Tigers Are Bad For Horses

I’m not typically a believer in traditional Chinese astrology. Although I’ve been sympathetic in the past to those who put stock in their Zodiac readings, that’s all about to end. As it turns out, tigers are actually supposed to be good for horses. This is the final nail in the coffin: the curtain has been pulled back and the fraud exposed.
In reality, tigers are bad for horses. This should be evident to the discerning observer with any common sense. In short bursts, tigers are actually faster than horses, and their claws would present a fierce test to any equine foe. But DC-based pop duo Tigers Are Bad For Horses do not expect their listeners to grapple with this dissonance. Their new single “Embers” reveals dissonance of another kind – jazzy seventh and ninth chords, lyrics tackling the paradoxical nature of love, slick production expressing expansive heights and subtle dynamics. It’s clear that TABFH are intelligent musicians from the outset of “Embers,” but their music is not self-congratulatory or pretentious. It’s danceable, challenging, deep, light-hearted, and free-spirited. Pitched vocals complement lively ride cymbals, snowballing into a wave that tidily swallows itself up.

Sonically, they seem influenced by the same type of source material as their Proper Vibes labelmates. Their palette spans from fluttering synth arpeggios to head-noddable basslines, from clean handclaps to jazzy piano licks. If those elements don’t sound like logical companions to you, you’re not alone. “Embers” is an etude in the juxtaposition and synthesis of competing ideas.

But the real aesthetic value that TABFH bring to the console lies in their willingness to take risks, in their ability to express themselves on their terms. In “Embers,” for instance, there is no discernible song structure. In eschewing the typical ABAB compositional style, TABFH are able to bring the listener along for an unconventional ride. - Blisspop

Ah, modern love. There’s nothing quite like it. DC duo Tigers Are Bad For Horses don’t beat around the bush in their electro-pop ode to the swipe, “Tinder Date.” With groovy beats, funky synths and honest lyrics, this tongue-in-cheek song works because it is genuine. Those harmonies don’t hurt, either. Check out their lyric video above.

Tigers Are Bad For Horses took us through the process of creating this song:

"Both the lyrics and production came together pretty quickly and organically. We’d both been on Tinder a lot recently and when the idea came to turn it into a song, we sort of just sat down and wrote it out right then. It started out just as a funny project one night, but we ended up liking how it sounded and went with it from there.

Much of the production was inspired by newer artists like FKJ and Jordan Rakei and a desire to capture some of the sounds and feel of earlier funk/disco records by Earth Wind and Fire, P Funk, etc. It’s obviously a song about Tinder, so we wanted it to be light and fun but also reflect the musical influences of some of our favorite artists." - All Things Go

Why do we like this?
Okay, first up the band name: "Tigers Are Bad For Horses." I mean, no shit, right? And yet.. something about that name just grabbed my attention instantly, and I couldn't resist hitting play.

Name aside, "Embers" is a pretty solid track from the DC duo. It's my first taste from them (courtesy of Proper Vibes), though they've been going at it for quite a while now.

Bottom line: the song's got a rich quality, clearly demonstrating these guys are more than just a clever band name. - Indie Shuffle

Proper Vibes New York @ Knitting Factory – Brooklyn, NY // September 10

DC-based label and collective Proper Vibes just announced their latest NYC showcase at Knitting Factory set for September 10. This will be Proper Vibes’ second label showcase in New York City, and picks up where they left off after last year’s sold-out event at Pianos in the City.

For this year’s New York label showcase, Proper Vibes has teamed up with like-minded music organizations Closed Sessions and Too Future. Together they will be bringing back artists Cautious Clay and Lean Quatifah, along with new acts Tigers Are Bad For Horses, Mozado, Tate Tucker, and two more special guests. With a diverse mix of indie electronic, acid jazz, future bass, and hip hop sounds, there will be a style of music for everyone to enjoy. - Eventbrite

In today’s ‘well duh’ news, of course you don’t wanna put a tiger near a horse. You don’t wanna put a tiger anywhere really. What’s not delightfully obvious, however, is Tigers Are Bad For Horses’ new one Embers. What starts as a straightforward alt-pop jam takes detours down a jazz lounge route, making this DC duo so utterly lilting that you forget the heavy implications of “you’ve got your love alone” in all that rhythm. Check it out below. - Press Play OK

First things first. Tigers Are Bad For Horses is a ridiculously awesome band name. Despite what you might be picturing music-wise with this sort of name, these two craft a soulful and electric sound that pulls together the strongest traits of Tom Misch and Oh Wonder into a satisfying union.

“Embers” glides along with lush synths, pining and harmonized vocals, and a matured sense of cool that grabs your attention before you really even begin to register it. Captivating hardly begins to describe it, and Tigers Are Bad For Horses may just have a defining tune on their hands here. “Embers” simply is three and a half minutes of pleasantries that you can appreciate anywhere and everywhere. Close your eyes and enjoy. - The Music Ninja

Tigers Are Bad For Horses is an electronic/alternative pop duo that blends lilting vocals with jazz-influenced, multi-textured piano and production. The group features Lyell Evans Roeder on keyboard and production and Mary Ellen “Mellen” Funke on vocals. The DC-based band found its roots at Georgetown University: the pair met in 2013 and began Tigers a year later.

Lyell began playing piano at age 5. What started as a chore quickly became an interest: “In middle school I got into improvising with my cousin, and that turned into studying jazz in high school, and that became doing other sorts of production, songwriting, playing guitar and rock. But it started with being interested in improvising, and that’s what turned it into fun.”

Though the pair says their music has evolved significantly since forming the band, the roots of it have remained constant. Mellen grew up playing a lot of folk and singing in the folk tradition; before Tigers a lot of her music was folk-oriented (her favorite artist is Bon Iver). Lyell grew up with a mix of rock and jazz and began film score work in college, which brought him to contemporary classical music. The textual influence of this film experience – combined with Mellen’s deep knowledge of electronic music – informs the aesthetic desires and ultimately the decisions for how a track should sound.

While performing, Lyell plays keyboard and cues electronic bites and Mellen sings. Songwriting is a collaborative fuse of Mellen’s folk influences and Lyell’s jazz interests (particularly Keith Jarrett): Mellen maintains a strong voice in all creative aspects – her aesthetic desires for each track, separate from the message of the track and its core with lyrics and musical movement – determine the palette the group draws from, instrumentation in a given line, what to try and what to cut. Mellen writes almost all of the vocal melodies, many of the harmonies and the vast majority of the lyrics; Lyell controls the mixing that requires a lot of back and forth: “it’s a slow trudging process toward finishing a song.”

Lyell celebrates the most effective moments of their EP TABFH as those where they embrace the contrasts of the jazz and the production: “In Messenger where it’s quite simple, we were going for an Alt-J style on the chorus, and we contrast that with a more jazz movement in the verses and the chords; it has a kind of deliberate and unique-sounding production. I think that one gets its efficacy from having the counterpoint and trying to go for each one – trying to go for a few interesting chords and then letting it slide around in the verses.” Overflown sees the opposite: more chord movement in the chorus with simpler verses.

New song Embers “feels like a bit of a departure from that – disregarding song form a little more, making a song form that is aesthetically interesting and brings you from point A to point B; I think a lot of songs do that but sort of close the circle a little bit, which Embers doesn’t try to do – Embers takes you here, here, here, and then drops you off here and that’s where you are.” He contrasts this with Messenger, which takes the listener full circle – literally with the lyrics and the chords “you end up right where you started.”

Emphasizing their jazz influences, the duo frequently invites friends to join in on performances, most recently Aamir Javaid on tenor saxophone, Chris Almeida on alto saxophone and Joe Epstein on trumpet. Lyell says, “The idea is to bring in another voice when we’re playing live. They’re improvising the vast majority of what they’re playing; I think that makes it a little more exciting for the audience to have this really live intriguing element and more exciting for me playing.” The woodwind or brass is brought into the electronic genre with features on the microphone – reverb, delay, compression – to make the sound more ethereal.

The group is moving to be based out of Los Angeles in August after a month of songwriting in Chicago and Michigan. Besides creating, the duo doesn’t have much of an agenda. Lyell says, “The art scene is so vibrant in LA right now – there are a million people making music videos and doing photography and shows. Our plan is just to dive into the scene as much as possible, make cool things and see where it goes. I don’t feel like I’m going to get there and get a list of things I have to do – it’s more that I’m going to try to do as much as possible and see what comes out.”

Toward the end I had to ask the question everyone’s been thinking of: what’s the story behind the name of the band? Lyell chuckled and responded, “Well, that’s a secret.” - Tapsongz

As you know we are always on the hunt for new music. In the vast world of electronic music there are those songs that really make stop and listen again. We found a track that does just that! Washington DC-based Tigers Are Bad For Horses are releasing their latest track ‘Ember’ in their debut release with Proper Vibes. Tigers Are Bad For Horses is an alt-pop duo that recently performed at South By South West alongside Wale and Gallant.

In their latest track ‘Embers’, Tigers Are Bad For Horses combine lifting vocals and multi-textured piano with an indie electronic vibe to it. The result is a sensual and moving track that embodies the talent and skill of this rising duo. - EDM Sidekick

Washington, DC-based alt-pop duo Tigers Are Bad For Horses, comprised of Mary Ellen Funke and Lyell Evans Roeder, have today unveiled their new single entitled "Embers", which is also their first release with DC-based label and artist collective, Proper Vibes. The new single follows their debut EP, TABFH, which was released late last year and garnered widespread support from the likes of D.C. Music Download and Brightest Young Things, and so far has amassed over 50,000 plays on Spotify. On "Embers", Tigers Are Bad For Horses combine lifting vocals and multi-textured piano with an indie electronic vibe to it. The result is a sensual and moving track that embodies the talent and skill of this rising duo.

Speaking on the track, the duo says:

"'Embers' began as an attempt at capturing an aesthetic experience - in this case sitting by a fire - through our music. We wanted to write a song that was both visually evocative and with enough rhythm to move to. As writing progressed over January and February, Mellen was going through a period where people were rapidly coming in and out of her life. 'You've got your love alone' is reflecting on the idea that as we become surrounded by people we love going in and out of our lives, there is a permanent love that is both yours to share and yours to hold alone. The instrumentation and arrangement of the song evolved alongside these lyrics. We wanted to create music that moved through several places, that could push and pull with Mellen's vocals until they came together fully in the same space by the end."

Listen to "Embers" below. - Wonky Sensitive

After releasing her folk record The Last Year under the moniker Mellen in 2013, Mary Ellen Funke along with her friend Lyell Roeder went on to make smooth, electronic sounds under a new project, Tigers Are Bad For Horses. The result is a harmonious collaboration that can be best exemplified with their most recent song, “Embers,” released by D.C. label and collective Proper Vibes.

The soulful, deep vocals of Funke float above the smooth keys and production on this gorgeous, down-tempo track, amalgamating jazz, R&B and electronic elements together into a shimmering release. “Embers” proves itself to be the most polished work Tigers Are Bad For Horses has released yet, and shows the duo really coming into their own with this project.

Listen to “Embers” below, and also find it on Spotify and Apple Music. - DC Music Download

Not only does Washington, DC based indie/art pop act Tigers Are Bad For Horses have one of the best band names I’ve recently encountered, but the duo also have a compelling, beautiful new single for us out today, named I.V. (Poisoned). The intricate electronic and progressive pop song is a tapestry of complex layers, but it also carries minimalist pop qualities reminiscent of Sylvan Esso. Deep, luscious vocals that bring to mind a divine blend of London Grammar’ Hannah Reid, Poliça’s husky Channy Leaneagh, and soulful Jessie Ware glide smoothly over Bonobo evoking enchanting and textured production. The gorgeous I.V. (Poisoned) is both sweepingly magnificent and broodingly introspective, with an undercurrent of poignant yet sensual darkness. Tigers Are Bad For Horses is now focusing on playing shows around DC and finishing their debut EP, which they plan to release in early 2015. - I Heart Moosiq

On February 22nd, I had the pleasure of seeing Tigers are Bad for Horses, who were opening for Leisure Cruise, at DC9. Funke’s voice is beautiful and even borderline haunting; it works extremely well with the instrumentals provided by Roeder. She seems to have some background in jazz because her voice is extremely soothing but also powerful when she needs it to be. Roeder thrives on stage and masterfully plays the piano to accompany Funke, and also shines during solos and vocal breaks. You can tell when he plays that he is completely immersed in the moment and in the music.

Tigers are Bad for Horses debuted a new song called ‘French Toast’ that was well received by the crowd. It was a well crafted song and Mary was able to flex her vocals which showed her range. They also did a completely re-imagined cover of ‘Roses’ by Outkast which is unlike anything I’ve heard before. It was done in their own personal style instead of just a regurgitated version of the song and it worked for them. They were able to showcase everything that makes them unique as a band, but also capture the essence of the original song.

I would tell anyone to check out Tigers are Bad for Horses; they are phenomenal live and mesh so well with each other. Catch them at the Tree House on Feb. 26th or at The Pinch on Feb. 28th, you won’t regret it! - Blue Room Productions

Sometimes a band comes along offering more than just great music, they offer insights, knowledge, advice or similar. Which is what we have with the Washington D.C. based duo of Mellen Funke and Lyell Roeder who, as well as some seriously wonderful electro-pop have, through their band name, provided some good advice and wildlife knowledge; Tigers Are Bad For Horses. It’s pretty self-evident when you think about it, possibly not the most insightful titbit we’ll hear all year but worth knowing none-the-less.

Much more worth knowing however is their brand new tune, “I.V’ (Poisoned)”. Don’t worry, you won’t get ill listening to it, the only infectious thing here mind you is the hook, but your finger will probably come down with a bad case of repeat-button-pressing-itis.

There are flashes, cold stark flashes, of mid-90’s William Orbit in the production and warmer, soothing traces of London Grammar in the vocals and arrangement but “I.V…” is all Tigers Are Bad For Horses. The pair has come from varying musical backgrounds encompassing scoring films, folk and jazz, to make gorgeous and multi-layered electro-pop.

It begins with a cool emptiness, like an open snowy plain, empty save for the slight ripple of synths blown across the wasteland with digital snaps and pops for company. Then the chorus kicks in and rather than a snowstorm we get a bright and warm rainfall of fireflies, keys tumbling from the sky as Mellen’s vocals reach up to meet them. There is a wobble, a magnificent wobble as the temperatures collide, melting the tune down into a fleeting moment of piano ballad before the fireflies win out and the sounds cascade once more.

There is an EP on the way this year apparently so keep your ears and eyes open for more from this cracking new duo. - Alphabet Bands

The local duo blends lilting vocals with Jazz-infused, R&B rooted tracks. Taking cues from the likes of Sylvan Esso or Haitus Kaiyote, Tigers are Bad for Horses is one of the top local bands to watch moving into 2016. - Brightest Young Things

Indie-pop duo Tigers Are Bad For Horses get a little emo in their new track called "I.V. (Poisoned)." Frontwoman Mellen (Mary-Ellen) Funke's sultry, folk vocals blend seamlessley with the progressive melody produced by percussionist Lyell Roeder. Singing "sometimes I think the venom in my veins will never leave," TABFH casts a darker cloud over the running theme from their last track "Recovery" --being let down by someone you care about. Roeder says the track is much heavier not only in tone, but in percussion. "We just really wanted to change the balance in this [track]."

The two plan to drop a 5-track EP late February and say we can expect each of their songs to stand out on their own. "They are actually pretty different from each other... even with the next ones, you'll see even different influences" comments Funke. TABFH have already played most of their EP live. They find performing their music before it's finished "informs they way [they] write." If you can't wait until the expected drop of their EP late February, catch TABFH with Eureka Birds at the Treehouse Lounge February 26th and listen to "I.V.(Poisoned)" below. --Sade A. Spence - The Deli Magazine

Tigers Are Bad For Horses may not be the most captivating, nor kudos-inducing of monikers, although Recovery – a first to come from the Washington, D.C. duo composed of Mary Ellen Funke and Lyell Evans Roeder – is a multi-textured wonder due great acclaim; the sort that is seemingly now reserved for Sylvan Esso, in short. Vocally, Funke’s commanding delivery recalls that of compatriot Joan Wasser; while productionally, irrepressible genre-hopper Steven Ellison springs to mind. And the outcome makes for four irreproachable minutes that almost compel you to forget all about that alias… - Dots and Dashes

D.C. musician Mary Ellen Funke, who used to perform under the moniker Mellen, is back with a new electronic project that boasts a very peculiar name, Tigers Are Bad For Horses.

“The name comes from Lyell’s crazy Russian roommate. Hard to say what his thought process was there,” Funke told DCMD. Her friend, Lyell Roeder, represents the other half of Tigers Are Bad For Horses, and the duo just released a new song this week called “Recovery,” a smooth number that got some airplay recently on SiriusXM Chill.

“We’ve only been making music together since May of this year, though we’ve known each other a while since we went to school together,” said Funke.

The group has only played one show so far, which was the Kickback festival at Georgetown University where Funke and Roeder were/are students. Their goal is to release a debut EP this fall and eventually play more shows in the D.C. area. - DC Music Download

DC based electronic/indie pop duo Tigers Are Bad For Horses is comprised of Mary Ellen Funke and Lyell Roeder. Their influences range from Bonobo to Bon Iver, but each of their backgrounds contributes to a sound that is their own. The duo released their debut single “Recovery” in September 2014. Yesterday, January 20th, they unveiled their beautiful new single, I.V. (Poisoned). Check it out below.

The duo is now focusing on playing shows around DC and finishing their first EP, which they plan to release in early 2015. - SERIALGK

"Think Sylvan Esso with Daughter's vocals." - ThrdCoast

Tigers are bad for Horses is an American electropop duo composed of Lyell Evans Roeder and Mary Ellen (Mellen). "Recovery" is their debut single. - Son Of Marketing

Ah, modern love. There’s nothing quite like it. DC duo Tigers Are Bad For Horses don’t beat around the bush in their electro-pop ode to the swipe, “Tinder Date.” With groovy beats, funky synths and honest lyrics, this tongue-in-cheek song works because it is genuine. Those harmonies don’t hurt, either. Check out their lyric video above.

Tigers Are Bad For Horses took us through the process of creating this song:

"Both the lyrics and production came together pretty quickly and organically. We’d both been on Tinder a lot recently and when the idea came to turn it into a song, we sort of just sat down and wrote it out right then. It started out just as a funny project one night, but we ended up liking how it sounded and went with it from there.

Much of the production was inspired by newer artists like FKJ and Jordan Rakei and a desire to capture some of the sounds and feel of earlier funk/disco records by Earth Wind and Fire, P Funk, etc. It’s obviously a song about Tinder, so we wanted it to be light and fun but also reflect the musical influences of some of our favorite artists." - All Things Go