This is the self-titled debut album by Quiz Show a band that's an offshoot of Shudder To Think and Guided By Voices featuring former members of those bands Chris Matthews and Kevin March who roped in Frank Gibbons who has now been replaced by Jesse Krakow. The album was produced by Ray Ketchum at his Magic Door Recording Studios.
The album opens with recent single Sound Of Kissing a sort of Pavement meets Sebadoah lazy hazy anthem, this is modern Slacker college rock. They hear all the kissing as they get near the end of summer, reality might be impinging once more, so they try to change the end of summer, under layers of guitars and cascading drums.
Almost Famous is as much about writing songs while almost making it, as it is about the battle to become famous, it's speedy college rock, as they are still hoping to be properly famous one day, so no one tries pointing out which New York Dolls they nicked the backing vocals from.
Dime A Dozen is hazy indie college rock single, almost supine as they tell us how special they are, they aren't just there to be sent to the Heart Of Darkness. With the squidgy not quite their guitars helping to make the point, that they want to open a market called Heart Of Darkness, well at least it's not the Apocalypse Now market in Cleveland.
Monumental Shade has a wall of guitars that encase the vocals within, with that Monumental Shade that they are trying to shatter, while trying to make things better and let the sunshine in.
Pom Pom Boy is a song about selfish self-centered behavior of someone who takes up all the air with their never-ending pronouncements when really they are just a Pom Pom Boy, which is a great put down.
Withstand is a perfect song for a mental train strike day in london, where just withstanding a few hours at the day job was a trial and an ordeal, As Quiz Show make their plans, as to what they want an audience to sing along too, especially I Can't Be Bothered, just going onto Autopilot sitting in that grid lock wondering how things got this out of hand, They are like no other and are free, well if your free of the daily toil then you're doing ok, this will easily worm its way deep into your head after a couple of listens.
Sell the Scene, go on keep the scene alive, go to more shows, buy more records, get a t-Shirt find a Quiz Show quiz book, make sure you don't get too caught up and lose your career, with one bad move out of the scene, as we morph into the next scene, from the Lurching days to the slouching slacker grebo Noo Joisey working class hero days, just do your own thing be part of many scenes sorta.
Big Bank all about the joys of making Big Bank and the stuttering way, you might find a way to do that by accident, among the fighting and the craziness, this stutters from crisis to crisis as another Big Bank goes bust over in Silicon Valley just as this song is being released, perfect timing to send a copy to John Oliver.
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The Construct is alternative college guitar rock with an early 90's feel, yearning vocals, cymbal heavy drums, guitars weave through everything with the odd stop start construction down pat they have the formula why would you mess with the formula.
Always Waiting well, we all are ain't we, what we waiting for now, the next great song, the next great band, the next bag of weed, the bus, who knows, but they do know they ain't the only ones.
What If? Yeah What If? exactly if only the terrible traumas of the last few years hadn't happened, wouldn't things be better, this looks deep into the malaise doesn't like the torture and abuse the establishment hands out.
Mannequin Sun is hazy lazy laid-back tripping out enjoying the Mannequin Sun, encased in golden melodies hoping to bring a little harmony into our lives again, get up and dance to the finale.
The bonus tracks are three radio edits, the first of which Sound Of Kissing sounds the same as the single version, as I must of missed any bad words, this is catchy enough from listening to the single and other versions to know this should sound great in an indie club.
Sell the scene has to have a clean version as how else to you market the scene to newbies who don't buy your fanzine, or go to your clubs, while buying your stuff, don't let the scene die, keep the scene alive, a call I've heard from all sorts of bands, quiz question which bands singer repeatedly says Keeping Rock & Roll Alive With the … between almost every song live.
The radio friendly version of The Construct is to get it played on as many indie radio programs worldwide as possible, from Steve Lamacq to Rodders on the Roq or whoever the kids listen too today, before they go play some shows, or whatever they are actually singing about.
Find out more at https://quizshow.bandcamp.com/album/quiz-show
https://www.facebook.com/quizshowbandnj
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