Album Notes

Front-man Chris Quinn cites influences such as The Auteurs, The Smiths and Scotland’s criminally underrated Trashcan Sinatras. Mr. Quinn, a connoisseur of melodic British pop music, has even been known to jump the pond for his aural fix. During the `90s, he travelled to see England’s The Dentists. He attended three consecutive London shows of the recent Mott The Hoople reunion. Never as dour as Morrissey, or as cryptic as Luke Haines of the Auteurs, Quinn’s thought-provoking lyrics are frequently observations on the human condition and contemporary mores.

Forever destined to have multiple Andys in the group (there have been five), the current incarnation of the Treading Lemmings has the duel guitar force of Rickenbacker guitar-toting R. Andrew Hunt “Ricky” and Fender-slinging Andrew “Andj” Stainer. Ricky provides the backbone of the guitar onslaught. One might say that Ricky’s style pays homage to Pete Townshend. Andj tends to lean more toward the lead guitar side of the equation, with emphasis on melodic solos that are short, sweet and to the point. The two guitarists inter-mesh beautifully without becoming muddled or indistinct. Between the two, there's a great blend of "jangle" and "crunch" for fans of both.

The band is rounded out by the dynamic rhythm section of Marc “Mr. Marc” Roulier on bass guitar and Joe “Zad” Szadkowski on drums. Joe’s drumming is both musical and powerful with a decided nod to Keith Moon, while Marc’s propelling bass style echoes late `70s, early `80s rock, punk, and the earliest new wave music.

Cliff Notes was produced by award-winning, Washington, D.C., area producer Marco Delmar. The Treading Lemmings were voted one of the best of 2009 on Froglix.com and have opened for such groups as The Futureheads, The Trashcan Sinatras and The Like .