Biography
The name Tiny Masters of Today derives from a fictional ensemble appearing in Blake Nelson’s young-adult novel Rockstar Superstar, which chronicles the difficulties encountered by members of a rock group. Ivan, thirteen, handled guitar and vocals while his sister Ada, eleven, played bass and sang; compared with the characters in Nelson’s story, the real-life siblings encountered considerably fewer obstacles. Songwriting began for the pair well before any notion of forming a band arose. Ivan was jamming with peers when Ada improvised lyrics expressing her distaste for George W. Bush, yielding the track “Bushy,” later included on their debut album Bang Bang Boom Cake. Technical proficiency was never their strong suit, yet rock and roll has historically tolerated such shortcomings; in its place they supplied raw energy and guileless cheekiness. Vocal ability remained a work in progress, though that limitation had not hindered Johnny Rotten or Handsome Dick Manitoba. The two lived like ordinary children, free of pushy parental management, and their output constituted genuine, if somewhat derivative, punk rock.
Restricted television privileges on school nights prompted the siblings and a handful of Ivan’s friends to retreat to the family basement, where a basic drum kit and aging amplifiers awaited them. Ivan began playing guitar at age ten; Ada took up bass two years later at eight. A MySpace page soon hosted early recordings assembled with Garageband’s drum loops. Newsweek journalist Andrew Romano discovered the site after the tracks accumulated thirteen thousand plays in roughly seven months without any promotional campaign. His article, titled “Middle School of Rock,” observed that the British indie imprint Tiger Trap had licensed the material and issued it as the EP Big Noise. Romano also conducted the duo’s first interview; when asked whether classmates preferred Tiny Masters of Today to Disney’s glossy High School Musical, Ivan replied in character: “A bunch of kids in my class formed a fan club for us. They, like, worship me.” The songs on Big Noise—“Bushy,” “Stickin’ It to the Man,” and “Tooty Frooty” (distinct from the Little Richard number)—earned enthusiastic notices in the British press and rotation on BBC and XFM. Artrocker placed the band on its cover, and David Bowie offered praise in the London Times, labeling the music “genius.”
Russell Simins, drummer for the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, likewise encountered the group via MySpace and emailed an invitation to rehearse together. After assuring their parents he was not eccentric, Simins joined as the sole adult member. Performances at CBGB’s and McCarren Park Pool in Brooklyn generated early domestic attention. Another collection of home recordings, the EP K.I.D.S., sold out in the United Kingdom while Simins escorted the siblings into a professional studio to track their full-length Bang Bang Boom Cake. Chris Maxwell and Phil Hernandez, collectively known as the Elegant Too and previously associated with Brave Combo, Shivaree, They Might Be Giants, and John Cale, shared production duties with Simins. Most selections retained the band’s unvarnished clamor, though several guests contributed. “Disco Bomb” features background vocals from the B-52’s Fred Schneider and Ramones-styled lyrics proclaiming “Disco bomb, we got it goin’ on.” “Trendsetter” includes an antic outburst from anti-folk artist Kimya Dawson concerning corporate messaging aimed at tween consumers, alongside lead guitar from her husband Angelo Spencer. “Hologram World” showcases guitar from Nicolas Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and vocal assistance from Karen O. Gibby Haynes of the Butthole Surfers and DJ Atsushi also participated. Mute licensed the finished album for the United Kingdom, while Great Society handled the United States release.
During summer 2007 the band toured extensively, appearing at SXSW as its youngest-ever act and selling out club dates in London. They also performed at the Underage Festival in Victoria Park alongside other teenage British groups. By autumn 2007 Ivan and Ada had resumed classes in Brooklyn, New York, fitting shows around academic and family schedules.
Restricted television privileges on school nights prompted the siblings and a handful of Ivan’s friends to retreat to the family basement, where a basic drum kit and aging amplifiers awaited them. Ivan began playing guitar at age ten; Ada took up bass two years later at eight. A MySpace page soon hosted early recordings assembled with Garageband’s drum loops. Newsweek journalist Andrew Romano discovered the site after the tracks accumulated thirteen thousand plays in roughly seven months without any promotional campaign. His article, titled “Middle School of Rock,” observed that the British indie imprint Tiger Trap had licensed the material and issued it as the EP Big Noise. Romano also conducted the duo’s first interview; when asked whether classmates preferred Tiny Masters of Today to Disney’s glossy High School Musical, Ivan replied in character: “A bunch of kids in my class formed a fan club for us. They, like, worship me.” The songs on Big Noise—“Bushy,” “Stickin’ It to the Man,” and “Tooty Frooty” (distinct from the Little Richard number)—earned enthusiastic notices in the British press and rotation on BBC and XFM. Artrocker placed the band on its cover, and David Bowie offered praise in the London Times, labeling the music “genius.”
Russell Simins, drummer for the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, likewise encountered the group via MySpace and emailed an invitation to rehearse together. After assuring their parents he was not eccentric, Simins joined as the sole adult member. Performances at CBGB’s and McCarren Park Pool in Brooklyn generated early domestic attention. Another collection of home recordings, the EP K.I.D.S., sold out in the United Kingdom while Simins escorted the siblings into a professional studio to track their full-length Bang Bang Boom Cake. Chris Maxwell and Phil Hernandez, collectively known as the Elegant Too and previously associated with Brave Combo, Shivaree, They Might Be Giants, and John Cale, shared production duties with Simins. Most selections retained the band’s unvarnished clamor, though several guests contributed. “Disco Bomb” features background vocals from the B-52’s Fred Schneider and Ramones-styled lyrics proclaiming “Disco bomb, we got it goin’ on.” “Trendsetter” includes an antic outburst from anti-folk artist Kimya Dawson concerning corporate messaging aimed at tween consumers, alongside lead guitar from her husband Angelo Spencer. “Hologram World” showcases guitar from Nicolas Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and vocal assistance from Karen O. Gibby Haynes of the Butthole Surfers and DJ Atsushi also participated. Mute licensed the finished album for the United Kingdom, while Great Society handled the United States release.
During summer 2007 the band toured extensively, appearing at SXSW as its youngest-ever act and selling out club dates in London. They also performed at the Underage Festival in Victoria Park alongside other teenage British groups. By autumn 2007 Ivan and Ada had resumed classes in Brooklyn, New York, fitting shows around academic and family schedules.
Albums
Singles
