Noah Roberts, and drummer Kyle Broadbooks joined Bee & the Hive in the following months, and the group began rehearsing and writing together rigorously. The band quickly gained traction in the Oklahoma area, gigging frequently with other locals and touring bands. In 2022, Bee & the Hive began recording their original songs and signed with Catapult Recordings to release their debut single & EP.
Flamingo Dancing is an angsty reflection upon the themes of love, longing, coping, and over-thinking. Each track is a demonstration of the emotional volatility of a twenty-something person navigating life as an artist. This honest (and at times aggressive) lyricism is accompanied by fun and adventurous music, providing an interesting juxtaposition between complicated feelings and reckless fun.
The band shares this about "Me / Yours" which is the first track off of Bee & The Hive's debut EP "Flamingo Dancing":
[Me/Yours was written about the shame of having feelings for a person that is in a relationship with someone else, and how that correlates with guilt based on religious trauma. It discusses the willingness to show the most vulnerable parts of your identity to someone if only they could be yours.]
There is something decidedly 90's about the atmosphere of "Me / Yours", at least to me. It might be the songs vocal melodies that might remind me of that decades bohemian folk undercurrents on certain indie rock songs, or sort of busker rock edges that might have born the seeds of grunge in some way. I am not sure what I am reacting to. Doesn't really matter, it is just so good. Lest I forget the entire band kills including Bassist Nelson Gonzalez, guitarist Noah Roberts, and drummer Kyle Broadbooks.
-Robb Donker Curtius
THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM
https://open.spotify.com/artist/58UKeQThd43AZORBNT027s
https://www.youtube.com/@beeandthehive
https://beeandthehive.bandcamp.com/album/flamingo-dancing
https://www.instagram.com/beeandthehiveband/
https://www.tiktok.com/@beeandthehiveband
Bee & the Hive is an Oklahoma-based band that explores a combination of pop, punk, and indie rock. The band members’ formal background in jazz and classical music provides a unique take on the “midwestern indie rock band” trope. Their songs consist of quirky melodies, blunt lyricism, and jam-style solo sections. Each tune is meticulously designed to showcase the individual players’ own personal finesse, in addition to the collaborative sound they have built together.
The project was started by saxophonist Jeffrey Stevenson in the summer of 2021, as a little group playing lead singer Bee Pichardo’s songs for a house show (with very minimal rehearsal). The first gig was such a success that Bee & Jeffrey decided to more seriously pursue this band as a legitimate project. Bassist Nelson Gonzalez, guitarist Noah Roberts, and drummer Kyle Broadbooks joined Bee & the Hive in the following months, and the group began rehearsing and writing together rigorously. The band quickly gained traction in the Oklahoma area, gigging frequently with other locals and touring bands. In 2022, Bee & the Hive began recording their original songs and signed with Catapult Recordings to release their debut single & EP.
Flamingo Dancing is an angsty reflection upon the themes of love, longing, coping, and over-thinking. Each track is a demonstration of the emotional volatility of a twenty-something person navigating life as an artist. This honest (and at times aggressive) lyricism is accompanied by fun and adventurous music, providing an interesting juxtaposition between complicated feelings and reckless fun.
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