There’s something to be said for environment and the unique creative product that it spawns. The High Score is Southern, all snarls and sass and wit and will. The band hails from Tennessee, and just like the state’s diverse musical legacies in blues, early rock and roll, and country, The High Score’s sound is simultaneously nostalgic and new. If people around there ever used the term “blue-collar,” Knoxville could be described this way, and the honesty and grit that breeds in mid-sized, unaffected towns like this can be heard in each drumbeat and rock riff off of The High Score’s new release, We Showed Up To Leave. Music fans will be familiar with the members of The High Score through their former rock ventures. Robbie Trosper (guitar/vocals) previously played in The Faults, which also included former members of The V-Roys. Chris Cook (guitar/vocals) was the front man for Mustard. Both bands toured throughout the Southeast, building a loyal fan base through their live shows and album sales. When these groups disbanded in late 2001, the longtime friends and occasional musical partners, including bassist Dave Walker, began playing together full-time as The High Score. After the 2003 release of their debut album Sexy Losers, the band immediately began recording a new album, but took an extended break to perform as the backing band for Mic Harrison (ex V-Roys and Superdrag). After adding Brad Henderson as the drummer for both bands, the band toured the Midwest, East Coast, and Southeast, with the tour culminating in a Bonnaroo 2005 appearance. Audiences consistently responded favorably (and loudly) to the few High Score songs in the setlist, and this combined with highly successful local shows propelled the band back into the studio with producer Don Coffey, Jr. (also of Superdrag) to finish what they had started more than two years before. With the addition of Harrison as a touring member, the band is ready to load up the van in support of their second release We Showed Up to Leave. Their live and recorded sound includes a nod to 70s punk, a wink to metal excess, and a Townshend-style windmill to true classic rock. The band mixes just enough rock and roll irreverence with their brow-raising musicianship to engage the audience like the bunch of charmers they are. While you may witness a few pseudo-rock god poses during a High Score show, you won’t find any posturing or pretension here. We’re talking BIG, Bonham-in-time drums and fiery, dueling guitars; we’re talking catchy songs from fellas who aren’t afraid of a melody; we’re talking honesty and grit and FUN. The High Score don’t claim to be saving rock and roll, but they sure are having a helluva time representing it. Reviews "This is a wonderful, promising debut from a band that understands rock ‘n’ roll rather than one attempting to imitate it" Southeast Live "This is a perfectly stunning release from this noisy little quartet from the great state of Tennessee. The High Score manages to take every known genre of rock and compound it into one solid mass of power pop. The group dabbles in everything from dissonance to straight-ahead roots rock, keeping their biting sense of humor just below the surface. The beauty of it is that it's not cold and calculated---there's a true spirit of rock which is usually absent from contemporary groups..." Mish Mash Reviews "This debut album, in keeping with their Knoxville heritage, is an unassuming collection of pure, no-nonsense rock-n-roll laced with powerful pop sentiment. Treading softer ground, the band explores more sensitive songwriting arrangements and subtle, yet effective, vocal harmonies. This band knows how to pull it off." Southeast Performer Magazine "Honestly, how could you go wrong with the High Score? They've got Superdrag's keen sense of melody, Sugar's propensity for lacing pop songs with blistering riffs, and a GBV-ish sort of ragtag charm." Splendid Ezine “The High Score are the four guys you'll want to look at to satiate your melodic cravings. From Knoxville, Tennessee, the band play fun, loose rock n' roll with an exciting, upbeat spirit." Indieville "What it lacks in spit and polish and fancy schmantz production, pitch-perfect vocals, and foot-tangling choreography it makes up for in grit, emotion, utter realness, and a complete absence of any sense of commerciality and trendiness. Screw Teen Spirit. This smells like rock and roll to me." Rockzillaworld Whether casual or frantic, the guitar harmonies achieved by Cook and Trosper are intricate masterpieces - unconventional, unpredictable and unique in the Knoxville music scene. Cook and Trosper's finest moments with guitar are nothing short of inspirational. Daily Beacon UT Knoxville I'm not sure if the members of The High Score are leaning towards pop or trying to hold on to their hard edge, either way their music works great. In Music We Trust