Conceived as a side project for Brian McBride, of Stars of Lids, and Kenneth James Gibson, of The Furry Things, Bell Gardens was meant to be a outlet for the duo to experiment with vintage sounds. Based out of Los Angeles, the duo turned to its home city's past and meshed the sunshine pop of the Beach Boys with the rich "wall of sound" recording technique pioneered by Phil Spector. Bell Gardens also refuses to utilize any modern software in the production of its music, instead relying solely on live instrumentation. The result is layered, lushly orchestrated, vintage pop with hints of warm folk and early psych.
