Beach House Trivia Quiz

Answer: Baltimore

Beach House are made up of Victoria Legrand (vocals, keys) and Alex Scally (guitar, bass pedals, backing vocals). Legrand was born in Paris (and sings in French in some songs) and raised in Philadelphia, while Alex Scally was born and raised in Baltimore.

After playing in separate music projects, the duo met through connections in the Baltimore music scene. While asserting that they were not a couple, the pair have described each other as "musical soulmates" in numerous interviews. In a 2016 interview with talk show host Charlie Rose, the band praised Baltimore's "unique", under-the-radar music scene, with Scally calling it "a place that lets you be." Other notable Baltimore musicians include Animal Collective, Future Islands and Tori Amos.

Answer: Saltwater

The heartbreak anthem "Saltwater" was the introduction to Beach House's sound for many fans, being the first song from their debut anthem. The song features rickety electronic beats, distorted guitar and droning electric organ, with Legrand singing about an unrequited love in her trademark voice. "Levitation" is the opening song on their 2015 album "Depression Cherry", while "Wedding Bell" introduces their second record "Devotion" (2008) and "Dark Spring" is the first song on "7" (2018).

"Beach House" was released in 2006 by indie label Carpark Records. It was acclaimed on release, with Pitchfork favourably comparing the album to acts like Mazzy Star and Slowdive and ranking it at number 16 of 50 on their 2006 Best Albums list. "Master of None", a song from the album, has become a staple of the group's live shows, and has featured in the Netflix series of the same name.

Answer: Some Things Last a Long Time

Daniel Johnston is a famed cult singer-songwriter and visual artist, who spent much of his life in institutions due to bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. His music often features simplistic, amateurish arrangements and performances. He gathered a sizeable following, helped by Kurt Cobain's outspoken interest in his art, and has been cited as an influence on a number of artists. He has been covered by the likes of Lana Del Rey, Tom Waits, Beck, Death Cab for Cutie and more. The other options are also songs by Daniel Johnston.

"Devotion" was released in 2006, entering at 195 on the US Billboard 200 albums chart. The album had cleaner production while staying quite close stylistically to its predecessor. Pitchfork ranked it 46 on its 2006 Best Albums list, while The A.V. Club placed it at 30. "Some Things Last a Long Time" is not the first time the duo included takes on other artists on their album; the "Beach House" song "Lovelier Girl" is an interpretation of "Snowdon Song" by psychedelic folk group Tony, Caro and John, with some differences in arrangement and lyrics.

Answer: Teen Dream

"Teen Dream" helped Beach House gain more exposure than ever before, partly thanks to a new and larger record label in Sub Pop. Debuting at 43 on the US Billboard 200 albums chart, the album sounded grander than anything previously released, thanks to a larger recording budget and an effort by the duo to sound more "sophisticated". This was the group's first co-produced record, with Chris Coady joining the duo in what would become a long-standing partnership. It was at this time that music royalty Jay-Z and Beyoncé were spotted together at the band's 2010 Coachella set, proving how far their fanbase had expanded. "Used to Be" was the first single, released on October 21, 2008- a year and three months before the release of "Teen Dream" on January 26, 2010. The other options are all songs featured on "Teen Dream".

"Teen Dream" received instant acclaim on release. Both NME and Pitchfork gave it a 9/10, and the album was included on Best Of 2010 lists from both those publications, as well as Rolling Stone, Paste and Consequence of Sound, amongst others. Its status has only solidified over time. Pitchfork placed it third on their 2018 list of the 30 Best Dream Pop Albums, and it was also featured in the 2014 book "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die", while NME ranked it 203 on its 2013 list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Answer: Silver Soul

"Silver Soul" is the second song from "Teen Dream", coming after "Zebra". The song features some of the more poetic imagery on the album, and the phrase "It is happening again" is repeated in the hook. This could be an allusion to the television show "Twin Peaks", given Victoria Legrand called David Lynch one of her "favourite filmmakers" in a 2008 interview with Pitchfork.

The song was sampled by hip hop artist Kendrick Lamar for his song "Money Trees" from his acclaimed album "Good Kid, M.A.A.D City".

Answer: Bloom

"Bloom" has a sound to match with its title, featuring probably the most lavish production compared to any Beach House album before it. It was released on May 15, 2012 and debuted at number seven on the Billboard 200 albums chart, topping the Billboard US Independent Albums and US Top Alternative Albums charts. Again, "Bloom" was critically praised, with Stereogum, Consequence of Sound, and Pitchfork all placing it at number seven on their Best Albums of 2012 lists. Pitchfork later placed it at number ten on its 2018 list of the Best Dream Pop Albums.

The band made their television debut promoting "Bloom" by performing the opening track and first single "Myth" on the "Late Show with David Letterman" in May 2012. They would go on to play on "Later... with Jools Holland" and "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" to promote "Bloom", and frequently appeared on late night shows in the future. Two music videos were also made- "Lazuli", directed by Allen Cordel, and "Wishes", directed by Eric Wareheim of cult comedy duo Tim and Eric.

Answer: Days of Candy

The 24-part choir was made, in fact, by editing parts from only eight singers, all voice/choir majors from the Pearl River Community College. The song was one of the last ones completed for the "Depression Cherry" sessions, along with the album's introduction "Levitation". The other tracks all appear on "Depression Cherry".

"Depression Cherry" was recorded after the band went on a momentary break, both later confessing to writers' block and uncertainty about their future as a group in an interview with Paste in 2015. The group described the album as a "return to simplicity" in the accompanying press release. The album was preceded by the single "Sparks" on July 1, 2015. The album was released on August 28, 2015, debuting at eight on the US Billboard 200 albums chart. The vinyl and CD packaging featured a minimalist design on red velvet. Critical reception was positive, featuring on 2015 Best Albums lists from Pitchfork, Consequence of Sound, Rolling Stone, Stereogum and Paste.

Answer: Thank Your Lucky Stars

The songs that make up "Thank Your Lucky Stars" were recorded in the same sessions that produced "Depression Cherry". However, the group stressed that it was "not a companion to "Depression Cherry", or a surprise, or b-sides" on their Twitter page, but rather a distinct piece of work with a different aesthetic.

The album was released less than two months after "Depression Cherry" on October 16, 2015, debuting at 38 on the US Billboard 200 albums chart. Reception to "Thank Your Lucky Stars" was positive overall, even compared to "Depression Cherry", with many praising the darker tone in the arrangements and lyrics.

The album placed on 2015 Best Albums lists from Pitchfork, Under the Radar and more. The incorrect options are all tracks from the album.

Answer: Chariot

"Chariot" was one of two new songs released on the "B-Sides and Rarities" compilation, the other being "Baseball Diamond". It was released as the first and only single for the compilation on May 17, 2017. As the title suggests, the remaining songs were previously unreleased or uncollected songs, alternate versions of songs, or B-sides to other singles. "Play the Game", a cover of a Queen song, first appeared on the 2009 "Dark Was the Night" compilation by the Red Hot Foundation, a charity release to increase HIV/AIDS funding and awareness that also featured the likes of Bon Iver, Sufjan Stevens, Arcade Fire, and Yo La Tengo. "I Do Not Care for the Winter Sun" was originally a one-off, released on the band's website soon after "Teen Dream" in 2010 to celebrate the holiday season.

Answer: Drunk in LA

With "7", Beach House departed with producer Chris Coady, instead producing with Peter Kember (aka Sonic Boom) of Spacemen 3 fame. The album was recorded over more sessions than other albums, mostly over the course of 2017. The band chose to not limit themselves to what they could perform live as they did on previous albums, instead exploring more maximalist production techniques and studio trickery. This playful, experimental bend was highly praised by critics as a refreshing change of pace; Rolling Stone's Simon Vozick-Levinson said in his review, "Seven albums in, they're at the start of something new." "7" was proceeded by four singles- "Lemon Glow", "Dive", "Dark Spring", and "Black Car", respectively. After the album's release on May 11, 2018, "Lose Your Smile" was released as a single on October 23, 2018. Each song was accompanied by a video exploring optical illusions, a theme across the album's packaging and live show for the album.

Beach House performed "Drunk in LA" on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on May 16. Alex Scally has stated that "Drunk in LA" has his favourite lyrics of Victoria Legrand, saying in a 2018 Pitchfork feature, "It's just like each one is whip lashing you around all these abstract sensory places." In the same interview, Legrand described the imagery of the song as being like "... an old starlet sitting in a bar in the dark by herself, someone who maybe had an insane life that no one will know about because there's no one to talk to but themselves now."