We Are Scientists

We Are Scientists
We Are Scientists playing in Montreal, Canada, in 2006
Background information
Origin	Claremont, California
Genre(s)	Indie rock, Post-punk revival, Dance-punk
Years active	2000–present
Label(s)	Virgin
Website	http://www.wearescientists.com/
Members
Keith Murray Chris Cain Max Hart Adam Aronson
Former members
Michael Tapper (2000-2007)

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 previously Michael Tapper (drums and backing vocals). The band's name is not taken from the Cap'n Jazz song of the same name. It 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 brothers. They said no. He asked if they were scientists. They told him that they were musicians, not scientists. To this day, they regret telling the truth. In their own words, the band creates "rock music of the thoughtful, sometimes epic, often loud, vaguely danceable, implicitly humanist variety".

History

The band met while its members attended the Claremont Colleges. Keith Murray and Chris Cain attended Pomona College; Michael Tapper attended Harvey Mudd College just a few blocks away. The trio formed the band after they had graduated, and have frequently performed free shows at the colleges ever since. The band has released two self-made LPs and two self-made EPs - Safety, Fun and Learning (In That Order) LP, Bitchin! LP, In Action 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 are all available on the band's most recent release, Crap Attack, which also includes 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 video for "In Action" was directed by Eric Gross, a college friend who became a filmmaker. 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. It has also been used in the introductions for various Sky Sports channels 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 obtained the Xpression FM number one single on 8th May 2006 with "Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt". In 2007 Was Nominated for NME Best International Band Award later to be won by My Chemical Romance It is reported on their website's news page that they are currently working on a new album, with the name of the album yet to be announced (they've been joking around with some "tentative titles.") On a MySpace bulletin posted by the band on June 26, 2007, the band said that they're in Sausalito, California, recording the album. The band has said that some of the "tentative titles" are "What # of $ Do That Cost?", "Fluffin' Tha Cushions", "Onlookerswatchedinhorror", "Mermaid Stewwwww", "Do Smoke Detectors Detect The Smell Of Smoke?", "YOU ASKED YOU FIND OUT fu*k UP SECRET", "Collective Soul", "DJ Server Wars" and "You Bang, She Bangs, You Want Some...Unh!". It's expected for release March 2008. According to What's The Word, the official title of this album will be Brain Thrust Mastery, after their seminars around the UK. It seems obvious now we know. They will be touring with Kaiser Chiefs at the end of 2007. It was announced on the 1st November 2007 that drummer Michael Tapper would be leaving the band prior to their UK tour.

Live

The group are renowned for their impressive live shows, often mixing pacy renditions of their songs with comedy and entertaining inter-song banter. 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 joked that James Blunt's real name is in fact "James Cunt" (when in reality, it's really Blount, not Blunt or Cunt). Chris also remarked that "That video where he falls off the cliff is fucking sweet!". This is referred to by the band in their commentary on their live show on the DVD with "Crap Attack". 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.

We Are Scientists at Bournemouth International Center, Nov '07

On a recent headline tour, Michael Tapper, the band's drummer, who is usually obscured by the charismatic comedy double act of Chris and Keith, took centre-stage 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.

Website

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.

Discography

Albums

• Safety, Fun, and Learning (in that Order) (April 2002) (Self-released)
• Bitchin' (October 2002) (Self-released)
• In Action (October 2003) (Self-released)
• The Wolf's Hour (December 18, 2004) (Self-released)
• With Love and Squalor (October 17, 2005 [UK]) (January 10, 2006 [USA]) #43 UK
• Crap Attack (November 6, 2006 [UK])
• Brain Thrust Mastery (March 3, 2008 [UK])

Singles

Soundtrack appearances

• "Ode to Star L23" appears in the 2007 film I'll Believe You.
• Their song "Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt" was featured on the CSI: NY episode "Stuck On You."
• The song, "Inaction" was featured on an episode of "The OC"
• The song, "The Great Escape", was featured in the preview for the MTV show "Maui Fever"
• "Lousy Reputation" is featured on SSX on Tour.
• "The Great Escape" was featured on Burnout Revenge and in adverts for Sky Sports
• "Callbacks" was featured on True Crime: New York City
• "The Great Escape" was used over a montage of the Best Movie nominees at the 2007 MTV Movie Awards.
• "Inaction" was featured on the Greek (TV Series) episode "Hazed and Confused".

External links

• Official website
• Official imeem page with band media
• What's the Word- Your Next Best Resource for All We Are Scientists News
• Nebulize My Mind - Featuring the entire out-of-print back library
• We Aren't Scientists- Fan Site
• Session on Radio Campus Paris
• We Are Scientists at Rolling Stone
• [[1] News on new drummer]