Review

Alaska the Tiger
The Truth About Earthquakes
RIYL: Slint, Unwound, Shellac, Lungfish
"Hater, Lover, Fucker"

Alaska the Tiger are a recently defunct band from Columbia, South Carolina. Hopefully you got around to seeing them play because otherwise you missed out. Big time. Columbia has a long history of being bashed for lack of a good rock scene, but the truth is that the city has always had incredible bands. Of course, my word is only as good as far back as the mid 90s go with bands like Assfactor 4 (All right, Tonka and Unherd. Anyone remember Marion?) because that's about as far back as I'm familiar with the music scene here. But living in California, names like In/Humanity still stuck out among our Drive Like Jehus and Antioch Arrows. And still today, Columbia continues to be rewarded and adorned by bands like Alaska the Tiger (to the ignorance of most it sometimes seems).

The Truth About Earthquakes is a 3-song EP that sounds like a whole bunch of my favorite bands, and that always puts a smile on my face. Slint and Unwound are no doubt the inspiration for the band's gloomy sort of indie rock sound. Alaska the Tiger are one of the more unique bands I've heard from Columbia, but in way of bands with their influences stemming from Unwound (as well as bands whose members write for the Free Times), I treat you to Death Becomes Even the Maiden, another Columbia great with a lot of history behind it.

3 songs may not be much to discuss, but it's plenty of room for a band to let out anything they want. The overwhelming clutter of buzz and feedback, the quiet-but-tense vocals and loud-but-melodic high energy music recalls this history. It really doesn't matter if Alaska the Tiger don't play something we’ve never heard before. It’s people playing what they want to play, and it’s really fucking good. Alaska the Tiger are another proud Columbia memoir, and The Truth About Earthquakes is a conspiracy to make you smile.