Tiger vs. Tiger

There's two bands in town.

Spring Tigers (www.myspace.com/springtigers).
Twin Tigers (www.myspace.com/thetwintigers).

And if old west towns weren't big enough for two sheriffs, then is Athens big enough for two Tigers? Should one have to leave? And if so, which one?

Athens Music Express breaks it down by using arbitrarily chosen categories, because that's what boys do on the internet.

Name

The name Twin Tigers is a lie. Because there's four people in the band.

The name Spring Tigers is also a lie. Because it's currently summertime.

Spring Tigers named their band after a Guided by Voices song, so they gain two points. But they lose five points for self-consciously naming themselves after a song off one of GBV's obscure 1993 7-inches (and they lose ten points if they named themselves after the version on that 'Suitcase" boxset). What's the matter ST? Too cool to name yourselves 'Motor Away'?

Verdict: TT by a whisker. (get it? whisker).

Looks

First, ST.



Wow. I think I saw these guys on Ellen the other day. Her audience loved it. The question is, do they work at Hot Topic just so they can get the discount? Or do they do it because they love the music?

Let's not even talk about the leather jacket.

Alright. Now, TT.



They seem very nice. And I'm liking that sweater.

Verdict: TT by a landslide.

Localness

ST frontman Kris isn't even from America, let alone Athens.

TT frontman Matthew grew up here and went to ACC public schools. Can't get much more local than that. And before Twin Tigers he was the main guy for Psychic Hearts, who were awesome. Loses points for changing his last name to 'Rain' though. But he would've gained points if he'd spelled it 'Reign'.

Verdict: TT seem to be doing pretty well so themselves so far.

Sounds

TT's touchstones revolve around the hazy psychedelia of My Bloody Valentine, Animal Collective, etc. Vocals are a little glammy, a little on the fey side (Bowie, not Tina). They're not reinventing the wheel, but at the same time their sound isn't overtly commercial. Still, it gets kind of hard to tell sometimes exactly which band has the english guy singing for them. And there's a huge cloud hanging over their head with the word DEERHUNTER written all over it in big pink letters.

ST's music would fit nicely into the soundtrack of whatever the big overprivileged white teen tv drama is these days. I'm getting the feeling these guys had to call a band meeting on the day The O.C. got cancelled. The singer uses the same snotty intonation as grade-schoolers do on a playground. But I'll bet you money his dad cannot beat up my dad. Also, negative 1000 points for claiming to be influenced by Syd Barrett and Wire when you really sound like Phantom Planet, or a more sober and high-pitched Strokes, or one more Plain White T's.

Overall, there's a cetain plastic feeling that hangs over their music. Which would be interesting if ST loved plastic, or if they hated plastic, or if they spent their whole lives trying to escape the plastic all around them only to end up with assholes like me calling them plastic. Unfortunately, they're content to just be plastic. Which isn't very interesting at all.

Verdict: TT for honesty, and for choosing the (slightly) harder path to stardom.

Final Judgement

Hey, wait a second. Athens isn't that small, and if we can have a Dark Meat and a Christopher's Liver, then why can't we have two tigers? They can both stay! And maybe they can even play a show together at halftime when UGA plays the Clemson Tigers! And eat Frosted Flakes together with Tony the Tiger while they read Tiger Beat! And cover 'Eye of the Tiger'!

That would be gr-r-r-eat!

Besides, I'll eat my own shit if Spring Tigers is still living and playing here 4 years from now.