The Republican Tigers

Posted by Rob Ortenzi on 06-Aug-08 @ 04:35 PM

HQ: Kansas City, MO
NOW PLAYING: Keep Color (CHOP SHOP; chopshoprecords.net)
WHY YOU SHOULD KNOW 'EM: Sounds like what David Bowie's Major Tom loaded into his iPod before takeoff.
YOU LIKE? YOU'LL LIKE? AIR/THE FLAMING LIPS/DOVES

STORY: Luke O'Neil
PHOTO: Ralf Strathmann



Writing the type of expansive, orchestral pop well-suited for film and TV has always been part of the plan according to the Republic Tigers frontman Kenn Jankowski, patiently awaiting valuable Xbox 360 playing time at home with his roommates. "It was kind of an original hope, actually." The band, whose rhythmically complex and sonically stretching blend of synths and acoustics evokes a sort of celestial panorama in its scope, couldn't have chosen a better label. Chop Shop, an imprint of Atlantic, is known for placing songs on hit shows like Grey's Anatomy and The O.C. "I love the combination of drama visually with music,' says Jankowski. "They compliment each other to a new level." Their big break so far? "We actually covered a Christmas song for Gossip Girl," he laughs.

Note to musical directors everywhere: There's an ample surplus of ethereal and cinematically broad compositions to choose from on the band's debut Keep Color. Many songs, like "Feelin' The Future," a heady space shot of a love song, find organic, full-sounding foundation in acoustic guitars upon which the band drape layers of spiraling sequences. "We have acoustic guitars on almost every song," says Jankowski. "They round out the loose side of things and add a percussive element. Even if you can't really hear it in a mix, it really changes things a lot. It really makes it sound bigger."

For Jankowski it was always a dream to find a band full of "naturally gifted" and "real go-getter musician types" like those in the Republic Tigers."They're not people who just want power and to be onstage and want all the girls or something like that," gushes Jankowski. "[They're] just people who love making music...and work their asses off doing it. A lot of bands have one or maybe two musicians and the rest are kind of...the 'football players,' I guess. Everybody [in this band] is a recording engineer. We're all big nerds."

Plenty of that inherent nerd comes through on the record. "We all really like classical movements and progressions," says Jankowski. But don't expect some brainy wankfest-it's still essentially popular rock 'n' roll. "A lot of people who look down on the 'lesser' styles of music won't include anything hooky. There's still enough, say, Def Leppard big-hook spirit in here to keep people interested," he says jokingly before thinking better of it. "I hope it's not in there."


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