Trap Tiger

Jason Schneider, Nightlife

“In a very short time, this five piece established a reputation as one of the most exciting and innovative bands in the local scene, and their debut full-length album, Twisted Shapes, confirmed that they have the right balance of prog-rock adventurousness and pop smarts to hold their own with any guitar band in the world right now. Definitely one to watch in 2011.” - Nightlife

Trap Tiger had a little writeup action on Blog T.O. today after our set at The Piston in Toronto. Check it! Tight photos from Roger Cullman (highlighting Andre's busted up foot and our penchant for ridiculous hats).

http://www.blogto.com/music/2010/06/the_sour_notes_at_the_horseshoe_plus_trap_tiger/

Also, a little retroactive press from The Imprint Waterloo on our opening for Down With Webster (the singer Bucky is cool as all hell, by the way).
For posterity...

"The evening opened with local KW band, Trap Tiger, who delighted the crowd with their everything-music menu, from rock to pop to something that sounded strangely like heavy metal. With much-appreciated effort, they completed the opening act's typical task with panache; charging up the crowd for the main course."

Panache. We love it.

http://imprint.uwaterloo.ca/2010/apr/1/arts-and-entertainment/uw-gets-down-webster/

- Blog T.O.

Local indie favourites, Trap Tiger, are set to release their latest project, “Twisted Shapes”, Friday July 23rd at Maxwell's Music House. The 5 guys who comprise Trap Tiger met only in early 2009 and set out straight to creating refreshing experimental indie pop complete with hand claps, synths, snappy song titles (“Evil Queen”) and repetitive lyrics that you simply can't get out of your head. For Trap Tiger, the slew of gigs they've performed since their inception is a testimony to this Friday's show. “I think what makes us stand out on stage is how we interact with each other; we like to entertain each other as much as we like to entertain the audience,” writes Kevin Suess of his bandmates in an email interview. “We're up there as 5 friends who share a common interest and it's amazing that we've been provided the opportunities to perform our music.” The launch of their first EP, “Lush Jungles” snapped up their fans, and the band has gone on to share the audiences with bands The Arkells, Michou and Down With Webster. “Canada has probably been – and likely will continue to be – the best place in on the planet to be an independent artist since the beginning of the 21st century,” says Suess. “Musically, our five members have incredibly eclectic and often disparate tastes, as well as far-reaching ambitions, but we take our wont to approach the craft each from a diverse and unique angle as a strength; our tension and fragmentation may be what makes us as interesting as we are.” For a solid dose of the newest wave in indie pop music, check out Trap Tiger online at myspace.com/traptiger and check them out for the launch of their first full length release, “Twisted Shapes”, Friday July 23rd at Maxwell's Music House.

http://echoweekly.com/8537-Indie+Seen.htm

- Echo Magazine

By Jason Schneider, for NightLife
When Trap Tiger guitarist Matt Paterson describes how the Kitchener five-piece formed out of jam sessions in his parents’ garage, he can’t help adding sardonically, “yes, how clichéd.” The fact is, it’s hard to find anything clichéd about the band’s sound, as evidenced by their brand new full-length debut album, Twisted Shapes.
Deciphering what it is about Trap Tiger’s music that makes it so compelling is difficult, although their daring blend of modern guitar rock styles is rooted in the unshakable bond among the members, first forged in local high schools.
“I had met everyone in the band before we started making music,” bassist Andre Furlong says. “I’ve known Matt for over 10 years, and knowing someone personally is as good an indicator as any of how that person will contribute in a group setting. We’re all friends outside the band and I feel as though that manifests itself in not only how our songs are written but also in how they sound.”
Paterson adds, “We take the process of writing seriously because we love doing it and by attempting to create something to the best of your ability, you enhance your love for it. How much of yourself you put into something plays a huge role in determining how much you get out of it. That being said, I don’t think we come off as a band that takes itself too seriously because we don’t expect everyone we meet to be as excited about what we’re doing as we are.”
The band released its debut EP, Lush Jungles, in 2009, not long after forming. They subsequently played shows with Arkells, Down With Webster, and others before starting work on Twisted Shapes. The members say their main goal in recording the album was to strike the right balance between the energy of their live show and sonic textures that can only be achieved in the studio.
“If you can imagine five people trying to reach consensus on the design of a house and then trying to sell it, that’s essentially what it was like,” Furlong says. “Frankly, it was sometimes stressful and certainly drawn out, but ultimately it was a great experience, and the fact that it was made using unreliable hardware and software that is nearly a decade old makes the end result all the more unique.”
Paterson’s take on the band’s sound is pure 21st century: taking bits and pieces of nearly every style of music imaginable and making something new and fresh. In this way, Trap Tiger is picking up where previous K-W bands like the Sour Keys and the Silent Film Soundtrack left off, and they’re hopeful to make a similar mark on the local scene and beyond.
“I remember seeing shows at the Registry Theatre or the Button Factory nearly every weekend when I was growing up,” guitarist Kevin Suess says. “There used to be more math-rock and experimental acts, which have long since disbanded. I think in the K-W scene, a band like ours has a hard time finding shows with acts doing a similar thing. We’d definitely like to tour and I think now that would be a real possibility because Twisted Shapes is all wrapped up.”
Live: Trap Tiger CD release w/ Cursed Arrows; Friday, July 23; Maxwell’s Music House, Waterloo; Cost: $7; Doors: 9 p.m.; More Info: 519-498-5705

http://news.therecord.com/arts/NightLife/article/748917


- Record Nightlife

When you first talk to a band like Trap Tiger, you get the notion that these guys have been in the scene for years – their maturity comes across in their emails as though they’ve been professional songwriters, signed, sealed and delivered for longer than you’ve been alive. What shocks you is walking into a Battle of the Bands competition and realizing that they are just five young guys with their sights fixed on achieving their musical aspirations. Would the fact that they’re young deter you from taking notice? Not when you hear their music. Witty, sharp, on key and to the point, the five guys who initially took up meeting in a garage in early 2009 had a plan – “their love for the live spectacle” would ultimately convince both promoters and venues that Trap Tiger was seriously capable of creating a buzz and that their drive to pound the pavement would entice audiences to come out and support what was new in the indie scene. “We’ve got a high–energy live show full of dancing, shouting and hand clapping,” they say, “Our songs have a lot of group vocals so everyone sort of gets the chance to get involved. We’re all just there to move around and have a good time and we think that shows in how we interact on stage.” Compared to the likes of David Bowie, Wolf Parade, and The Arcade Fire, Trap Tiger is eager to release their full–length album. In the mean time, soak up their three–track demo, their epic "Lush Jungles" EP, wear their multi-coloured Trap Tiger buttons and catch them live wherever you can. Oh and of course, log on to myspace.com/traptiger. “Don’t be afraid of being told ‘no’, just keep doing what you’re doing and hopefully you’ll start to get noticed,” they advise, “Do what you love and that honesty will show through.” We told you their age was deceiving. - Echo Magazine