Pitchfork

New York's Tiger Style Records has announced the latest signings for 2003, a diverse lineup of artists and bands from around the country that could help the young label on their way to becoming one of next Matadors, Merges or Sub Pops. This year, Tiger Style will be releasing new albums by The Appleseed Cast, Entrance, The Sick Lipstick, and Those Peabodys. Add these new artists to a lineup that already boasts such established acts as Ida, Rye Coalition, and American Analog Set, along with the recent appearance of their savvy, brand-spanking new website, Tiger Style is ready to play with the big boys (and girls)-- and better yet, they're poised to sell, sell, sell!

Tiger Style has slated for a mid-summer release the newest album from the Lawrence, KS-based Appleseed Cast. The as-yet untitled album will be the sixth release for these hardworking Midwestern favorites who've had their share of significant exposure (in an underground sort of way) by touring extensively with their friends Cursive, The Get Up Kids, Owen, and the Mates of States. In 2002, Appleseed Cast made quite a buzz with their ambitious double album, Low Level Owl, which was released in a format even Axl and David Geffen would have approved of: Two separate albums. Tiger Style has yet to comment on the possibility that these ambitious new signees might just go ahead and bankrupt them all with their own version of Tusk.

The label has enlisted Toronto's retro-synth art-punkers The Sick Lipstick for their best Fischerspooner impression, a newborn cash cow in the pastures of electroclash. The Sick Lipstick, who are being generously touted as "combination of early Kill Rock Stars stuff like Bikini Kill and Huggy Bear mixed with the sounds of newer bands like The Subtonix, The Rapture and Erase Errata," will be releasing their debut album in June. The band has previously released an EP for the Liars-affiliated Sound Virus label.

Meanwhile, hailing from Austin, TX, Those Peabodys constitute one of the more explosive throwback rock 'n' roll acts to emerge in recent memory-- or at least since that "garage rock revival" with all them foreign bands. Their sophomore album is set for release sometime in the summer. What else you wanna know?

The biggest anticipation, however, surrounds the signing of Guy Blakeslee aka Entrance. Having recruited quite a cast of players since his relocation from Baltimore (where he played with The Convocation Of...) to Chicago, Entrance may wind up the Hideki Matsui of the 2003 season: He's already palled around with Meister Corgan's Zwan-tastic whipping boys Matt Sweeney and David Pajo. A skinny li'l guy who plays the acoustic guitar upside-down (he's a southpaw) like a modern-day Richie Havens, Entrance has already toured with Will Oldham, Cat Power, and yep, Zwan. And Tiger Style's not wasting any time on him: they just issued a split seven-inch with Entrance and Papa M on December 10th. Entrance's debut album, The Kingdom of Heaven Must Be Taken by Storm, is set for release on March 4th. He'll also be hitting the road starting, um, last week. Tour dates:

02-04 Newport, KY - Southgate House *
02-05 Akron, OH - Lime Spider *
02-06 Pittsburgh, PA - Quiet Storm *
02-07 Tivoli, NY - Black Swan Pub (w/ Greg Weeks) *
02-08t Annandale-on-Hudson, NY - Bard College *
02-09 Easthampton, MA - The Flywheel *
02-10 Boston, MA - Chopping Block *
02-11 Providence, RI - Julians *
02-12 Philadelphia, PA - Kyber Pass *
02-14 Baltimore, MD - Talking Head *
02-15 Washington, DC - The Hosiery *
02-16 New York, NY - Tonic *
03-04 New York, NY - Irving Plaza +
03-06 Pittsburgh, PA - Club Laga +
03-08 Chicago, IL - Abbey Pub +
03-10 St. Louis, MO - Duck Room +
03-11 Lawrence, KS - Bottleneck +
03-14 Austin, TX - Buffalo Billiards (South By Southwest Festival)
03-15 Ft. Worth, TX - Ridgleo Theatre +
03-17 New Orleans, LA - Howlin Wolf +
03-18 Tuscaloosa, AL - The Chukker +
03-20 Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse +
03-21 Carrboro, NC - Cats Cradle +
03-22 Washington, DC - 930 Club +
03-23 Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church +

* - with Devendra Banhart
+ - with Cat Power