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Though the album title doesn’t necessarily conjure images of wild dance parties or, well, anything crazier than a warm night at home and a pair of flannel jammies, Ready for Bed by folk rockers Quarterstance is surprisingly upbeat, bordering on just plain catchy at times. The album starts with a folk pop shuffle, “Red Shoes Beware,” and the band offsets lead singer Ryan Stokes’ soft-as-a-feather-pillow voice with some electric guitar meanderings and a persistent beat. And just before they settle into any one genre, the band branches out into multiple directions, testing the waters of alt.country while winding around pretty pop tracks and softer folk numbers. The most interesting tracks add new instruments to the more predictable guitar-bass-drums configuration; “Aaron Ave” floats along with flute and xylophone nuances, while “Apartment” flourishes with the fullness of a flowing piano part and an echoing, contemplative vocal line.
Though Ready for Bed is Quarterstance’s first album, the band has a surprisingly trained ear for balance on the album (helped along by producer Tommy Tousey of Silver Ant Studios and mixer Ed Ackerson), and Stokes proves that he has a penchant for solid songwriting. “Action Bills,” for example, seems like it might just be a series of one liners, and Stokes slips in puns like, “Why do we watch this lame television/ when we could play Intellivision?” Other songs delve deeper into the songwriter’s psyche; “Apartment” builds to a stark realization with the line, “Something that you would not understand / If you did I would probably pretend / Couldn’t have you near me if I wanted,” while “Aaron Ave” reflects on a troubled relationship. “Mornings I’m with you, I have trouble sleeping in / You just dream of leaving, and other girls that I am with,” Stokes sings, and for a moment he seems heartbroken until his band rushes back in with a vibrant rock beat to rescue the singer once again. ANDREA MYERS - Pulse of The Twin Cities
Discography
'Ready For Bed' - Full lenght album released August, 2006.
"Kitty", "Put On", "Sturdy Chairs" receiving radio and streaming airplay in several major markets.
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Bio
On a good day, Quarterstance might call themselves an indie-pop band with alt-country overtones. With its first recording, Ready for Bed, this St. Paul, MN based band at times tosses out pop gems, at other times takes creative risks with form and dynamic contrast.
Quarterstance is the new project of Ryan Stokes, guitarist, lead singer, and principal songwriter. Stokes's heartfelt songs incorporate a wide range of rock styles, with Pavement, Wilco, and Death Cab for Cutie as his primary influences. Cody Johnson, bassist, singer, harmonica-player, and songwriter, contributes his particularly inventive, McCartney-esque basslines. Dave Kemp, drummer, possesses an unerring stylistic sense adding a rhythmic and textural subtlety not found in most rock bands. Sumanth Gopinath, guitarist, keyboardist, and singer, helps to fill out the sound of the band with minimal, elegant instrument parts and backing vocal arrangements.
Critics have already been overheard saying, "this is two of my favorite records!"
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