Tiny Dancers

Despite the seemingly obvious connection to the Elton John classic from Madman Across the Water (and more recent Almost Famous fame), Tiny Dancers leader David Kay claims in interviews that the young quintet from West Yorkshire is actually named after a cabal of evil dwarves in Roger Corman's 1964 adaptation of The Masque of the Red Death. In a similar kind of misdirection, although the band is based in the suddenly hip U.K. city of Sheffield, Tiny Dancers have little in common musically with Yorkshire compatriots like the Arctic Monkeys and the Kaiser Chiefs. Instead, their largely acoustic, low-key pop is heavily informed by the likes of the Band, post-Pet Sounds Beach Boys, Love, and Harvest-era Neil Young. More recent acts like the Bees, Cat Power, and the Magic Numbers also come to mind. Tiny Dancers formed in 2005 while their members were attending university: singer and acoustic guitarist Kay, lead guitarist Chris Etherington, and drummer Duncan Morrison were school friends who had lost their previous band's bassist and main songwriter. With Kay taking over primary songwriting duties, the addition of bassist Dale Wathey and multi-instrumentalist David Glover completed the newly christened Tiny Dancers. The band was almost immediately signed to EMI's Parlophone label in early 2006, but its first two limited-edition vinyl singles, "Bonfire of the Night" and "Hannah We Know," were released on the faux indie Russian Doll label. The Lions and Tigers and Lions EP was released on Parlophone in late 2006, followed by the U.K. Top 40 singles "I Will Wait for You" and a new recording of "Hannah We Know." Tiny Dancers' debut album, Free School Milk, was released in the summer of 2007.