Tigercity

In an effort to distinguish themselves from the many post-punk acts dotting New York City, Brooklyn outfit Tigercity pursued a fusion of new wave, soft rock, and disco. Their approach grafted the melodic sensibilities of Hall & Oates and Scritti Politti onto rhythms drawn from Chic and Prince while incorporating a measure of Roxy Music's signature nonchalance. The project originated in fall 2004 at Hampshire College in Massachusetts, where vocalist Bill Gillim and bassist Joel Ford first met during a pickup basketball game. Sharing an interest in creating dance-oriented music instead of conventional ironic indie rock, the pair began recording and performing, appearing on bills with Mixel Pixel and M.I.A. In summer 2005 they entered the studio to cut a self-titled EP. Later that year Ford and Gillim relocated to Brooklyn, completing the lineup with guitarist Andrew Brady and drummer Aynsley Powell. The Tigercity EP appeared in 2006, and the band devoted 2007 to developing new material while touring with the Office, Mobius Band, and Stylofone.