Track A Tiger

There's a good reason that Track A Tiger is getting lots of love in the music blog world. Theirs is a mature music. No, not music for old people but well-aged music. A fine wine. A '97 Brunello of the indie music world. Music that must've gestated for a while before finally being recorded and sent out for the public to enjoy. Music that resides somewhere in the musical intersection of Low and Belle and Sebastian. Music that I really am enjoying right about now. Music that makes me start every sentence with the word music. Music is as music does. Music music music, thank heavens for music like this! Okay, sorry.

The Track A Tiger MySpace profile says that they're from Chicago and has the following to say about their recently released album Woke up early the day I died:

“Woke up early the day I died” is a collection of songs Jim Vallet recorded under the name Track a Tiger. The project began in August in 2003 after sifting through some old 4-track tapes and a notebook with a few song ideas. A 16-track digital recorder and a few microphones were bought and recording began in his Chicago apartment (listen close for a cat, squeaky wood floors and occasional late night drunken lover’s quarrel on the street below).
The songs started with acoustic guitar and then were slowly worked over a two-year period. Keyboards, guitars, banjo, cello, female harmonies and other assorted blips and bleeps were added. Jim Viner, an old friend back from their days in the Iowa City band Head Candy, (Link/Elektra), added drums to seven tracks.

Deciding the project needed an ending point, time was booked to mix in June 2005 at Paul Oldham’s Rove Studio in rural Shelbyville, Kentucky. Although happy with the mixes, it was decided some of the songs weren’t quite done. A few more lyrics were written, additional harmonies added, and the result was mixed and mastered by Pat Stolley at futureappletree Studio 1 in Rock Island, Illinois.

Listen:
"Glad To Be Scattered"
"Seashaken Heart"

BUY Track A Tiger's album Woke up early the day I died.