News: Free Single from The Republic Tigers

SSM faves The Republic Tigers have a free single from their upcoming EP No Man's Land. The EP will be available on Record Store Day in April, but you can head over to iTunes now to download "Merrymake It With Me." Part of the iTunes SXSW sampler, the track is a fresh batch of sonic goodness with the band's unmistakable blend of guitar, electronics, lyrics and pop. (Listen for the Zaireeka-esque intro.) If you happen to be heading to SXSW, the Tigers hit the Liberty Bar stage at 2:15 p.m. Friday, March 18. But they'll also be a part of the showcase hosted by their label, Chop Shop Records, later that night. They take to the stage at Maggie Mae's Rooftop at midnight (following a performance by Twin Shadow, no less).

Video: The Republic Tigers - "Made Concrete"

the Republic Tigers - Made Concrete

Music video by The Republic Tigers performing Made Concrete with Alicia Solombrino [Video Director], Brian Hicks [Editor] Outpost Worldwide [Production] (C) 2009 Chop Shop Records.

Show Alert: The Republic Tigers @ The Henry Fonda - 4/10/09, 4/11/09

After a successful U.K. tour, The Republic Tigers will again join Travis on the road. This time the bands are doing a U.S. tour including two nights at The Henry Fonda. The April 10, 2009 show is already sold out, but there are still tickets available for the April 11, 2009 show. Tickets here.

The Republic Tigers' Daytrotter Session Now Available

The title says it all, so enjoy!

News: The Republic Tigers Detained In London, U.K. Tour Continues

Well well. The Republic Tigers score themselves their first tour on the other side of the pond, and how do they kick it off? By getting locked down for 24 hours by London-Gatwick Airport Immigration Officers.

Apparently some SNAFU with their work visas put TRT into a tight spot that threatened them with imminent deportation back to the U.S. However, an 11th hour saving grace ensured that these guys will get to show Scotland and England what they've got in store.

Head on over to David Gaumé's tour blog for a full account of the experience as well as pics from the tour, like this lovely one below at Dunnottar Castle, Stonehaven, Scotland. Full tour dates below.

Sep 25 2008 8:00P	Picture House w/Travis	Edinburgh, Scotland
Sep 26 2008 8:00P	ABC w/ Travis	Glasgow, UK
Sep 28 2008 8:00P	the Ritz w/Travis	Manchester, UK
Sep 29 2008 8:00P	Liverpool Academy w/Travis	Liverpool, UK
Sep 30 2008 8:00P	Wulfrun Hall w/Travis	Wolverhampton, UK
Oct 2 2008 8:00P	Newcastle University w/Travis	Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
Oct 3 2008 8:00P	Norwich UEA w/Travis	Norwich, UK
Oct 4 2008 8:00P	Pyramid Centre w/Travis	Portsmouth, UK
Oct 6 2008 8:00P	Bath Pavilion w/Travis	Bath, UK
Oct 7 2008 8:00P	Leadmill w/Travis	Sheffield, UK
Oct 8 2008 8:00P	Astoria w/Travis	London, UK
Nov 15 2008 8:00P	Hi Dive w/Bishop Allen	Denver, Colorado
Nov 16 2008 8:00P	M-Shop w/Bishop Allen	Ames, Iowa
Nov 17 2008 8:00P	Subterranean Lounge w/Bishop Allen	Chicago, Illinois

News: The Republic Tigers On Tour

The Republic Tigers commence their latest tour tonight, beginning with a show in The Flaming Lips' hometown of Norman, OK. This jaunt will take TRT across the western portion of the country, hitting all the key cities on the Left Coast. For you locals, check out the Spaceland date on Friday, July 25. (Photo of Justin Tricomi by Forester.)

19 Jul 2008 21:00	Opolis	Norman, OK
20 Jul 2008 21:00	Hailey’s	Denton, TX
21 Jul 2008 20:00	Mohawk	Austin, TX
23 Jul 2008 22:00	Club Congress	Tucson, AZ
24 Jul 2008 20:15	Modified Arts	Phoenix, AZ
25 Jul 2008 20:00	Spaceland	Los Angeles, CA
27 Jul 2008 20:00	Cafe Du Nord	San Francisco, CA
29 Jul 2008 20:00	Towne Lounge	Portland, OR
30 Jul 2008 20:00	Sunset Tavern	Seattle, WA
1 Aug 2008 20:00	Kilby Court	Salt Lake City, UT
2 Aug 2008 20:00	Larimer Lounge	Denver, CO

Live Archive: The Republic Tigers on Letterman - 5/22/08

In case you missed it, The Republic Tigers were on Letterman in May. Click on through to see an archive of their performance of "Buildings and Mountains".

This Week's Recommended Music: The Republic Tigers, No Age

If you've ever read SSM before, you'd know that The Republic Tigers are held in high regard around these parts. After months of continuous coverage, SSM is proud to announce that the band's full-length finally drops today! Keep Color is out on Chop Shop Records and is available from iTunes, Amazon, and local retailers. The band have a ton going on now, including an appearance on KCRW's Morning Become Electic on May 12, a show at Spaceland on May 13, David Letterman on May 22, plus an extensive tour. So, pick up their album, catch them live, and be a part of the buzz surrounding this truly exciting new group. Here are the boys at the Tribeca Film Festival:

SSM's other recommended selection for this week comes from L.A.'s own No Age. The duo's singles compilation Weirdo Rippers has received extensive critical acclaim and provided listeners with a preview of the band's unique combination of beautiful distortion, twisted samples, and experimental punk aesthetic. Now, on Nouns, No Age pack in more of the same, but also expand on their formula with more and more layers of feedback, fuzz, and fun. As stated by drummer/vocalist Dean Spunt: “Bands should be fun and exciting and they should push all the buttons at the same time. They should make you feel like you are going to explode and make you utterly confused and inspired at the same time.” Nouns is a sonic encapsulation of exactly that.

News: The Republic Tigers To Play Morning Becomes Eclectic, Spaceland

In addition to an ever-expanding tour along the east coast (including dates with The Hold Steady and Nada Surf), perennial SSM faves The Republic Tigers will be heading west for a May 12 appearance on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic, followed by a Spacleand performance on May 13. These dates follow the May 6 release of their debut LP Keep Color on Chop Shop Records. FYI: the band's appearance on Letterman has been pushed back from May 7 until May 22. Things are going very well for these guys, so be sure to check them out sometime in the next few months. I personally guarantee you will not be disappointed. (Photo by Michael Forester.)

News: The Republic Tigers Shoot Video, Play Tribeca Film Festival

On Monday, I was lucky enough to have lunch with SSM faves The Republic Tigers, who were in the Los Angeles area filming a video for their excellent track "Buildings and Mountains" (available for download from their MySpace page). The video shoot took place at El Mirage Dry Lake (the same location for Shania Twain's "That Don't Impress Me Much" video) and was directed by Brian Savelson (who did the videos for Band of Horses' "Is There A Ghost" and "The Funeral"). As you can see from photos by Jill Kaplan, the video involves a boat in the desert. Apparently the band endured several sandstorms during the course of the shoot. Not sure when we'll get to see the finished project, but hopefully the quality of the video will match that of the track.

In other news, The Republic Tigers may be joining The National for a performance at the Tribeca Film Festival. Details on this show are sketchy, but the date will likely be around May 4, the day after a show by The National in Pennsylvania and The show will be on May 2, 2008 at Webster Hall, a few days before The Republic Tigers' previously-reported appearance on Letterman, at the end of their upcoming April tour of the east coast. Go Tigers!

News: The Republic Tigers Announce Tour, Do Letterman

Hot off a successful trip to SXSW, SSM faves The Republic Tigers will hit the road this spring in support of their forthcoming debut LP Keep Color, out May 6 on Chop Shop Records. The band are sticking to the eastern portion of the country for now, but I'm sure they'll head out west soon enough (perhaps this summer?). And, on May 7, The Republic Tigers make their TV debut with a slot on The Late Show with David Letterman. Full tour below:

Apr 8 2008 8:00P	Jack Rabbit Slim’s	Albany, New York
Apr 9 2008 8:00P	Kirkland Arts Center	Clinton, New York
Apr 10 2008 8:00P	Iron Horse	Northampton, Massachusetts
Apr 11 2008 8:00P	Toquet Hall Teen Center	Westport, Connecticut
Apr 13 2008 8:00P	Great Scott	Boston, Massachusetts
Apr 14 2008 8:00P	Southpaw	Brooklyn, New York
Apr 15 2008 8:00P	Bowery Ballroom	New York, New York
Apr 17 2008 8:00P	DC9	Washington DC, Washington DC
Apr 19 2008 8:00P	Salem High School	Plymouth, Michigan
May 7 2008 10:30P	David Letterman	New York, New York

Photo by the great Forester, who finally posted pics from The Republic Tigers' show at Spaceland.

News: The Republic Tigers Featured In The Pitch

The Republic Tigers, one of SSM's favorite (new) bands, are featured in a great article today in The Pitch. This article is the most complete and accurate profile of them yet as it discusses their history and future, their recording techniques and influences, and the current goings on at TRT HQ.

The band's debut LP, entitled Keep Color, is set to come out in April on Chop Shop Records. In the meantime, their excellent EP is currently available on iTunes. For instant gratification, get over to their MySpace.

Stay tuned for further updates!

Photo by Forester.

Reminder: The Republic Tigers @ Spaceland - TONIGHT, 12/19/07!

Just a friendly reminder to the faithful readers of SSM that The Republic Tigers will be gracing the stage at Spaceland tonight, December 19. Tix are available at the door, and the good word is that they go on at 9pm. Details for the evening can be found at NME as well as on the Spaceland site where yours truly is quoted. Not sure how that got on there...

The boys have been in L.A. mixing their L.P. with Mark Needham, and the E.P. is out now on iTunes. (It was actually on the "What's Hot" homepage. Woo-hoo!) Pick it up for under $4. The Tigers also hit up Jonesy's Jukebox last week, but there's not a full archive of that.

Here's some live footage, but expect things to be a few notches above that...just trust me.





See you there! I'll be the guy in the green gray shirt with a sailboat on it.

The Republic Tigers

Even though almost every show I cover on SSM takes place in Los Angeles, my hometown is Kansas City. I got involved with the K.C. music scene during high school and have kept up with it since moving away over ten years ago. When I go home, I try and hit a few key stomping grounds and visit with some cats to catch up on local music developments. Of course, the internet has made keeping tabs on things -- and actually hearing bands -- much easier.

I came across The Republic Tigers much as I have discovered other music. I linked to their MySpace page through one of the many other awesome Kansas City bands and was instantly hooked by the track "Made Concrete". A lot of musicians blend acoustic and electronic pop sounds, but there was an immediacy and truth to this song that just worked. The layers, the vocals, the tones...it was all there. Of course, I listened to everything else they had online and eventually got my hands on their demo.

Fast-forward to now. The Republic Tigers have signed with a new imprint called Chop Shop Records. They've got an E.P. coming out in December and an L.P. in March '08. And although they've really only played the Kansas City area, they will be at The Hideout in Chicago on November 24th and L.A.'s Spaceland on December 19th.

This band is awesome and has a ton of potential. The next year has a lot in store for them and I'll be keeping you posted. For now, I highly recommend picking up their E.P. when it's released, checking out their tunes online in the meantime, and joining me at Spaceland -- or wherever else you might be able to catch them.

Photos by Forester.