Tiger Army
Terminal West
∙
Atlanta
Tuesday, September 24 at 8 pm EDT
Concert Venue
Tuesday, September 24 at 8 pm EDT
Concert Venue
Entry Options
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Description
Due out Sept. 13, 2019, ‘Retrofuture’ is the bands’ sixth full-
length (their second on Luna-tone / Rise Records) – it arrives a full
two decades after their first album.
Produced by Ted Hutt (The Gaslight Anthem, Old Crow
Medicine Show, Lucero), the LP’s concept is elaborated on by
frontman Nick 13: “Retrofuturism is generally a visual aesthetic, but it
got me thinking, it’s the perfect description for our sound! The gear
and instruments are mostly 1950s and 60s, but while the tones may
be classic, we’ve always tried to push into uncharted territory
musically with each release. So the idea behind this record was to
create our version of what someone might imagine future rock ’n’ roll
sounding like, but from the perspective of the mid-20 th century.”
Brimming with vintage fuzz, tape echo and reverb, the album’s
thirteen tracks weave stylistically through vintage punk, garage and
rock ’n’ roll, while still maintaining a curious modernity as influences
from Latin music to surf shoot through like satellites in the night sky.
Present as always are the band’s signature melodicism and 13’s
ethereal vocals.
The band will embark on the “Retrofuture Tour” in September,
with dates through the end of 2019 taking them across the United
States, Canada, Europe, UK and Mexico. Fellow Angelenos, SadGirl
will support in the States, with Finnish post-punks, Grave Pleasures
supporting in Europe and the UK.
‘Retrofuture’ follows last summer’s ‘Dark Paradise’ EP, the title
track being the trio’s take on the Lana Del Rey song. The EP drew
on mid-century surf and exotica music, while the visuals reflected a
love of Tiki subculture. The single received airplay on KROQ in Los
Angeles and various specialty radio stations around the country. The
release was supported solely by two sold out shows at The Theatre
at Ace Hotel in Los Angeles, as the rest of the year was reserved for
writing what would become the new LP.
Tiger Army started in 1996 in Berkeley, California – playing
their first show at seminal DIY venue 924 Gilman. A trio with electric
guitar, stand-up bass and drums led by singer, guitarist and
songwriter Nick 13, the band’s sound is a unique blend of punk and
TIGER ARMY ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM RETROFUTURE
mid-century rock 'n' roll, with an emphasis on songwriting and
melody. The band has called Los Angeles home for the majority of
its existence, since 2000. Their live sets have to be experienced,
taking the audience on a journey from high-impact stompers to
atmospheric ballads, drawing as much at times on Monument-era
Roy Orbison as The Ramones.
Tiger Army’s first four records were released on Hellcat /
Epitaph Records, starting with their self-titled debut in 1999. Heavy
touring began shortly after and continued through the end of 2008,
when the band wrapped up the worldwide cycle for their fourth
record, ‘Music From Regions Beyond’, produced by the legendary
Jerry Finn. Throughout the years, they shared stages with notable
artists like Morrissey and Social Distortion. While the album yielded
the single “Forever Fades Away” and saw their highest visibility with
favorable reviews in publications like the ‘New York Times’ and
national TV appearances such as ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’, they’ve
always been outsiders to the mainstream, with authenticity the only
priority.
The band’s adherents are closer to members of a movement
than fans, with hundreds of tattoos existing related to Tiger Army's
lyrics, song titles or signature "Tigerbat" logo. The number of these is
more likely in the thousands, and lest one think that’s hyperbole – it
isn’t.
In 2009, Tiger Army slowed down as Nick 13 embarked on a
solo career playing Americana music, releasing and touring a self-
titled album on Sugar Hill Records in 2011. Perhaps unexpected to
those who hadn’t paid close attention to the roots music
underpinnings of the band’s sound, the frontman played festivals
such as Stagecoach and Austin City Limits, while his videos were
played on country music video stations like CMT and GAC. Tiger
Army played only a few gigs a year during this period, including
“Octoberflame”, a multi-night SoCal festival curated by 13 that had its
ninth year in 2017.
After spending years searching for the next creative evolution in
the band’s sound, 13 found inspiration in early 60s American and
British rock ’n’ roll – the transitional and experimental period after the
TIGER ARMY ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM RETROFUTURE
genre’s first wave, but before the new decade became musically
codified. The era spoke to 13’s “what’s next” sensibility and in 2015
Tiger Army recorded the album that would become ‘V •••–‘ (Rise /
Luna-tone), beginning a tour cycle with its release the following year
that lasted twenty-two months; taking them all over North America,
Europe and Australia – which included headlining shows, as well as
doing select dates with Frank Turner, a co-headlining run with Murder
By Death and performing on two episodes of NBC’s ‘Last Call with
Carson Daly’. The cycle also saw the band embark on their first-ever
South American tour, where audiences reached a fever pitch for
songs like the Spanish language “Hechizo de Amor”.
tigearmy.com
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