Tennis System

East coast transplants Tennis System’s mixture of shoegaze, psych-rock and fuzz-pop has been swirling around since their 2011 self-released Teenagers started making waves on the Golden Coast. Now after touching festivals such as on SXSW and Austin Psych Fest, Tennis System are prepping a follow up LP called Technicolour Blind due out on PaperCup Music this October. Check out their lead single, "Memories and Broken Dreams" below and you can preview their album art - NOISEY VICE

Los Angeles transplant Matty Taylor records sun-roasted pop-punk as Tennis System. So far, the one-man band has two albums under its belt — 2009's The Future of Our History and 2011's Teenagers — and on November 19, Tennis System will serve its latest slice of rebellion, the five-track Part Time Punks Session EP. Recorded at Bedrock Studios in L.A. with the help of Michael Stock (founder of the Part Time Punks showcase) and producer Drew Fisher (Melvins, Bleached, Babies), the upcoming EP features a number of songs that were captured in a single take. One such tune is the soaring "Call It Home," a warmly distorted West Coast anthem that's streaming below. - SPIN

L.A. has benefited from yet another band who has packed their gear up and migrated across the country. Originally from Washington D.C., Matty Taylor and Misha Bullock of Tennis System trade in ferocious, melodic neo-shoegaze along with them, and they’ve recruited Christopher Norman and Guylaine Vivarat (formerly of L.A.’s Useless Keys) to round out the lineup. Their songs are heavy on the reverb and hooks, but even with all the atmosphere the four-piece doesn’t exactly fall into the dream-pop genre. However, it is certainly apparent that Tennis System winningly converges the worlds of noise and melody, because we’re left humming long after an episode of intense air drumming. - BUZZ BANDS LA

We’re not even halfway through January and I’ve already discovered a great new band. Well, new to me that is. I was perusing Daytrotter when I saw a new session by a band called Tennis System. Really liked what I heard there so I checked out the band’s Bandcamp page and was blown away by what I heard.

I don’t know a whole lot about these guys that seem to hail from Los Angeles. But really, what do I care whether they prefer My Bloody Valentine to The Jesus and Mary Chain, or Rocky Road to Moose Tracks? What matters is that since 2010 this group of noise rock shoegazing eardrum destroyers have been putting out a cross between the melodic and the chaotic. The Future of Our History came out in 2010 and definitely leans more on the side of face melting guitar noise, albeit always with something that resembles heart-on-their-sleeve earnestness. Check out ‘Beautiful Mistake’ as a good starting point. Sounds like a collaboration between Morrissey and the Reid Brothers circa 89'. Something like ‘The Headmaster Ritual’ played through torn speakers covered in battery acid. ’FS’ on the other hand has that My Bloody Valentine dreaminess to it. The calm before yet another storm. ’Silver’ could be a Zen Arcade b-side. Part jangle and part Big Muff explosion. ’Here’s A Thought’ brings up the Smiths once again, quite nicely. ’The Web’ is nearly seven mintues and closes the album out in an early nineties guitar haze.

Where The Future of Our History relied heavily on guitar bombast and quiet/loud counterpoints, 2011s Teenagers is more indebted to post punk and shoegazing. I hear opener ‘Chop Wood Carry Water’ and I can’t help but be reminded of Wire’s more artsy moments. ’Snowden’ sounds very much like someting Bradford Cox would’ve included on Cryptograms, or at the very least the Fluorescent Gray e.p. If you didn’t know, you’d think it was B. Cox on the mic as well. Not a bad thing. ’Lovers and Fake Friends’ is beautiful track, all melancholy and longing. Something The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart wish they’d written. Then before you know it the drums kick in and we get some garage rock guitar squall. The louder moments of Loveless seem to have permeated Tennis System’s writing on Teenagers. There’s still some angst and punk rock tendencies, but the writing has been honed in and there seems to be more emphasis on a ‘mood’ here. I definitely hear a similarity to peers such as Deerhunter, and Japandroids in the more bombastic guitar moments. You can’t listen to ‘Hey, We Tried’ and not get reminded of Rainwater Cassette Exchange or Microcastle. But hey, don’t think Tennis System is merely copying Deerhunter. Not even close. Where Deerhunter like to meander a lot on their records -filling in-between songs with ambient noise at times- Tennis System keep the pace of the record moving with song after great song. Hell, I listened to Teenagers twice in a row and am going back for a third round.

If you love Deerhunter, The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, Japandroids -plus classic post punk like The Smiths and Wire- then do yourself a favor and check Tennis System out. Their Daytrotter session is worth checking out. Once you hear that head over to their Bandcamp page and enjoy the tunes. It sounds like the band is in the midst of recording a new album too….so good news, everybody!! - Jhubnermusic

Tennis System (Los Angeles, CA) Listen on Soundcloud
RP: Another sweet local surprise, we walked in on Tennis System’s set at Taix a bit late. Playing their own brand of noisy psych-pop, I’m really digging their sound. While this type of scene has really blown up as of late, I think they do a good job of avoiding the bandwagon label, and really with hooks this catchy I couldn’t care less. I really like their grungy, no nonsense look too. Definitely picking up their album when I get a chance.

SG: Definitely a highlight of the weekend. Imagine a much more raw, noisy, and grungier Wavves (since they’re the “it” band right now). I couldn’t help but feel as if I was transported back to grunge’s heyday, rediscovering Nirvana for the first time. Since they’re local, I’m going to have to check them out more. - Crome Yellow

Everyone who knows me – knows how much I love new bands. Especially new bands that look to the greats that came before them as inspiration and a starting point for developing their own sound.

Such is the case with Los Angeles based band Tennis System. One day stumbling across their Twitter self-description – “If My Bloody Valentine & Sonic Youth had a baby with The Kinks it would be named Tennis System” - I knew I had to give them a listen.

I’m glad I did, as they truly do come as advertised. Though I had to chuckle a bit (and agree) with the band's bassist Guylaine Vivarat who stated “I think we need to work on the Kinks part a bit.” Indeed, there isn’t much that can be pegged Kinks-like in their *sound* (though quality lyrics certainly qualify). Without a doubt the My Bloody Valentine-like pitch bends are there – as well as the Sonic Youth-like extended thrash-down jam outs. What’s not to like?

So it was - after a few months of back and forth messaging with frontman Matty Taylor (who graciously sent me a digitial copy of their latest album "Teenagers" - which I absolutely love) - there was the opportunity to catch them live - at one of my fave NYC venues - Pianos, on Wednesday, September 21.

Matty Taylor (guitar and lead vocals), Misha Bullock (drums and background vocals), Christopher Norman (lead guitar), and Guylaine Vivarat (bass) are masters of loud and dirty anthems, but rising above the noise that blankets them are Taylor's beautifully sung, dreamy lyrics inspired by both love and art.



This band is a cut above so many of the so-called “noise” bands out there, however. The songs are well constructed and Matty can actually sing. Addtionally, Misha provides quite a bit of assistance with the overall vocal sound - all the more impressive that he does this while furiously pounding away on his drum kit. Those drums, by the way are a killer set of clear, see-through beauties made by the masters at Ludwig.

Listen in to their lead single release from "Teenagers" - the heartfelt "Arcane"

Bassist Guylaine Vivarat is originally from France - but now resides in Los Angeles with the rest of the band. Post-show we had an interesting and animated chat. As the MBV and Sonic Youth influences were already established, I asked Gulaine about those bands bassists. She expressed an appreciation and admiration for Kim Gordon. Addditionally she surprised me somewhat by namechecking "classic rock" bassists like Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath) and John Entwistle (The Who) as personal faves.

Guitarist Christopher Norman's lead lines serve the dual purpose of providing melody as well as preventing the more chaotic moments from completely unravelling. It's a ferocious sound, but one that never becomes totally unhinged.

For their final reverb-drenched song of the night, Tennis System pulled out all the stops, to deliver an appropriately loud and dirty anthem - this one aptly titled "Dead Honey"
- Dave Cromwell Writes

For those of you who haven’t been to Galaxy Hut before, allow me to describe the scene: It’s about the size of your grandparents’ living room. Maximum capacity 58. No stage. Tater tots everywhere. Great beer selection. Irreverent art. Bands perform in a space no bigger than a walk-in closet. As an audience member, you sometimes feel like you’re in a walk-in closet with the band.


Tennis System at Galaxy Hut. Photo taken with vibrating camera phone.
Last night, Tennis System decided to supplement Galaxy Hut’s perfectly-adequate-for-the-size-of-the-venue sound system with a couple of high-octane Orange amps and speaker cabs. After generously passing out a candy jar full of earplugs to the audience, the DC-based shoegazy quartet proceeded to unleash a wave of noise that was so loud and in my face, it briefly and literally made my heart hurt (mind you, though, I could’ve been suffering from heartburn—see future post on the Heidelberg Pasty Shoppe). It was so loud that just about everything in Galaxy Hut, including my phone, vibrated (“who keeps calling me?”). It was so loud that at one point I thought I really, really had to go to the bathroom.

It was great.

Tennis System isn’t loud for the sake of being loud though. They understand that volume can be used as an additional instrument, that waves of noise can be used for emotional and sonic effect. Their choppy-jangly psychedelic melodies are given more urgency, more wollop, with the added decibels; tonal and tempo shifts are more effective. Their reverb-reinforced songs are well conceived, smartly crafted, and impressively delivered, and if you’re free tonight, the band is performing at Asylum to celebrate the release of their new album. As their myspace page reminds, bring earplugs. - Rockwurst

One of DC’s loudest bands, the Tennis System, has had an insanely awesome/busy month, and are about to keep the streak going through November. A few weeks ago, they began working on their next LP Teenagers (following The Future Of Our History,) up in Philly, and most recently had some gigs at CMJ up in New York. They’ve got several dates lined up (with their new line-up) all over the area in the next few weeks including St. Mary’s (11/4), Black Cat (11/9), and the Red Palace (11/30). So if you haven’t seen a decent shoegaze noise fest in a while- now’s your chance to find out why they got shut down by Austin cops at SxSW this year. In other words, bring earplugs. Loves it. - The Deli Magazine

Wanting to avoid the more over-run venues, found myself in the den of iniquity known as the Comfort Zone to check out this LA-via-Washington D.C. combo. I'd never heard of 'em, but their blurb promised something noisy and referenced some esteemed antecedents. Turned out to be the best discovery of the night. A hint of shoegaze and a hint of Sonic Youth, the band had a nice line in 90's style bleeding eardrum rock. There was only a handful of people around, and a good number of those were folks in other bands on the bill, leaving this less-heard than it should have been. I hope they make it back to find a bigger crowd — worth seeing again. - MECHANICAL FOREST SOUND

This Los Angeles-by-way-of-DC grunge-pop trio just successfully Kickstarted the funding to press their new Teenagers EP to wax, a feet not surprising considering the quality of vision demonstrated here. Definitely let this one ride past 2:40 when they break out and really start to get heavy into it. - Yvynyl

If I could dream up my absolute ideal festival in my head, it would probably end up looking a little bit like Austin Psych Fest. The Black Angels beat me to it, and that’s alright with me. They know what they're doing. For the fifth time, TBA and the Reverberation Appreciation Society are putting on one heck of a party down in Austin featuring the best and brightest of the psych rock scene. I’m not going (heartbreak), but if I was, this is who I’d be checking out for damn sure.

Like all serious parties, the Austin Psych Fest is having themselves a pre-party this evening. Playing said pre-party extravaganza is former DC denizens turned LA dreamboats Tennis System. A wise move was made by the psych powers that be to have Tennis System play this kickoff shindig, as the pretty yet terribly potent psychgaze the band makes is sure to give the people going to the fest exactly what they want. And, of course, makes those of us not down in Austin wish we were there even more. - Fuzzy Logic

Sometimes it’s the band who isn’t even signed to a label that leaves the biggest impression on you as a listener. They’re striving to get noticed, they’re working harder on their singing and lyrics than some other artists have ever had to do, and the rawness of their ability shines through more brightly on their songs than any sort of production tricks can make it. Tennis System’s raucous independent first album is about as subtle as a wrecking ball through the side of a building, and that’s what makes it so enjoyable. Not only that, but it’s a diamond in the rough that deserves to be heard.

The instrumental opener “Amalgamation” sets the tone for this shoegaze/noise rock album, with a wall of guitars and drums that swell and swirl for three minutes without really erupting. It’s refreshing to see a new band be able to display such tantric restraint instead of blowing their wad on the first shot. When they blast into the driving “Beautiful Mistake” — also when Matthew Taylor’s hollow and slightly raspy vocals break in for the first time — the band displays their ability to rock out at a frenetic pace. Tracks like “Silver” and “Here’s a Thought” demonstrate the band also has a flair for the melodic when its feels the urge to do so, further rounding out their repertoire.

This album is filled with some truly epic rock. The wailing guitars and thundering drums of “FS” provide one of the album’s greatest moments. It ends up being a track that is catchy as hell, and air drummers everywhere will be inclined to swing and flail with manic energy for huge portions of it. The same can be said for the apocalyptic explosions heard in the album’s closing track, “The Web,” which features Taylor’s calm vocals over steady guitar intros and interludes before they are obliterated by earth-shaking, head-crushing rock. At nearly seven minutes in length, not only is this by far the album’s longest track, it is also every bit the auditory version of a grand finale at a fireworks show. Rock ‘n’ roll fans should gravitate to this one.

Each member of this quartet does a great job making these songs come to life. Though Taylor’s vocals are not exactly mesmerizing, they are more than serviceable. Additionally, his guitar playing, when paired with that of Drake Edison, is the sort of stuff that will make alternative and grunge fans go nuts. In the midst of all the sonic booms, bassist Clinton Cole does plenty to make himself heard, especially on tracks like “Demonator” and “Lemon Drops.” Taking all these elements into consideration, not to mention the work the band does on distortion and delays throughout, there are few if any missteps on this album because everything is done so well. Tennis System’s undeniable talent and the skull-smashing force of their rock ‘n roll makes The Future of Our History one of 2010’s best. - Stereo Subversion

You know what you want from your shoegaze music: big guitars, sleepy vocals, melodies submerged in the noise… all of which Tennis System delivers on. And this kind of music, huge for a while way back (Ride, Slowdive, Lush) never really went away even when it had fallen out of favor and was hard to find. As cycles in music go, it wasn’t hard to imagine that shoegaze would catch on once again.
Choosing a title like “Skys” seems an appropriate choice for a song, and the song itself mentions dreams, the closing of eyes, being free, and the phrase “how it’s meant to be,” which pretty much covers the staples. “Lemon Drops” might have druggy overtones (“Soaking up the sun / With lemon drops on my tongue … I’m so high”) but these days, it’s really hard to tell. The contrast between the hazy vocals and the fuzzed-out guitar has Ride’s trademark stamp all over it, in a good way. By the time “Esoteric,” track four, arrives, you’ve got a pretty good idea of how these songs are going to play out: guitar and cymbal maelstrom for choruses and bridges.
“Silver” flirts with some clean jazz chords before, as per usual, pouring on the distortion for the chorus. The lightweight “Here’s A Thought” also tugs in a jazzy direction rhythmically (drums and background acoustic guitar). There are other ways the band bucks convention in small ways. “FS” sounds like it has come from some of Starflyer 59's better moments but has infused the verses with short bursts of the guitar heaviness usually reserved for later. And the bridge throws in some distorted wah and some rapid-fire note picking.
There’s something in the production that doesn’t confer enough of the oomph and heft that bands like Catherine Wheel had in its recordings. There’s plenty of big distortion for the choruses, but the churning noise feels less like a thunderstorm than it does a short squall. Then again, not everyone has months and money to blow in the studio. Tennis System shows promise, but it may want to try getting away from a reliance on the quiet-verse/loud-chorus formula every now and again just for variety’s sake. - Adequacy

When checking out all of the bands that submitted for Feed The Beat this year, a Washington, DC based band really caught our ear. We’d like to introduce you to Tennis System! The guys are finishing up the recording of their forthcoming album and have given us a taste to share with you.

This is an early mix of the song “Hey We Tried”. This isn’t the final version, but we liked it so much that Matty T let us make it available as a stream. Check it out and let both us and Tennis System know what you think in the comments below! - Feed The Beat

The boys of Tennis System serve up catchy rhythms, energetic beats—and man, are they loud. The quartet, a fixture on the Washington music scene for the last three years, will play their last show together tonight. Drummer Brad Fullilove and bassist Clinton “Cool” Cole are moving on, but lead vocalist Matty Taylor stressed that this isn’t a breakup: He and guitarist Misha Bullock are sticking together and exploring options for new bandmates. They’re also recording an album in September and will perform at the CMJ Music Marathon, a New York City festival, in October.

Catch the whole group together for the last time (sniff) tonight at DC9. They’ll play alongside San Francisco artists Ty Segall and Royal Baths. - The Washingtonian

Los Angeles mates Tennis System are bringing the rock on this wonderful track, “Hey, We Tried”. It reminded me a great deal of Wavves, with a dreamy fuzzy sound that is shoegazy and catch as all hell.

It’s taken from their upcoming album, Teenagers. - We All Want Someone To Shout For

The Tennis System didn't get to play to a lot of people, but these kids killed it to a crowd of about 30 last night at the Firebird. It's rare that you see a band and think I will now see this band every dang time it comes to town, but the Tennis System is that band. Live, the band is even more vibrant and alive than on recordings. All of the shoegaze haze is still there, but the big drum beat bursts through, propelling the band into something much more tough than ordinary fuzz and distortion. Looking much more like Black Rebel Motorcycle Club than Euro cuties like Slowdive or Ride, the band members wore all black clothes, leather jackets and smiles. It was great. This band might have invented a new genre: bootgaze. We want more. - River Front Times

o matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t make it on the East Coast. Once they arrived, they instantly made it on the West Coast. Matty Taylor can’t explain it, but he’s glad that he and the rest of Tennis System made the move from one ocean to the next. In doing so, they helped developed not only a strong following in Los Angeles, but a national presence that allowed to recent traverse the entire U.S. on their own headlining tour.

With a sound wonderfully drenched in My Blood Valentine references, Taylor says another band — Lillies — actually had more impact than the obvious ones like Sonic Youth often quoted. He doesn’t care, however, since he’s just glad that the band’s finally earning some attention after all. - Stereo Subversion

To promote their upcoming LP, Teenagers, Tennis System is premiering with us their new music video for their single "Arcane."

The video encases limited scenes from Los Angeles, and focuses on portraying the band's journey to and from the beach. Although the video's plot is quite simple, focusing on the band walking on sand, and hanging around on the beach as they sing and play guitar, this simplicity is altered by brief flashes of almost transparent images (flowers, palm trees, grass, etc.) layering scenes of the band's trip. If the description of this somewhat experimental and psychedelic music video doesn't pique your interest, then the song's dreamy-pop, psychedelic sound might. Check it out below.

Remember, you can catch the band play at Culture Collide. For the schedule, go here.
- Filter Magazine

Although Tennis System was D.C.'s own answer to shoegaze's resurrection, they recently vacated the District for the sun-drenched streets of L.A. (their superb hair should of really tipped us off that they were destined to leave sooner rather than later).

But their recent video for the dreamy pop filled "Hey, We Tried" serves as a perfect farwell love letter to the D.C. Metro Area thanks to shots of bike rides through the city, dudes eating Pho, and overwrought couples lying in one of our many fine parks (although no one would look that happy driving a car in D.C.). - Impose Magazine

We started the night with a native DC band called Tennis System. These local guys are an energetic four-piece known best for playing some rockin’ loud shoegaze. Literally every mention of this band includes this important bit about the noise. Evidently they even had multiple SXSW shows shut down by local police because of noise complaints! I was expecting to morn my lack of earplugs, but the music never got actually as painfully loud as these stories made me predict. Their live sound was full of strong thrashing guitars, which made for just the right kind of noise-pop (emphasis on noise) to make us all bop along. Surprisingly, the droning vocals were not drowned out in this sea of swirling guitar and steady drumming.It is easy to draw comparisons between Tennis System and My Bloody Valentine or Sonic Youth with their massive sound, distortion, and rawness all wrapped up with a catchy pop vibe. The band didn’t have the grungy flannel look I would have expected from all that sound, but then again life is not a music video. These Washingtonians certainly have some skills. If you would like a taste I recommend giving a listen to “FS” or “Esoteric” on Tennis System’s Myspace page. - Brightest Young Things

Imagine you’re living in Chicago. It’s summertime, and asphalt is making it twice as hot as it should be. All you want to do is ride your bike, maybe feel the wind in your hair, but you can’t because your bike is broken and you’re too broke to fix it. So what do you do? Stay inside with your A/C and the internet. Tumblr, StumbleUpon, anything to keep you entertained when it’s a weekday and you’re not at work. Everything is boring. Until you come across a small music blog and see this:

Absolutely infectious, right? That’s how I felt. This dreamy little video for the ditty “Hey, We Tried”–directed by the young and incredibly talented Robert Orlowski–pointed me to Tennis System, an L.A.-based group with a noise pop sound, romantic lyrics, and the energy that any good rock band should have. I became hooked, and I wanted more. Fortunately, Tennis System has been working diligently on releasing their forthcoming album, Teenagers (due out October 18th), which features songs like “Hey, We Tried,” as well as their new single, “Arcane.”

Following Tennis System’s three-week promotional tour for Teenagers, the Internet has been creating a bit of noise about the band. And rightly so! The video for “Arcane” was featured on the Filter Magazine website, Bowlegs Music featured an interview with the band on their website, and several small music blogs have been making sure the singles spread like wildfire.
I was fortunate enough to meet the band during their two-day stint in Chicago, when they invited me to join them at their Crown Tap Room and Beauty Bar performances (which reminds me, if you have a moment, check out the Sounds of Kaleidoscope. Blew me away at Beauty Bar that night!). Having met them and heard their story, I can say with confidence that not only does this band kill it with their live performance, but also that they have a lot of heart. They are passionate about what they do, and they aren’t going down quietly.
Wednesday, October 12th at 8 pm, I will be airing an interview with Tennis System, in celebration of the release ofTeenagers. To hear more about Tennis System, and how their album came to be, tune into next week’s show.
Love to Love to Love You,
Fauna - WXMU

L.A. band Tennis System recently released this great single from their upcoming album 'Teenagers'. The track titled "Hey, We Tried" is a great little rock track almost reminiscent of an early Brit pop sound mixed with the fuzzy surf rock of bands like Wavves. Pick up the track below, and for our NYC readers you can catch the band tonight at Public Assembly and tomorrow night at Pianos. - Off The Radar Music

Summer is officially here folks…I couldn’t think of a better band to feature on a Friday! Today’s Fresh Pick on Daily Unsigned, Tennis System comes to us from Los Angeles. Tennis System combines their own indie style and a 70’s eccentricness to songs that delivers a panoramic texture that is all its own.
A must listen! - Daily Unsigned

The noisy, earnest legacy of Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine, and the Jesus and Mary Chain lives on in the expansive, catchy-as-hell pop songs of Washington D.C.’s Tennis System.

Matty Taylor and Misha Bullock are masters of loud and dirty anthems, but rising above the noise that blankets them are Taylor’s beautifully sung, dreamy lyrics inspired by both love and art, from the drawings of Egon Schiele to the writing of Aldous Huxley.

So expansive was their sound -- and so ferocious were the live shows -- that the band has won wide attention from bookers and blogs alike. Though only together since 2008, Tennis System has played bills with the likes of Japandroids, Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Wavves, Love is All, Ty Segall and Harlem.

The band set about creating its first self-released album, The Future of Our History, in 2009 with Jeff Zeigler of Uniform Recording (Kurt Vile, War on Drugs, the Swirlies) and mastering by Fred Kevorkian (White Stripes, Pavement, Sonic Youth, the National). Then, Tennis System embarked on touring that took them to SXSW (where more than one of their shows was shut down for raucous noise) and CMJ; band members are also a regular presence in Philadelphia and New York clubs.
Tennis System is Matty Taylor (vocals and guitar) and Misha Bullock (guitar and, on occasion, drums). The band is at work on its best work to date, Teenagers, with Ryan Van Kriedt (of Asteroid No. 4). The album is expected to be released in early 2011. - Filter Magazine

Hey, they tried.

But after three years, neo-shoegazers Tennis System are leaving D.C. for L.A. to "to further ourselves as musicians," the band writes on its blog today. Sad! But we had some good times, such as...

...this One Track Mind, about Tennis System's song "Esoteric."

...this demo, of the song "Snowden," recorded during the Snowpocalypse.

...this Snow Day Session, where Tennis System's Matty Taylor collaborated with Ra Ra Rasputin's Patrick Kigongo on a cover of Spacemen 3's "Walking With Jesus."



...this show report from South by Southwest.


Anyway, the band has a goodbye show set for March 4 at Rock & Roll Hotel, and it'll double as a release party for a new single, "Hey, We Tried." If you know Tennis System, it's familiar—slurred, slow-mo vocals; harsh yet pretty noise—but it's also the rare shoegaze song that manages to gallop. You can buy a physical copy at the show. - Washington City Paper

In light of the latest (and perhaps final) blowup between the Gallagher brothers of Oasis, it's nice to see some musical siblings that get along. The brothers Taylor, Damien and Matty, don't play in a band together, choosing instead to spread the noise between two bands. Damien's band, (The Sounds of) Kaleidoscope may be the record holders for Nightlife Agenda mentions, probably neck and neck with DJ Dredd. His younger brother doesn't stray too far from that sound; he goes bigger with the Tennis System. The band's main goal is to overwhelm the listener with a full-blast sonic assault and maybe even some trippy lights to go along. Some shoegaze-y melodies are lurking somewhere in the fuzz and squealing, but the band's performances are mostly sensory sensations. - The Washington Post

DC’s Tennis System, who opened, shared Japandroids’ big-sound, small-scope ethos, if not the aesthetic. The four-piece played arena music scaled (sometimes awkwardly) to club size, a shoegaze-indebted space rock with soft edges, in which bursts of feedback occasionally melted into hooks. - Washington City Paper

Tennis System - Pure shoegaze at the start but the set moved into a pop-psyche direction, not unlike a poppier, more upbeat Ride. I don't know my shoegaze scene too well and it seems like many categories to be awash with fuzzy borders and category combinations, but all-in-all, a catchy band. - DC Rock Live

The evening continued as Tennis System were up next, who were softer vocally. Velvet Lounge’s intimate setting and layout were perfect for their set. “Here’s A Thought” was one of the softer ballads from Tennis System that evening. The fourth song, “Esoteric“ highlights the band’s brilliance on the electric guitar, a sound that has made Tennis System one of the loudest bands we have seen and heard in the District.

They ended the show with a bang, with the performance of “FS“, which included Matty, lead vocals and guitar, jumping into the crowd and kicking over a barstool on the stage. It almost appeared to look like the beginning of a mosh pitt. After Tennis System’s set was over, my ears were ringing. This is not a complaint, but if you have very sensitive eardrums, bring earplugs to see the highly energetic members from TS - Clinton Cool, Drake, Matty and Brad! It is an absolutely amazing show nonetheless. - ReadysetDC.com

The four men of Tennis System are a disarming bunch of young fellows. Complete with polished looks, eager smiles and firm handshakes, they are ready to win over all of DC with their original rock music. The band performed live at The Red and the Black on June 2 and entertained a large crowd with their own style of exploding rock music.

Tennis System consists of the talented musings of Matty (vocals and guitar), Clinton (bass), Drake (guitar) and Brad (drums). While the band is still fairly young, the members have been involved in many other musical projects for much of their lives. DC has proven to be a successful launching pad for the band and has inspired them with its culturally rich environment and up and coming feel, while being filled with good people according to the band. In addition to the city, some of their influences include Dinosaur Jr., The Beatles, My Bloody Valentine and the Lilys, the last of which provided the band with inspiration for their name.

Their personal musical tastes definitely shine through in their music, which they have made their own. Watch them play and you'll see traits similar to those in their favorite influential, shoegaze bands. The show is loud, make no doubt about that; however, it's loud with a purpose. Stand-out songs include "Beautiful Mistake" and "Esoteric," both of which show off the band's love for pitch bending, distortion tools and intricate rhythms. Their final song of the night "The Web," highlights Tennis System at its best, using melodies and volume dynamics to effectively cast a melodic hypnosis of sorts on the audience. By the end of their set they had enveloped the crowd with a loud-quiet dynamic that culminated into a tangible pressure of sound, releasing you for a moment only to draw you back in for the grand finish.

The band has a busy summer ahead of them with many shows at various DC venues including a benefit concert at Palace 5ive. Tennis System is also in the studio this month recording a few new tracks that will be released later this summer with another release in vinyl this fall. You can expect their new songs to be upbeat and employ their trademark pedal work. Just in case the album doesn't come with listening instructions I suggest the following: 1) insert ear plugs; 2) press play on your CD/record player; 3) turn up the volume as loud as possible (acknowledging your neighbors' tolerance for music and the presence of small animals or children); and finally, 4) proceed to rock out. - District of Sound.com

Considering that The Tennis System draws from a lot of well-loved influences (The Beatles, The Smiths, My Bloody Valentine, anything harDCore from the 1980s), they sound surprisingly different from most other bands in the area. Most bands that may share their appreciation for reverb and distortion or even large-scale sound might go for a dreamier route. But The Tennis System goes straight for the gut. The songs are certainly well crafted, but their energy and sense of urgency assumes that no listener may have a second chance to notice it. They’re melodic and powerful without giving up their sensibilities of what they enjoy up to the alter of industry or blogosphere-deemed “cool.” But people are starting to take notice.

We caught up with The Tennis System and talked about meeting their influences, how they’ve watched D.C. music evolve and why they’re unabashed about playing their live shows very very loudly. - dcist

DC’s own The Tennis System kicked things off in fine form, with the four-piece successfully melding fairly direct and simple pop melodies to giant swells of guitar squall. Sure enough, this is a band that appreciates what made the late 80s/early 90s U.K. shoegaze scene so appealing. But unlike many of their forebearers, The Tennis System never allow the guitar thunder to outstrip the songs.

Matty Taylor ’s loping, memorable vocal lines were the lighthouse cutting through the foggy haze, and the entire band have mastered the kind of steady, slow build to orgasmic crescendo suites made notable by groups such as Ride. I’m looking forward to hearing more from these lads. - BrightestYoungThings

"Why call me after you said we can't be?" Tennis System's Matty Taylor sings on his lo-fi, sun bleached single "The Summer After," making it clear from the outset that this isn't just another jangly tune about falling in love with a girl. It's what happens to summer romance when the seasons change. "Why hang around if all I do is bring you down?" With heavily reverbed vocals and far-off drums, the only thing that cuts through the falling-out-of-love murk is the single's crystalline guitar.

Recorded under Michael Stock, founder of the showcase "Part Time Punks," and Drew Fisher (The Melvins, Bleached, Babies), "The Summer After" captures the spirit of Tennis System's new EP, Part Time Punks Session. The record borrows its namesake's urgency, economy, and touch of angst. However, when it came to capturing the spontaneity of punk's live shows, there were some technical difficulties. "This was the first time we played ‘The Summer After' outside of practice," Taylor says. "We had been working on it for weeks, getting it tight. And while the general idea with the Part Time Punks Session was to record everything in one take, the computer kept freezing every time we tried to record, so it ended up taking seven." To be fair, though, seven is the number of punk legend New York Dolls' live albums, so that must be a good sign. - Interview Magazine

Tennis System have announced their new album, Technicolour Blind, will be released October 21 on PaperCup Music. In conjunction, the Los Angeles trio has premiered a first track from the record, “Memories & Broken Dreams”. Led by songwriter Matty Taylor, Technicolour Blind was recorded with Ulysses Noriega (The Wedding Present/Ben Folds/The Offspring) mixed by Drew Fisher (The Melvin/Bleached/Babies) and mastered by John Greenham (Ice Cube/Aesop Rock/Chuck Prophet).

Originally started by Taylor in his hometown of Washington DC, Technicolour Blind is the follow up to 2011′s self-released debut, Teenagers and 2013′s Part Time Punks Sessions EP, and marks a melodic departures from the gritty, fuzz-washed tunes of yore. Los Angeles life, with its thrilling beauty and starkly menacing underbelly, has left Taylor sun-bleached and wary, and imbued has Tennis System’s music with the peculiar patina of a rough-and-tumble circumstance.

Over the past three years, Tennis System has shared bills with the likes of Ty Segall, Wavves, Japandroids, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Mark Gardner and Beach Fossils, and performed at the Culture Collide Festival, Austin Psych Fest, L.A.’s iconic Part-Time Punks showcase and South By Southwest. The band will perform Friday night in Los Angeles at Origami Vinyl as part of this year’s Echo Park Rising, and has announced additional west coast dates to premiere the album. A full U.S. tour is in the works for the Fall. - Northern Transmissions

On October 21 Tennis System will release their second album ‘Technicolour Blind’ via PaperCup Music! Our first listen is ‘Memories And Broken Dreams’ which shifts into pop/punk mode, a step away from their shoegaze origins. To be fair, that step was made some time ago – cemented by the impressive ‘Part Time Punks Session’ EP last November. The Los Angeles trio have perfected their high energy anthems on tour with Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, The Fresh And Onlys and Ringo Deathstarr. - Sounds Better With Reverb