Playtime #2: The Miniature Tigers

The Miniature Tigers are no stranger to appearing on Modern Mystery. Recently the band did us the honor of performing a few songs at the 1st Park in lower Manhattan. The band manages to make their already perfect songs, outstanding with the acoustic, stripped down vibe. Is it too early to claim our favorite Playtime session of all time yet? Sit back, admire the giant golden frog, and enjoy!

Watch The Miniature Tigers perform “Dino Damage” and “Tell it to the Volcano”

The Miniature Tigers “Tell it to the Volcano” from melissa anne on Vimeo.

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Alvin Band Releases ‘Mantis Preying’

Rick  Schaier is not only an amazing drummer and artist, but he is also an extremely talented singer and songwriter. Schaier who spends most of  his time playing drums in The Miniature Tigers has begun a new chapter in his book in the form of ‘Alvin Band.’ This week he released digitally, Mantis Preying that will be out in stores on September 22nd.

The record opens with the incredible track and first single, ‘Temple Pressure,’ which reflects Schaier’s amazing vocal abilities as he harmonizes with himself throughout the song. ‘Glowing Tree’ is a stellar track that blends a bit of 60’s vibe with an updated electronic sound that somehow is pulled off flawlessy.  ‘Billards,’ one of the most standout tunes on the album is reminiscent of Of Montreal era Satanic Panic in the Attic, though we must admit, Schaier manages to pull it off a little smoother.

Rick has also been taking his songs on the road recently, performing ‘Gazette Pitch’ live at Miniature Tigers show. This is one performance we can’t wait to see! Mantis Preying is sure to hit many top 10 lists this year. Alvin Band has our vote!

Check out Alvin Band’s video for ‘Temple Pressure’ HERE

Miniature Tigers Announce New Tour Dates, Release New Songs

Ah, summer is actually almost over and we’re already thinking about the fall a bit. What better way to start off the season with a few concert dates with one of our favorite new bands, The Miniature Tigers. The boys will be hitting the road again starting on September 8th with indie band Fun. Jump on these tickets fast as the shows are selling out quickly!

In other news, Charlie Brand has been posting some B-Sides from ‘Tell It To The Volcano’ on his twitter. Wow, can these guys possibly get any better?

Give these new tracks a listen ‘Roaring Twenties’ and ‘River of Blood’

Sep 8 2009 8:00P
 Kilby Court w/Fun Salt Lake City, Utah

Sep 9 2009 8:00P
 Club 156 @ U of Colorado Boulder w/Fun Boulder, Colorado

Sep 11 2009 8:00P
 The Shelter w/Fun Detroit, Michigan

Sep 12 2009 8:00P
 The Intersection w/Fun Grand Rapids, Michigan

Sep 13 2009 8:00P
 Club @ Water St. Music Hall w/Fun Rochester, New York

Sep 15 2009 8:00P
 North Star Bar w/Fun Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Sep 16 2009 8:00P
 Great Scott w/Fun Boston, Massachusetts

Sep 17 2009 8:00P
 Mercury Lounge w/Fun New York, New York

Sep 18 2009 8:00P
 Jammin’ Java w/Fun Vienna, Virginia

Sep 20 2009 8:00P
 The Drunken Unicorn w/Fun Atlanta, Georgia

Sep 22 2009 8:00P
 Rocketown w/Fun Nashville, Tennessee

Sep 23 2009 8:00P
 The Firebird w/Fun St. Louis, Missouri

Sep 24 2009 8:00P
 Schubas Tavern w/Fun Chicago, Illinois

Sep 25 2009 8:00P
 Triple Rock Social Club w/Fun Minneapolis, Minnesota

The Miniature Tigers *Music Hall of Williamsburg* June 7 2009* Brooklyn, New York*

Its always a fun time with The Miniature Tigers come to town. The band has currently been on tour with Kevin Devine and Brian Bonz, and their stop at the Music Hall of Williamsburg this past Sunday was the last night of the tour. You can see that these bands have become like old friends in such a short period of time. The Miniature Tigers took the stage and Brooklyn gave them a very warm welcome as the venue was packed. The word about the band is really getting out there and they deserve it.

They opened with ‘Last Night’s Fake Blood’which is a personal favorite of mine. The band had everyone dancing before they were even done with the first verse. This time around, the band has a few lineup changes, recently losing bass player, Lou Kummerer and temporary guitarist Darren Robinson (also of Phantom Planet). The new members of the band Alex Gerber and Algernon Quashe seem to work perfectly into the lineup, and didn’t miss a note.  Even though they didn’t have a lot of time to practice with each other before the tour started, you would never know it.  The Miniature Tigers played incredible as always.

Like prior performances we have seen from the band, Charlie Brand and Rick Schaier are dead on.  They play together like a band that is beyond their years. They are flawless and it is obvious they have a passion for what they are doing. Rick has also seemed to be doing more harmonies which blend perfectly with Charlie’s voice. Its a nice little addition to the songs.

Other songs of the night included not only tracks off their highly acclaimed ‘Tell It To The Volcano’ , but also new songs like ‘Egyptian Robe’ and ‘There’s a Japanese Woman in My Closet.’ Both incredible new songs that already have fans craving for the new record. On the album the band is perfect but onstage they bring a whole new life to the songs, filling them with astonishing little surprises and a giant burst of energy. Its amazing what they can do and I’ve seen very little bands be able to put so much heart and soul into their live set. For the last song, The Miniature Tigers  brought Brian Bonz, Kevin Devine and their band members onto the stage. They first started with a short and surprising version of Reel 2 Reel’s ‘I Like to Move It’ which oddly enough sounding really good! The band then launched into the most unbelievable version of ‘Cannibal Queen’ the world has ever laid it’s ears upon. It was like one giant party and everyone was singing along.

The Miniature Tigers have a few more dates minus Kevin Devine before they head home so if you haven’t caught them live yet, I suggest that you do so. You’ll kick yourself if you don’t.

More Photos from the Brooklyn Show AFTER THE JUMP

WATCH OUR VIDEOS OF ‘TELL IT TO THE VOLCANO’ AND ‘CANNIBAL QUEEN’ with Kevin Devine and Brian Bonz HERE

The Miniature Tigers on Daytrotter with 2 New Songs!

Its always kind of nice to hear one of your favorite new bands are already cranking out new material. The Miniature Tigers stopped by our beloved Daytrotter.com to perform songs off their first and recent record Tell it to the Volcano along with a couple of new songs.  Sometimes, I tend to think that The Miniature Tigers are not human. Maybe they were created by a mad scientist in a petri dish with one ultimate goal: to rock. Their Daytrotter performance is one word: PERFECT and is actually my favorite to date. Charlie Brand’s vocals are impeccable and the Mini T’s blend perfectly together even when stripped down. I can’t urge you enough to check them out!

Download The Miniature Tigers Daytrotter Session HERE

The band will also be on tour this spring with Kevin Devine. Check out their MYSPACE for the complete list of tour dates.

Modern Mystery’s Top 50 Albums of 2008

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Its been a big 2008 for Modern Mystery. We’ve meet some really amazing bands, seen some incredible shows, and made a lot of great friends. We know 2009 will bring even more and we’re very excited!

We have compiled our list of our Top 50 Albums of 2008. Though this was by no means easy, we think we’ve included our all of certain favorites of the year. Below our list you’ll see a few more Top Lists of 2008, so check that out as well.  Hope you like our Top 50 Albums as much as we do!

1. of Montreal- Skeletal Lamping
2. Morning Benders- Talking Through Tin Cans
3. Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin-Pershing
4. Miniature Tigers- Tell it to the Volcano
5. Ryan Adams and the Cardinals- Cardinalogy
6. Sloan- Parallel Play
7. MGMT- Oracular Spectacular
8. Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band- Self Titled
9. The Spinto Band- Moonwink
10. Okkervil River- The Stand Ins
11. Chairlift- Does You Inspire You?
12. We Are Scientists- Brain Thrust Mastery
13. Tokyo Police Club- Elephant Shell
14. Ra Ra Riot- The Rhumb Line
15. Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s- Animal and Not Animal
16.  Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks- Real Emotional Trash
17. The French Kicks- Swimming
18. The Stills- Oceans Will Rise
19. The Walkmen- You and Me
20. Vampire Weekend- Self Titled
21. Wyldlife- Self Titled
22. Jenny Lewis- Acid Tongue
23. Annuals- Such Fun
24. Ratatat- Lp3
25. The Headlights- Some Racing, Some Stopping
26.  Department of Eagles- In Ear Park
27. Dr. Dog- Fate
28. Born Ruffians- Red Yellow and Blue
29. Los Campesinos- Hold On Now, Youngster
30. The Little Ones- Morning Tide
31. Mason Proper- Olly Oxen Free
32. She & Him- Volume 1
33. Albert  Hammond Jr.- Como te Llama?
34. Death Cab for Cutie- Narrow Stairs
35. Joan of Arc- Boo Human
36. Deerhoof- Offend Maggie
37. Sam Roberts Band- Love at the End of the World
38. Fleet Foxes- Self Titled
39. Bon Iver- For Emma, Forever Ago
40. Atlas Sound- Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel
41. Kings of Leon- Only By the Night
42. M83- Saturdays= Youth
43. Helio Sequence- Keep Your Eyes Ahead
44. Man Man- Rabbit Habits
45. Flight of the Conchords- Self Titled
46. Cold War Kids- Loyalty to Loyalty
47. The Mae Shi- Hlllyh
48. Secret Machines- Selt Titled
49. Santogold- Self Titled
50. Tim Fite- Fair Ain’t Fair

BEST EP OF 2008:
Matt Pond PA- The Freeep

BEST REISSUE OF 2008-
Pavement- Brighten The Corners- Nicence Creedence Edition

BEST LIVE SHOW OF 2008:
Of Montreal at Roseland, NYC. Kevin Barnes on a live white horse? Try to beat that!

TOP 5 NEW BANDS OF 2008:
1. The Morning Benders
2. Miniature Tigers
3. Chairlift
4. MGMT
5. Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band