Tim Seely/Actual Tigers

You've probably never heard of the now-defunct band, The Actual Tigers. Their first and only CD, Gravelled & Green, was released in 2001. They broke up a few years later. Now the lead singer/guitarist, Tim Seely, does solo acts at various bars and taverns in Seattle. You can find him perform about once every month or two, usually in Ballard. I like his first solo CD, Funeral Music, but I really enjoy his live shows because he plays a lot of old stuff from the Actual Tigers album.

Here are some one-liners from various reviews over the years:

• [Gravelled & Green] is quite reminiscent of the inquisitive adventures of Simon & Garfunkel, but offers charming soundscapes of early Wilco and the quirky funk of G. Love & Special Sauce.
• Their own musical convention is strictly theirs, and the Actual Tigers waltz into something interesting on "Gravelled & Green."
• Like the best songwriters, Seely smartly pairs his sunny melodies with dour lyrics, even if he has more trouble selling his disappointment and regret than he does his boundless optimism.
• Smooth, picked electric guitars, a gentle, simple bass drum pattern, a warm wash of subtle synthesizers, catchy, well-crafted vocals—“Yardwork in November” epitomizes all that is great about the Actual Tigers’ debut record, Gravelled & Green.
• Beatle-esque harmonies and chord changes abound in a varied mixture of slide guitars, electric pianos, horns, accordions, mellotrons, and exotic percussion rhythms.
• The Actual Tigers blend stream of consciousness lyrics with largely acoustic instrumentation to create inanely catchy songs that come off both well-polished and impromptu.
• The instrumentation is one of the cheeriest and catchiest on the albums. Even in songs about despair or class war, The Actual Tigers put on a happy face. And that is the lure of their music.
• They will catch you tapping your foot, singing along. Gravelled & Green is the album for this summer, and many to come.
• [Funeral Music] as a whole is a decidedly dreamy, late-night affair. Along with the usual noisemakers, Tim and friends conjure up an otherworldly musical landscape using orchestral samples, subtle electronics, steel guitar, layered background vocals, a “tiny bell” and various found sounds.

Anyway, Tim is performing this Saturday (May 3) at the Tractor Tavern in Ballard. Tickets are $8 and I think he goes on last of three bands who start at 9:30. Come check him out! For more info go to his website.