Selby Tigers – The Curse of the Selby Tigers – Review

Selby Tigers

The Curse of the Selby Tigers (Hopeless)
by Scott Hefflon

I have yet to really get behind Selby Tigers, but I’m getting closer the more I hear. The bio claims ya gotta see ’em live, but that’s usually a kind way of saying the record sucks. But Hopeless backs ’em, they’re from Minneapolis, and Patrick of Dillinger Four called it “spastic garage rock from beyond mixed with the sexy panache of new wave,” and that’s certainly more concise than what I was gonna say. There’s a dark, spy-themed feel to it, the guy/girl vocals sound like X sometimes, but most times the female vocals are raw and scratchy like The Distillers and the male vocals kinda stiff and British New Wave. Kinda. They’re from MN, and if that doesn’t conjure a sound in your mind, you haven’t been paying attention. AmRep may be gone, but that doesn’t mean you’re allowed to forget “the gritty, bassy Minneapolis sound.” The Curse of The was lovingly captured by John Reis who’s worked with Rocket From The Crypt, among others, so if you’re not yet wanting to wash that grit and greasy film from your skin, you’re not listening closely enough.

OK, these guys are really starting to sink in. It’s still a little angular Dead Kennedys to me, but I think it’s because of the dark guitarwork that I can’t connect to much else (meaning it’s good and quite refreshing), but the dual vocal attack beats Jello’s annoying yap, and the bottom end’s slither is downright insidious. Punks and Mods alike should find something to like here. I’m sold.
(PO Box 7495 Van Nuys, CA 91409)