Kiss the Girl

"Of course pop has been reborn time and time again, but Kiss the Girl isn't just another resurrection - they're a new, fresh thing. " -Susan Derby, Performer Magazine

Kiss the Girl is a five-piece rock band whose music the San Francisco Weekly calls, "Unabashedly sexy...fresh and irresistible." Formed in San Francisco by award-winning singer/songwriter Robert Szeles (pronounced saylesh) in 1999, the group includes guitarist/keyboardist Jaimeson Durr (formerly of Sufferbus), British guitarist Neil Smith, renowned Bay Area bassist Brian Templeton and classically trained drummer/ percussionist Tom Connell. Their influences cover a wide range, including British and Alternative Rock, Soul, Funk, 60's Soundtracks and Electronica. Kiss the Girl's first release, a four-song EP entitled Say Goodbye to the 20th Century, was released in February of 2000 and gained airplay in at least 18 U.S. states and 6 foreign countries.

Kiss the Girl's "engaging self-titled debut album" (Pasadena Weekly), released in February of 2002, is a collection of 12 well-crafted, exciting pop-rock gems showcasing their sparkling pop sensibility and seamless groove. Writes the San Francisco Weekly, "With contagious lyrics like, 'Now that I've got you in my head/ I just want you in my bed,' the first track has a way of glomming onto your brain and forcing repeated replay at an obnoxious volume." The Pasadena Weekly agrees that it's full of "huge hooks." Singer Szeles's "melodically powerful vocals" (SF Weekly) manage to convey sincere emotion without ever seeming overwrought. Recorded at San Francisco's legendary indie studio Tiny Telephone by Justin Phelps (Smash Mouth, Cake, Third Eye Blind), the album highlights the band's versatility, skill, and sense of irony, while staying true to their unique style of "sexy rock with tuneful vocals" (Rockpile magazine).

Proving that Kiss the Girl shine just as bright outside the studio, the San Francisco Weekly says, "Their album works the music the same way the band works a crowd - with verve and charisma." Weaving together joyful melodies with contrastingly compelling lyrics and a seductive groove, Kiss the Girl has created an authentic, exciting sound that is "becoming contagious throughout the country" (Synthesis).