Matchbook Romance
by Jessica Armstrong
Issue 3, Winter/Spring 2004
Back in 1997, four young men came together from Poughkeepsie, New York to form the admirable Matchbook Romance, formally known as The Getaway. The band consists of Andrew Jordan (vocals), Judas DePualo (guitar), Ryan Kienele (bass), and Aaron Stern (drums). The band got their start on the internet, when they built their own website and began self-promoting. They were discovered by Epitaph Records when Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz found their music online. He listened to their track "Ex Marks The Spot" and was immediately interested. He contacted the band, and they flew out west and signed the deal. Matchbook Romance released their EP "West for Wishing", a five-piece album, including my favorite song, "The Greatest Fall Of All Time", which really brings out Andrew's vocals. The song is about getting to a happy point in your life, and then immediately being let down.
"I'll keep this as a constant reminder, Of the nights I spent holding onto her. And rest assured I'm moving on, I miss you less, with each day you're gone." -Greatest Fall Of All Time
Their newest album, "Stories And Alibis", has eleven great tracks; one of the best being "She'll Never Understand." What makes Matchbook Romance such a marvelous band is that their songs are powerful, and the lyrics are easy to relate to. In the track "Lovers And Liars," the lyrics remind you of a bad break-up, in which almost everyone has been in.
"And I bet you've got every word I've said memorized in your head. And you'll use every one of them. And you'll use every one of them against me." -Lovers And Liars
Overall, Matchbook Romance is an A+ band. It can't get any better than hearing Andrew scream the words while Aaron bangs on his drums and Judas and Ryan strum hard on their guitars. "Stories And Alibis" is out in stores now. If you are interested, check out the songs "Save Yourself," "14 Balloons," "Greatest Fall Of All Time," and "She'll Never Understand."