Ruby Tigers

Powerful vocals, driving guitars and a pulsating beat are the hallmarks of the debut single from Queensland five-piece, Ruby Tigers. The Deal has some serious pedigreei n its production. Mixed in LA by Mark Needham (the Killers, Block Party, Faker) and mastered by Leon Zervos (Maroon 5, Avil Lavigne), this is a track that has the production team behind it to ensure The Deal can hold its own against major label releases currently at radio. After all, it is the team that has been behind some of the biggest pop and rock hits of the past 5 yrs. This song pumps straight from the outset and will weasel its way into your brain to set up permanent residence. Ruby Tigers are clearly a band that wear their influences on their sleeves – The Deal has enough hints of rock gargantuans INXS and U2, to make them a must for CR, with a potential to cross over to AC. - Music Network Magazine

Even though I live here in Australia, discovering good new Aussie bands is harder than you might think. There’s been a few standout releases this year from my side of the pond, for example the excellent debut from glam rockers HANSEL, a power metal masterpiece from BLACK MAJESTY and a great funkified indie-rock gem recently from THIRSTY MERC, but honestly apart from that the Aussie music pickings for 2010 seemed pretty bleak. That is until one day when I was driving home from my day job and heard a song on the radio by an up-and-coming band called RUBY TIGERS. As soon as I got home that day I did some research on the band and requested a copy of the new album.
Though I already knew that I liked the song I heard on the radio, I had no idea that I was about to listen to one of my favorite albums of the last few years and honestly one of the freshest Aussie bands I’ve heard for a long, long time.

YEAR OF TIGER as a whole is very radio friendly, and throughout the album I heard references to artists as diverse as MATCHBOX TWENTY, U2, INXS, THE KILLERS, THE CALLING, DAUGHTRY and many others which has given the band a very unique sound but still manages to totally accessible for a wide audience.
Opening track THE DEAL was the first single from the album and has found some success in certain parts of the world. GET A LIFE is the second single and the song that I first heard from the band, it’s a perfect summer rock song and a very worthy second single. THE COOL POLICE reminds me a bit of the latest Matchbox Twenty stuff, and could easily be the third single to come off the album. ORDINARY LIFE is a slower track that is full of class and has a great lyric. REASON ESCAPED sounds like a mish-mash of U2 and The Killers, and is yet another song that could easily chart. SWEET DISASTER brings things up a bit again and reminds me of the some of the rockier moments of The Calling. ANOTHER STUPID HUMAN is another in the U2/Killers mould, and yup, you guessed it, another song with plenty of hit potential. STILL is another quieter song that is the perfect way to show that ballads don’t always have to be wimpy affairs. TRUTH KILLS has me a little divided in opinion, it’s a great song but the intro riff is way to close to a certain Foo Fighters song. LOVE REFUND is a late highlight and certainly one of my favorite songs of the year, a very classy piano rock song. LAST LIGHT sounds like modern day INXS right down the JD Fortune sounding vocals. BLESS THIS BROODING HEART is a great song to end on and definitely left me wanting more.

I can honestly say that the only bad thing about this album was that it had to end, and want to hear more and more stuff from these guys. The album sticks to a great formula, with just enough variation to keep things interesting and I think realistically there is about seven of the twelve songs that have the potential to be radio hits.
RUBY TIGERS have been a true surprise for me, and a band I can say that I am now a big fan of, and all I can say to the rest of the world is lookout for these guys, I think they’re going to be massive, and they have the potential to be the best new Aussie band of the last ten years. Essential. - http://myglobalmind.info

The Lowdown: Ruby Tigers

"Nothing like having way too many beers and singing along to “Cherry Pie” in a place where it’s ok to do it without fear of being beaten up!"

Coming from Australia, Ruby Tigers are a rock group who have built up a loyal fan base in the last twelve months. They were kind enough to answer my questions about sunshine, Home and Away and oh yeah, the music!

Altsounds: You guys hail from Australia, we’ve seen a few heavier bands surface there in past years, what is the music scene like?

Ruby Tigers: The scene is very diverse, there’s a lot of great indie and Rock/Pop. Australian Hip Hop has had some success and there is definitely an underground resurgence of heavier rock/metal and hardcore happening here at the moment.

Altsounds: Having received international exposure, tell me what makes Ruby Tigers stand out from the crowd?

Ruby Tigers: We really focus on making sure the songs have strong melodies and a sense of spirit and purpose. We feel that there’s a real honesty to our music and we absolutely love to play our songs live!

Altsounds: Musically, do you rely heavily on your influences for ideas, or are they merely icons to follow in footsteps of?

Ruby Tigers: I think you can’t help but be influenced by the music and bands that you love, but it’s not something that we consciously set out to do. Anything that I hear influences me in some way; we all appreciate and enjoy so many different styles of music.

Altsounds: How did your appearance at the Mosaic Music Festival arise?

Ruby Tigers: They heard our stuff on Myspace and really dug what we were doing. We were lucky that they liked us enough to have us do some shows for them. We had a great time!



Altsounds: Has that affected your international fan base?

Ruby Tigers: It has definitely helped with exposure to the Asian market, we weren’t sure how we would be received being a rock band (they love Pop over there, big time), but they absolutely loved the band and everyone was really receptive and vibed at the shows.

Altsounds: I’ve always wanted to go to the Whiskey A Go Go, had you been there before your LA gig?

Ruby Tigers: Yeah, we had been there before a few times to see some bands play and to check it out. It’s a world famous venue with so much history. It was a blast playing there, we were so excited!

Altsounds: What was the feeling before flying out there? And what was the gig like?

Ruby Tigers: To be honest we were all a little nervous. It was an industry showcase, and no matter how many of those you do, they still feel awkward and not like a normal show. It’s like people are there to judge you rather than just enjoy the music. We tried to ignore that and just had fun rocking out in a great historic venue. It turned out to be a really good show in the end and it helped us get our deal.

Altsounds: Returning to the US to support Warrant must have been a great moment; how did that partnership come about?

Ruby Tigers: Our label hooked that up as a warm up gig, it was a great rock crowd and we had an awesome time. Nothing like having way too many beers and singing along to “Cherry Pie” in a place where it’s OK to do it without fear of being beaten up!

Altsounds: What is your stage show like? Are you lights and smoke guys, or straight to the music?

Ruby Tigers: We are more about the music at the moment, but that’s mainly due to the fact that we don’t have the budget yet to have a huge U2 like stage show! Hopefully as time goes on the stages will get bigger and so will our heads…ha ha!

Altsounds: You’ve got a debut single coming out the beginning of March, entitled ‘The Deal’, what is the songs inspiration? Do you feel it is your most accessible track on the forthcoming album?

Ruby Tigers: 'The Deal' is really just about trying to make a change in your life and trying to turn around what seems like a hopeless situation to make things better…whether it’s a relationship or even your state of mind. It’s definitely a good song for radio, but I would say we have some other songs on the album that could do just as well if not better on the charts, I guess time will tell.

Altsounds: 2010 is a busy year for Ruby Tigers, with a debut album entitled "Year of the Tiger" also surfacing. Have you been delaying the release in order to coincide with the Chinese year of the Tiger?

Ruby Tigers: No, we are not that clever timing wise, it just worked out that way. But it did seem like the perfect album title.



Altsounds: Are you big on social networking? Where is the best place to find out all the latest news regarding Ruby Tigers?

Ruby Tigers: Yeah, we are fast becoming internet whores, we are all over it, Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, pick your poison.

Altsounds: What can be expected from Ruby Tigers in the future? Any international tour?

Ruby Tigers: We are dying to tour as many places as we can, as soon as we can. We are planning to head back to the USA in a few months for more shows and then if all goes well, Europe and then Asia. We definitely know that it’s still one of the most honest and best ways to win over new fans. We love to play live and we pride ourselves on being a great live band.

Altsounds: Are you the type of band who take an acoustic guitar down to the beach and have a jam with friends?

Ruby Tigers: It depends on the friends you have with you at the time and whether they are tone deaf, loud singers or not!

Altsounds: The big question: Describe a perfect gig line-up, with Ruby Tigers playing alongside ANY other two bands / artists.

Ruby Tigers: Wow, that’s a tough one, because we will play with just about any type of artist and feel confident that their fans will appreciate something about us. We are lucky in the fact that everyone from Metal heads to Pop princesses dig something about us. But in answer to your question I think a show with Ruby Tigers, Lady Gaga and The Killers would be great.

Altsounds: Being from the UK, tell me what it is like to experience Sunshine?

Ruby Tigers: Ha ha, you poor English buggers! I couldn’t begin to imagine what it’s like for you guys being sunshine deprived! I guess I’ll find out when we come over to do some shows huh?

Altsounds: Please excuse my generalisation by answering ‘Neighbours’ or ‘Home and Away’ and why? Is one really better than the other?

Ruby Tigers: Oh no, really? Do I have to? Both shows hurt my brain! If I had to make a choice based on the most elementary form of human stimulation, then I would say Home and Away, because the girls are hotter on that show at the moment!

Altsounds: Any last words for the Altsounds readers / fans?

Ruby Tigers: Just that we hope 2010 (The Year Of The Tiger) is a great year for everybody and that we look forward to coming over and playing some shows for you guys as soon as we can!

- www.altsounds.com

Original Link: http://hangout.altsounds.com/reviews/117074-ruby-tigers-year-of-the-tiger-album.html

Last month, Altsounds had the opportunity to catch up with the Ruby Tigers, who are a four piece rock band from Brisbane, Australia. You can read the full interview here: http://hangout.altsounds.com/feature...by-tigers.html - but today we turn our attentions towards their latest release "Year of the Tiger". This album has been mixed by Mark Needham (The Killers) and mastered by Leon Zervos (Aerosmith, Avril Lavigne). With that kind of support and guidance on hand, Ruby Tigers are set up for great success.

What you get with this album is twelve tracks of mature pop-rock tunes which all carry a worthy hook, getting feet tapping and faces smiling. There is certainly nothing offensive about their music and they represent everything I would expect from a band who are at home with their sound and know what it takes to deliver it reliably. After giving this album a couple of spins, it really grows on you and provided the perfect driving music for those long, winding roads on a sunny day. Of course, I was in England and it is hardly the same as trekking across the desert in the Australian Outback, but we can always live in hope.

You can hear comparisons with the likes of Nickelback and those more mainstream artists, but that suits me fine. The album starts with their single ‘The Deal’ and for any readers questioning how well known this band actually are, ‘The Deal’ recently entered the US charts in a top 20 position, which I think you’ll agree, is good going for a band whose music has not been featured a huge amount outside of Australia. It’s a radio friendly track with a slightly predictable template, but this meets the needs of its requirement and the fact it achieved a chart position shows they must be doing something right.

Other songs on the album which are worth a mention include ‘Reason Escaped’, which adopts that 90’s rock ballad feel, using a range of guitars and effects, mixing delays and echoes with precision, as vocals soar effortlessly over the top. Actually, the vocals are very versatile and could probably carry across to a range of genres and styles, which is where Ruby Tigers have the potential for longevity. ‘Another Stupid Human’ reminded me of Ville Valo from HIM funnily enough in delivery, but obviously the music resembles bands of a less hard-edge nature. ‘Last Night’ is a really funky number and gets down to a deep, groovy beat early on - adapting instruments to channel The Ruby Tigers output into a more adventurous and one of the more exciting tracks on the album.

If you dig this kind of sound, I think Ruby Tigers are an undiscovered talent and the sort of the band you kick yourself in a few years time over, being that you didn’t get to see them before they hit the ‘big time'. For me personally, on paper they wouldn’t have been a band who I would have chosen to listen to initially, but having had the opportunity, I was pleased with my decision to delve deeper. A strong album and one I expect to hear a lot more about in coming months. - www.altsounds.com

Talk about a solid tune. This Gold Coast band of sharply-dressed rockers pump out a propulsive anthem for those trying to escape the daily grind. I don’t know about you but “Going On A Holiday / Eight Days A Week / Two Times A Night” sounds pretty damn good. ‘Get a Life’ is a fresh track from their debut EP which was mixed in Los Angeles by Mark Needham (The Killers, Faker, Bloc Party) and mastered by Leon Zervos (Maroon 5, Avril Lavigne). Keep it coming, boys. - www.radarradio.com.au