Specializing in infectious, Brill Building-length indie pop songs that blend the orchestral, aloof folk-pop proclivities of bands like the Hidden Cameras and Belle and Sebastian with the droll, electro-pop shimmer of a Stephin Merritt (Magnetic Fields, Gothic Archies, Future Bible Heroes, the 6ths) production, New York City-based collective the Ballet released their debut album, Mattachine, in 2006. Bear Life arrived in 2009, followed in 2013 by their debut for British indie Fortuna Pop, I Blame Society. ~ James Christopher Monger