The blend of blues, americana, and Roussillon (Provencal?) folk music could be viewed as either the next fusion for bored Berklee kids to kick around/to death or as an exciting avenue for musical exploration, possibly because of it’s relative obscurity in the pop music landscape. Maybe there is another viewpoint I’m missing. I don’t know. It’s polarizing, is what I’m saying. But for those of you who may enjoy a bit of sonic adventure (being a fan of Tom Waits and Gogel Bordello wouldn’t hurt either), Mighty Tiny would be well worth your time. Their new release, White Dog Rough Again, skips jauntily through a number of different styles and genres within each song, creating an interesting, if somewhat manic, listening experience. The best feature of this band is if you don’t like a particular part of a song, just wait for a few seconds and it will be completely different. The worst part is that you may not like the following parts either. You shouldn’t necessarily listen to this as a soundtrack for any particular task or commute, but I did find it an enjoyable exercise in active listening, which I don’t often feel compelled to do.
You can preview the album from their website, though I would highly suggest going to see them perform live at their CD release party at the Middle East Downstairs on Friday, May 13th, before reaching a purchasing decision.
–Charles Murphy