After sweetly pop rocking across the states with Kevin Devine, Miniature Tigers have returned to the Valley for a brief respite.
Riding the wave of their debut LP “Tell It To The Volcano,” which dropped last September, Miniature Tigers seem to be touring and promoting non-stop. The group played the CMJ Music Marathon in New York not long after the release and has received consistently glowing reviews for both their straightforward pop playing and replay ready record.
The quartet, led by Charlie Brand, are set to headline local promoter Psyko Steve’s Star Swim Fourth of July Party at the Wyndham Hotel’s rooftop pool in downtown Phoenix.
Swimsuits are encouraged, especially as the thermostat has been consistently topping 100 degrees, and food and drinks are available at the poolside bar. Festivities are set to start at 5 p.m., and admission is $6.
Miniature Tigers are following locals Dear and The Headlights, K N E S S E T, Kinch and Black Carl in headlining the New Times sponsored series. Last summer Star Swim was held at Hotel San Carlos but was moved to the Wyndham this year because of capacity issues and fire marshal mandates.
The holiday bill is chock-full of Arizona local music goodness, with Dust Jacket, who, via MySpace, describe their sound as five people playing instruments like typewriters, starting off the night, followed by a DJ set from Ben Collins, curator of Phoenix-based label Modern Art Records and member of Chronic Future.
California’s Princeton will set the jingling pop mood in motion perfectly for Miniature Tigers, who for a short time relocated to Los Angeles in a greener grass pursuit.
Phoenix lured Brand back, however, and he found artistic support for his Miniature Tigers project from Ben Collins, who discovered Brand’s music online, and eventually led to the founding of Modern Art Records, which is an imprint of Sony’s Epic Records.
After the pool party, Miniature Tigers continue on a miniature tour with Princeton, which has a stop in Tucson on July 2, and then will take them up through California, on to Oregon and finally Washington.
For the Miniature Tigers inside scoop while touring or otherwise, fans can follow Brand on Twitter, username “charliebrand.” In addition to organizing tweet ups, Brand also discusses music, food and all that other stuff people tweet about.
The Star Swim show following the Fourth of July Party features Lymbyc Systym. For more information on Star Swim, go to http://www.psykosteve.com/.
What You Need To Know
Event: Star Swim at Wyndham Hotel
Address: 50 East Adams Street
Phoenix, AZ 85004
800-359-7253
Lineup: Miniature Tigers, Princeton, DJ Ben Collins, Dust Jacket
Time: 5 p.m.
Cost: $6; tickets available via TicketWeb and at the door
