Quarterbacks, Tarpaulin

press release:

Early praise for QUARTERBACKS:

"Even for a record that's unapologetically indebted to the wide-eyed optimism of early twee bands like Tiger Trap and Henry's Dress, the songs are just as cynical as they are cloying, and the lyrics are crucially relatable in their first-person depictions of young love.” The FADER

"Love and hurt can be epic and life-cracking, but they can also be routine. Once in a while, it's nice to be reminded of that.” NPR First Listen

“Over the course of 19 tracks and 22 minutes, Quarterbacks worship at the altar of pop.” Stereogum

"The only quarterback you should be talking about now is the self-titled debut album from punky pop trio Quarterbacks.” SPIN

"Based out of New Paltz, New York, indie rock trio Quarterbacks transform C86-inspired college rock into something fresh and charming." Consequence Of Sound

“…a twee-punk tune in the Tiger Trap school of bratty barnburners, Engle manages to underscore the emotional weight of the track's glassy-eyed nostalgia.” Pitchfork on “Center”

“[Quarterbacks] songs make dramatic episodes out of tiny moments and their tinier details.” NPR

"But as the Minutemen proved decades ago, short songs can be capable of conveying nuanced ideas. Quarterbacks race against themselves to prove this concept, again and again. For the most part, they win, thanks to the emotion inherent in their songs’ old-school emo vibe.” Flavorwire

“…a shrewd writer, with an eye for yearning, small-scale stories.” Wondering Sound

"QUARTERBACKS have created songs that somehow condense expansive emotional and sonic ideas into quick, measured gutshots of honesty.” Alt Citizen

“…much too unpretentious and charming to be from NYC.” Pop Press International

"Jangly guitars cling to pogo-stick melodies and crisp, speedy drum whacks abound. Quarterbacks songs tell stories of young love but only in snapshots, always leaving you wanting more.” BuzzFeed - Five Indie Rock Artists to Look Out For in 2015

“…the charm lies in the succinct nature of it all, and eighty-seven seconds is all Dean Engle needs to wrap his heart up in a box and deliver it on your doorstep.” Gold Flake Paint

QUARTERBACKS started as a short-lived duo playing too-fast love songs backed by guitar and a single snare drum.  Basement style, old smelly carpets, house shows for punk and patch kids. This was in New Paltz, a college town at the bottom of a mountain in upstate New York. Dean (Dean Engle, the band’s songwriter/vocalist) worked at one of the town’s two record shops, as K Records-obsessed small town boys usually do.

The QUARTERBACKS line-up combusted after a handful of shows. The songs sat dormant until January 2012 when Dean enlisted Max Restaino and Tom Christie to revive the project. The new three-piece expanded the original vision, playing love-obsessed songs with limited affectation.  The songs averaged under-2 minutes, and the DIY ethic remained firm. A few tape-only releases came into being (See the brilliant Double Double Whammy Records of Brooklyn NY).

Two years of upstate basement shows further refined their efficient tw*e punk set, new songs slowly forming from familiar themes and chord patterns, progress through recursion.  Down the street from the record shop where Dean worked was Team Love Records, a record label that had relocated from Sugar Street in NYC’s East Village to Church Street in New Paltz. The folks at Team Love and Dean found themselves spending way too much time discussing favorite Cat’s Miaow singles and post-Young Marble Giants projects.

On February 10th, 2015, Team Love will release the first official long-player by QUARTERBACKS. It’s 19 songs played in 22 minutes. It’s fast, broken-hearted and full of people, places and things.  QUARTERBACKS was recorded at the Tin Roof Sessions Studio in New Paltz by Kyle Gilbride (Swearin,’ Waxahatchee, Radiator Hospital) in less than 12 hours.