We’re a Fucking Drag
About two years ago, right around the same time Nick and I were recording vocals in a basement in Walnutport, PA, Science Club began writing songs for what would become its first album and second-ever release, a 10-song platter we tongue-in-cheek-ly decided to name Success.
At the time, the album name was more of a joke than an actual appraisal of ourselves as a band. The songs were about teenagers with delusions, grandmothers in ghost towns, man-made gods, serial killers, rapists and people high on drugs. Typical for us, it was not going to be a cheerful record.
We recorded 10 songs for Success in October 2012. Those songs are just starting to see the light of day now.
We’ve released three tracks from the album, one a month for the last month. You can listen to them on our bandcamp page. The songs are “Molly,” “For Red-Headed Wives…” and “S.E.I.” I’m really proud of how these songs turned out and I hope you like them.
Listen to them here:
I Really Mean It
We are great at naming things.
Hey guys, remember when Science Club was a band?
Anyway, happy 2013, ya big goofballs. Here’s the deal:
Success is mostly done. We want to tweak the final tracks then put it out, but we can’t get in touch with Rich to make the last edits (come on, Rich!). We could probably put it out as is, but there are few things that we’d like to polish up. So let’s be optimistic and say that Success will be out this Spring.
Joe’s got a baby and a baby blog, so he might as well be dead.
Nick and I have been writing new songs and working on other, unreleased ones. We’re considering cutting a little EP in NYC sometime in February, but we’ve still got to work some of the logistics out. Pictured above are some ideas for the EP’s name. I forgot this when I was texting with Nick, but I’d really like it to be called Victory Snack EP, to finalize our trio of album titles about the hero journey.
Its incredible any woman has ever kissed me.
Anywho, tru punxz.
Success Track Two: Molly
Science Club has finished the tracks for its debut full length, Success. In anticipation of the album, we present these thoughts on the album’s songs. These are not necessarily about the songs, though some might be. These are not intended to be interpretations or explanations of what the songs on Success will be about.
When I was 14, I tried to write song that sounded like Less than Jake and Blink 182. When I was 19, I tried to write songs that sounded like Modest Mouse. When I was 22, I tried to write songs that sounded like Ted Leo. At 26, I’m trying to write songs that sound like the Mountain Goats.
This song does not sound like the Mountain Goats at all, Part of the reason for this (most of the reason for this) is that I am not as good at writing songs as the guys in the Mountain Goats. Another aspect of it is that I like to rock, and the Mountain Goats often do no rock at all.
The math on this song looks like this: part Mountain Goats, part Fake Problems, part The Thermals, part Titus Andronicus, part Mclusky, a very small part of Warren Zevon. This song isn’t as good as any of those touchstones, but if you can listen to it and not obviously hear any one of those influences over the others, I’ll consider it a win.
You guys haven’t heard it yet, you’re going to like the way the drums sound on this song.
Success Track One: The Best Punk Band in the World
Science Club has finished the tracks for its debut full length, Success. In anticipation of the album, we present these thoughts on the album’s songs. These are not necessarily about the songs, though some might be. These are not intended to be interpretations or explanations of what the songs on Success will be about.
THE BEST PUNK BAND IN THE WORLD
The first band I ever played in was a metal band whose name I forget. I was in this band for exactly two practices. I was the second of two bass players. My job was to play “rhythm” bass: I would mimic the guitar while the other bass player would lay down some slaps. This band featured two drummers, three guitar players and two singers. I remember one of the other dudes pointing out that we were not like Slipknot because only some of us wore masks. That was a very important distinction.
The second band I ever played in was a punk three piece named Frank Burns and we were pretty terrible. We wrote probably 15 songs in the four years we were together and, while I haven’t listening to them in a while, I would estimate that only two of those songs even remotely holds up. My claim to fame in that band was writing two songs: a wordless punk tune that we called “The James Bond Song” because we’re idiots and a poppy little number I named “The Florida Song” because I came up with the bass line while in a guitar shop in Florida.
I was not good at naming songs back then. Some things do not change.
Anyway, Frank Burns played a bunch of shows at local dive bars, rock clubs, basements and skate parks. At first, we seemed like the only punk band in Rochester, NY but after a while we started playing shows with a bunch of reckless fucks named Kicker.
Kicker didn’t realize it at the time, but they were the best punk band in the world. The embodied everything noble, appealing, depressing, tragic and pitiful about punk music. The fought constantly. They fucked up their live shows routinely. The would kiss each other, both on and off stage, to the horror of the crowd and themselves. They were childish, stupid, petty and wrote some great songs and put on some live shows. They were terrible and beautiful and I always think of them whenever I see kids slam-dancing at hardcore shows or getting in debates about trivial philosophies they don’t understand. I love that they are trying to hard to seem like they aren’t trying. I love their contradiction, because I know they are going to either come out of the on the other side as complete people or become The Casualties.
I don’t know what the dudes in Kicker are doing now. The guitarist was in a band with my little brother for a while but he has since fallen off the map. I think one of Kicker’s drummers is in a scream band now. The bass player, who I always envied for being better than me, went to UNLV for college and I haven’t heard anything about him since. I’m sure they’ve all grown up and calmed down and probably look back on their punk band as a big fun embarrassment. One man’s mistakes is another man’s life, I guess.
What’s That Dad’s Email Address?
This is what jokes are. If you don’t like this, you really need to fuck all the way off.
Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City
Two things:
- I could not be more excited about LeBron James’s first NBA Championship. The last time the average person cared about pro basketball in America, the most dominant talent was also its champion. In the last four years, NBA play has been as good as it has ever been (and even better than it used to be) and it is my sincere hope that this will bring more people to the sport. Plus, it establishes the Heat as a true Empire team: they are they Yankees of basketball, and everyone will be coming for them. It’s going to be a great 2012-2013 season.
- I suggest you watch this video. Everyone funny that you like is in it.
X Gonna Give it To You
How to Beat the Heat When You Don’t Have Central Air
by Nate Adams
1) Freeze pops: eat them or take a strip of them and lay em’ across your bare chest. The kind that come in that red clam net are best, because they have yellow pineapple-flavored ones, but Flavor Ice isn’t bad, either.
2) Sit in front of a box fan and stare out the window like that guy from Rear Window (the first one, not the second one).
3) Ordering the coldest, girliest, most calorie-loaded bitch drink from Starbucks, or the equivalent coffee joint near you: What’s cooler than being cool? Being this dude/lady, that’s what.
4) Local-ass ice cream parlors: If you are 18 or younger, go there to ogle the ice cream teens. If you are 18 or over, go there for waffle cones / the chance to feel fat in public. Do not act above or below your age. Both lanes on that road are sad and unseemly (Note: this step does not include Friendly’s, TCBY, Rita’s or any other national chain. That shit is stepped-on. Go somewhere else, the kind of place that gives you a half-pint of soft serve on a cone for $3.00. No distance is too far).
5) Bottoms only around the house
6) Soak a sweatband in cold water and wear it around the house like LeBron James: Repeat as needed.
7) Sleep at Joe Pelone’s house: I’m gonna read all of his Scott Pilgrim books tonight. He can’t stop me.
