Artist Spotlight: Mimicking Birds

Just a short post today on an artist I've been getting into the last few days. Mimicking Birds are an indie folk/indie rock trio from Portland. The best way I can describe the sound is a folkier version of Modest Mouse. The Modest Mouse influence is clear from the vocals on several tracks (and understandable since Isaac Brock, lead singer of Modest Mouse, signed the band to his record label and the band opened for Modest Mouse). However, where Modest Mouse can be too aggressive or chaotic sounding for some people (see "Dance Hall"), several of Mimicking Birds' songs feature sweet guitar playing and more hushed vocals that are more accessible to a wide base.

As of this blog post, I actually only have 2 of the band's song, both acquired back in 2010 and sparsely listened to since then. However, thanks to the magic of Spotify, I was able to listen to the whole album a couple times, and I'll be buying it shortly. From a quick Google search, it's actually pretty hard to tell if Mimicking Birds is still a band. Most of their associated web pages don't appear to have been updated since 2010 and the band isn't currently touring. It would be disappointing if this is all we will ever hear from them, but even if the band is done so quickly, their self-titled 2010 record is really enjoyable and a great addition to the collections of indie folk and/or Modest Mouse fans.

Below is my favorite song from the album, a track called "Burning Stars." Enjoy!

All we are is burning stars
Shining brightly, making sure you dont float too far
I'll keep an eye on you if you keep one on me
And then what happens, we'll see
And then what happens, we'll see

Mimicking Birds - Burning Stars by Glacial Pace