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Press
"Trebuchet EP"
Filter Magazine's Pick of the Week
week of 08/05/03 - Filter Magazine
Santa Barbara's Kissing Tigers' debut EP is a full force ode to post-punk and new wave energy without all the ironic, fashion-fueled, self-awareness that plagues so many bands in the dead-before-it-started electroclash scene. This is rock 'n' roll that just happens to feature synths. They blend cutting guitars with thick melodies, bratty pouting, and angst-y screaming on a five-song disc that is both fun and chaotic. - Mesh SF
Like the decade of the '80s itself, too many of today's retro-electro bands value style over substance and irony over originality. Santa Barbara's Kissing Tigers are delightfully free of that. Their debut long-player, Pleasure of Resistance, features mature songwriting, lyrical depth and infectious melodies that just happen to be realized using Old Wave synthesizers and other signifiers of the Reagan era. Whereas the Faint can barely dislodge its tongue from its cheek long enough for a sincere utterance, the Tigers proudly showcase their perfect pop compositions and impressive musicianship with hearts on sleeves and hands in the air. - Denver Westword
"Pleasure of Resistance" by Kissing Tigers is the catchiest New Wave song about the joys of empty, weird sex since "Sex Dwarf" by Soft Cell. Sure, it's more hetero than, say, Depeche Mode, but it has the same faux-machismo of über-gay New Wavers like Duran Duran. - Williamette Weekly
KT do that "uneasy marriage of keyboards and guitars" thing quite well; synthmeister Eugene Row often plays bass lines, giving the music a compelling urgency. He comes up with some unexpected (in a good way) melodic progressions, which interact interestingly with David McKay and Jim Weir's guitars and Mark Legaspi's bass. Electronica/rock bands are usually more one than the other, and Kissing Tigers are no exception; they come down firmly on the keyboard side of the fence. While the '80s dance-pop influences are obvious, though, Kissing Tigers' sound is thoroughly contemporary. The inventive guitar work (in production as well as performance) is partly to thank for this, as well as Weir's breathy, off-the-cuff vocals -- no operatic droning here. - SplendidZine
Though they don't reinvent the wheel, they do take it for a damn good spin. Their leading man is just another example of a classic rockstar equation: [angular x (cheekbones)] + thinness = rockstar rating. Though their music is firmly rooted in rock, they have Pulp's sense of the epic grandeur of disco, and know how to kick the dance beats into high gear at just the right moment. Every song has just the right mix of keyboards and guitars, and the drums never let the song lag for a split-second. There are a lot of bands out there vying for attention, and who knows what band will finally get it, but here's hoping that Kissing Tigers gets their day in the sun. - popmatters
Discography
Trebuchet EP (2003, Slowdance Records)
Pleasure of Resistance CD (2004, Slowdance Records)
Pleasure of Resistance LP (2004, Loud and Clear Records)
Many tracks from both Trebuchet and Pleasure of Resistance receive airplay on internet radio and college radio stations around the country. Kissing Tigers reached #1 on select stations across the nation, and entered a great many stations top 30 for both releases.
The video for "So Stay in Love" receives airtime on North Americas' "Fuse TV" and select local music video stations.
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Kissing Tigers formed in 2001 while founding members Jim, David and Mark met at college. In 2002 Eugene and Dan rounded out the band with todays lineup. The band got their start playing house parties in Santa Barbara, quickly becoming THE band to get drunk and dance to in Santa Barbara. In January of 2003 they recorded their debut release, Trebuchet EP, which they very successfluly self-released to a Santa Barbara and west coast following. The band received many offers and in May signed with Portland's Slowdance Records. They re-released Trebuchet EP and toured the west coast in the summer of 2003. In fall the group toured the US for their first time, playing the CMJ Music Marathon in 2003. Since then the band has completed multiple trips around the country and frequently tours the western states. The band constantly wins over crowds with their manic live shows and unique blend of synth and guitar rock. In terms of other bands, you'll like Kissing Tigers for the same reasons you like The Cure, Sonic Youth, New Order, The Pixies, Blur and Pulp, but not because they sound like any of them in particular. Their EP and full length are continuing to gain a steady following throughout the states and abroad, and the band has been working on multiple videos for the songs from the full length, already gaining airplay on Fuse TV for their first video for "So Stay in Love".
The Tigers have shared stages across the country with a wide variety of bands, from post/dance-punk acts, The Gossip, Dance Disaster Movement, Rogers Sisters, The Fever, Ima Robot and Party of Helicopters to pop and emo bands like The Jealous Sound, Kind of Like Spitting, The Velvet Teen, Armor for Sleep and The Snake the Cross the Crown while still fitting in fine live with edgier bands like Ten Grand (The Vidablue), Akimbo and Dredg.
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