Spaceland – Silverlake, CA
Live Review: 7/6/09
***
Miniature Tigers are pure charm — swaying and stomping in desert-meets-yacht club attire and serving up jingle-jangle indie pop set to the hard-hitting snap of Lucite drums.

Straight out of Phoenix, the four Mini Ts stirred up an otherwise terribly Monday-at-nine crowd at Spaceland with their infectiously cheerful songs. They played standouts from their album Tell It to the Volcano including “Cannibal Queen” and “Dark Tower” in addition to a not-so-startlingly springy rendition “Mamma Mia” by ABBA.

Charlie Brand writes the kinds of pop songs you wish there were more of – strikingly catchy, effortlessly fun and approachable, but lyrically strong and cleverly writ. They keep your toes tapping well after the show’s ended and yet won’t bore you after weeks pushing the backtrack button.

Evidently the feeling is mutual. “You’re a sweet, sweet crowd,” Charlie said towards the end of the set. “A sweet and gentle crowd.”

Miniature Tigers opened the first of four residency shows at Spaceland for Andy Clockwise, whose joyous return to the States is marked by his clearly bringing it – ‘it’ being his brand of bawdy, direct and ebullient rock and roll – to his performance.

via Zinzi Edmundson, 10 July 2009 6:10pm | |