All four members of Miniature Tigers sip on summer ales in Dumbo, Brooklyn, as they discuss their sunkissed fourth album, Cruel Runnings.  The Tigers explain how they intended to create a classic record reminscent of their teens, and how recording the LP in Jamaica actually helped them to focus.  With the quartet scattered across the country, they also offer advice on how to keep a long-distance band together.

www.miniaturetigers.com

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Jon Cleary left England long ago for New Orleans, and over the years, he has gained considerable acclaim as a sideman, solo artist, and bandleader of the Absolute Monster Gentlemen.  Over breakfast at White Oak in Brookyn, NY, Cleary discusses the history of NOLA funk, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and the thrill of playing with a live band.

www.joncleary.com

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Minneapolis singer-songwriter Jeremy Messersmith has a beer with me at One Mile House before his show at Bowery Ballroom.  Messersmith explains how the phases of his life, from his Christian upbringing to majoring in computer science to becoming a college professor have all had a role in his craft.  Jeremy also describes his demoing process and how his fourth record, Heart Murmurs, ended up with a much larger sound than his earlier albums.

www.jeremymessersmith.com

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Paul Smith of Maxïmo Park sips a soda at The Globe prior to the band's gig at Gramercy Theatre. He tells the tale of why he doesn't drink before a show, and how the group collaborated with Mordue Brewery to create a beer called Maxïmo No. 5 in honor of their fifth LP, Too Much Information.  He discusses all aspects of the record, from self-production to mixing via Skype to the story behind the tongue-shaving artwork.  Smith also reveals how the band came to choose the cover songs included on the deluxe edition of the album.