bee is a new pop band with a set of sinfully catchy and rocking melodies. It is the brainchild of songwriter, singer, and multi-instrumentalist Nicholas Markos, who has built a significant reputation with solo records and performances, as well as his work with English chanteuse Cath Carroll (Factory, Teenbeat), Last Gentlemen (Zoo), and other artists.
The songwriting and sound have been compared to the most respected work of Oasis, Pete Townshend, and David Gray. Fresh, sing-along melodies like the chorus of The Theme From Hot Dougs and the driving hook of Birdy Deluxe Superstar are irresistible hits that make you want to put the top down and blast the radio on a summer day.
Nicholas Markoss live-performance credits include opening sets for Bob Dylan, Melissa Etheridge, the Violent Femmes, Todd Rundgren, Roger McGuinn, Squeeze, 10,000 Maniacs, The The, Curve, and many others. The other bee musicians have similarly impressive credits: Todd Sucherman (Brian Wilson, Styx), Mike Zelenko (Material Issue), Howie Kantoff (Poster Children), and Eddie Carlson (Poi Dog Pondering) all appear on the recordings.
Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune calls Nicholas one of Chicagos most promising performers, and Jim DeRogatis of the Chicago Sun-Times said of his recent work, A slave to no genre, the ridiculously prolific Nicholas Markos brings to mind a hipper underground version of David Gray. He could be dangerous.
In addition to releasing the Break Through Overground album in January 2006, bees New Girlfriend has already been licensed to be a pivotal song in the E2 Films feature film Wrecking Ball, coming out in 2007, and the song was also featured on the Starbucks/WXRT compilation CD Home-Brewed in the Windy City. Several bee songs are also being covered on the forthcoming solo album from Taylor Mills of Brian Wilson's band .
