You think you know experimental indie music? You haven't heard anything until you've heard Alvin Band. Alternative instruments like the euphonium, bassoon, and kora, step aside. Alvin Band's main man Rick Schaier - also a member of the indie-pop band Minature Tigers - simply uses his own vocal skills to craft musical chords, bass lines, and beats right alongside the "regular" instruments. And you'll have as much fun trying to decipher which is which as you will listening to Schaier's detailed, dense, and unique tracks.

His latest album, Mantis Preying, is Alvin Band's first 'official' release, and brings to mind everything from Of Montreal to Queen, with songs full of layers and dramatic moments. You'll think it took a village to put these tracks together - but in reality, it was all Schaier and that's it.

"There are no other musicians in Alvin Band," Schaier says, "although the other band I play in, Miniature Tigers, plays a few songs live with me during the set."

Schaier also took a low-key approach to recording - probably a little easier to do when you're the only one in the band. Especially when you have nearby access to cheap coffee and a 7-Eleven.

"Mantis Preying was recorded in the bathroom of my friend Charlie Brands' house," he explains, "I was the only one on production duties. I basically lived on Starbucks and burritos for about three months (during the production of the album). After a while, I didn't even want them; I just got them each day out of habit," he laughs.

Schaier, who also "blew his voice out a few times" during the sessions, says that while he spends more time with Miniature Tigers as far as touring and traveling, he likes Alvin Band as it's more of a studio project for him.

"I just like to record music without limitations or thinking about how to pull it off live," he explains.

Schaier says that Miniature Tigers are taking even more of that performance concern right away from him, as they're practicing a few Alvin Band songs for the road in order to add them into the Miniature Tigers set. "Right now we are learning a song called "Gazette Pitch" to play live," he says.

And luckily, both Miniature Tigers and Alvin Band are blending well - probably because both focus on creating rich, playful weaves of sound that complement each other perfectly. "They do work nicely together," Schaier says, "we are hoping to release the next two albums together on the same day."