Tiny Masters of Today
Encyclopedia
Tiny Masters of Today are an American
indie punk rock
band, consisting of siblings Ivan and Ada and their friend Jackson all members are from Brooklyn, New York.
who called their "brief, bratty" songs "remarkable".
Shortly thereafter, British independent label Tigertrap Records
, compiled three songs from the home recordings as the EP
Big Noise
. The entire pressing sold out almost immediately and influential UK music tastemakers Artrocker
Magazine featured them on the cover proclaiming them "the future of rock and roll." Influential rocker David Bowie
praised the band in several media outlets, declaring their first single "Genius." A second home-recorded EP K.I.D.S. was released in December 2006 and also sold out immediately.
The earliest incarnation featured Ivan and Ada accompanied by a laptop computer. Russell Simins, drummer for the Blues Explosion, contacted the band after hearing their demos and began an improbably lengthy stint as their live drummer. The trio played nearly 60 shows together, including tours of the UK and Europe. Simins also co-produced (with Phil Hernandez and Chris Maxwell aka The Elegant Too) the band's first full-length album, Bang Bang Boom Cake
(2007).
. Upon completion the album was licensed to Great Society/ World's Fair for North America and Mute Records
for the rest of the World.
The album featured 13 songs and included writing collaborations with Kimya Dawson
and Karen O
from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs
. Guest performers included Karen O
and Nick Zinner
(Yeah Yeah Yeahs
), Kimya Dawson
(Moldy Peaches), Russell Simins (Blues Explosion), Gibby Haynes
(Butthole Surfers
), Fred Schneider
(The B-52's
) and turntablist DJ Atsushi Numata. In a video interview by VidoCity, Ivan mentioned that Blues Explosion drummer Russell Simins showed interest in working with the band on their debut album. In a mix-up, a photo of Def Jam pioneer Russell Simmons
splashed onto the screen instead. The band appeared with Simins on the Public Radio International
program Fair Game
in December 2006, performing the songs "Stickin' It to the Man" and "Tooty Frooty". Simins went on to tour with the band in 2007 but was replaced by Jackson Pollis in 2008.
On March 31, 2009, Tiny Masters announced the April release of their single "Skeletons" in the UK and US, supported by a ten-concert ten-day tour of Europe and England and an already widely seen video. A new album was announced for June.
Many critics have compared them to punk forefathers The Ramones and The Stooges
. While it is unlikely that these bands have a direct influence, critics seem to be responding to the raw production of their music positively.
Remixes by:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
indie punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band, consisting of siblings Ivan and Ada and their friend Jackson all members are from Brooklyn, New York.
The Early Years
The adolescent punk group came to international attention after putting some of their homemade recordings on a Myspace page in the spring of 2005. Before they had even performed their first live show, they were featured in NewsweekNewsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
who called their "brief, bratty" songs "remarkable".
Shortly thereafter, British independent label Tigertrap Records
Tigertrap Records
Tigertrap Records is a London-based record label, which was set up in late 2005 by Drowned In Sound writers Tom Edwards and Adie Nunn. The label released a series of singles through 2006, concentrating on unbroken talent. During this time, former Warp Records employee Gill Barker joined to manage...
, compiled three songs from the home recordings as the EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
Big Noise
Big Noise
Big Noise is the name of the debut EP from The Tiny Masters Of Today. It debuted in 2006 on Tigertrap Records in England.-Format:Big Noise were both released on 7' vinyl and in MP3 format. To date, "Big Noise" is not in CD format....
. The entire pressing sold out almost immediately and influential UK music tastemakers Artrocker
ArtRocker
Artrocker is a UK-based collective involved in music promotion and publishing. It was started by Paul Cox and Tom Fawcett who had been co-promoters of a London night called The Sausage Factory...
Magazine featured them on the cover proclaiming them "the future of rock and roll." Influential rocker David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
praised the band in several media outlets, declaring their first single "Genius." A second home-recorded EP K.I.D.S. was released in December 2006 and also sold out immediately.
The earliest incarnation featured Ivan and Ada accompanied by a laptop computer. Russell Simins, drummer for the Blues Explosion, contacted the band after hearing their demos and began an improbably lengthy stint as their live drummer. The trio played nearly 60 shows together, including tours of the UK and Europe. Simins also co-produced (with Phil Hernandez and Chris Maxwell aka The Elegant Too) the band's first full-length album, Bang Bang Boom Cake
Bang Bang Boom Cake
Bang Bang Boom Cake is the debut album of punk rock band Tiny Masters of Today.-Tracklist:#"K.I.D.S."#"Stickin' It to the Man"#"Hey, Mr...
(2007).
Bang Bang Boom Cake
The critical response to their first singles led to significant label interest in the band although the band remained unsigned during the recording of Bang Bang Boom CakeBang Bang Boom Cake
Bang Bang Boom Cake is the debut album of punk rock band Tiny Masters of Today.-Tracklist:#"K.I.D.S."#"Stickin' It to the Man"#"Hey, Mr...
. Upon completion the album was licensed to Great Society/ World's Fair for North America and Mute Records
Mute Records
Mute is an independent record label based in the UK. It was founded in 1978 by Daniel Miller and featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Goldfrapp, Depeche Mode, Yazoo, Erasure and Fad Gadget.-Beginnings:...
for the rest of the World.
The album featured 13 songs and included writing collaborations with Kimya Dawson
Kimya Dawson
Kimya Dawson is an American singer-songwriter, best known as a solo performer and as one half of The Moldy Peaches. In Swahili, "Kimya" means "silence" or "silent".-Career:...
and Karen O
Karen O
Karen Lee Orzolek , better known by her stage name Karen O, is the vocalist for New York rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs.-Early life:...
from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Yeah Yeah Yeahs are an American indie rock band formed in New York City in 2000. The group is composed of vocalist and pianist Karen O, guitarist and keyboardist Nick Zinner, and drummer Brian Chase. They are complemented in live performances by second guitarist David Pajo, who joined as a touring...
. Guest performers included Karen O
Karen O
Karen Lee Orzolek , better known by her stage name Karen O, is the vocalist for New York rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs.-Early life:...
and Nick Zinner
Nick Zinner
Nicholas Joseph Zinner is the guitarist for the New York rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs. He is known for his "unmistakable" wild hair, skinny physique, and pale appearance...
(Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Yeah Yeah Yeahs are an American indie rock band formed in New York City in 2000. The group is composed of vocalist and pianist Karen O, guitarist and keyboardist Nick Zinner, and drummer Brian Chase. They are complemented in live performances by second guitarist David Pajo, who joined as a touring...
), Kimya Dawson
Kimya Dawson
Kimya Dawson is an American singer-songwriter, best known as a solo performer and as one half of The Moldy Peaches. In Swahili, "Kimya" means "silence" or "silent".-Career:...
(Moldy Peaches), Russell Simins (Blues Explosion), Gibby Haynes
Gibby Haynes
Gibson Jerome "Gibby" Haynes is an American musician, radio personality, and painter, and the lead singer of the group Butthole Surfers.-Early life and career:...
(Butthole Surfers
Butthole Surfers
Butthole Surfers is an American alternative rock band formed by Gibby Haynes and Paul Leary in San Antonio, Texas in 1981. The band has had numerous personnel changes, but its core lineup of Haynes, Leary, and drummer King Coffey has been consistent since 1983. Teresa Nervosa served as second...
), Fred Schneider
Fred Schneider
Frederick William "Fred" Schneider III is an American rock singer, best known as the frontman of the rock band The B-52's, of which he is a founding member. Schneider is well-known for his sprechgesang which he developed from reciting poetry over guitars.-Early life:Schneider was born in Newark,...
(The B-52's
The B-52's
The B-52's are an American rock band, formed in Athens, Georgia in 1976. The original line-up consisted of Fred Schneider , Kate Pierson , Cindy Wilson , Ricky Wilson , and Keith Strickland . Following Ricky Wilson's death in 1985 Strickland switched to guitar...
) and turntablist DJ Atsushi Numata. In a video interview by VidoCity, Ivan mentioned that Blues Explosion drummer Russell Simins showed interest in working with the band on their debut album. In a mix-up, a photo of Def Jam pioneer Russell Simmons
Russell Simmons
-External links:** * * * * * * from the US Holocaust Memorial Museum* *...
splashed onto the screen instead. The band appeared with Simins on the Public Radio International
Public Radio International
Public Radio International is a Minneapolis-based American public radio organization, with locations in Boston, New York, London and Beijing. PRI's tagline is "Hear a different voice." PRI is a major public media content creator and also distributes programs from many sources...
program Fair Game
Fair Game (radio)
Fair Game from PRI with Faith Salie was an experimental web and audio/radio hybrid daily public radio program which covered the important stories of the day and used humor to tease out what it all meant. The program was produced and distributed nationally by PRI...
in December 2006, performing the songs "Stickin' It to the Man" and "Tooty Frooty". Simins went on to tour with the band in 2007 but was replaced by Jackson Pollis in 2008.
On March 31, 2009, Tiny Masters announced the April release of their single "Skeletons" in the UK and US, supported by a ten-concert ten-day tour of Europe and England and an already widely seen video. A new album was announced for June.
Sound
Their songs usually feature a simple structure and repetitive lyrics and are frequently less than two minutes long. Some of the songs consist solely of a single chord. They also make ample use of technology, incorporating loops and samples and programmed drums into many of their songs. Much of their recording is done using a home computer with Garageband.Many critics have compared them to punk forefathers The Ramones and The Stooges
The Stooges
The Stooges are an American rock band from Ann Arbor, Michigan first active from 1967 to 1974, and later reformed in 2003...
. While it is unlikely that these bands have a direct influence, critics seem to be responding to the raw production of their music positively.
Singles
- "Radio Riot" (2007)
- "Hey Mr. DJ" (2007)
- "Hologram WorldHologram World"Hologram World" is a song by the Tiny Masters of Today. The single features the song "Hologram World", the XFM version of "Hologram World" and the music video for "Radio Riot" directed by Nick Chatfield-Taylor. It was released in the United Kingdom on February 25, 2008. Alternate versions of the...
" (2008) - "Pop Chart" (2009)
Remixes
Remixes of:- "Hey Mr. DJ (CSS Remix)" (2007)
- "Hey Mr. DJ" (LiarsLiars (band)Liars is a three-piece band formed in 2000 consisting of Angus Andrew , Aaron Hemphill , and Julian Gross...
Remix) (2007)
Remixes by:
- LiarsLiars (band)Liars is a three-piece band formed in 2000 consisting of Angus Andrew , Aaron Hemphill , and Julian Gross...
"Clear Island (Tiny Masters of Today Remix)" (2007)
Music videos
| Year | Title | Director(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | "Bushy" | ? |
| 2007 | "Radio Riot" | Nick Chatfield-Taylor |
| 2008 | "Hologram World" | Kids with Canes |
| 2009 | "Skeletons" | Jason Oliver Goodman |
| 2009 | "Pop Chart" | Evan Bernard Evan Bernard Evan Bernard is an American director of commercials and music videos who has directed videos for artists such as Moby, the Beastie Boys, Green Day, Lit, Cibo Matto and many others.After studying advertising design at Syracuse University and St... |
| 2009 | "Two Dead Soldiers" | Matthew Wargala |
External links
- Official website
- Tiny Masters of Today at MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
- Tiny Masters of Today discography at pop-catastrophe.co.uk
- Jessica Pressler: "Mama Was a Riot Grrrl? Then Pick Up a Guitar and Play" , The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, November 19, 2006 - Tiffany Tondut: "Interview: Tiny Masters of Today", Supersweet
- "Profiles: Tiny Masters of Today", Chief Magazine (via archive.orgInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
) - Punkcast#1099: Live videos w/ Kimya DawsonKimya DawsonKimya Dawson is an American singer-songwriter, best known as a solo performer and as one half of The Moldy Peaches. In Swahili, "Kimya" means "silence" or "silent".-Career:...
, Union Hall, Brooklyn, January 20, 2007, RealPlayerRealPlayerRealPlayer is a cross-platform media player by RealNetworks that plays a number of multimedia formats including MP3, MPEG-4, QuickTime, Windows Media, and multiple versions of proprietary RealAudio and RealVideo formats.-History:...
/mp4MPEG-4 Part 14MPEG-4 Part 14 or MP4 is a multimedia container format standard specified as a part of MPEG-4. It is most commonly used to store digital video and digital audio streams, especially those defined by MPEG, but can also be used to store other data such as subtitles and still images... - Tiny Masters fashion editorial for The Block