The Big Tease

By Leah Willis & Kevin Crowe

In case you’ve missed out despite TV appearances and national tours, The Big Tease is a foursome of 20-something Knoxville guys historically characterized as a mainstream jam band, adored by the fraternity/sorority crowd, deemed talented but unoriginal. Still, their popularity has grown as the band consistently delivers über-catchy, totally dance-able, straight-up pop/rock music.

But everything’s changing.

Oh, you’ll still get every last song on The Big Tease’s latest release, Paper Symphony, stuck in your head. And they’re still modern models of the hammering, heart-pumping guitar and drum rhythms characteristic of some rock’n’roll bands of the 1980s and ’90s (as well as of the previous release, Beautiful Addiction). But that’s where parallels to the band’s old style end and evolution into its new sound begins.

“We’ve all grown and matured a lot both as performers and songwriters,” front-man Chase Pattison explains, “and ‘substance’ has become just as important to us, if not more important, than being ‘like-able’ or ‘pop’ in nature.”

Specifically, with the addition of narrative, thoughtful lyrics, brass and piano instrumentation, and an experimental yet self-possessed tone, Paper Symphony exhibits a decidedly indie vibe. The six-track EP opens with a 39-second tone-setting (or –shifting?) classical piano piece. The next 16 or so minutes take us through a whirl-wind of high-energy ballads sure to make everyone—from Greek date party-goers to Sassy Anne’s Indie Dance Night revelers—want to turn it up, sing along and dance.

It’s as though The Big Tease hooked itself up to a creativity battery, put the key in the ignition and shocked itself to life. Yet, there’s nothing forced or contrived about the new style. Chalk it up to growth maturity if you want, but the polish of tracks like “Casanova” and “November Left” have us convinced that the inventiveness of The Big Tease has been there all along, dormant and waiting for a spark.

Pattison asks in track three, “On Your Side”: If lightning’s known to strike in the same exact place twice, can I be electric? Yes, Chase, we think you are.

You can sample Paper Symphony on the band’s MySpace page or website, www.bigteaseband.com, but you’llbe left wanting more. We recommend you hear The Big Tease live; get to New Amsterdam (formerly RT’s Warehouse, Flamingo’s, etc.) this Saturday, Oct. 28, around 8 p.m. - The MetroPulse

By John Dyson

Inevitably, many free-spirited bands throughout the great and vast state of Tennessee will seek to shed the more stereotypical associations some have with the local music scene. Nashville and Knoxville area musicians tend to be particularly affected by this phenomenon. Often the answer is to present one’s band as the antithesis to the regional standard, as if potential booking agents and record labels will overlook the band’s proximity to Garth Brooks. However, this misconception has mostly spawned a number of poseurs who lose their delicately cultivated mystique in the shadow of the first cowboy to walk by. The Big Tease falls somewhere in between. Comprised of Chase Pattison, Bill Dabbs, Brent Moreland, and Gavin Foster, the Big Tease’s power pop-infused brand of emo goes well with their dark shades and darker business suits.

The Big Tease’s image is just different enough to stand out without the members risking looking completely out of place. Their visual style is subtle enough to let the music speak for itself, and the music has a surprising amount to say. Unaffected by their surroundings, the Big Tease is content to simply write their funky and hook-laden love songs. “We’re the type of rock band that will pick up your daughter on time, meet the parents, and then take her out and let her rock,” explains Bill Dabbs. “Oh, and we’d be sure to get her home on time ... or maybe just a few minutes late.” Yes, these guys really are every bit as adorable and precious as they seem. But it takes the young and naive to make the most potently expressive rock music, and the Big Tease accomplishes just this sound on the solid Beautiful Addiction.

The album is the splendid result of a band that allowed its songs to develop and mature on their own before getting some producer to polish it up. Although the band would eventually enter Lakeside Studios for an intensive period of recording, Beautiful Addiction is effortlessly charming in its many nuances. While some of their biggest influences may have gone on to become corporate entities (Weezer, Jimmy Eat World), the Big Tease has for the time escaped with their dignity and a batch of eleven powerfully poppy tunes.

www.bigteaseband.com - SE Performer Magazine

Last fall, it was Ludacris. Saturday night, it was the Goo Goo Dolls.
The concert held on April 22, at Memorial Center, was sponsored by SGA and voted on by students.
Before the Goo Goo Dolls took the stage, the concert opened with special guest The Big Tease, a band based in Knoxville, Tenn.
After The Big Tease performed, an eager and receptive audience greeted the Goo Goo Dolls, a 20-year-old band hailing from Buffalo, N.Y.
The group entertained the audience with an assortment of new and old material.
Some of the more popular hits included "Name," "Iris," "Slide" and "Black Balloon."
The Goo Goo Dolls also played several songs off their new album, which isn't scheduled to be released until April 25.
Johnny Rzeznik, the band's lead guitarist and vocalist, said that it was intimidating to play new songs live in front of a crowd for the first time.
James "JD" Emmert, a senior computer science major, said he enjoyed the Goo Goo Dolls' choice of music for the concert.
"The music was good," Emmert said. "They seem to be expanding their song repertoire nicely, and they played the crowd well."
In the midst of the excitement, there were also a couple of more serious moments during the concert.
Before performing their recent hit "Better Days," Rzeznik encouraged audience members to do whatever they could to help victims of Hurricane Katrina, even if it was something as small as donating $1 to the relief effort.
When students were asked to vote on their top pick from a list of 14 bands, the Goo Goo Dolls weren't their first choice. In fact, the band came in at No. 12 on the list, but concert attendees didn't seem to notice or care.
"I think the concert was a success, despite all the fuss. The SGA did a nice job," Emmert said. "They had a very large list, and they landed a pretty big name."
The Goo Goo Dolls are set to release their eighth album, Let Love In, this Tuesday, April 25. - The East Tennessean

by Hannah Roberts

I can't resist including this line from the bio of these Knoxville Post Punk hipsters: "(They) are much more interested in the farmer's daughter than the farm." Well, you just might get lucky, ya big flirts, but for reasons you might not expect. it's not your bedhead-meets-suitcoat style (although we admit its cute). It's because your tireless genre-jumping and catchy Dream Pop (with horns!) are downright infectious. It reminds us of when Rock was fun. Makes us wanna break curfew. - City Beat (Cincinatti, OH)

by Jason MacDaniel

This band’s six-song EP (five not counting the Panic! at the Disco-ish intro) is okay, but nothing that wouldn’t fall into the aforementioned band’s realm. Thankfully, it’s not as wordy or quirky, and has more power pop during “Casanova”, which is piano-driven in the vein of early Joe Jackson. The horns added to the mix certainly don’t hinder the ditty either. While that song has made the airwaves on NBC’s “Today Show”, other songs such as “On Your Side” pack a far better wallop. Here, they sound like a cross between Soul Asylum and Collective Soul. The band slows things down for the pretty “A Waltz for Natalie”, which has some Beatles hues coloring it, particularly the Harrison-like throwaway guitar accents. Another jewel is the punchy “Fallen Chandelier” with a sweeter than sweet chorus resembling, you guessed it, Matthew Sweet. - PopMatters.com

by J-Sin

The title track has elements of blues rock buried deep in there which gives way to a solid alternative pop exterior. Somewhat slightly removed from the Jimmy Eat World crowd, The Big Tease has big pop hooks and hip rhythms. Driven by a great dynamic vocal that’s highly melodic, The Big Tease calls eastern Tennessee their home but don’t think for an instance that these guys are anything remotely close to the sound traditionally associated with that region of the country. There’s even some trumpet and organ thrown into the pop stew. Power pop melodies that would make Weezer proud—indeed the band set out to record “Beautiful Addiction” with the Rivers Cuomo style of songwriting in the back of their mind. A beautiful album that’s an addiction for sure, it crushes the rest of the players on the mainstream alternative pop circuit with clever hooks, poignant lyrics that aren’t too heady, and solid rhythms.

- Smother Magazine

By Wayne Bledsoe
Music Critic
bledsoe@knews.com

The Big Tease uses early 1980s power pop as a touchstone on the disc "Beautiful Addiction" (www.bigteaseband.com). However, far from sounding nostalgic, the Big Tease simply seems to have taken some good songwriting lessons missed by the current crop of pop-rockers. Lead singer Chase Pattison has an ingratiating voice, the instrumentalists are tight and the production qualities on the disc are excellent.
- Knoxville News-Sentinel

The Big Tease gives me the feeling of listening to Smash Mouth, take that as you will. A blend of power pop from many different eras, playing on clever wordplay and predictible lyricism. My personal favorite 'Calender Girl' gives me the feeling of something out of 1991, you know Spin Doctors style, keyboards and peppy harmonies. It's what Guster's 'Barrel of a Gun' would be if it took a trip back in time.

However along with the flashbacky tunes you get plenty of songs to sing along to and eventually you'll curse yourself for singing them aloud in the bathroom while people stare befuddled. Trust me. 'The Fever' is amazing, so unbelieveably catchy it's like a Furby in musical form; bouncy lyrics over blazing, overdriven guitars. It would make a perfect radio single if this was 1998.

They make their attempt at jazz with 'The Chill Song' which sounds like a cross between Jamiroquai and a Maroon 5 reject getting too muddy between too many pianos with too many guitars, and their version of reggae with 'Old Man Winter' which I don't even think go together. Lesson learned. Stick to the beginning of this album to avoid mixed signals.

4 Stars. Good. Not great. Just good.
(5-star ranking system) - Pop Culture Chaos

Liz Fulton, Staff Writer
March 30, 2006

Finally reviving the nearly extinct genre of live and enjoyable rock music, The Big Tease has arrived to fill the void.

Hailing from eastern Tennessee, this four-man band infuses ska and funk elements with good time rock'n'roll and a dash of pop.

Normally debut releases starts off strong and then taper off somewhere around song number five. Beautiful Addiction actually gets better as it progresses.

It begins with its title track, "Beautiful Addiction," which conjures up images of a band playing a fraternity party full of fun-loving girls and good time boys. In short, The Big Tease would be cast perfectly as the house band for a movie about Hollywood's version of college life.

Fans of Incubus' second album S.C.I.E.N.C.E. will appreciate the groove of track three, "Fact or Fiction." The intro resonates with the same jazzy funk that is found in their often overlooked but phenomenal song, "Anti-Gravity."

The song to focus on though is "The Fever." Its chorus is so catchy and lighthearted, I have been unable to stop singing it in the shower causing my roommate extreme discomfort. With its Spanish trumpet intro and slow buildup to the hook, there is nothing about this song that can't be enjoyed. Ironically, it is a warning to young lovers about rushing into sex too early.

Another notable song that many college students can identify with is song six, "D.U.I." It tells the story of remorse from driving under the influence and the hand of fortune that prevented any serious injury from happening. The song is presented in the style of a personal narrative that doesn't try to teach a lesson but simply relates the singer to his audience.

What's so great about Beautiful Addiction is that no song sounds exactly like any other on the album. Song number 10, "Old Man Winter," even takes on a jam band style that brings the promise of an amazing extended live performance that could go for at least 12 minutes.

All the while there is an undercurrent of the band's Southern roots and the influence of coming out of Knoxville, Tenn. Somehow they managed to create a suitable blend of insightful lyrics and complex rhythms into something completely likeable to fans and non-fans of rock music alike. Their clean-cut image was made for playing college house parties and that is what they do best.

As of late, The Big Tease has not branched out much from playing fraternity parties in Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama. Hopefully the release of Beautiful Addiction will remedy that, as it is a perfect addition to any rock fan's library. It cannot be pigeonholed into one of the numerous subgenres of rock, which makes it appealing to listeners of Widespread Panic or The Strokes.

Sooner rather than later, The Big Tease will hopefully make its way to the emerald city and the campus of ECU to expose us to their infectious and upbeat music. Until then, Beautiful Addiction is available on iTunes and also through their Web site

One listen to their CD and you'll be hooked ... no teasing.
- The East Carolinian