by Jane Lambert

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.

08.06.09

by Jane Lambert

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

06.11.09

by Jane Lambert

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

05.23.09

by Jane Lambert

Alvin Band ‘Temple Pressure’

Miniature Tigers’ Rick Schaier is more than just the man behind the drums of one of the greatest new indie bands out there. Schaier is also paving his way as Alvin Band, his solo project of avant garde proportions. Just releasing the first video for ‘Temple Pressure’ a catchy song that will have you up and dancing to say the least, Schaier really brings out his witty personality. Alvin Band’s ‘Mantis Preying’ will be out this year via Intelligent Noise Records. This will be a must have for 2009, trust us.

Watch Alvin Band’s ‘Temple Pressure’ HERE

Check out Alvin Band on MYSPACE

04.20.09

by Jane Lambert

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.

02.19.09

by Jane Lambert

The Miniature Tigers * Mercury Lounge, NYC * 2-15-2009

This past Sunday, February 15, The Miniature Tigers dropped into the Mercury Lounge in New York City and were welcomed to a packed venue. The word about the Mini T’s is certainly spreading, and the Modern Mystery crew couldn’t be happier and more excited about this fact. The band who is currently on the road with Mr. Ben Folds, have been doing a few one off shows as headliners when they have free time on the tour.

The Miniature Tigers play like old pros. They are flawless onstage and certainly astonishing to hear. Charlie Brand’s voice is remarkable, and hits every single note, soft or loud. Darren Robinson (guitarist from the hiatus Phantom Planet) is a nice addition to the band almost like he has been playing with them from the start. Lou Kummerer was stellar on bass and tamborine duties, and drummer Rich Schaier is a total badass when it comes to drumming. He is also incredible on the keys and harmonies as well.

The band had everyone in the room dancing and I think we can all agree that The Miniature Tigers are one of the most fun bands out there. The band played some of my personal favorites such as ‘Cannibal Queen’, ‘Tell it to the Volcano’ and ‘Last Night’s Fake Blood’ which I was very excited to hear. Not only did they play a good amount of songs from ‘Tell it to the Volcano’, which came out on CD officially yesterday, but they also played a few new songs. New songs already? Yes! I can’t wait until The Miniature Tigers comes back to New York City again! Its a show you surely do not want to miss. Check them out when they come to your town. The band will be on the tour non stop until the end of March.