popwreckoning

While listening to Miniature Tigers‘ Tell It To the Volcano, the two adjectives that seemed to stand out the most in my observations were awkward and endearing. Ironically, the latter adjective was used to describe their debut EPs, Black and White Magic by music magazine Death +Taxes. I wish not to sound repetitive, but I don’t honestly think there is a better way to illustrate this band verbally.

They’re cute, quirky, and comical (musically, that is…I’ve never met them personally to be capable of assuming so), and all of the typical adjectives associated with their roots. Two years prior to the release of their aforementioned dual disc EP, Rolling Stone gave them a nod on their list of the “25 Hottest Bands On MySpace.” Not to classify them as a “MySpace band” or anything to that extreme, but let’s be straight; MySpace has helped a lot of bands make it big and many of them sound stylistically similar to Miniature Tigers. Examples include Hellogoodbye, Say Anything, and Plain White Ts….you get the picture. It’s not that they are essentially the same, they just noticeably came from a similar mold. It’s not just the catchy indie-pop tunes, it’s the “awkwardly endearing” quality.

Their lyrics are heavily sardonic (similar to the aforementioned Say Anything), laden with extraneous metaphors, and over dramatized exaggerations. Their instrumentation, however was very difficult to throw myself into. Maybe it’s their somewhat mellow nature; whimsical and slightly redundant, punctuated by often strange noises (very Hellogoodbye-esque, except Hellogoodbye is a bit more up tempo and diverse), but they just didn’t personally get me going. If you happen to dig the typical “MySpace indie” sound, then I would definitely recommend this album to you. The band has been recognized by various publications, including SPIN magazine’s “9 Hottest New Bands Playing CMJ 2008″ and has toured with the likes of Ben Folds and Popwreckoning favorite Kevin Devine, as well as substituting their own lead guitarist with Phantom Planet’s Darren Robinson in the earlier part of this year.

The band is currently touring to promote the album.

Track listing:
01. Cannibal Queen
02. Like Or Like Like
03. Dino Damage
04. Tell It To The Volcano
05. Hot Venom
06. Tchaikovsky & Solitude
07. The Wolf
08. Giraffe
09. Annie Oakley
10. Haunted Pyramid
11. Last Night’s Fake Blood

Miniature Tigers: website | myspace | @ electric factory | @ jackpot

Before I delve into the infinite amount of praise I have oozing out of every orifice for Starfucker, I would like to emphasize the brilliance of this particular show. Sure, the Echo is somewhat small (a hole in the wall to be more precise), but the energy was incomprehensible. It was quite possibly the only show that completely captured my attention since I began writing for PopWreckoning almost a year ago. Even the openers were inappropriately enthralling, which is difficult to find amongst relatively unknown indie acts. And Starfucker is no exception, considering their sizeable “hipster” following is quite impressive for a band with a mere two years in the music industry.

Starfucker was preceded performance-wise by fellow Oregonian act Deelay Ceelay. Their set was startlingly unique, and was comprised of two drummers, layered over eclectic electronica, intensified further via artsy, psychedelic slideshow and flashing strobe lights. It seemed quite ironic for the Echo to have been one of the initial venues for the underground rave scene because Deelay Ceelay completely and totally captured that essence in their trance/drum and bass vibe: a vibe that could possibly be referred to as a melodically induced narcotic. The highlight of their performance was an up-tempo trance remix of TI’s “Whatever You Like” that energetically and climatically set the stage for the entrance of our beloved Starfucker.

Despite the heartbreaking news that the boys will soon be shifting monikers, their reason for doing so is feasible. With the recent onslaught of exposure (Target commercials, Weeds, etc) a mellower name wouldn’t send the wrong message to an ignorant audience (even though their name is absolutely perfect for them). The change was imminent though, these boys have a lot of potential that obviously has not been taken seriously by most as of yet, and their name shared a good portion of the blame. Enthusiastically charming, Starfucker presented us with a radiant array of indie/electronica ecstasy coupled with a ridiculously charismatic stage presence. What more could you ask for? Their next show is scheduled for their hometown, Portland, Oregon! on Halloween, and will probably be twice as epic as my experience at the Echo. If you’re in the area, you should definitely check it out.

The band leaves for the European leg of their tour at the end of November after a show in San Francisco on November 7th.

Starfucker: myspace | @ sxsw | @ manhattan room

One interesting observation I have made, quite recently in fact, is that DJ companies tend to have a longer life in the music industry than a good majority of acts and Basement Jaxx is no exception.

The electronica/house duo has been churning out club favorites for a decade (plus!), Their beats have been used in a variety of mediums, from movie soundtracks (such as Lara Croft: Tombraider and Just Married) to Coca-Cola commercials. Their re-mixing skills are also in high demand, and their assistance for such projects has been solicited by the likes of Missy Elliott, Justin Timberlake, and N*E*R*D*.

Despite a brief lapse in productivity (almost four years to be exact), the UK emcees recently released their 5th studio album Scars in September and will be hitting the US for a handful of shows to promote it. The festivities begin in San Francisco, where they will be playing alongside acts such as The Faint and Infected Mushroom for Live 105 FM’s Subsonic Halloween Spook-Fest at the Cow Palace on October 30.

I, personally, will get the pleasure of seeing their Halloween set at the Hard Haunted Mansion Party being thrown at the Shrine Expo Center. This event is a two day festival (beginning Friday, October 30), and an ungodly amount of music.

After the chaos that will obviously follow the Hard Haunted Mansion Party, the boys will be off to the Century Room in Ontario on November 3 and the Congress Theatre in Chicago on November 6. Their last US show will be at the Santos Party House in Manhattan on November 7.

Tour dates:
Oct. 30 – Cow Palace (Live 105 event) / San Francisco, CA
Oct. 31 – HARD Haunted Mansion party / Los Angeles, CA
Nov. 3 – Century Room / Toronto, ON
Nov. 6 – Congress Theatre / Chicago, IL
Nov. 7 – Santos Party House / New York, NY

Basement Jaxx: website | myspace