Houseguest

Houseguest is a famous pop rock band from Akron, Ohio. Houseguest’s live shows have, in the past, turned into debacles, with shirt removal, sing-alongs, and drunken arguments between band members as par for the course. Tales grow with the telling, and now such unruliness is often expected of the band. They are more than willing to comply, but Houseguest is much more than just five badly-behaved college bums.
Houseguest is five old, old friends who have played music together since they were slightly smaller than they are now. Their songwriting is well-honed and their sound is their own. They have seen much of the horror of life, but they would rather instill hope and resolve than coddle despair. Save your grief for the funeral! Houseguest is here for the party.
High Strangeness is the first album by Houseguest on Audio Eagle Records. It was recorded and produced by Patrick Carney of the Black Keys at the Eagle’s Nest in the Spring of 2006. The album’s fourteen tracks range from frenetic pop barn-burners to heartfelt, anthemic ballads.
We think you will find it enjoyable.
Houseguest’s Congratulations
“Staggeringly Beautiful”
“Houseguest is Akron, Ohio’s band du jour.  Deservedly so.  But what adds weight to the hope that they will get over that local hump is their journey so far.  In their five years together they have already lost a close friend, busted up the band and reformed, and grabbed a Northeast Ohio super-group label of sorts for their roster’s pedigree.
“Now, they have overcome the novelty of their live show reputation (where the band and half the audience often seem to end up on stage and in various stages of undress) and released their first full-length release on the Audio Eagle label, founded by old friend and Black Key Patrick Carney.  And while the abandon of their stage presence is something to behold, what they are capable of committing in the studio is staggeringly beautiful, skewed pop. 8 out of 10.”
-Adam Besenyodi, Pop Matters.com
“The Best”
“Houseguest is simply the best pop band in the country.”
-McSweeney’s
“Perfect Pop Rock”
“Remember the recent film You, Me and Dupree? You probably didn't see it, but you recall its premise—Owen Wilson's zany bachelor moves in with newlyweds Matt Dillon and Kate Hudson, and antics ensue. He taught us all something about ourselves, but that Dupree sure overstayed his welcome!
“Akron's Houseguest, on the other hand, is the kind of visitor you can receive into your home without reservations. High Strangeness will quickly become a permanent resident, filling your quarters with music that's relentlessly catchy and smart, tight but jittery, muscle toned but not bulging.
“In addition to wowing you with perfect pop rock, you'll find it making its bed (and yours), taking out the trash and preparing delicious feasts.
“In short, this album offers all the life-changing potential of a visit from Dupree without the full-frontal nudity. Grade: A”
-Chris DeVille, Columbus Alive
“Perfectly Crafted Pop”
“I've caught a lot of things in the past year: a couple colds, an elbow in the ribcage, a run of bad luck with two flat tires in two weeks, my hands in the cookie jar, grief from my mums for not returning all of her phone calls in a timely manner, but none of these things are as catchy as this new CD, High Strangeness, by Houseguest.
“So, how did a modest band of misfits from Akron, OH, manage to make the catchiest guitar pop record my ears have heard in years? Well, it starts with the singing of Ted Mallison, whose crooning make him sound somewhere between Bob Mould and Morrissey. Add in the rhythm section of bassist Gabe Schray and drummer Steve Clements, who adeptly steer the band through endless twists and turns. Finally it's topped off by the double guitar acrobatics of Dave Rich and David Whited, and you have Houseguest's recipe for perfectly crafted pop. 8 out of 10.”
-Bill Lipold, I Rock Cleveland
“Lush and Well-Crafted”
“In its first release on a major record label, Houseguest proves that it is here to stay. Released on Audio Eagle Records, High Strangeness is a refreshing album full of head boppers and catchy tunes. Houseguest, five Akronites who have been staple members of many local outfits for several years, manages to come together and craft something classic.
“…a lush and well-crafted album.”
-Curt Brown, the Buchtelite
“Understated Intelligence”
“There’s a fine line between sounding intelligent and sounding grating, particularly when lyrics are involved, but Houseguest soft-peddle the jokes and, what’s perhaps more important, the irony. The most obvious precedent is Kurt Wagner’s work in Lambchop – all bemusement and understated intelligence.”
-Tom Zimpleman, Dusted Magazine
“Immediate, Exciting, and Catchy”
“In an age where most bands are practically dripping with self-importance, Houseguest’s lighthearted attitude is a welcome relief. It also helps that the band’s music is so Goddamn immediate, exciting, and catchy that it wouldn’t even matter if they didn’t have a sense of humor.”
-Daniel Kirschenbaum, U Weekly
“An Off-Kilter Grace”
“Houseguest’s pop shuffles and sashays with an off-kilter grace, like a defiant drunk finding his way home. Guitars shamble and rumble with repressed power, rising in hooky swells that call to mind Guided by Voices, Beat Happening, and the Feelies.”
-Chris Parker, Cleveland Scene
“Smart, Fun Music”
“Houseguest is a bunch of smart guys making smart, fun music.”
-Malcolm X. Abram, the Akron Beacon Journal
“Worthy of a Second Glance”
“Houseguest may have already been touted on this here site (I'm not completely sure) but regardless, their jittery, bookworm, brand of pop is worthy of a second glance. Who knew the Rubber City was capable of spawning an infectious hybrid of the Feelies, XTC, David Bowie, Orange Juice and the Wedding Present? Anglophiles unite, for this is simply the finest British band that's from no where near Britain.”
-the Cyclotron