Miniature Tigers Discuss the Future, fun., and Fighting

After first gaining recognition when named "one of the 25 best bands on Myspace” by Rolling Stone in 2006, Miniature Tigers released their sticky-sweet sing-along debut Tell It To The Volcano two years later. Now with three EPs and three full-length albums under their belts, Phoenix-born and Brooklyn-bred pop foursome are back at it and more polished than ever with “Swimming Pool Blues,” the first single from their upcoming LP, Cruel Runnings, just in time for the weather to (hopefully) begin warming up.

In support of these new releases, frontman and guitarist Charlie Brand, guitarist Algernon Quashie (better known as AJ), keyboardist Rick Alvin Schaier and bassist Brandon Lee recently embarked on a tour with co-headliners Bear Hands and opening act Total Slacker. Ahead of their show at the Empty Bottle in Chicago’s Ukrainian Village we got the chance to speak with the band after being instructed to climb into their large, unmarked black van as it pulled up to the sidewalk outside.

Transverso: Do you kidnap all of your journalists?

Charlie: [Laughs]

So how’s touring going so far?

Charlie: It’s going good. I just had strep throat recently so I’m getting over that and pretty much back to normal now.

Did you miss any shows from that?

Charlie: Just some South By [Southwest] shows.

How was SXSW?

Charlie: It was good, we played three shows the first day and then had a day off, and then were gonna do more and then that’s when the strep throat happened, so we canceled the rest of it.

Were you anywhere near [the hit-and-run incident]?

Charlie: No, not really.

You toured with fun. not too long ago, what was it like playing like in a large arena type venue versus a more intimate setting like this?

Charlie: Well it’s a whole different thing, really, and, I don’t know, the energy is different. I mean, I guess for them their crowd is pretty receptive and cool and, yeah, it’s trippy playing in front of that many people and playing to that large of an audience, but then we also love playing more intimate shows and smaller clubs and things like that too, so that’s kind of more where we’re at as a headlining band.

Are there any other bands you’d like to play with down the road? What’s been your favorite band to play with so far?

Charlie: Man, I mean that fun. tour was awesome. We’re on tour with this band Bear Hands and Total Slacker, and those guys are really rad, [we’re] loving being on tour with them. Who would you like to tour with, AJ?

AJ: Who would I like to tour with? Man, maybe the Paul McKenna All-Stars, but for people we have toured with, yeah, fun. has been awesome, Kevin Devine and that crew, Spinto Band.

Charlie: Spinto Band, love ‘em.

Your upcoming album was recorded in Jamaica and produced by Chris Zane. How has this influenced your sound and what should we expect this spring?

Charlie: I definitely feel Jamaica influenced it. It was just a more laid back recording process, and we were really relaxed making it, so it felt very effortless to record it and make it, but it doesn’t really sound like an island record, really. It’s very clean and poppy and there’s lots of big drums and things like that.

Album art for Cruel Runnings

You’ve done a lot of your album artwork in the past. What inspires this crossover between mediums?

Charlie: That’s a good question. It usually kind of happens after everything’s already done. Rick painted the first two album covers and the third one, we just shot this photo, and this [new record] we’re on the cover for the first time. We’ve never really done anything like that, and just kind of had this idea inspired by the Memphis design group with lots of 80s interior design kind of stuff, like really pastel-y colors and [we] wanted to basically create this room and put ourselves in it.

What is your songwriting process?

Charlie: I’ll just kind of like sit down and start fucking around and record demos, and most times I’ll like send it to these guys and they’ll write little parts and we’ll all kind of tinker with shit, and once we get in the studio, then that’s kinda when the songs really take shape and we all contribute our parts and weigh in on how we’re gonna approach the production and stuff.

Do you have any other side projects that you’re working on?

Charlie: Yeah, pretty much everyone has other projects outside the band and these guys can tell you more about that.

AJ: Yeah, everyone has their own little thing. Rick has the Alvin Band, Rick and I have a little group called Spooky, I make beats, Brandon, he has his own solo project, too, so we all just keep it moving. [Laughs]

You’re currently on tour with Bear Hands and so I have to ask: who would win in a fight between a man with bear hands and a group of miniature tigers?

AJ: Hmm… a group of tigers.

Charlie: Yeah, probably a group of tigers.

AJ: How many are these tigers?

I don’t know, there’s four of you.

Charlie: Yeah, ‘cause what’s a bear’s hand? It’s like, okay that’s something, but I’d be more afraid of the mouth area.

AJ: Mhm, yeah.

Charlie: Does this guy have like a bear mouth too?

AJ: And a group of tigers, what is that called?

Charlie: Is the man the size of an upright bear?

AJ: Are we talking about a normal sized man, or like..?

I’m realizing I haven’t thought this through enough.

Charlie: [Laughs] You have to think of all the angles!

AJ: We’re in a van a lot so this kind of thing comes up.

Charlie: Okay, I personally think the pack of miniature tigers would win, but ultimately, who would win in a fight between Miniature Tigers and Bear Hands?

AJ: You mean the bands?

Charlie: Yeah. I think Bear Hands, dude. I mean, I’ve had some fights, I guess, but I think they’d ultimately beat the shit out of us.

J: Yeah, they’d probably beat us.

Rick: Yeah, I think we’d lose.

AJ: TJ [Orscher, Bear Hands’ drummer] is pretty jacked.

My center of gravity is too high, I wouldn’t be very good.

Charlie: Yeah I feel ya, we’re all kinda tall too, so.

AJ: Except for me.

Charlie: Except for you.

AJ: But I do have patience, and patience wins fights.

Charlie: You have patience, yeah, you Hollywood ‘em.

Well, sounds good. So am I gonna make it out of this van alive?

Charlie: [Laughs] Probably not.

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Cruel Runnings is out May 27 on Modern Art Records.

Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr Speed Up With Sophomore Effort

Josh Epstein of Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr

Daniel Zott of Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr

Opening act Chad Valley

Photos by Andrea Calvetti

Following the release of their second album, The Speed Of Things, Detroit born and bred indie pop duo Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. have begun making a name for themselves for something beyond, well, their name. Quirky yet accessible, polished but never bland, Daniel Zott and Joshua Epstein have found the sweet spot between pop sensibilities and uniqueness, expanding their electronically-tinged hooks and dynamism just enough to keep things interesting without abandoning their comfort zone, deftly outmaneuvering any possibility of failing prey to the dreaded sophomore slump. The Speed Of Things changes gears often, shifting between exuberant choruses, love poem sensitivity, introspective melancholy and conversational assertions, but never stops moving forward through the swirling melodies and smooth vocals.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. recently packed Chicago’s own Metro with a sold out crowd, their largest ever outside of their hometown. Epstein’s colorful world map jacket and Zott’s curly hair tied into a ponytail on the side of his head were framed by flashing J’s and R’s sidestage as they opened up the set with “Hiding,” singing into a disembodied phone receiver and thrusting fists in the air with every “Hey!” The solitary incandescent bulbs attached to each mic stand illuminated intermittently, seemingly signaling new ideas realized mid-lyric, while each half of the duo dutifully took their turn leaping into the crowd to lend credibility to their synth-infused single “If You Didn't See Me (Then You Weren't On The Dancefloor).”

Transverso spoke with Zott after the show.

TRANSVERSO: Congratulations on what was your biggest ever show outside of Detroit to date! How does it feel?

DANIEL ZOTT: It's an amazing feeling to have people in another city show up at all, so to have a record crowd made it even more special. 

How have you been enjoying the tour so far?

It's been the most successful and most fun. That's a good combination. 

You brought your dog Potato on stage during the show. What’s it like bringing him along? 

It's actually Josh's dog, but yes, he's been incredibly well behaved. He brings a lot of joy to the bus and helps us keep things in perspective. 

I understand you recently did a benefit concert to raise money for a sick child. Can you tell us a little bit about this?

Alex is a kid who recently discovered he had brain cancer. His family got nailed with a huge bill and we were just trying to help out. It was a really fun day with him and his family. Being in a band is full of self-centered moments. You spend most of your time trying to make people care about you. So, it was good to spend a day thinking about someone else. 

So I have to ask, what’s the story behind the name?

We wanted a name that wouldn't restrict our sound. It's so outrageous that it gives us freedom to sound like anything we want. 

Will your children carry on the legacy as Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. Jr.?

Never.

Is Dale himself a fan?

He is. He says so in a video on Tumblr via Fox Sports. 

I understand you started the band rather casually without many expectations. Do you believe art is always best created with spontaneity? Is your process more calculated now that you’ve found success?

There's a good mix of both. In order to finish any good idea you need to have vision and execution which is more calculated, but spontaneity is good for coming up with ideas and changes. 

You both seem to split frontman duties 50/50 more or less. How does this work?

We are finding our roles more and more as we grow together. We never plan for it to be perfectly split, but it does seem to balance out. 

Many people consider indie pop to be a bit of a contradiction yet you guys blend the two worlds perfectly. Do you consider yourselves to be more of one or the other? How do you find balance?

We are just trying to make pop music in the old sense of the word. We'd like to make a popular song that has some substance to it. 

How has the Motown style popular in your native Detroit and the presence of legends such as Jack White influenced your music?

Greatly. There is pride that comes from being from Detroit. You respect the history and feel responsible for the future. Makes us work hard at writing good songs. 

You recently made a hip hop mixtape, can you tell us a little about that?

It has been a dream for a while. We really like making beats and producing other people’s tracks. It was a way for us to let people know what we can do. 

I heard Paul Simon worked on your new album in some capacity, what was that like?

It was wild to get his thoughts. He didn't just have general thoughts either. He gave some recording tips that really worked well for "War Zone." 

What’s next for Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.?

I need some lunch. 

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Originally published on The Music Ninja

Hospitality: It Turns Out Our Music is Kind of Friendly Sounding

New York pop rock trio Hospitality hit the indie scene after their self-titled debut album was released by Merge in January of this year, drawing comparisons to Tennis and Belle and Sebastian. Transverso caught up with lead singer and writer Amber Papini at the Radio Room, a small dive bar in Greenville, South Carolina, where her band would be the last of four playing that night. The noise inside and “wet paint” signs above the benches by the door led us to chat standing in the parking lot, competing with the sounds of nearby traffic in the darkening autumn air.

TRANSVERSO: How have you enjoyed touring so far?

AMBER PAPINI: It’s been great, we went on these tours earlier in the year with Eleanor Friedberger and Tennis and that was awesome. Now we’re headlining and we get to pick out our own opening act, Teen, and they’re really great.

What’s the biggest show you’ll be doing this year?

We’re headlining Bowery in New York on November 2nd.

So how did you decide on the name Hospitality for both the band and your album?

Well for the album, I don’t know why we chose Hospitality. We went through a couple ideas; I guess we liked the name for the band ‘cause it’s sort of anti-rock and roll, anti-angst, and we always thought we could be like an edgy rock and roll band and have a name like Hospitality which would juxtapose with the meaning of hospitality, but it turns out our music is kind of friendly sounding so people think that we’re like twee, and I don’t know, kind of cutesy or something.

And now you can be rude to everybody.

[Laughs] Yeah now I can be rude.

How do you feel about being labeled “twee”?

Oh I don’t mind it, I like twee music actually. It’s weird, I didn’t really understand the definition and then I looked it up; I read some articles that people wrote about it and the music. I kind of like [the band] Orange Juice. It’s a really broad, weird description, first of all. I don’t know. I definitely don’t think that people are going to describe us that way with the 7” or the new material that were making.

So I understand that’s coming out on Tuesday, tell us a little about that.

It’s The Drift / Monkey 7” and comes out October 30th. I guess it’s a much more live recording than the record ‘cause its basically just the band playing and there’s not a lot of overdubs, and like I said, I don’t think that people are going to think “twee” when they listen to it.

Your mix of cheery, upbeat music and often more cynical lyrics creates an interesting juxtaposition. What is your thought process behind that?

I guess I always like music that does that. I like writers that do that. I’m a big fan of Elvis Costello, and I think I’m a pretty cynical person so it’s inevitable that it’s going to come out, but I also really like pop music and I like catchy melodies and all that, so I think that they can live together, you know, peacefully or happily.

Your debut EP came out back in 2008, why such a long time until the album?

I guess we had a few delays, one being Brian, our bass player, had an opportunity to tour with this band called White Rabbits.

I just saw them open for The Shins.

Yeah that’s right, they’re really big and they’re really good.  Brian wanted the opportunity and it was great and he really enjoyed himself, and the problem was while he was touring with them we didn’t really know when he was going to be back, so we had one-off shows here and there, and then getting in the studio, logistically, was sort of problematic. Finally, when we did get organized and get into the studio to record this record, then we were able to push things forward with Hospitality, basically.

New York is referenced a lot in your music. How has the urban setting influenced you?

Because I’m not from New York -  I’m from Kansas City -  I always sort of dreamed and idolized NYC, and I think, being a foreigner, it’s easier for me to notice little things and I can sort of pick up on stuff that, maybe, somebody that has lived there all their life and just sort of takes it for granted, can’t. I’m finding that I think distance always helps with writing and I feel like now that I’ve been away from Kansas City for, like, ten years now I’m going back and I’m tapping into that landscape and that story. It’s more comfortable for me to write about that world now.

You used to be a teacher. What was that like?

Oh, that was great. I pursued teaching ‘cause I thought it would be a good balance between being able to make music, and teaching. [It's] creative and you’re working with kids and you have lots of vacations and summers off, so I thought I could have a nice job, an interesting job that’s working with interesting people and doing interesting things, and then it would also allow me the time to do my own creative work, so it was really a happy relationship. And then when the record came out, we had to tour so much that I had to say goodbye and quit and it was very sad, but I think they’re happy for me now.

Did your students enjoy having a rock star teacher?

Yeah, I think they did. They were really impressed, and I think it was a big deal for them. They saw a video that we made, and I remember this little girl watching the video when we were in the classroom and I was standing there, and she kept looking at the screen and looking at me, and looking at the screen and looking at me, and I think it was like ‘Wow!’ They kept saying ‘That doesn’t sound like you!’ And the singing, they couldn’t believe that it was my voice. It was funny just to hear their reaction.

What is your favorite album of the last year?

For 2012 I really like the Dirty Projectors’ new record and Frank Ocean and Tame Impala; we’ve been listening to that record in the van.

I’ve been getting into Tame Impala too, it’s like John Lennon and Cream had an Australian love-child.

Yeah, it’s a really great record, very 70’s and kind of psychedelic. What else… oh, I like the new Grizzly Bear record, too. I guess that’s just off the top of my head. There are a lot of good albums out right now.

Any plans to get back in the recording studio any time soon?

Definitely, after this tour I’m going to just kind of lock myself up and write more songs, and we’re going to work together as a band, and hopefully we’ll be ready by 2013 to record. So that’s the plan.

You’ll have to make sure your roof doesn’t collapse on you like with Arcade Fire.

Yeah, were looking out for that. We’re going to try to get home, actually, there’s a hurricane coming and we’re going to try to get home before that hits.

Ever thought about doing a show in the middle of a hurricane?

Yeah, we have actually. We sort of did in Florida, there was like a rainstorm happening in the middle. That would be cool, that would be awesome, yeah. [Laughs]