Although relegated to a sideman role in the Miniature Tigers, Rick Schaier is the founder and sole member of Alvin Band, a creative project in which all sounds are created without the use of instruments. Schaier began recording his vocal compositions in early 2008, while he and the rest of Miniature Tigers set to work on their debut album. When not holed up in the studio, the musician would take a microphone and a laptop computer into his friend's bathroom, where he drew upon the influence of Björk's Medúlla while creating songs with his vocals and body slaps alone. The resultant material was released one year later as Mantis Preying, Alvin Band's debut album. ~ Andrew Leahey