Topshelf Records

By Surprise

Bio

Five years ago, when I met By Surprise, they were part time coffee-shop workers and college students, bespectacled record store stalwarts barely old enough to drink. They had just self-released 478 a promising 8-minute manifesto engaged in playful grapple with life in suburban New Jersey, replete with its awkward romances, late night diner pow-wows, and karaoke bar letdowns. They played sweaty sets in basements in Philadelphia and across the Northeast, breaking strings and slipping discs (we’re talking hernias) in between discussions on the merits of kraut-rock and finishing another chapter in a Sarte novel.

Mountain Smashers, the 2011 full length released on Topshelf Records, showcased a more focused sound; a bildungsroman of a record, neck-deep in literary references, drive-and-jangle guitarwork, and a masterfully weird balance of youthful disquietude and reluctant optimism. Soon after, instead of yelling over an unresponsive PA system in a local VFW hall, By Surprise found themselves, surprisingly, fulfilling their fanboy fantasies and opening for Archers of Loaf during the band’s 2011 reunion tour.

Almost two years later, flash forward to the present, the dudes in By Surprise have full time jobs, they are buying houses and are getting engaged, willfully entering into the terrifying construct of adulthood. They don’t tour and don’t really play out very much at all. The good news in all of this is that they haven’t sold their record collections or lost their sense of youthful wonderment fantastically exuded in 478, recently rereleased on 7” through Kat Kat Records, and perfected in Mountain Smashers. In their latest offering, Criteria, a 3 song 7” also being released on Boston’s Topshelf Records, By Surprise prove that getting older isn’t all bad.

Criteria, recorded to analog tape with Mountain Smashers producer Dave Downham at Familyre Studios, begins with a blast of feedback, guitars riffing fuzzily, ringing out, and pick sliding with some twinkly bits thrown in. The title track features Pat Gartland’s off kilter voice, sometimes terse sometimes warbly, intoning lines with a directness not audible in past recordings — “Just because I don’t open my mouth as much you, doesn’t mean that I’m down or out.” The chorus showcases By Surprises’ penchant for layered vocals and a sensibility for sneaky melodies, hooks that catch up with you unexpectedly. The three song offering is familiar without treading old territory, masterfully embracing adulthood while conjuring a sense of youthful splendor; a glimmering self awareness swirling around every song.

Criteria was mastered by Carl Saff (Guided by Voices, Braid, Code Orange Kids) at Saff Mastering in Chicago, IL, and pressed at Gotta Groove in Cleveland, OH.

Shawn Massak
Antennae Wedding
Brighton, MA

Music

<a href="http://topshelfrecords.bandcamp.com/album/mountain-smashers">Mountain Smashers by By Surprise</a>

Video

Recent Tumblr Mentions

New By Surprise video for "Criteria"! Fri, Mar 01, 2013

New By Surprise video for "Criteria"!:

The new video for�By Surprise?s song, ?Criteria?, is now up on�If You Make It! An actual, real music video, you guys. Watch it here.

heyrobwilcox: Hey Philly friends!! Come see By Surprise in... Sun, Feb 24, 2013

heyrobwilcox:

Hey Philly friends!! Come see By Surprise in Fishtown - it?s the only other Philly date we have booked right now so let that be your impetus to come hang out.

3.8.13 - 7pm
$3 by 1st band
$5 anything after

NICKNAMES
http://www.facebook.com/NICKNAMESNJ
http://nicknames.bandcamp.com/album/we-still-dont-know

BY SURPRISE
Topshelf Records
http://www.facebook.com/bysurprise
http://bysurprise.bandcamp.com/

SPARROWS (CAN)
Paper + Plastick / Finish What You Started Records
http://www.facebook.com/sparrows613
http://sparrows613.bandcamp.com/

SECRET PLOT TO DESTROY THE UNIVERSE
Kat Kat Records
http://www.facebook.com/secretplottodestroytheentireuniverse
http://secretplottodestroytheentireuniverse.bandcamp.com/

POCKET
South Philly Emo/Punk

This is now a thing, you guys. Fri, Feb 01, 2013

This is now a thing, you guys.

heyrobwilcox: Here?s a great shot of Pat and I from today?s... Tue, Jan 22, 2013

heyrobwilcox:

Here?s a great shot of Pat and I from today?s ?Criteria? music video shoot for By Surprise. No more peeking until the premiere next month!!

New By Surprise�video comin? atchya!

ablogforsure: The first time I heard Boston?s�By Surprise�it... Thu, Jan 17, 2013

ablogforsure:

The first time I heard Boston?s�By Surprise�it was on their excellent split with Hightide Hotel, the standout track for me being ?I miss you, etc.? �- a monumental jam with riffs that spiral and pirouette all over the place alongside twin vocals that squeal at just the right pitch. Along with their debut LP Mountain Smashers I?d have usually said both of these elements are the essential groundwork that occurs in a typical By Surprise track, but that isn?t quite the case any more.

?Well, I got your postcard.. It read, ?I miss you, etc.? - whatever the fuck that means. Then I guess ?I miss you etc.? too.?

&lt;a href=?http://bysurprise.bandcamp.com/track/i-miss-you-etc? data-mce-href=?http://bysurprise.bandcamp.com/track/i-miss-you-etc?&gt;I miss you, etc. by By Surprise / Hightide Hotel&lt;/a&gt;

Topshelf Records have just released the band?s latest 7? EP,�Criteria, and it?s on a whole ?nother level to everything we?ve heard from the band before. Sure, those rollicking riffs and punchy vocals are still intact, but the overall sound just comes off as more mature and refined. The title track is a joyous post-Cap?n Jazz - yet kind of post-Algernon Cadwallader - pop punk jam that?s got a lot more heart and substance than the stuff your 15-year-old self used to listen to.�

?Blindsided, but not surprised. Always knew you?d fuck me over in due time.?

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href=?http://topshelfrecords.bandcamp.com/track/criteria? data-mce-href=?http://topshelfrecords.bandcamp.com/track/criteria?&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Criteria by By Surprise&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

With ?Wear That Crown?, imagine the most gut-wrenching American Football track turned upside-down and transformed into a catchy-as-fuck midwestern anthem. There?s almost a Nothing Feels Good-era The Promise Ring sense of melody in the air surrounding this song, and as the shortest track on the record it might well be over before you know it but you?ll have it on repeat in no time.�

?I hope you miss me. I can?t play this down. I don?t wanna wear that frown for her, I just wanna wear that crown for you.?

&amp;amp;amp;lt;a href=?http://topshelfrecords.bandcamp.com/track/wear-that-crown? data-mce-href=?http://topshelfrecords.bandcamp.com/track/wear-that-crown?&amp;amp;amp;gt;Wear That Crown by By Surprise&amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;gt;

Things start getting a little grungier on ?Way To Be Tall?, which opens not only with a gloriously crunchy guitar line but also these fantastic words: ?Way to be tall / are you still talking shit??. It gets even better, progressing into a monumental eruption of ba-ba-ba gang vocals which leave you with the overwhelming desire to start fist-pumping the air. What?s more is when the vocals soar at just before the three-minute mark? well, shit. It?s fucking goosebump-inducing.�

?I?m waiting for you to stop trying, and I?m waiting for you to stop crying. Start dying.?

&amp;amp;lt;a href=?http://topshelfrecords.bandcamp.com/track/way-to-be-tall? data-mce-href=?http://topshelfrecords.bandcamp.com/track/way-to-be-tall?&amp;amp;gt;Way To Be Tall by By Surprise&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;

Criteria�is available on 7? wax from Topshelf Records now, but if you?d prefer your tunes digitised you can grab all three MP3s for just $3 straight from the label?s Bandcamp. You can check out the rest of By Surprise?s discography too via the same service right here.

tmw

Here we go.

POZ Stream: By Surprise - Criteria Tue, Jan 15, 2013

propertyofzack:

By Surprise�have released a new EP via Topshelf Records called Criteria, and PropertyOfZack is stoked to be streaming the release. Download it on Bandcamp here and stream it�below by clicking ?Read More!?

Read More

By Surprise's "Criteria" is out today! Tue, Jan 15, 2013

By Surprise’s Criteria is out today! Listen to it on�Rdio:�http://tpshlf.co/W4sS6M�/�Bandcamp:�http://tpshlf.co/W4sTaR�/ or buy it on vinyl at:�http://tpshlf.co/eV0HqL.

If you pre-ordered the record, you’ll have your downloads mailed to you shortly (I’m setting it up right now) ? along with a free complimentary track from Slingshot Dakota! Woo!

Thanks!

heyrobwilcox: After almost 7 years of playing together, this is... Thu, Dec 06, 2012

heyrobwilcox:

After almost 7 years of playing together, this is my favorite song we?ve ever written.

Pre-order it now from Topshelf Records

By Surprise's "Criteria" song premiere and pre-order! Tue, Dec 04, 2012

The wonderfully fantastic�By Surprise�have a new EP and a new song for you! The new material picks up right where the more focused sound of their 2011 full length�Mountain Smashers left off ? and even builds upon it. The new material paired with album artwork by Brian Meitz and shirt artwork by Jeremie Rose Wimbrow is a total win-win-win (so, like, ya know, really no losses here, you guys).

Listen to the song ? The title track, “Criteria” ? over on Alternative Press�and pre-order the new EP at the Topshelf store.

Criteria, recorded to analog tape with Mountain Smashersproducer Dave Downham at Familyre Studios, begins with a blast of feedback, guitars riffing fuzzily, ringing out, and pick sliding with some twinkly bits thrown in. The title track features Pat Gartland?s off kilter voice, sometimes terse sometimes warbly, intoning lines with a directness not audible in past recordings ? ?Just because I don?t open my mouth as much you, doesn?t mean that I?m down or out.? The chorus showcases By Surprises? penchant for layered vocals and a sensibility for sneaky melodies, hooks that catch up with you unexpectedly. The three song offering is familiar without treading old territory, masterfully embracing adulthood while conjuring a sense of youthful splendor; a glimmering self awareness swirling around every song.
-Shawn Massak
Antennae Wedding
Brighton, MA

Listen to the song ? The title track, “Criteria” ? over on Alternative Press�and�pre-order the new EP at the Topshelf store.

By Surprise - Criteria. Album art by Brian Meitz. Lookout for... Mon, Dec 03, 2012

By Surprise - Criteria. Album art by Brian Meitz. Lookout for this comin? atchya soooooon!

katkatrecords: Did we mention that this is... Wed, Nov 21, 2012

katkatrecords:

Did we mention that this is happening?�Announcements on tickets, final lineups, and locations will follow. You can also keep up to date over here.

https://www.facebook.com/events/524582627570206/

Topshelf Records eBay auction: 100 listings of Test Presses, Rare, OOP, etc. records Sat, Jul 14, 2012

In our six and a half years of being a label, we’ve basically hoarded all of our stuff in a temperature controlled storage unit. Occasionally giving test presses to good causes or to friends as wedding gifts or what have you.

~But we gots billz to pay, baby!~

So here you go: the first 100 of a three part summer eBay auction has loads of gems. Check it out here:

http://www.ebay.com/sch/topshelfsquad/m.html
http://www.ebay.com/sch/topshelfsquad/m.html
http://www.ebay.com/sch/topshelfsquad/m.html
http://www.ebay.com/sch/topshelfsquad/m.html
http://www.ebay.com/sch/topshelfsquad/m.html

Some of the highlights: