Somehow this album manages to reflect each member’s different approach to crafting a song, yet it completely melts together into this subconscious synergy the Portland trio has mastered over the last ten years. It still included all the multilayer mixing that made Friend and Foe so amazing, but Mines finally brought the electric guitar more into the songwriting rather than an afterthought. With the epic and haunting “Tithe,” hard and fast “TAOS” and heartbreaking “INTIL,” I cannot think of an album that satisfied me more this year.
Even though Gorilla Manor was released in the U.K. in November 2009, we didn’t get this masterful debut until February here in the U.S., but I didn’t hear it until May at the Sasquatch Festival. I had heard nothing of the band before passing by the huge field filled with people and stopping to listen to 3 songs. It was nearing the end of their set, and Taylor Rice took to the mic to dedicate “Who Knows Who Cares” to his girlfriend, and that beautiful song is what hooked me. Gorilla Manor was the only album I purchased at the festival, and it was the soundtrack to my summer, with not one song I wished to skip.
I will admit, when it comes to We Are Scientists, I’m biased. I’m not going to pretend that I’m not, but I honestly think that this album was far underrated by snobs like Pitchfork and utterly ignored by most others (at least in the U.S.) What Keith Murray and Chris Cain did with this album was strip away any limitations that a major label put on them, and with the help of Andy Burrows on drums, wrote a killer pop record. The hard-hitting bass on “I Don’t Bite,” the adorable synth line in “Jack and Ginger,” and the ballads that show that Keith can really hit those high notes, “Pittsburgh” and “Foreign Kicks” help round out my third favourite album of the year. And if you’ve got the chance, and you like Weezer, seek out the U.K. b-side “Pound For Pound.” It’s really good.
Best Show of 2010:
This was a very difficult one, mainly because being with PopWreckoning has multiplied the number of shows I annually attend by…at least tenfold. I could come up with so many reasons why the dozens of shows I saw in 2010 are amazing, but I’m going to sound a bit repetitive right now. Menomena at the Crystal Ballroom for Portland’s Musicfest Northwest was – hands down – the best show of 2010. In fact, that whole week was full of amazing bands. But what Menomena did in their hometown at perhaps my new favourite venue was phenomenal. Danny Seim is the most intense drummer I’ve ever seen, singing on key with so much power while bashing away at his kit. Justin Harris plays a freaking baritone saxophone with so much vigor that you forget it’s a woodwind instrument. And Brent Knopf provides the subtlety and loveliness of the band with his soft lilty vibrato and driving melodies on the piano. I was shoved into this room with hundreds of Portlanders thinking that I’d skip out after a few songs to see the Smashing Pumpkins at a different venue across town. In more ways than one – I was stuck there. Literally leaning against the stage at the Crystal Ballroom, you can feel both the movement in the floor and the vibration of the stage. So in a sense, not only was I hearing and seeing the music, but actually feeling it. It was awesome to hear them open with “The Strongest Man in the World” off I Am the Fun Blame Monster and play through not-quite-as-old songs like the the weird and rough “The Pelican” off Friend and Foe and brand new ones like the moving “Tithe.” Not only did I get to listen to these amazing songs I’d been only hearing on record, but I got to watch these talented artists in their home town. Menomena was so good. Like otherworldly good.
Most Anticipated in 2011:
I follow Eddie Argos on Twitter, and a couple of weeks ago he posted an update saying that Art Brut was working on their new record in a studio in Salem, OR. You know what that means? A new Art Brut album in 2011. I don’t know when and what it’s going to be called, but it could also mean another tour coming to Seattle? Hopefully, because the last time Art Brut came through Seattle it was a 21+ show before I was 21.
If Noah Lennox would ever set a real date for his newest Panda Bear release instead of teasing us with 7″ releases here and there, I’d be more excited. But I am, nonetheless, super excited for his whole album, having heard most of it live at Musicfest Northwest.
Most Overrated in 2010:
Taylor Swift. She really needs to get out of my life. I can’t escape Taylor Swift. Sure she’s cute and a better role model than Miley Cyrus. Sure she plays guitar and writes her own songs. But her songs are getting really old and repetitive, and the girl can’t sing live to save her life. I’d honestly rather listen to Justin Bieber.
Best Musical Memory of 2010:
Travelling down the west coast with several friends to see We Are Scientists on tour this summer was the best time of my life. I called it the “WASTRAVAGANZA,” because I’m a nerd, and we needed something to call it. It started in Portland, where I finally got to meet the band. It was funny, because I’d interviewed Chris over the phone for a PopWreckoning interview, and when I told him that he said, “oh, you’re THAT Abby. Thank you for your personal and professional interest in our band,” then he gave me a hug. Two days later we went to the Seattle show where my friends brought Keith and Chris pastries for the post-show, and we got offered some cocaine by a homeless man on Capitol Hill at 2 a.m. But the absolute best part was a week and a half later when two friends and I drove 13 hours to San Francisco to meet up with four more friends who loved We Are Scientists just as much as we did. Plus, it was the only all-ages show on the west coast that my underage friend could attend, so we had to make the drive. For some reason in Portland and Seattle WAS had neglected to play “It’s A Hit,” which is my favorite song, so it made it that much sweeter when they played it in San Francisco. While at Slim’s, we also had a nice inebriated conversation with their opening act Aaron Pfenning a.k.a Rewards. I’d gotten a lot of the show on tape, so I told him I’d recorded a couple of his songs and it made him smile like a little boy. After buying some crepes from a vendor outside the venue, Keith and Chris invited us all to the bar they were going to called “Butter,” but we politely declined since not all of us could actually go in the bar. But we did stick around to finish our crepes and hang out before we had to go back to our respective hotels or homes. When they stepped out the door, they saw us on the other end of the block, pointed at us all and said, “you guys are CRAZY!” We did appear a bit crazy at that point, but it was worth it, because we got another round of hugs and my friends and I got to see our favorite band together finally.
Probably several people who just read that think I’m absolutely nuts, but I don’t really care.
Right in the middle of a worldwide tour, We Are Scientistsreleased the third single off their latest album Barbarathis week, “I Don’t Bite.” Currently it’s available on iTunes on the UK and on 7Digital.com
Seeing that the guys have been touring mainly with Rewards (ex-Chairlift Aaron Pfenning), they seemed to find the time to have Pfenning record a b-side for the single – a low-key, ethereal version of “Nice Guys.” As well as the cameo from pal Pfenning, Dev Hynes, a.k.a. Lightspeed Champion also did a oddly spectacular digitized cover version of “Rules Don’t Stop” as another b-side. The three tracks are certainly different from each other, but the single did employ some of Brooklyn’s finest, I must say.
And if that wasn’t enough, Alexa Chung actually drew the album art.
All of it is a bit inexplicable, but does anything We Are Scientists ever does make complete sense? Not really, but that’s part of their charm.
There’s no official US release date yet on an iTunes single (let alone a physical single), but once it’s announced, we’ll be sure to update this post.
Or for all the latest news on We Are Scientists, head over to What’s the Word, as the webmaster Renee is way more punctual than Keith or Chris is ever.
The exciting debut album from Manchester, England’s Delphic will for sure be in my top 2 albums of 2010. The electro / dance / rock trio is currently touring as support for the Temper Trap, and this is their first significant tour of North America to boot after just playing three gigs in America in June. It was my distinct pleasure to speak with Delphic‘s accomplished guitarist, Matt Cocksedge, before their gig at the House of Blues in Boston, the second night on a month-long tour of our continent. I have to say, he’s probably one of the most (if not the most) eloquent musician I’ve ever had the chance to interview. In part 1 of this interview, we discuss the cynical music media and why they seem intent on comparing Delphic to fellow Mancunians and hometown heroes New Order, why he thinks their tourmates the Temper Trap are actually more similar to them than you might realize, and how Radiohead is a real inspiration to them.
Mary Chang, PopWreckoning: I think every single blogger I know of wants to be different [taking a different album review approach] than Pitchfork, endeavor to not be like them. My mom doesn’t get the blogging thing, when I was explaining to her what Pitchfork was, she thought it sounded like people who were going after other people with pitchforks. That was the way she interpreted it, not knowing what it was. Matt Cocksedge, Delphic: Yeah, makes sense. PW: But when you’re talking about promoting music to the masses… MC: But it seems like an accurate description of the press, doesn’t it? Hanging them out to dry. It’s difficult really. PW: Maybe I can ask you, have you discerned a difference between the British media and the American media? Have you felt one given you a harder time than the other? Or maybe you haven’t had a lot of exposure to American media, yet. MC: That’s the thing. I don’t know too much about American media reaction to us. All I know is that Pitchfork [when Pitchfork reviewed their debut album, Acolyte, released in June on Dangerbird Records here in America], that was out ages ago. I don’t know what else has gone with the release of the album, beyond that, I haven’t really heard [anything]. PW: To be honest, I don’t think I ever read that review. I’m sometimes scared to look… MC: Yeah, I’m scared to look! Really nervous. [smiles] PW: So you said that they slagged off Everything Everything? [the fellow Manchester band's debut album, Man Alive, was released in August in the UK] MC: They did, they did. And I just can’t help but feel there’s some sort of…the Everything Everything album was critically received in the UK… PW: Yeah, I reviewed it for another site and I really liked it. MC: It’s a great album, with so many ideas. PW: And very original. MC: So original! And even it doesn’t connect with you, potentially you can still appreciate the ideas, the originality, the experimentalism. You know, they’re trying to do something new with guitar music in a band. And certainly with our review, it was more an indictment of British music than an actual review of the record.
PW: Oh you know what, I think I did read it. I think they focused on the New Order aspect… MC: Yeah. PW: Which is interesting, because in almost every single American article I’ve read about you guys, it’s always focused on New Order. Now, I was too young to appreciate New Order at their height of fame and you also, neither of us were there for the whole Joy Division / New Order thing. So I don’t come from it from that perspective. MC: That’s the thing. We know New Order‘s music a bit. What I always think about the New Order thing, if “Doubt” wasn’t on the album, if you kind of take “Doubt” out of the equation of the album, and then look at it in terms of New Order, it’s very, very different. But when “Doubt” is included, I think it’s the most New Order, most obvious New Order kind of touch point on the record. I’ve always wondered about that. But people will hear what they want to hear and say what they want to say. And we’ve made this music and put it out, and then you take what you get given. It’s certainly interesting, you know, going around the world…especially places like Japan, there’s much more positive feeling, I think. There’s a lot of cynicism in the UK especially And the UK press and the UK audience. It’s because we’ve been spoilt for choice [when it comes to music], we’re just completely spoiled.
PW: That’s the thing, I think that’s the reason why I’ve gravitated towards British music in general, because you have people like Steve Lamacq and Huw Stephenschampioning the little guys. MC: Every evening there’s a new band starting out… PW: Yeah, like clockwork every Wednesday I listen to Lammo’s “New Favourite Band” feature and while we don’t see eye to eye on every band, but it’s nice to hear different opinions. MC: Definitely. PW: It’s hard to hear about new [British] bands on American radio. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a Delphic song played in Washington. Back in February, VV Brown played the same dance night you guys will play in DC next Friday, and one of the songs being spun that night was “Halcyon”. Me and a girlfriend, we’ve got our tickets and we’re coming up the stairs and it’s coming out of the speakers. And we went crazy because we knew the song! We were very excited. But we were the only ones in the club that knew it. MC: That’s great! [grins] PW: So to have you guys come to DC is really exciting. I think it’s the only date you’re doing by yourselves on this tour? MC: Yeah, I think so. I don’t know if we’ve got one in LA… PW: I know you guys are doing Club Nokia [in Los Angeles] with the Temper Trap… MC: Yeah, we’re doing that…yeah, basically we’d come over here to tour with the Temper Trap. They’re lovely guys, which makes things a lot easier. Always a pleasure when you’re on tour with a band that is just nice, and good guys. Makes it a lot easier. PW: When I saw you guys in Denmark [at Roskilde Festival], Rick [Boardman, Delphic's keyboards / synths player] already knew you were coming to America to support someone else but couldn’t tell me because he’d get in trouble. The Temper Trap never even crossed my mind…when I first saw this tour’s bill, I was kind of surprised because I think of the Temper Trap as more of a straight forward rock sound. Did you have any reservations supporting them? Not that you really had much choice as support but…did you wonder, is this going to be an issue when we play to crowds primarily there for the Temper Trap? MC: No, not at all. We were really excited about it. We respect the Temper Trap a lot. I think what we do is very similar but we put it in different clothes. We both try and write songs and yeah, we’re songwriters…we put them in different contexts. Theirs is a more guitar-based thing and ours is a more synth-based thing. At the heart, we’re quite similar and something we share with them. I think it’s good. We’re not trying to steal fans, we’re not trying to be a better Temper Trap or trying to compete with them in that way. We’re a band on a similar tangent, but doing our own thing. They’re doing their own thing. Hopefully when people come see us, they can understand the similarities but appreciate the differences. And yeah, we’re really excited and thrilled that they asked us along. And really, really happy to be out here with them. We’ve only done the one show [at Philadelphia's Trocadero on Sunday night, 3 nights earlier], so I’ll let you know how it goes! [laughs] But at the moment, it’s been good!
PW: I have to ask, what did you think, coming back to America after 3 months since your last shows here? Did you approach that with trepidation? The last “gig” you had before that was Bestival, that was a couple weeks ago? MC: Well, it’s certainly different than a festival. You can’t do so much jumping up and down and getting people to clap. You’ve gotta be a bit cooler! [smiles] Yeah, we’ve done the support band thing for a while, we know how it works, we’re just happy to be back out here. The crowd was good. It was a really stressful gig, to be honest with you, because it’s the first date of the tour. Backstage is always bit hectic. You hope everything works. It was really hectic, but I really enjoyed the gig myself. Great venue, the crowd was loud, yeah, I enjoyed it a lot. PW: I have to say, as your set progressed, I could feel the audience getting behind you. I was in second row on the floor, which I was very happy about. I was surrounded by devoted Temper Trap fans and I basically explained who you guys were, and who the Hundred in the Hands were, because they’ve just put out their debut album last week. MC: Yeah, I’ve been meaning to get it. PW: It’s really good. I’d say that along with yours and Two Door Cinema Club‘s [Tourist History] albums, it’s up there in my top 5 albums of 2010. MC: Oh wow, cool. PW: And I heard smatterings of conversation after your set. One girl said, “yeah, it was kind of a slow start but after the third song with all the synth action, I really liked it!” MC: Yeah, what was really cool were the pockets of people who were really going for it! PW: [laughs] Yeah, that was us! We were the ones jumping up and down and pumping our fists. Expect that, I’ll get people excited for you guys tonight. MC: Cool, I’ll keep a look out for it.
PW: Going back to the album, having heard what people have said about the album, one thing that I found very interesting was that people were comparing my favorite song, “Submission,” to Duran Duran. MC: Really. PW: What would say about that? MC: Uh…I’d be quite speechless! [laugh] PW: Me too, and that’s because I’m a Duranie. MC: I’d never have saw that coming! Yeah, I dunno…I’m not offended by it at all. Certainly didn’t see that one coming. I dunno, it’s one of those things, you make music to put it out there and people will read into it what they want. “So this bit is like this…” and we would’ve never even heard of that band! And then sometimes they’ll write, “so this bit is like this…” and yeah, we did just rip it off a bit. [grins] Yeah, I don’t know if it was Duran Duran influenced, but I can honestly say I didn’t think anyone would say that. PW: It reminds me of what people said about We Are Scientists‘s second album [Brain Thrust Mastery]. I liked it better than their first because it was more polished and had the synths. People said it sounded like Duran Duran because it had synths. Just because they have synths doesn’t mean they were influenced by Duran Duran. Similarly, some people think anything with synths can be classified as ’80s new wave.
PW: “Submission” has the right balance of synths, guitars, beats, and everything is so clean. The echoes are absolutely perfect to me. It’s the perfect song. I can put on my headphones and go into my own little world listening to it. Do you remember how the song came about? How do your songs usually start, does it start with someone’s lyric, “hey, I have an idea“, or “hey, I got this great guitar riff, let’s work off of this…” MC: I think with “Submission”, I really think it came about from the beat, you know? We wanted a more down-tempo number. It’s still quite quick, but it feels a lot slower than a lot of the record. We really wanted a bit darker of a tune, more of… that kind of feeling, and it came from [Matt starts tapping the table with his hands in time to the killer main rhythm of "Submission"]… PW: I think that’s why I like it, it’s so funky. MC: Yeah, we’ve got the guitar riff at the end, that came quite early as well. Yeah, all the songs, they all come from different places, there’s no set way of doing it, at least in terms of the initial idea. When we have an idea, and we’re developing it, then you kind of have your way of working on it, trying to flesh it out and make that transition from idea to song. And that’s difficult, because not all of them make it through. Sometimes you have a great idea but you can’t fit it in the right context. That can be difficult. But that came from a beat. Other tune came from a sound on the synth, or a chord sequence, and there’s no rules with this sort of thing, is there? We have strong instincts with these things. We try to work within a concept or the framework of an album for the set of songs we want to write. And once you have that framework established, it’s constrictive yet freeing because you can explore all areas in a certain kind of musical world, in a way. That definitely how it happened with the first record. We knew the kind of record we wanted to make in terms of sound and what we were talking about, and really then it was seeing what worked within it and what didn’t work, and how best make an album flow and what we needed to do to give it more depth. There is no real right or wrong, it’s whether you get that feeling. James [Cook, Delphic's lead vocalist and bassist] might play me something. So do I get it, do I feel it in my gut? Does it give me that kind of emotion? If the answer is no, let’s write another one. And if the answer is yes, okay, let’s take it to the next stage, let’s develop it and put an arrangement around it, put words to it. Are there any words that fit that we have already? You know, so you build it from there. But the initial idea is always the most important thing. It’s whether you get a buzz off of it… PW: Like a spark of inspiration. MC: Yeah, definitely. Sometimes…we’re writing ideas for the second album now, and there are some things…James played me something he’d written the other day, and sometimes you can just hear immediately, “that’s a finished song,” even if it’s just something on the piano with a bit of melody. I just know what that’s going to be. And that’s the most exciting thing. That’s when you know at the heart, there is something really special. It doesn’t happen all the time, but then it’s something you really need to grab onto and protect, in a way. You want to keep it true and make something real out of it.
PW: I think it is a gift when you’re able to create a timeless melody. A lot of music today, say hip hop, doesn’t necessarily have a great, underlying melody. It’s just not there. Or even some harder rock stuff. I saw Biffy Clyro 2 weeks ago at their first headlining gig of America, in Washington. They couldn’t even sell out DC9, and that’s a 200-capacity venue. MC: Really? That’s madness. They’re really big in the UK now. [Biffy Clyro regularly sells out stadiums there.] PW: I’m not a huge fan of theirs but I wanted to see history in the making. I consider Biffy kind of thrash metal, and my issue with thrash metal is that there isn’t a melody running through the whole thing, a melody that really grabs me. I’m not going to remember that song next week. Before or while you were in a band, were there any other bands that you looked to as idols? MC: Hmmm…Radiohead really, for me personally. They’re the bosses, aren’t they? The big kids in the class. I just think…they don’t put a foot wrong. They’re the band that I think always…I remember when we were working on parts of the first album, “what would Thom Yorke do?” kind of, that we said to each other kind of jokingly, but with a serious tone. They don’t seem to make missteps. And I think as a band they’ve always been so inspirational, because they’ve always done their own thing. Believed in what they do. Writing OK Computer and then bringing out Kid A, the most incredible movement in modern music, right? I think they’re certainly a band we have immense, immense respect for. And a band whose career path we look to and we’re like, if we have a career anywhere near that, we’d be happy. As a band who’s just released a first record, you’re very much at the whim at the reviews and the whim of word of mouth. And people are very open to speculation on things. And open to New Order comparisons! [laughs] But I think as we release more records and release more, people see what we’re actually about. I think looking at a band like Radiohead, at Pablo Honey or even The Bends, and seeing how they were labeled as, like, Pixies‘s wannabes, and all that kind of thing. Then they kind of emerged and blossomed into their own thing. I think we’re really eager to kind of move on and keep developing, and show people…we’ve still got a lot to prove, I think, and we’ve still got a long way to go, and a long way to improve. We’ve got a lot to prove to ourselves and everyone else as well. And who we are. And we’re just excited to be given the chance to do that. Some people [in bands] do that to them [finger gesture], and some people, “thanks for believing in us, we want to pay you back.” You know? I think that’s the Manchester spirit a little bit, that bit is anyway. Sorry, I hope I didn’t offend you doing that! PW: Haha, no worries. Was that a bit of anti-Southerner kind of thing? MC: [laughs] Oh, no no! It’s just that kind of gang mentality in Manchester. PW: “All for one, and one for all” kind of a thing? MC: Yeah, it’s a band thing as well, but we don’t feel like part of London. We’re a Manchester band and proudly so, but we don’t feel like we’re a part of any scene in Manchester. There are three or four of us versus the world as it were. You’ve only got your mates to rely on, they’re the ones you want to see it through with. And so to kind of prove ourselves is a massive, massive thing. And it’s something we are working on and will hopefully achieve.
Stay tuned for part 2 coming soon…
Tour Dates
Oct 05 – Phoenix / Toronto*
Oct 07 – Newport Music Hall / Columbus*
Oct 08 – DC9 / Washington, DC^
Oct 11 – St. Andrews / Detroit*
Oct 12 – Metro / Chicago*
Oct 13 – Turner Hall / Milwaukee*
Oct 14 – First Avenue / Minneapolis*
Oct 21 – Popscene / San Francisco&
Oct 22 – Fox / Pomona, CA*
Oct 23 – Club Nokia / Los Angeles*
^ Delphic only
* supporting the Temper Trap
& with the Hundred in the Hands
We only have a four pairs of tickets up for grabs. The contest will end at 2:00 p.m. the day of show (August 12). The show is 18 and over. Winners’ tickets will be at the door when you arrive at the show. Please also include your full name and email in the comment so that we can get in touch with the winners of the contest.
Winning is easy, simply complete the following steps:
1. Comment in this article and tell us your favorite science experiment and why? PopWreckoning staff will read your answers and choose from our favorite ones the day of show.
2. Repost this article on either your facebook, twitter, myspace, blog, website or other social media tool. Spread the wealth, then send us the link (by posting it in your comment).
Then, best (and easiest) of all, show up at the venue and enjoy the show, compliments of PopWreckoning. Good luck!
It’s no secret that I love We Are Scientists. Possibly a little bit too much. I love them so much that when I saw that they were playing in Seattle and Portland within the span of three days, how could I not go? Heck, if I had a passport I would have taken the trek over the border to Vancouver, BC in between the two shows. Sadly, I didn’t have one, but by double dose of WAS is pretty good for one week, I think.
Monday the 26th started with the 3-ish hour drive south from where I live to Portland. From there I met up with some friends at Music Millennium on East Burnside in Portland, where We Are Scientists played a short in-store consisting of “Nice Guys” and “Pittsburgh” off their new disc Barbara, as well as a couple more. Check at the end of this post for some videos of the two in-stores I hit in Seattle and Portland. That night WAS played at the Doug Fir Lounge with Rewards (a.k.a. Aaron Pfenning of iPod-commercial-famed Chairlift). This being my first 21+ show, it was quite different than anything I’d ever experienced. First of all, the venue at the Doug Fir is downstairs from the restaurant, which is attached to a hotel. And the venue had air conditioning and cushy seats against the wall. So this was by far the most comfortable I’d ever been at a show before.
After the hour of waiting and watching the various circles of people get more and more inebriated, Rewards (I’m still not sure how to pronounce Pfenning) took the stage at just after 9 p.m. The floor was virtually empty at that point, so I was free to roam around to take pictures. Rewards is what I could call experimental seductive synth pop, if that makes any sense. The heavy bassline that you could feel reverberating through your whole body, Aaron’s understated swagger and deep whispery vocals almost reminded me of INXS’ “Need You Tonight,” except not cheesy. Also unlike the music the 80s, Rewards’ sound had a much more minimal approach to instrumentation, similar to The xx. Aaron definitely left some of the commercial-friendly aspects of Chairlift behind when pursuing his own – almost spooky, but sexy – solo stuff.
With how anxious as I was to see We Are Scientists, I really enjoyed Rewards. He played into the small crowd, acting quite casual on stage. About halfway through his set, he shed this Tommy Bahama lounge shirt, telling everyone that it was Keith’s (Murray) shirt. “I’m never wearing this thing again,” he said. In fact, this was the first time I’d seen in a long time that the openers and the headliners were so buddy-buddy. The last song of Rewards’ set called “Two Cardinals,” he brought all of We Are Scientists out on stage – Keith playing the drums, Chris playing bass, and WAS’s drummer Danny Allen (formerly of Youth Group) on a red Gibson SG. The stage was so full of love you couldn’t help but smile at Keith’s raucous and exuberant drumming. Since Rewards doesn’t actually have any albums or EPs out, I strongly recommend you go check out his MySpace page at Myspace.com/aaronpfenning, seeing that it’s the only place you can check his music out. Unless of course you see him on tour with WAS. Which I recommend even more.
At 10:15, the floor had filled up a bit, and people still clutched the beers they’d previously purchased. Keith Murray, Chris Cain, and Danny Allen came out on stage to very talkative crowd. Seriously, there were multiple exchanges between the guys and the audience. But that’s part of what I love about WAS so much – they’re chatty. Chattiness mixed with wittiness adds up to some hilarious banter. If my memory serves me correctly, they started with “Rules Don’t Stop,” the short and equally as catchy first single off Barbara. I was too excited to keep track of the set list completely, but thankfully my friend Adrian has a ridiculously good memory. So I know what songs they played, just not in what order. There was a mix of old songs like “This Scene is Dead” and “Inaction” and new ones like “Pittsburgh” and “Ambition.” I was disappointed not to hear “It’s A Hit” off With Love And Squalor, their phenomenal major label debut, but as Chris promised me in an interview back in May, we got a wicked version of “Chick Lit.” At one point someone in the front of the crowd demanded a bass solo, because Keith had some awesome guitar solos already. But before giving into the crowd’s demands, Chris gave this unbelievable explanation for what he was about to do. He said that most people who do bass solos care too much about tone, so he was going to play a “real” bass solo. And apparently according to Cain, a real bass solo doesn’t need to be plugged it. So he unplugged and rocked out like a 16-year-old boy playing air guitar to Lynyrd Skynyrd. Writhing around the floor with ridiculous facial expressions and all. And Murray stood there, staring at Chris in awe. Naturally, we all did as well.
There wasn’t much of an encore. Or maybe there was, but there just wasn’t a break between the main set and the encore. They played “The Great Escape,” “After Hours,” and I think it was “Cash Cow.” Or “Callbacks.” This confusion could have been avoided if they’d written down their set list. Thanks, guys.
After this show, I remembered how much I love this band. It had been over two years since I saw them live in Seattle for the first time, and after two days of nervous stomach, I could not have been more pleased. WAS is so full of energy and cheeky happiness that it’s impossible to not have fun. And chilling outside the Doug Fir after the show, it was so pleasant to finally talk to them in person. After chatting with Danny for a good ten minutes about touring in podunk towns and how it differs from Australia, I formally introduced myself to Chris.
“I’m Abby. I actually talked to you on the phone a couple months ago, for PopWreckoning?”
“Oh, you’re that Abby? Well thank you for your personal and professional interest in our band,” he said.
And then my friends and I threatened Chris and told him that they had to play “Lethal Enforcer” in Seattle, because it’s such a good tune – seriously, it’s like someone spoon-feeding awesome directly into your ears. There were hugs all around and we went along on our way because the owners of the Doug Fir told us that we couldn’t sit in the parking lot anymore seeing that it was about 2 a.m.
I took the next day to drive home and recover so I’d be ready for another day of We Are Scientists in Seattle, at the same venue I’d seen them play at two years ago at Neumo’s.
Wednesday night already started out great because I found free parking, so nothing could really ruin my night. Thankfully, nothing did.
That night WAS played an acoustic in-store at Sonic Boom Records on Capitol Hill before their show at Neumo’s, and from when I saw, because I was late, they played “After Hours,” “Jack and Ginger,” and “Rules Don’t Stop,” all while sitting criss-cross on the makeshift wooden stage. Before playing “Jack and Ginger,” Keith told everyone, “We’re playing a much more stripped down set at Neumo’s tonight,” because he’s just that sarcastic.
Just like Monday’s show at the Doug Fir, it took forever for Neumo’s to fill up. I didn’t have to stand up at the front from the beginning to get my spot. I had time to sit up in the bar. It was like a whole new world, because I’d never been upstairs in Neumo’s before. And I also had time to go talk to Keith who was peddling t-shirts and vinyls at the merch table and pick up a new copy of With Love And Squalor for Adrian who was sitting outside because she was not quite 21 yet, and she’d worn out her copy. Keith looked at me perplexed, “Wore it out? What did she do, rub it in grit?”
Aaron Pfenning took the stage, pre-empting his performance with, “my hologram band from Vancouver got held up at immigration.” This time he didn’t sport the Tommy Bahama shirt, but a slightly more dressed up ensemble, matched with his Marty McFly Nike high-tops. Again Rewards rocked it, at one point taking a step down in the crowd, tugging the mic cord behind him and meandering around the scarcely populated room.
Along with Rewards, WAS had a second opener, Seattle vintage rockers Black Whales. They weren’t nearly as intriguing as Rewards, but equally as catchy and more energetic, taking melodic cues from The Kinks and Bob Dylan. It was hook-y tambourine-laden guitar rock. Stuff that you and you parents could enjoy. I quite liked “Books of Tape,” with its ultra danceable beat and non-stop catchiness, from verse to bridge to chorus.
The title track off their EP Origins, released on Mt. Fuji records, was also a nice little ditty. Head on over to Black Whales’ MySpace for more information about their music and where to purchase their EP.
At this point Neumo’s had not quite maximum capacity – surely nothing like an all-ages show. WAS came out on stage to the excited crowd and started right in to “Nice Guys,” after Chris proclaimed to the audience “Welcome to Seattle.” A couple seconds later Keith replied, “Are you talking to me and Danny?” He wasn’t, Keith.
Again, the guys’ banter never gets old. Keith and Chris should seriously moonlight as stand-up comedians. After a couple oldies but goodies (the set list was virtually the same as Portland’s show), we got to rock out to “I Don’t Bite,” one of my favorite tracks off Barbara. It’s the heaviest song on the album, and employs Keith’s strong vocals (which I’m glad they brought back into the forefront for Barbara. It’s the one thing that I think Brain Thrust Masterywas sadly lacking.)
I may have been the only one standing right up front singing along to every song, at least the correct lyrics. Just like Adrian told me, I know We Are Scientists’ music so well that I can tell which song is coming next by how Keith tunes his guitar. And as soon as Keith started tuning his Telecaster for “Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt,” I knew it was would get the room moving. And it surely did. I mean, how can you not dance and sing along to “My body is your body, if you wanna use my body, go for it yeah!” It’s infectious. In fact, that’s how I can describe them – We Are Scientists is infectious, but in the best possible way. “It’s A Hit” wasn’t on the set list again, but thankfully Adrian was outside keeping track of all the songs in order, because I forgot my notebook to write it down (thanks, my friend). Actually as soon as the band was about to start “Rules Don’t Stop,” Keith started laughing flailing wildly on stage. He looked absolutely crazy, but it turned out that he was waving at Adrian standing outside in the back because a security guard had opened the door to let some of the hot air out.
During the encore, Chris started to explain to the audience that they’d be having a special guest come out for one of the songs.
“Eddie Vedder!” someone shouted from the audience.
Oh, Seattle.
“No, it’s not Eddie Vedder,” Chris replied sharply.
Aaron Pfenning came out to play the haunting “Two Cardinals” with them, Keith on drums, Chris on bass and Danny on lead guitar just like Portland.
It was such a special night. I honestly apologize for the length of this post, because I’m sure you’re probably getting tired of reading at this point. That’s why I’ve posted videos and pretty pictures to look at. But with it having been two years since I saw We Are Scientists, my favorite band in the whole wide world, I felt like I had to capture every detail. Because that’s really what we’re doing – telling stories. To make you feel like you’re there.
I’m just incredibly thankful that I had the chance to be there for both shows, because not only is We Are Scientists a great live band with sidesplitting banter and loving stage presence, but they’re also awfully lovely guys. If you get the chance to see them on the rest of this tour, don’t hesitate to approach Keith, Chris or Danny and tell them how awesome they are.
Seattle Set List:
1. Nice Guys
2. This Scene is Dead
3. Inaction
4. I Don’t Bite
5. Impatience
6. Let’s See It
7. Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt
8. Rules Don’t Stop
9. Chick Lit
10. Pittsburgh
11. Ambition
12. Break It Up
13. Dinosaurs
14. Great Escape
15. Jack & Ginger
16. Two Cardinals (w/ Rewards)
17. After Hours
Here’s a couple videos from the in-stores.
Check out even more photos from the shows HERE and HERE.
One very good option this past boiling Friday night in Washington was to head into the decidedly more comfy confines (read: well air-conditioned) of the Black Cat to see We Are Scientists gig on the main stage. This time, they’d brought with them two opening acts, girl group Bad Girlfriend and Lightspeed Champion (aka Dev Hynes).
I tend to be overly critical of girl bands. Especially if they’ve got long blonde locks and are dressed in polka-dotted, super short dresses. But the truth is, they have so much to prove in the male-dominated music industry, and that means they have to really rock and prove themselves a hundred times over to audiences and critics. With the unsigned Brooklyn band Bad Girlfriend, I wasn’t too impressed with their vocals – a song titled “Blonde Rocket” isn’t really my thing – but their garage fierce guitar-playing leads me to think there’s something there, if it’s not obvious on the surface. The sound is very Californian – jangly guitars with vocals, kind of similar to what the Like and Surfer Blood are doing these days (somewhat aping the Beach Boys‘s vibe), but the songs aren’t as strong as those groups.
Next up was Lightspeed Champion. I first came to know of Dev Hynes‘s solo work by hearing the ‘tude-filled and hook-laden “Marlene” on BBC6music, so I was expecting to hear this recent single at this show. No such luck. Hynes, seemingly always wearing his New York Yankees baseball cap, played Friday night with nothing but his guitar and a Macbook for backing. If you’re into uncomplicated sweet pop songs, this would have been the set for you.
One girl at the front knew every word to every song Hynes played, so I’m glad she was up front, but I think I can speak for the rest of the crowd, we were mostly lost. For example, “Galaxy of the Lost”, with the lyrics of ” well kiss my open wounds, and add some ice, and choke on my sick vice,” is more heart-wrenching and probably would have worked better with a less happy-go-lucky, indie rock band than We Are Scientists. Hynes has a strong singing voice as evidenced by songs like “Midnight Surprise”, it’s just that the audience there that night at the Black Cat were mostly the kind who didn’t appreciate his type of mostly baroque pop.
We Are Scientists began their set shortly after 11. By this time, the club had mostly filled up and it was feeling a little cramped in the front. The Black Cat hosts mostly all-ages shows, so by now, those who could drink had already thrown back a couple and were being generally obnoxious. The band’s latest album Barbara was just released in mid-June so I knew they’d be playing songs from that album. The most disappointing thing about the whole night was that it became crystal clear to me that most people there didn’t have a clue that the band had new songs, let alone that they had a new album out. Um, there’s this thing called the internet? “Nice Guys” started the set with appropriate high energy, but the crowd wasn’t with lead singer / guitarist Keith Murrayand bassist Chris Cain. I love the song, the way it’s frenetic and poppy. But the crowd wasn’t feeling it.
The next song, “This Scene is Dead” from their debut With Love and Squalor, went down far better, everyone in the club dancing along. As the night went on, it was obvious the old favorites – “Inaction,” “Dinosaurs”, and “The Great Escape” (introduced by Cain as their best dance song) just three examples – that the majority of the crowd had come to see. Peppered throughout the band’s set was Murray and Cain’s always funny conversations with each other and with the crowd; I’m not sure if all the joking was causing them to make count-in mistakes, but it really didn’t matter because like cats, they always landed on their feet with something terribly amusing to say to us and everyone forgot that there was a “mistake” in the first place. Another mistake I spied was by a girl who had pushed herself to the front and had elbowed all of us out of the way. In her effort to be “seen” by the band, she waved her arms frantically during the last third of the set, and then clapped enthusiastically to new song “Jack and Ginger,” blissfully unaware that she was clapping completely off the rhythm. She also stole a set list from the stage later, which all regular Cat gig-goers know is bad etiquette.
I don’t know about you, but to me, a We Are Scientists gig seems to be the last place you’d see canoodling. But there was a couple right up front, making out during “Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt” while me and new friends I’d made at the concert rolled our eyes and looked away to stop ourselves from getting sick. I guess if you had to choose a song to make out to, that would be the one. I just wasn’t expecting anyone to do it at a gig. I mean, really. Get a room. Or at least go to the side and get out of our way. We want to groove to “Chick Lit” and “It’s a Hit” and you’re really distracting us.
An aborted attempt of Cain’s to start encore song “Cash Cow” causes him to fool around with this bass, concocting several possible lines to be Murray’s “theme song” until Murray is happy with it and the audience cheers for him at the just the right moment. See, with any other band, five false starts would be cause for cat-calls and groaning. But not for our We Are Scientists. They’re funny, they’re real, and for goodness sakes, they play some great rock. And if you haven’t seen them live yet, go. You are in for a real treat.
We Are Scientists Set List
Nice Guys
This Scene is Dead
Inaction
I Don’t Bite
Impatience
Let’s See It
Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt
Rules Don’t Stop
Chick Lit
Pittsburgh
Ambition
It’s a Hit
Dinosaurs
The Great Escape
Jack and Ginger
After Hours
//
Cash Cow
Tour Dates:
Jul 19 – Horseshoe Tavern / Toronto
Jul 20 – Blind Pig / Ann Arbor, MI
Jul 21 – Bottom Lounge / Chicago
Jul 23 – Larimer Lounge / Denver
Jul 26 – Doug Fir / Portland
Jul 27 – Biltmore Cabaret / Vancouver
Jul 28 – Neumo’s / Seattle
Aug 06 – Troubadour / Los Angeles
Aug 07 – Slim’s / San Francisco
Aug 08 – Cellar Door / Visalia, CA
Aug 10 – Kilby Court / Salt Lake City
Aug 12 – Record Bar / Kansas City, MO
Aug 13 – Old Rock House / St. Louis
Aug 14 – Basement / Columbus
Aug 15 – Brillobox / Pittsburgh
Sept 03 – Fountain Square / Cincinnati
“Are you ready to rock?” asked a jovial Barry Hyde of the Futureheads Friday night. Cheering ensued. He flashed an evil grin. “You’re in the right place, because we are too!” The Sunderland, England punk rock quartet played a blazing set of favorites old and new to a crowd raring to go at the Black Cat in Washington. Their latest album The Chaos was released in America this past Tuesday on Dovecote Records.
The first of two support acts, the Static Jacks, seemed perfectly matched to the punk sensibility of the headlining Sunderland rockers. This five-member New Jersey band is a band primed for success that you’ve probably never even heard of by name before. According to Wikipedia, tunes by this self-described garage-soul band have graced “The Hills” and “The City” and have been featured on stateside satellite radio. Despite sporting a haircut reminiscent of Lyle Lovett, singer Ian Devaney has the swagger and aura of coolness ofJoey Ramone and the magnetism of the Horrors‘ Faris Badwan. I was standing in front of bassist Spencer Kimmins and guitarist Henry Kaye and nearly got hit in the head by wayward guitar necks; this didn’t put me off at the slightest, because this is what you should expect during a high energy punk set. You don’t expect the bass player to hit a suitcase with a stick like it was a drum either, but you go with it if the music is good. Despite their young age (all of them under 21, according to the Xs on their hands), they have a polished but aggressive sound. If they keep this up, expect big things from this band soon.
The Like, an all-girl group from Los Angeles, have previously toured with some heavy hitters – Muse, the Arctic Monkeys, and Razorlight, just to name a few. Given their sometimes punk, sometimes sunny pop sound, the comparison to the Go-Go’s is inevitable. There are also whiffs of the Beatles(check out the video for “He’s Not a Boy” below, which reminds me of the nightclub dance scenes in “A Hard Day’s Night”) and the Beach Boys with their harmonies. Oddly, their set sandwiched in between the Static Jacks and the Futureheads almost felt like a rest period because they couldn’t match the liveliness of the other two acts. I would have preferred if they stuck to punk (and showcase their technical chops) than with retro pop. Their next album produced by Mark Ronson, Release Me, will be released on June 15 on Downtown Records.
Sunderland, nestled in the far reaches of Northeast England, has been criminally neglected by music pundits in the past, but mark my words, it won’t be for much longer. One of these days someday soon, America will come to its collective senses and realize the wealth of music there, from the likes of Field Music, Frankie and the Heartstrings, and Friday’s headliners the Futureheads. I should have known I was in for an amazing nights simply from a message lead singer/guitarist Barry Hyde sent me hours before the show, “we’re going to rock your socks off!”
The moment Hyde and his band stepped on the Black Cat stage, you could sense the electricity in the air. The driving count-in of “5-4-3-2-1!” of “The Chaos” was a superb way to begin a set that never let up in sheer intensity and fun. “Heartbeat Song” was prefaced by Hyde with, “imagine it’s the ’80s. You’re in a John Hughes film, and you’ve just fallen in love.” Wow. It’s the obvious earworm single of The Chaos, and was simply breathtaking live as a pop-punk masterpiece. I previously linked to the excellent promo video for the song on a tour announcement 2 months ago, but check out this “making of” video that shows you just how fun these guys are.
Their roadie had painstakingly taped down all the guitar cords onstage, and this was because guitarist Ross Millard, bassist Jaff Craig, and most often Hyde himself could be found roaming the stage while frenetically going at their instruments with gusto. By the second song in, all of them were covered in sweat. Having never seen this band before live, I was not expecting the very funny stage patter from Hyde and the interaction between him, Millard, and Craig. It made an already stellar gig even better, and I’d argue they rank up there with We Are Scientists for pure during-gig hilarity. Early on in the show, Hyde chided a drunk couple who had been chatting throughout the set, one of whom had thrown a empty glass at his feet. “You do know this is a gig, right?” The crowd cheered in response.
During their cover of Kate Bush‘s “Hounds of Love,” Hyde involved the audience in a shouting contest, as Millard was unable to do his harmonies due to a sore throat, Hyde admitting he was scared to sing part of a song that he’d never done live before. Aww. (If you were wondering, my side singing along with Craig won the contest due to our enthusiasm in participating.) For the encore, Hyde indulged a devoted fan as the band played “Man Ray” from their 2004 self-titled debut album, saying to her, “after every single song we’ve played you shouted for this.” Just goes to show that persistence, in the presence of a obliging band, pays off. After such an energetic set, it was obvious that these chaps from Sunderland could have played on for hours and hours and the crowd would have eaten it all up. I can’t wait to see these guys again soon.
The Futureheads Set List
The Chaos
Meantime
Heartbeat Song
Decent Days and Nights
The Baron
Area
Struck Dumb
Sun Goes Down
Skip to the End
The Connector
I Can Do That
The Beginning of the Twist
Hounds of Love (Kate Bush cover)
Jupiter
//
This is the Life
Man Ray
Work is Never Done
Tour Dates
Jun 07 – Paradise / Boston
Jun 08 – Bowery Ballroom / New York City
Jun 10 – Mod Club / Toronto
Jun 11 – Magic Stick / Detroit
Jun 12 – Lincoln Hall / Chicago
If awards for humor were given out to rock musicians, Chris Cain and Keith Murray of We Are Scientists would be the first recipients of such an honor. (What other band would dare include a guide called “Rules of Romance” in their album’s liner notes?) Rock stars are constantly being quoted as saying, “we don’t take ourselves too seriously,” but in the case of We Are Scientists, you definitely get the feeling from their communications with the world (blog entries about horse blankets, silly and self-deprecating Tweets, and faux-cocky Facebook posts) that this band takes those words to heart. In every interview they do, it’s obvious that Cain and Murray are close friends, which no doubt is one of the major keys to their success.
The Scientists split from their label, Virgin, in late 2009 and are now with Masterswan Recordings/Megaforce Distribution. Beyond that, they have also taken a more DIY approach with their forthcoming, highly anticipated third major album, Barbara, produced by long-time collaboratorAriel Rechtstaid. In addition, there was a personnel change: beardy ex-Razorlight drummer Andy Burrows played drums on this album and if the liner notes are to be believed, he is now an official member of the band, even though he hasn’t been seen playing live with Cain and Murray at every one of their gigs this year.
On this outing, the band have eschewed the fanciful synths fromBrain Thrust Mastery in favor of the formula that made them indie cult favorites with their first major album With Love and Squalor: incisive lyrics, guitar, bass, and drums. From that description alone, I guessed that fans of the first album would immediately take to this album, whereas those who favored the second would not be as impressed (I fall into the latter). Both “Rules Don’t Stop” and “I Don’t Bite” sound a bit sinister but then turn the corner into classic WAS – melodic, hook-driven melodies with memorable singalong choruses.
These two plus “Nice Guys” and “Jack & Ginger,” the first four songs, are where Barbara shines: the crux of We Are Scientists‘ most successful tunes are immediate, pop melodies with Murray’s frank, funny, and witty lyrics. Check out the funny promo video for “Nice Guys” below; it’s the next single from the album to be released on June 8, just 1 week ahead of the album’s official debut. The low-tech video features humorous but nonsensical captions, Murray’s now-famous red and white Reeboks, and his shenanigans with a scooter around New York City. You can’t help but laugh with these guys.
Then the album turns decidedly darker. “Pittsburgh,” “Ambition,” and “Foreign Kicks” point back to the slower, more stolid “Textbook” of With Love and Squalor and “Ghouls” and “Tonight” of Brain Thrust Mastery; dirge-like, they’re not terribly melodic, and lyrically, they’re not very deep either. “Break It Up” is more upbeat, the sort of track I envision dance instructors who know nothing about the band pick for their class mixtapes for a bouncy, ’80s sound. On a WAS record however, it seems out of place. I’m not complaining though; I’d much rather hear faster tempo songs from this band.
See, the free-wheeling guitars (check out the guitar solo in the bridge) and fun chorus of “Central AC”, the last track on Barbara, lift things way back up and remind you of why you listen to We Are Scientists in the first place. You can imagine them singing this onstage, genuine smiles all around. It’s a good album but it’s noticeably lacking an obvious crowd-pleaser like “The Great Escape” or “Chick Lit,” the kind that fans go crazy over at their shows. That said, the WAS live experience is so unique that even if you aren’t immediately bowled over by this album, go to one of their gigs and prepare to be entertained. And to laugh your head off.
Barbara will be released on June 15 in America on Masterswan Recordings/Megaforce Distribution. Catch the band play these new tunes on their North American tour in July.
Track Listing:
01. Rules Don’t Stop
02. I Don’t Bite
03. Nice Guys
04. Jack & Ginger
05. Pittsburgh
06. Ambition
07. Break It Up
08. Foreign Kicks
09. You Should Learn
10. Central AC
Tour Dates:
Jul 13 – Middle East / Cambridge, MA
Jul 14 – Bowery Ballroom / New York City
Jul 15 – Johnny Brenda’s / Philadelphia
Jul 16 – Black Cat / Washington, DC
Jul 19 – Horseshoe Tavern / Toronto
Jul 20 – Blind Pig / Ann Arbor, MI
Jul 21 – Bottom Lounge / Chicago
Jul 23 – Larimer Lounge / Denver
Jul 26 – Doug Fir / Portland
Jul 28 – Neumo’s / Seattle
With the release of their new album Barbara in just under a month, We Are Scientists has spent the last year recording across two continents, playing at small gigs in the U.S. and UK, and a showcase at SXSW in March. Next month, coming right off the Barbara release, the band will be playing at the Glastonbury Festival on June 27th.
I recently got the chance to talk toChris Cain, bassist of We Are Scientists about the upcoming album, leaving a major label, and British snack foods. Plus, We Are Scientists just happens to be my favorite band ever, so it was kind of a dream come true. Check out the full interview (with a couple hints of sarcasm) below.
Abby Williamson, PopWreckoning: Hi, how are you doing this fine afternoon? Chris Cain, We Are Scientists: I’m pretty darn good. AW: Alright, let’s do this thing. I, of course, will be buying Barbara here in just over a month, but why should other people buy Barbara? CC: Well, I think it’s a good pop record. It’s got a bunch of pleasing kicks… It’s got funny liner notes. I’m gonna say that it’s got REALLY funny liner notes. AW: Funny liner notes are always good. I’ve read some pretty sweet ones this year. What should people expect from listening to Barbara? Since you’ve gone back to the three-piece formula, is this going to be more like With Love And Squalor or Brain Thrust Mastery? CC: It’s more like WLAS in a superficial sense. I think it will strike people as more WLAS-esque, cause it tends to be drums, bass, guitar, and two or three vocal parts, so that’s more like the first record. I think the songwriting and the melodic sense and things like that which are a little more subtle and difficult to quantify are similar to BTM and sort of an extension further forward from BTM, which I think was an extension forward from WLAS.
AW: Why did you leave Virgin Records and go at it alone this time? CC: I think right now it’s the only tolerable way to go, the kind of route that we’re going, especially for a band that’s already established a little bit of headway and has kind of a fan base. We considered staying with [Virgin], we were talking to them about doing another record there, but they’re corporate mandated for a really invasive contract right now. They need to have a piece of all aspects of the band, I think in order to defray the likeliness that they’ll lose money on a record. And they want a piece of live business, and the merch and everything else, which is totally standard in the major label industry right now, but I don’t think it’s very equitable for bands who aren’t used to it, and it strikes you as preposterous. I think a lot of young bands are signing to those terms right now, and I think that the only upside of that is the companies that are on the contracts will probably out of business in the next couple of years, so they probably won’t be held to them for very long. It’s a tough time to be a band on a major label.
AW: What would you say is different in the recording process now that you’re independent from the major label? CC: We recorded the first record on our own, and sold it to Virgin as part of the signing, so the only record we’ve ever recorded on a label, so to speak, is Brain Thrust Mastery, which was more stressful, and kind of annoying to record. Not to say that they were annoying, necessarily, but to record on a major, there are a number of people who want their say in shaping the sound of the record. I don’t think we’re overly precious about our songs or our creative rights, but at the end of the day, we like our take on things better than someone else that’s forced to listen to other people. I think also because we were on a major, we went ahead and spent more money on the studio. This time we were much more frugal where we could be. Not to say we were miserly, but in working with Andy [Burrows] on this record, getting everyone’s schedules changed up, and through lots of travel, the record certainly wasn’t cheap to make. We were less willing to pay for a fancy lounge with a pool table at a studio. Last time that’s all we cared about.
AW: Speaking of Andy, will he be going on tour with you coming up or will Danny [Allen] be the set drummer for this tour? CC: It’s looking like Danny’s going to be doing the bulk of the drumming. Andy will be making surprise appearances here and there. AW: Because [Andy’s] working on his own solo record right now, isn’t he? CC: Yeah, he’s got his solo record coming out in July actually. So he’s in the thick of the same thing we are, except that it’s his first record, and it’s a little less intense. He’s gonna be busy for much of this record cycle with his own thing. But both Andy and [Keith and I] feel like if we do the next record together we’re going to make sure that the record cycles don’t overlap.
AW: When you did SXSW was that more to help your profile in America? We know that you guys tour the UK more because you have a bigger audience there and make more money there versus the US, but can you see yourselves ever giving America a real shot? Like touring America in some crappy van going to as many cities as you can? CC: Yeah, we’re actually going to that this summer, except for the crappy van part. We’ve got a deluxe – I mean our van isn’t luxurious – but it’s a performance automobile. AW: So the tour is this summer? CC: We haven’t announced it yet, but we’re gonna play shows over the course of July and August, we’ll make a full circuit of the states. The U.S. is gonna get a full tour before anyone else. AW: Sweet CC: We’re giving the U.S. the first crack.
AW: What’s your favorite song to perform off the new album? CC: Let’s see. (Pauses) That’s a tough question. “I Don’t Bite” is pretty fun from a rocking out standpoint, but “Rules Don’t Stop” is pretty fun because it’s the toughest to play in terms of getting everything to lock in. So maybe “Rules Don’t Stop” is really fun when it works.
AW: Will there be keyboards on tour? Cause some songs off Brain Thrust Mastery like “Lethal Enforcer” had keyboards, or will it be just the three of you guys? CC: It’s just gonna be the three of us, and we’ve been working on rearranging Brain Thrust Mastery songs for three. For example, I think we’ve got a really cool sounding “Chick Lit” worked out, but we have not cracked the “Lethal Enforcer” code yet. That is one of our big goals for the live shows, is to get “Lethal Enforcer” up and running.
AW: What’s your favorite city that you’ve ever played in, in terms of the shows? CC: Well I think the shows that are the most fun are not necessarily the hugest volume of people, but anything between 500-1000 people are the ideal size, with an audience that’s super excited to have you there. So that more often happens in the UK than elsewhere, but we have good shows in a lot of America and Europe, but the great shows are not always in your favorite city. Sometimes the kids who are living in desperately shitty towns are most excited to escape their daily lives at your show.
AW: Will the dolls from the “Nice Guys” single art make any more appearances? CC: I don’t know. We haven’t planned anything yet, but if we had any more skill as video makers we would have done some kind of animated video. Fortunately, all we had was a truly badass scooter rider. We’re actually talking about doing a poster for a fall tour featuring those dolls. There was somebody at our European distributor who wanted to talk about merchandising those dolls, but I feel like the world isn’t quite hungry enough for We Are Scientists dolls yet.
AW: Does [your son] Dash know that he’s in the “Nice Guys” video? Like is he old enough to be aware of it? Or did he just think that he was following Keith around? CC: He knew he was making the video, and he has reviewed his own performance in the video a couple of times. He’s pretty happy with the work he did. Any actor has a little bit of a tough time watching their own work. AW: Does Dash have a favorite We Are Scientists song? (SILENCE. I lost the connection momentarily. Re-dialing, ring, ring, ring.) CC: Hey! AW: I lost the connection with your for a second. CC: Yeah, sorry, I’m in the car, so if I cut out just call back. But what was your last question? AW: Oh, does Dash have a favorite We Are Scientists song? CC: Sure he does. [Indiscriminate child noises] Hey Dash, what’s your favorite We Are Scientists song? [More indiscriminate child noises] He says butt. [More noises] I think “Pittsburgh” is his favorite right now, but he’s refusing to say anything, but ‘butt’ with two t’s.
AW: Do you and Keith plan on making any more of your own videos like you did with “Nice Guys?” CC: I think the next single will be August, so it will sort of depend on what we’re up to at the time the video needs to be made. If we had the time, I think it would be fun. We enjoy it, I don’t think we necessarily make very good videos, but we enjoy it. AW: Well, they’re charming. CC: Yeah, charming.
AW: What are some of the best presents you’ve gotten on tour from fans? CC: Probably the best present of all time was a gift from Adrian, the doll maker. Those crazy voodoo dolls were pretty awesome. That was a long time ago, but more recently there’s been a group of fans in the UK who, whenever they see us, bring me a book for Dash, which is pretty cool, then I read it to him over Skype. It’s helpful, it’s a useful gift, you know? AW: Yeah, it’s practical. What’s been the most memorable moment on tour so far? CC: Let’s see. We haven’t really done a lot of touring, we’ve only done isolated shows here and there, but the show we played at the Roundhouse, Camden Crawl a couple of weeks ago was really great, because it was the first larger show over 200 people that we’ve played coming back on this record. It’s kind of a cool reminder of what that’s like, cause we had all forgotten it.
AW: The new tee shirts [on the We Are Scientists site] are really awesome, but is Keith planning on getting his own shirt like you have “Bass your life on Chris?” CC: I think we’ll unroll a Keith shirt at some point during this album cycle. The “Bass your life on Chris” shirt was burning a hole in our creative pockets, so to speak. It had been ready to launch for many months, and we felt like it was a pretty strong way to lead off the campaigning, to maybe put us in Coldplay territory next year. I think when we’re safely at that next level it’ll be a good time to risk a Keith shirt. We’ll have to come up with a good pun for it, that’s the problem.
AW: Are there any more plans for TV shows like “Steve Wants His Money?” CC: We are talking to MTV Europe, who made “Steve Wants His Money,” about doing a half-hour show, but more of a standard sitcom-type deal. We have not finalized it, but we’re in discussion. At this point part of the problem is finding time to shoot something like that. Cause “Steve Wants His Money” was shot in four days, and I think if we shot 8 episodes of a sitcom it would require at least two or three months, which might not happen until the end of this tour cycle.
AW: I actually had a friend that wanted me to ask you this – what are your thoughts concerning Marmite? CC: Marmite? AW: Yes. CC: I enjoy Marmite. I’ve had Marmite-flavored – I wish I could remember what they’re called – they’re a very popular sort-of pretzel-like snack available in the UK. I assume also in Australia. Super delicious. The kind that you would buy at any supermarket. I forget the name, but boy are they good. Oh, are they twiggets? AW: Maybe I’ll Google it. (I did, and they’re called Twiglets, in case you were wondering.) CC: We don’t have them here. AW: On that note, I should probably let you go, and I don’t want to take up any more of your time. Thank you for talking to me! CC: Absolutely, absolutely. Thanks for taking the time to interview me. Presumably you’ll have to do something with this even after we get off the phone, like write something up.
July
8 – Hultsfred, Sweeden / Hultsfred Festival
10 – Balado, Kinross-Shire, Scotland / T in the Park
11 – Punchestown Racecourse, Naas, Ireland / Oxegen Festival
13 – Cambridge MA / The Middle East
15 – Philadelphia PA / Johnny Brenda’s
16 – Washington DC / Black Cat
After debuting “Nice Guys,” the second single off their upcoming album Barbara, on Zane Lowe’s BBC Radio 1 Program, We Are Scientists have now released the video and cover art for the “Nice Guys” single. The video, which can be now seen at The Sun online, features Keith Murray racing through suburban city streets on a child’s scooter, and eating pavement just as much. And it also includes some recognizably misheard lyrics scrolling across the screen, which is also a testament to the Scientists’ strong sarcastic sense of humor. Instead of “If you’re the nice guy, act like the nice guy,” the closed captioning says, “Act like the night sky, act like the night sky.”
The video is only available at The Sun’s website, but as soon as it’s uploaded to Youtube, we’ll be sure to include it right here at PopWreckoning.
The cover art, both nostalgic and a bit nonsensical, is characteristic of We Are Scientists’ relationship with their fans, and their fans’ overwhelming love for them. The dolls featured on the cover were actually made and given to the Scientists by a friend of mine, Adrian Stone.
“Nice Guys” will be officially released on June 7, and Barbara will be released on June 14.
And if you can’t wait to see the boys on tour, they won’t be touring regularly in the U.S. until at least the fall, but they will be hitting up several festivals and smaller gigs in Europe this summer.
May 2: Roundhouse, London
June 27: Glastonbury
July 9: T In The Park
August 27: Leeds Festival
August 28: Reading Festival
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Concert Calendar
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