An ear to the ground so you can listen up.

Me Likey Me Have Fun
May 13, 2011
By casador
Paper Tiger : Me Have Fun : (Boy Girl Recordings)

Rating (Scale of 1 to 100): 81
Genre: Lounge, Trip Hop, Electronic, Singer Songwriter
You’ll Like it If: You must be ensconced in velvet whenever you play Portishead.

Defining Song: “Paper Tiger”–The track melts into a wash of strings and the sultry trappings of Kummerle’s voice. The aesthetically pleasing tune is a short lived two minutes, compelling the finger to hit repeat with obsessive recurrence.

Trip Hop is tricky. While it can seem effortless, anyone who has witnessed Massive Attack or Portishead live knows that every pore is dedicated to the music and the visual landscape. Asheville can now claim some of that seemingly facile cool thanks to local band, Paper Tiger, a duo consisting of jazz/lounge singer, Molly Kummerle and DJ/producer, Isaac Gottfried.

The two met about seven years ago through a mutual love of music and all the trappings Asheville offers for artists. When Molly wasn’t performing as her alter ego cabaret star, Ruby Slippers, and Issac wasn’t dropping beats as MINGLE, they tinkered with sounds that slowly melded into what is now Paper Tiger.

Their debut album, Me Have Fun, slowly arose from its comfy chair and entered the public arena in January, 2011. The end result is a sublime mix of sneaky keyboards, unique samples (including a baby coo) that ambush the ear, and Kummerle’s silky voice to guide us through the world of Paper Tiger.

The comparisons to the Trip Hop masters are evident, but it would be unfair to namedrop folks like Thievery and end there. Me Have Fun is an original work of art and deserves its own recognition. It’s a big world inside the album with a surprise at every turn.

“Happy Hour” starts the album with a horn revelry and a sample audience clap and ends a half hour later on “Last Call”, with Kummerle’s voice giving way to a grainy vinyl sample of a simple piano. In between lies the adventure. “Hibiscus” hits the funky stride with violin trickles and graceful keyboards thanks to guest Chuck Lichtenberger (of Stephanie’s Id). “Folded Laundry” plays up to the metaphor of complicated relationships without surrendering to maudlin, and “Hugo” sits complete with dark swagger and Beach Boys sampling.

Me Have Fun is a an album to cozy up to with bottle of wine (or absinthe for the saucier minded) or to jump start a party in need of voltage. It works either way. Kummerle and Gottfried own so many ideas on this album that it will compel the listener to have different emotions with every listen. It’s a good thing, and I hope their future output continues this myriad of escapades.

For more on Paper Tiger, go to their website

Check out this interview with Molly in the new Verve Magazine

And here’s a video of “Me Have Fun”:

EARFUL MUSIC

Seeing Red

Singer-songwriter Molly Kummerle (aka Ruby Slippers) kicks off an over-the-rainbow career in Asheville.

by Joanne O’Sullivan . photos by Anthony Bellemare

There are singers, and then there are performers. Molly Kummerle is the latter. The voice, the moves, the clothes, the makeup and that certain je ne sais quoi that makes it all look easy—Kummerle has the total package, including the fabulous alter-ego and stage name Ruby Slippers. Working in a musical range that spans sultry electronic to smoky cabaret, she’s frequently on stage locally in clubs and festivals, and when she’s not, she’s probably in the recording studio. (Or, she’s coordinating coverage for major music festivals at her music-biz day job, festival marketing coordinator for Music Allies in Asheville.) And while she may someday entertain the idea of moving to a big city to be a rock star, at the moment she’s committed to kicking things off right here in Asheville.

Kummerle grew up on St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, listening to steel drums, calypso and her parents’ jazz and R & B records. When Hurricane Hugo hit the island hard in 1989, the family chose an unlikely spot for relocation: an old farmhouse in Barnardsville, where her mother, fiber artist Marcia Kummerle started raising angora goats and making yarn under the label Good Fibrations.

An eclectic, bohemian upbringing to be sure, but as an English major at Brevard College, Kummerle didn’t envision herself becoming a performer. In fact, she wanted to be a nature writer. But then, a few months after graduating, she sang backup in a friend’s soul band, and truly, it was all over. Songs came to her as she walked, rhythm informing words, and she played around with singing and songwriting.

It wasn’t until Stephanie Morgan of Stephanie’s Id invited her to do a cabaret event at Tressa’s that she really came into her own. The cabaret character Ruby Slippers was born. “She’s sort of French and sweet, but also mischievious,” says Kummerle. “She’s my inner child.” She began performing regularly under that band name with Andy John and Robin Tolleson. Jazzy, but with an acid lounge twist, the group drew raves and Kummerle drew comparisons to singers from Fiona Apple to Natalie Merchant.

Ruby Slippers is one side of Kummerle’s musical personality, but there are others. Performing live with DJ Mingle (aka Isaac Gottfried) turned into what she describes as a “downtempo pop electronic project” called Paper Tiger. Along with drummer Dave Mathis, Paper Tiger has played at the Orange Peel, MoogFest, POP Asheville, LAFF and the Emerald Lounge. They recorded a CD, Me Have Fun, that was released in January, and they’re working on another this spring. While there’s a certain sultriness to Paper Tiger’s sound, there’s a stronger kinship to groups like Portishead or Thievery Corporation.

Of her musical evolution, Kummerle says, “I’m always challenging myself to make music that’s more and more ‘me’.” But she’s also invested in boosting the local music scene however she can. “I want to raise awareness about the electronic scene here—it’s so rich and diverse,” she says. “The higher we raise the bar, the better it will be for all of us.”

Ruby Slippers will perform at Tressa’s on May 6. Paper Tiger is slated to perform at Bele Chere in July. www.papertigermusic.com.

VERVE Magazine

Vheck out new ‘review’ episode of WNCW‘s “what it is” – Fred Mills of Blurt Magazine gives Paper Tiger sweet props for ‘Me Have Fun’ at about 4:29

‎”What It Is” on WNCW Episode 145: Reviews – Paper Tiger, Yardword and the Left Banke. What it Is gives an ear to Asheville’s Paper Tiger.

Paper Tiger — Me Have Fun (Boy Girl Recordings)

An eclectic blend of trip-hop, Shirley Bassey/Bond theme and lounge jazz, the Asheville duo makes late-night mood music for the louche and lovelorn alike. The duo blend synth textures, samples and processed beats with just enough organic elements — ringing guitar notes, double-tracked vocals, shuffling percussion — to tilt toward soulful intimacy rather than, say, Portishead’s creeping existentialism or Beth Orton’s summery trip-folk. The duo link longer songs with instrumental or vocal snippets, creating an album-long dream-scape of cocktail cool. (JS)

Album Review: Paper Tiger – Me Have Fun
BY DAVID BUCHANAN ON FEBRUARY 17TH, 2011 IN
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/02/album-review-paper-tiger-me-have-fun/
Asheville, NC is known for a great many things — a handful of which can be found noted on CoS‘s coverage of the inaugural Moogfest 2010. As a hub for music and the arts, North Carolina’s dearest mountain city rests firmly in the palm of the late Robert Moog’s memory, an eclectic reverberation of electronics and DJs surpassing anything we could possibly dream up. Rising from the fires of these multiple craft facets are Isaac Gottfried (aka MINGLE) and Molly Kummerle (aka RubySlippers), who together form lounge/trip-hop duo Paper Tiger.

Paper Tiger’s own back-story is introduced by the following statement: “In the beginning, there was a jazz singer who met a DJ/producer. They shared a mutual love of Radiohead and collaborated on their own cover version of ‘Fake Plastic Trees’. [...] Although both [Isaac & Molly] were working with other projects, they felt a spark in their new creation and began to write and record their own material.”

That is nothing to scoff at, in terms of an origin story, though I would not dare call Me Have Fun a harbinger of Brit-rock imitation — in fact, far from it. At the outset of openers “Happy Hour” and the album’s title single, you get snippets of a clearly straight-vinyl sample, a bubbly child trying to giggle his way through spit, and a transition from whimsy to moody as the haunting scope of “Me Have Fun” chimes in. Kummerle subtly brings her whispering vocals in, whilst Gottfried lays a very jazzy set of layers behind her — textbook, but skillful.

Segueing from “And So On”, an acoustic guitar kicks off “Don’t Panic Betty”, and you find the scheme of things playing itself out: songs and segues alternate from beginning to end, only dropping the ball abruptly every so often, in terms of smoothness on progression. Me Have Fun is a nearly instrumental piece by and large, with Kummerle serving as more of an additional instrument than a distinctive voice in the sea of sounds. There are elements of funk (“Hibiscus”, “Last Call”, “Window”), R&B (“Deep Sea”), Middle Eastern influence (“Paper Tiger”), and even the essence of Zero-7 (“Freezer”); these theme changes are minutiae to those who do not dabble in trip-hop regularly, but in instances where Kummerle comes to the forefront, she shines as daftly as Gottfried would fit in remixing a pop.

I would not consider anything lyrical here to be astounding, save a few lines on “Freezer”, but if you bought this album expecting trip-hop, the likelihood that lyrics were your main focus are slim to none, in retrospect.

To call this act the States’ answer to England’s own Portishead would be accurate and can contribute to discussion on the debut release of Me Have Fun in ways both good and bad. Will it transcend genres or make an everlasting shift known in the world of electronic music? Hardly, but there is no displeasure in listening, and definitely no harsh criticisms beyond a fine line betwixt derivation and inspiration. Kummerle’s and Gottfried’s individual projects and accolades lend credibility to anything either of them touch, and while Me Have Fun is substantially devoid of pop hooks or melancholy, Paper Tiger is a new phase for our two heroes, overall.

Pity the game’s already been saturated for some time. Here’s to hoping we’ll see King Britt make a mark alongside Paper Tiger in the near future?

Paper Tiger

By Fred Mills – Blurt Magazine

By way of introduction: Paper Tiger is an Asheville, NC, -based duo, vocalist Molly Kummerle (of well-known regional jazz/pop outfit Ruby Slippers) and Isaac Gottfried (aka MINGLE, noted deejay and remixer). Since joining forces a couple of years ago, Kummerle and Gottfried have quickly amassed a reputation for crafting brainy electronica that dips equally into hypnotic trip-hop and danceable, pop-tilting sampladelica; they were among a handful of local acts selected to perform at last fall’s MoogFest, which featured such heavy-hitters as Massive Attack, Big Boi, Jonsi and MGMT. Me Have Fun (Boy Girl Recordings), their debut, more than reaffirms that reputation – in its quietly compelling, get-under-your-skin brand of understatement, it actually winds up saying more than 99% of the new releases that have appeared so far this year.

First and foremost, Kummerle brings her jazz-trained pipes to the party with such seductive grace that you half expect her to step out from behind the stereo speakers wearing nothing but a sheer silk robe and a coy smile. Yet there’s also a palpable vulnerability to that voice. The first time you hear her clearly is in the second song, the title track, cooing “ahh-ahh-mmm” softly, but with purpose, and as the smokey, loungey tune gradually unfolds, the singer confesses her lust and her confusion and to how her “rules start to come undone” as she confronts that desire. In her voice, one hears echoes of Dusty Springfield, Billie Holiday, Beth Orton and Beth Gibbons – fire and ice, ice and fire.

The Gibbons comparison isn’t a stray one, by the way; Portishead is the contemporary act that Paper Tiger most closely resembles, along with fellow Bristolians Massive Attack. Gottfried’s fertile trove of samples and liberal deployment of keyboards (by both Gottfried and Kummerle, plus guest Chuck Lichtenberger from stephaniesid) all synch organically to cast a widescreen, cinematic glow. From the sweeping strings and noirish vibe of “Hibiscus” and the chilly orchestral minimalism of “Softly” to the eerie-yet-lush “Hugo,” whose Beach Boys sample is guaranteed to permanently alter the way you hear “Good Vibrations,” these compositions push beyond merely “compelling” to become insistent, the transformation occurring on an almost subliminal level. Another band simpatico with Paper Tiger’s crate-digging aesthetic: Saint Etienne, particularly on the surreal, flute-and-horns flecked “Paper Tiger” and the dreamy, yearning “Freezer” (with its suite-like arrangement that slips deliciously into breezy ‘60s pop mode, then back again, this song is destined to find its way onto a movie or TV show soundtrack with the right marketing push).

Seamlessly sequenced, with Gottfried supplying brief (under 30 seconds) instrumental interludes between each proper song to lend an additional filmic heft to the proceedings, and remarkably diverse for a quote/unquote “downtempo” project, Me Have Fun is the type of record that pays dividend after dividend with each new spin. It’s the sound of late-night romance, of early-morning musings, and of all the refracted beauty of the daylight that falls between.

Incidentally, don’t bother Googling the band’s name; it’ll just drive you crazy, as there is also a Dutch indierock band called Paper Tiger, a rock/funk outfit from Wisconsin called Paper Tiger, the Doomtree hip-hop collective producer who calls himself Paper Tiger, some teenage band that goes by the handle of My Paper Tiger, and assorted non-musical Paper Tiger entities. If you want to chase down this Paper Tiger and hear assorted album tunes and remixes, go directly to the official website or to the duo’s MySpace page. But be careful: the music may be atmospheric and dreamy, but it’s hardly toothless. Once it gets you in its maw, it doesn’t let go. Rrrrowwrrr.

Asheville electronica duo Paper Tiger plugs in for Orange Peel show
January 14, 2011
By Amy Jones – Asheville Citizen Times

Riding the wave of momentum from its jam-packed MoogFest performance, local electronica act Paper Tiger releases its new disc among friends Saturday night at The Orange Peel.

Combining the release of the album “Me Have Fun” with additional performances from Dep, Sonmi Suite and The Nova Echo, the voice of Paper Tiger, Molly Kummerle, hopes this big night of music will spotlight the immense talent for locally made electronica.

“I only thought this was possible in a perfect world,” said Kummerle. “And then it just all came together. … The other bands were in, and this turned into a much bigger night.”

“I felt a huge amount of community support — so much love on a personal and professional level after MoogFest,” said Kummerle. “I mean, to be one of only five local bands on the bill with some of our heroes like Massive Attack and Thievery Corporation. It just made me want to raise the bar again for Paper Tiger.”

No stranger to the local music scene, Kummerle built a strong following with her jazzy ensemble Ruby Slippers before creating Paper Tiger with DJ Isaac Gottfried.

“By making the distinction between the two bands, really focusing on the sound of Paper Tiger, I can better serve Ruby Slippers, too,” said Kummerle.

This new disc took more than two years to finally come together, but the result — including the packaging — has been a lesson in letting go and letting others in.

“I was rushing at first to finish, and then it seemed like when it happens, we will be the band we are supposed to be,” Kummerle said. “

Paper Tiger takes the stage with a full live band, including Dave Mathes on drums, Franklin Keel on cello, Chuck Lichtenberger on melodica and live visuals by Ben Mason of neb.cinema.

IF YOU GO
Who: Paper Tiger with The Nova Echo, Sonmi Suite & Dep.
When: 8 p.m. Saturday.
Where: The Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Ave.
Tickets: $5.
More: http://www.theorangepeel.net.

WNC Woman Magazine feature and interview with Molly Kummerle. She chats about the history of Paper Tiger – a little insight behind the sounds.
Read the full story HERE.

http://moogfoundation.org/shop/mooged-out-asheville-cd/

volume 1 Mooged Out Asheville – featuring a Mooged out version of Me Have Fun in an earlier state. Very juicy