Birds & Batteries are on a steady rise with consistently sold out shows in San Francisco, a new album and more national touring ahead.  Their March tour will bring them to several festivals including SXSW, Noise Pop (SF), Foburg (New Orleans), 35 Conferette (Denton), Mission Creek (IC) and Switchboard (SF). "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. Panorama conjures up blue skies and big views and is unlike anything in the current indie landscape.  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 music of Birds & Batteries has been featured on Gossip Girl, Fuel TV and MTV.