With millions of megabytes of music available online to everyone, forever, how do you pick a good band without wasting valuable keystrokes? Look up Violette Records, where musicians like Tigers & Flies are making music with heart, soul and originality.
The band known as Tigers & Flies are Arthur Arnold, on guitars and vocals, Eddie Wigin doing bass guitar and vocals, Arvin Johnson performing drums and backing vocals, Matteo Fernandes playing trumpet and flugel, plus Risha Alimchandani on trombone and Harry Badger handling the saxophone. Together they are a band searching for something fresh in pop music, using their personal musical individuality to do it.
"Among Everything Else," their latest sensational creation, has been compared to everything from the Gang of Four, XTC, The Velvet Underground and Factory. The fact is definitions can fail since every play of this album offers more to the listener's ear than what has been heard before. Although the work won't be released on vinyl and digital formats until November 12, some fortunate individuals have had access to the album, thanks to Violette Records. How to describe it?
After playing this album at full blast on my Creative iRoar (cheap plug) many times all I can tell you is miracles can happen, you just have to believe in checking your email and listening to new musicians. Trust your ears and instincts. Modern music can be boring. Too much repetition. Not enough innovation. "Among Everything Else," is modern originality, not boring mediocrity.
Without giving away all of the surprises, Tigers & Flies created something worth saving in a jar for a few million years, to play later for future generations and possible extraterrestrials. Ten songs telling a tale, so what's the story? The first song, "Night Time Mood," summons a sensation similar to Richard Hell and the 1970's post-punk band Television, blending delicious organic string acoustics with a rough bass guitars and fun progressive drumbeats.
After that fast takeoff "Among Everything Else" soars, entertaining you with "Ben," a nice song featuring haunting vocals, evocative guitar licks and an overall beat reminding one of early Paul McCartney or modern popular indy rock, thanks to it's timeless composition. Maybe I've been listening to too much music and taking it personally. Perhaps, but "Ben" is telling a story about growing up and falling in love with somebody. It could be you. Maybe it's both of us.
There are more songs worth listening to as much as typing about, so I'll finish it off by thanking the band for, among other features, wisely using the saxophone and trumpets to maximum effect. From late 70's era Gerry Rafferty's legendary hit single "Baker Street" to modern successful punk/ska groups like Operation Ivy or NOFX, brass instrumentals are best used with great care. This band did so, and the album is better for it. Please buy this record before supply and demand makes it cost one million dollars. It's worth it.
Check out Violette Records here: https://violetterecords.com/
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