New Jersey's QUIZ SHOW presents 'Flotsam' EP, the second offering for the boys of From Shudder To Think

March 29, 2024

"Inescapable catchiness, rawness and youthful spunk – Quiz Show is extending an undeniably attractive invitation to superb punk-kilned indie rock" ~ The Spill Magazine

"Quiz Show is what pop music would have sounded like if punk had had a more significant and longer-lasting effect on modern music" ~ The Big Takeover

"A new sonic force to be reckoned with... That’s a bit unfair as Quiz Show, comprised of members of such luminaries as Shudder To Think, Guided By Voices and The Dambuilders, has been making music since 2017" ~ Second Scene Magazine

"Gloriously shambolic post punk/alt rock goodness" ~ The Ginger Quiff

"A sonic Trojan horse able to smuggle the forces of swagger, attitude, and outsiderness into the mainstream, hidden in a construct of melody and infectiousness" ~ Dancing About Architecture

New Jersey-based indie rock trio Quiz Show presents their 'Flotsam' EP, released via Montclair, NJ-based Magic Door Record Label, following up their eponymous debut album, an electrifying collection full of protest, friendship and frustration, released in 2023 to wide acclaim.

Quiz Show is made up of Shudder To Think's Chris Matthews and bassist Jesse Krakow, together with drummer Joe Billy, who replaces the original drummer Kevin March (Guided By Voices, The Dambuilders, Shudder To Think).

These songs are the first that the current Quiz Show lineup wrote together from scratch. Each adding their instrumental work and vocals, in the process, they discovered something new and unexpected – a whole that was far more than the sum of its parts. The EP is three original songs that tell stories about living – both now and in the past. There is something melancholy about the record, but also a resonant chord of joy and perseverance.

Recorded and produced by award-winning producer Ray Ketchem (Guided By Voices, Luna, Versus, Elk City, Gramercy Arms) at his Magic Door Recording Studio, this EP was engineered by Ketchem with Brian Robbins (Blondie, Bring Me The Horizon, Papa Roach).

Found floating or washed up by the sea, 'Flotsam' represents the shattered, lost stories of people’s lives. It’s easy to ignore, but perhaps there is value in treating flotsam as a mystery to solve, a story to tell, a lost connection between past and present waiting to be discovered.

"'Super Concrete' was the name of the company my brother worked for before he passed. He was a different sort of person, mostly a source of the unexpected, and usually trouble. Many wrote him off as poorly adjusted – as flotsam – but that’s not even close. So, while he may have lived a nontraditional life working at Super Concrete, living in DC’s gay community, and making a home with his boyfriend, he created a life of beauty and purpose," explains Chris Matthews.

"'Packing ‘em' In explores how flotsam gets organized in the chaos of the sea. When we feel adrift, it’s natural to seek refuge. But what can feel like a safe harbor may really be something that uses your struggle as fuel for its own desires. Be careful when it feels like ‘no one knows but everybody knows’ at the same time, the answers people have are probably not their own creations nor for their own benefit.

"'China Glaze' is a memorial to a good friend who had an exceptionally brilliant mind. Flotsam here is the way it feels when someone leaves you to continue living without them. Musically, the song tries to reflect the slipperiness and scattered experiences that come with loss. The lyrics include my fractured, precious memories of the man who left, and learning to live well in a world without him. Good luck tomorrow!"

As of Today, the 'Flotsam' EP will be available everywhere digitally, including Apple Music, Spotify and Bandcamp.

Flotsam' EP https://quizshow.bandcamp.com/album/flotsam
Spotify https://open.spotify.com/album/0WT14G96S6Pg6gjjnNIFTF
'Super Concrete' single https://quizshow.bandcamp.com/track/super-concrete
Spotify https://open.spotify.com/track/3IMFGceB0hZgiEIwGUrmYe
Apple Music https://music.apple.com/gh/album/super-concrete-single/1730865490

New Jersey rockers Quiz Show previews 'Super Concrete' single from new EP

March 5, 2024

New Jersey-based indie rock trio Quiz Show presents their new 'Super Concrete' single. This is the first taste of their 'Flotsam' EP, which will be released via Montclair, NJ-based Magic Door Record Label.

Quiz Show is made up of Shudder To Think's Chris Matthews and bassist Jesse Krakow, together with drummer Joe Billy, who replaces the original drummer Kevin March (Guided By Voices, The Dambuilders).

Found floating or washed up by the sea, 'Flotsam' represents the shattered, lost stories of people’s lives. It’s easy to ignore, but perhaps there is value in treating flotsam as a mystery to solve, a story to tell, a lost connection between past and present waiting to be discovered.

Recorded and produced by award-winning producer Ray Ketchem (Guided By Voices, Luna, Versus, Elk City, Gramercy Arms) at his Magic Door Recording Studio, this EP was engineered by Ketchem with Brian Robbins (Blondie, Bring Me The Horizon, Papa Roach).

"Super Concrete was the name of the company my brother worked for before he passed. He was a different sort of person, mostly a source of the unexpected, and usually trouble. Many wrote him off as poorly adjusted – as flotsam – but that’s not even close. So, while he may have lived a nontraditional life working at Super Concrete, living in DC’s gay community, and making a home with his boyfriend, he created a life of beauty and purpose," says Chris Matthews.

"These songs are the first that the current Quiz Show lineup wrote together from scratch. We each added our instrumental work and vocals, but in the process discovered something new and unexpected– a whole that was far more than the sum of its parts. This EP offers three original songs that tell stories about living – both now and in the past. There is something melancholy about the record, but also a resonant chord of joy and perseverance."

In 2023, the band released their 12-track eponymous debut album to wide acclaim - an electrifying collection that is full of protest, friendship and frustration.

As of March 5, 'Super Concrete' is available via Apple Music, Spotify and Bandcamp. The full 'Flotsam' EP will be released on March 29 and can be pre-ordered directly from the band.

CREDITS
Chris Matthews / guitars, vocals
Jesse Krakow / bass, backing vocals
Joe Billy III / drums, backing vocals
Produced by Ray Ketchem
Engineered by Brian Robbins and Ray Ketchem
Mixed and Mastered by Ray Ketchem
Recording at Magic Door Recording, Montclair NJ
Songs by Chris Matthews and Quiz Show
© 2024 Shake at the Thought (BMI)

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Quiz Show releases debut album with Guided By Voices. Preview 'Almost Famous' and 'Sound of Kissing’

March 18, 2023

American indie rock trio Quiz Show - involving members of legendary DC alternative rock band Shudder To Think, Guided By Voices and The Dambuilders- present their eponymous debut album, released via Montclair, NJ-based Magic Door Record Label.

Ahead of this, two new powerhouse tracks are streamble - 'Almost Famous'
and 'Sound of Kissing', having earlier previewed the tracks 'Dime A Dozen' and 'What If?'.

This electrifying collection of 12 tracks involves Shudder To Think's Chris Matthews and Jesse Krakow, together with drummer Kevin March (Guided By Voices, The Dambuilders). Earlier, bassist Jesse Krakow had taken over from the original bassist Frank Gibbons and, more recently, Joe Billy has replaced Kevin March, whose drumming features throughout this album.

The 'Quiz Show' LP brings together the singles the band recorded with award-winning producer Ray Ketchem (Guided By Voices, Luna, Versus, Elk City, Gramercy Arms) between 2017 and 2020 at his Magic Door Recording Studio in Montclair, NJ. Ketchem also re-mastered these tracks for this release. Interesting fact: through this process, Matthews discovered that he enjoys singing as much as playing guitar.

Quiz Show songs are full of protest, friendship and frustration. Tapping the energy of punk rock with its loud guitars and driving rhythms, the vocals strive to capture the emotional fervour of punky garage rock. Pushing boundaries with rhythms, arrangements, chord structures and vocals that expand from straight-ahead power to music, they weave together different influences, including classic rock, prog and alternative, to create complex and beautiful in unexpected ways.

"This is our first album! Quiz Show has been making music since 2017 and put out most of the songs on this release as singles between 2017 and 2020. We are releasing them now after remixing and remastering all of the songs to freshen them up and so they can document the origin story of Quiz Show in a single package. This release also brings these songs under the amazing umbrella of the Magic Door record label," says Chris Matthews.

"Quiz Show songs come together when ideas voiced through the guitars are set to rhythms constructed on the bass and drums. Lyrics come after the melodies, which themselves often emerge while Chris is driving around. These songs were created in the in-between spaces of complicated lives. We cherish this work and the feelings it describes. 'Sound of Kissing' was built this way and, like most of our songs, it uses lyrics to reflect a dissatisfaction with the limits on love, money, and time."

As of March 17, the 'Quiz Show' LP is available via Apple Music, Spotify and Bandcamp, where it can be ordered directly from the band.

CREDITS
Written by Chris Matthews, Kevin March and Frank Gibbons
Chris Matthews - guitar, vocals
Kevin March - drums, vocals
Frank Gibbons - bass
Recorded, mixed & mastered by Ray Ketchem at Magic Door Recording (Montclair, NJ)
'Quiz Show' album cover art - 'Moving Day' by Renee LoBue
'Sound of Kissing' cover art - 'Hey Moon' by Renee LoBue
Cover design by Ray Ketchem

Shudder To Think members release debut album under the Quiz Show moniker. Preview the single 'Sound of Kissing’

February 15, 2023

American indie rock trio Quiz Show - involving members of legendary DC alternative rock band Shudder To Think, Guided By Voices and The Dambuilders- has released their new single 'Sound of Kissing', a powerhouse preview of their their eponymous debut album, due out March 17 via Montclair, NJ-based Magic Door Record Label.

Earlier, the band previewed the tracks 'Dime A Dozen' and 'What If?'.

This electrifying collection of 12 tracks involves Shudder To Think's Chris Matthews and Jesse Krakow, together with drummer Kevin March (Guided By Voices, The Dambuilders). Earlier, bassist Jesse Krakow had taken over from the original bassist Frank Gibbons and, more recently, Joe Billy has replaced Kevin March, whose drumming features throughout this album.

The 'Quiz Show' LP brings together the singles the band recorded with award-winning producer Ray Ketchem (Guided By Voices, Luna, Versus, Elk City, Gramercy Arms) between 2017 and 2020 at his Magic Door Recording Studio in Montclair, NJ. Ketchem also re-mastered these tracks for this release. Interesting fact: through this process, Matthews discovered that he enjoys singing as much as playing guitar.

With Ketchem on board, Quiz Show released a string of singles - songs of protest, friendship and frustration - to a growing number of listeners. Tapping the energy of punk rock with its loud guitars and driving rhythms, the vocals strive to capture the emotional fervour of punky garage rock. Pushing boundaries with rhythms, arrangements, chord structures and vocals that expand from straight-ahead power to music, they weave together different influences, including classic rock, prog and alternative, to create complex and beautiful in unexpected ways.

"This is our first album! Quiz Show has been making music since 2017 and put out most of the songs on this release as singles between 2017 and 2020. We are releasing them now after remixing and remastering all of the songs to freshen them up and so they can document the origin story of Quiz Show in a single package. This release also brings these songs under the amazing umbrella of the Magic Door record label," says Chris Matthews.

"Quiz Show songs come together when ideas voiced through the guitars are set to rhythms constructed on the bass and drums. Lyrics come after the melodies, which themselves often emerge while Chris is driving around. These songs were created in the in-between spaces of complicated lives. We cherish this work and the feelings it describes. 'Sound of Kissing' was built this way and, like most of our songs, it uses lyrics to reflect a dissatisfaction with the limits on love, money, and time."

As of February 14, 'Sound of Kissing' is available via Apple Music, Spotify and Bandcamp, where the full 'Quiz Show' LP (out March 17) can already be pre-ordered with three tracks available as instant-grat downloads.

CREDITS
Written by Chris Matthews, Kevin March and Frank Gibbons
Chris Matthews - guitar, vocals
Kevin March - drums, vocals
Frank Gibbons - bass
Recorded, mixed & mastered by Ray Ketchem at Magic Door Recording (Montclair, NJ)
'Quiz Show' album cover art - 'Moving Day' by Renee LoBue
'Sound of Kissing' cover art - 'Hey Moon' by Renee LoBue
Cover design by Ray Ketchem

Shudder To Think members herald new ‘Quiz Show’ LP, share first two tracks ‘What If?’ and ‘Dime A Dozen’

February 4, 2023

American indie rock trio Quiz Show has announced that, in March, they will release their eponymous debut album, which sees two alt-rock / hardcore music legends return to the mic with new electrifying output after quarter of a century on hiatus. Ahead of this album, which will be released via Montclair, NJ-based Magic Door Record Label, the band are previewing the tracks 'Dime A Dozen' and 'What If?'.

Today the trio is made up of Chris Matthews (founding member of legendary DC alternative rock band Shudder To Think) and his powerful rhythm section, bassist Jesse Krakow and drummer Joe Billy. But Quiz Show is not just any band - it's a continuation. After picking up his guitar and again writing songs, Matthews formed Quiz Show with former Shudder To Think drummer Kevin March (Guided By Voices, The Dambuilders).

The 'Quiz Show' LP brings together the singles the band recorded with award-winning producer Ray Ketchem (Guided By Voices, Luna, Versus, Elk City, Gramercy Arms) between 2017 and 2020 at his Magic Door Recording Studio in Montclair, NJ. Ketchem also re-mastered these tracks for this release. Interesting fact: through this process, Matthews discovered that he enjoys singing as much as playing guitar.

When Matthews and March learned that they both lived in Montclair, they joined bassist Frank Gibbons and headed to Ray Ketchem's studio. In 2021, Quiz Show added another Shudder To Think member when Jesse Krakow replaced Gibbons. While drummer Joe Billy also relieved March of drumming duties, March's contribution features throughout this album.

With Ketchem on board, Quiz Show released a string of singles - songs of protest, friendship and frustration - to a growing number of listeners. Tapping the energy of punk rock with its loud guitars and driving rhythms, the vocals strive to capture the emotional fervour of punky garage rock. Pushing boundaries with rhythms, arrangements, chord structures and vocals that expand from straight-ahead power to music, they weave together different influences, including classic rock, prog and alternative, to create complex and beautiful in unexpected ways.

"This is our first album! Quiz Show has been making music since 2017 and put out most of the songs on this release as singles between 2017 and 2020. We are releasing them now after remixing and remastering all of the songs to freshen them up and so they can document the origin story of Quiz Show in a single package. This release also brings these songs under the amazing umbrella of the Magic Door record label," says Chris Matthews.

"Quiz Show songs come together when ideas voiced through the guitars are set to rhythms constructed on the bass and drums. Lyrics come after the melodies, which themselves often emerge while Chris is driving around. These songs were created in the in-between spaces of complicated lives. We cherish this work and the feelings it describes."

'Dime A Dozen' and 'What If?' are now available via Bandcamp, where the full 'Quiz Show' LP (out on March 17), is already available for pre-order. As of February 14, the 'Sound of Kissing' single will also be released across digital providers, including Apple Music and Spotify.

CREDITS
Written by Chris Matthews, Kevin March and Frank Gibbons
Chris Matthews - guitar, vocals
Kevin March - drums, vocals
Frank Gibbons - bass
Recorded, mixed & mastered by Ray Ketchem at Magic Door Recording (Montclair, NJ)
Cover art - 'Moving Day' by Renee LoBue
Cover design by Ray Ketchem