We Are Scientists
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| We Are Scientists | ||
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| Background information | ||
| Origin |  Claremont, California |
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| Genre(s) | Indie rock | |
| Years active | 2000–present | |
| Label(s) | Virgin | |
| Website | http://www.wearescientists.com/ | |
| Members | ||
| Keith Murray Chris Cain Michael Tapper |
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We Are Scientists is an American indie rock band formed in 2000 featuring Keith Murray (guitar and lead vocals), Chris Cain (bass guitar and backing vocals) and Michael Tapper (drums and backing vocals).
In their own words, they create "rock music of the thoughtful, sometimes epic, often loud, vaguely danceable, implicitly humanist variety".
We Are Scientists is a New York band, but its roots are in the southern California college where guitarist/vocalist Keith Murray, bassist Chris Cain and drummer Michael Tapper met.
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[edit] History
The band formed while its members attended the Claremont Colleges. Keith Murray and Chris Cain attended Pomona College; Michael Tapper attended Harvey Mudd College. The trio frequently perform free shows at the Colleges.
The band has released two self-made LPs and two self-made EPs - Safety, Fun and Learning (In That Order) LP, Bitching! LP, Inaction EP, and The Wolf's Hour EP - and released their major label debut LP, With Love And Squalor on EMI/Virgin Records. The first three singles are "Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt", "The Great Escape" and "It's a Hit". Every song has a video, and they will all be available on the band's next release, Crap Attack, which will also include b-sides and a live show.
In 2006, We Are Scientists began touring with Arctic Monkeys, Maxïmo Park and Mystery Jets as part of the NME Shockwaves Tour, playing Cardiff and Nottingham en route.
Their music videos typically feature surreal situations such as the band being chased by a man in a grizzly bear costume ("Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt"), having boxing matches ("It's a Hit"), and the three being seemingly connected at the hip throughout an entire day's activities ("The Great Escape"). Three of the videos are directed by Akiva Schaffer.
The band performed "Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt" on the December 19, 2005 episode of the Late Show with David Letterman, and "It's a Hit" on the March 14, 2006 episode of Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Throughout February 2006, "The Great Escape" was heard in a commercial for the 2006 Winter Olympics and on another commercial advertising BBC Radio stations. An instrumental version of "The Great Escape" has been used in a commercial from various television comedy shows airing on British station E4. They recently announced a UK tour for Autumn 2006 with some dates selling out very quickly such as the Glasgow date which sold out in 5 hours.
The group are renowned for their impressive live show, often mixing pacy renditions of their songs with comedy and entertaining conversations.
[edit] Discography
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 (January 10, 2006 [USA]) #43 UK |
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[edit] Singles
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | Album | ||
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| UK Singles Chart | US Hot 100 | US Modern Rock | |||
| 2005 | "Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt" | #56 | - | - | "With Love and Squalor" |
| 2005 | "The Great Escape" | #37 | - | - | "With Love and Squalor" |
| 2006 | "It's a Hit" | #29 | - | - | "With Love and Squalor |
| 2006 | "Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt (reissue)" | #21 | - | #41 | "With Love and Squalor" |
[edit] Trivia
- Their name was inspired by an awkward conversation with a U-Haul employee who was inspecting a van that the band had rented. The U-haul employee, attempting to make polite conversation, asked the three bespectacled band members if they were scientists. They told him that they were musicians, not scientists. To this day they regret it and "...kind of wish we had just lied and gone on a riff about our work in nanotech."
- The band is well known for its website, wearescientists.com. It features an advice column, reviews of random objects, and other humorous articles. The site also has the more traditional features of a band website--discography, merchandise, and a messageboard.
- The band performed an acoustic cover of Hoppipolla by Sigur Rós in the Live Lounge for Jo Whiley on BBC Radio 1.
- The band obtained the Xpression FM number one single on 8th May 2006 with "Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt".
- "We are Scientists" is also a Cap'n Jazz song
- Their song "Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt" was featured on the CSI: NY episode "Stuck On You."
- Murray is a huge fan of the teen dramedy, "The OC" and has hopes of getting his way onto the show somehow.
- The song, "Inaction" was featured on an episode of "The OC"
- The band often engage in inter-song banter. The topic of discussion is often influenced by audience members, and sometimes turns to other bands. In one incident on their recent UK tour, the band were surprised to learn that James Blunt's real name is in fact "James Blount". Chris also remarked that "That video where he falls off the cliff is fucking sweet!".
- The band is known for promoting audience participation during live shows. During the NME tour of 2006 in Bristol, Chris Cain encouraged each audience member to tie their shoe laces up with those of the person to their left. Fortunately, Cain retracted this idea before any major incident occurred.
- The album title With Love and Squalor is derived from a J.D. Salinger short story, "For Esme - With Love and Squalor," which was originally published in The New Yorker and subsequently published in Nine Stories, a compilation of Salinger's short stories.
- At a 2006 show in Phoenix on September 28th, Murray and Cain state that Alice Cooper's Sports Bar = Arizona. Cain also states that the Stevie Nix burger is actually made from bits of Stevie Nix and is still vegetarian.
- Michael Tapper, the band's drummer, who is usually obscured by the charismatic comedy double act of Chris and Keith, took centre-stage on We Are Scientists' recent tour during the encore, taking lead vocals on a theatrical cover of Boys II Men's hit song 'End of the Road'. The song was performed with the three band members singing over a backing track. This song was also featured in an episode of "The OC", entitled 'The Rainy Day Women'. Keith Murray is said to be a huge fan of the show, although it is uncertain if this is what led to their choice of cover.
- At the 2006 Brit Awards, Keith Murray accepted an award on behalf of Arctic Monkeys, claiming to be the new lead member of the band. He sat addressing the camera from a limousine, with the real Arctic Monkeys sat around him, smirking.
- The band are registered as a franchise of Art Brut under the name Art Brut 47.
- The band have recorded a cover of 'Bang Bang Rock and Roll' written by the British Indie Band Art Brut, which can be found on the b-sides album 'Crap Attack.'
