
Here comes a record co-written by the Stooges and Nancy Sinatra, and performed
by a scruffy Sleater-Kinney. Not really, but Loose Mouth, the first LP by NYC’s Tigers
And Monkeys, isn’t too far from it. Shonali Bhowmik’s voice slides and cracks over
the Dee-troit guitar crankin’ of “The Ballad Of The Smoking Gun,”then comes to a
drawling simmer over the acoustic strummer “Stay Up.” At a time when gimmicks
dominate rock, this distinctly and sinisterly American band has come up with what
is, sadly, an all-too-rare one: good rock and roll songs with tight arrangements and
high energy.
- CMJ March 2007
It's a bit dirty, a bit grimy, a bit scungy, it's New York, Nashville, Gainesville and Atlanta born Tigers and Monkeys. Driving through the dirt roads of the American jungle, one feels like they should pull out some whiskey and attempt to emulate the raspy voice of Shonali Bhowmik as they drown in sorrow. Their staccato-driven notes on the simple guitar solos and pouncing drums are wrapped around Bhowmik's amazingly strong voice, ultimately allowing this six-piece band to create a brawny, pulsating album that is delivered via a wall of classic rock n roll music.
- EXCLAIM! March 2007
Loose Mouth album Thumbs Up Review --"The lead singer of this band is a lawyer, a comedienne in an all-girl comedy troupe, and a raspy-voiced spitfire who writes a mean tune and sings like the dickens. What CAN’T she do? How about make me not listen to this awesome album over and over again and be totally psyched? Hey, I answered my own question." --
Meg Sneed
and Interview with Shonali
- VICE MAGAZINE January 2007 The Girls Issue
Fred Armisen Directs Tigers & Monkeys' Music Video - SPIN.com January 31, 2007
"People—okay, we—can whine about the superficiality of the local rock scene forever, but so long as there are bands like Tigers and Monkeys, things will be okay." -- Mike Wolf
- TIME OUT NEW YORK (Nov.30-Dec.10,2006)
"Tigers and Monkeys' Shonali Bhowmik makes her stripped-down bluesy
racket resonate live
with the help of a few rotating friends friends who just happen to
pull double duty
in bands like Sea Ray, White Hassle, and Luna."
TIME OUT NEW YORK (Jan. 22- 29, 2004)
"Tigers and Monkeys is the solo project of Shonali
Bhowmik, singer-guitarist for the excellent
indie band (and David Cross opening act) Ultrababyfat. Her Tigers material
is bluesier
than Ultra's, and less alternarock, favoring dirty rockers she can wrap
her gritty,
Southern inflected voice around over standard singer-songwriter fare (thank
God)."
THE VILLAGE VOICE (Jan. 21-27, 2004)
"Tonight might end up being another one of those
nights where we stare off into space and wonder "Why? Why am I on
Ludlow again?" but the answer this time is all too simple -- it's
so we can see local band Tigers and Monkeys at Pianos. Led by Shonali
Bhowmik, T&M changes their line-up constantly based on whatever cool
indie rock musician is available that night. Last time we saw them, they
were opening for ROLAND, OK, otherwise known as the Shins, at a top secret
awesome surprise show. Jealous?"
PAPER MAGAZINE (Paper Clips "What's Up For Today": Jan.
23, 2004)
"A bluesy extension of her pop-oriented Ultrababyfat
material, the project stems from her backlog of songs written since her
move to the Big Apple." full article here
-CREATIVE LOAFING ("Earshot": March 11, 2004)