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WE ARE SCIENTISTS: BARBARA
(Masterswan; June 15)
New York based indie rockers, We Are Scientists, hard at work (and play) in the UK for most of this year, will release their fourth and by all accounts best studio album, Barbara, on June 15th 2010. The album follows the We Are Scientists rock music brand by including beat-driven, melody-wrapped, harmony-draped, lyrically-savvy tracks. W.A.S. is Keith Murray and Chris Cain. On Barbara, the duo recruited a brand new set of hands and feet behind the drum kit in the shape of Master Andy Burrows (ex-Razorlight drummer).
The band’s breakthrough success came with their danceable rock debut With Love & Squalor which sold over 100,000 copies in the UK. It featured the lead single “Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt,” accompanied by a hilarious video featuring the band being stalked and chased by a bear. The initial buzz on “Nobody Move…” was so hot that the band landed a performance slot on “Late Show with David Letterman,” their US television debut in December 2005 even before the cd was released. “The Great Escape,” and “It’s a Hit,” were released as follow-up singles. Brain Thrust Mastery, the band’s sophomore effort, charted at 11 in the UK album chart, with two top 40 singles “After Hours” and “Chick Lit.”
With Barbara, devoted We Are Scientists fans will hear a record that more closely resembles With Love & Squalor in its tendency to sound like three guys playing, singing and drinking and, very occasionally, cussing. Recent converts will appreciate the continuation of melodic and lyrical trends begun on Brain Thrust Mastery. Barbara features efficient pop singles like “Rules Don’t Stop” and “Nice Guys”, as well as expansive harmonic adventures such as the tracks, “Pittsburgh” and “Foreign Kicks.”
We Are Scientists describe their output as “rock music of the thoughtful, sometimes epic, often loud, vaguely danceable, implicitly humanist variety” and their gigs are notoriously wacky, often featuring jokes and banter between the band and their devoted following.
Additionally, Keith & Chris created and starred in a series of television shorts called “Steve Wants His Money.” The series premiered in October 2009 during the Lil MTV program on MTV UK. The episodes were made available to watch on MTV.co.uk shortly after the premiere. The comical and witty series focuses around We Are Scientists owing an American man named Steve money and consequently running away to England where they attempt to sell off various marketing ideas to musicians, journalists, music DJ’s and promoters.
The band has toured with names such as Art Brut, Arctic Monkeys, Maximo Park, The Mystery Jets, R.E.M., Kings of Leon, Kaiser Chiefs, Editors, The Pixies and many others. The band is set up for an extensive world tour beginning in June 2010. W.A.S will be performing in highly regarded festivals such as Camden Crawl, The Hurricane/Southside Festival, The Glastonbury Festival, Hultsfred Festival, T in the Park Festival, Splendour in the Grass, Reading Festival, Leeds Festival and more. Fall US tour dates to be confirmed.
www.wearescientists.com
RECENT AND UPCOMING TOUR DATES:
April 28: West Palm Beach, FL / Sunfest
May 2: London, UK / Camden Crawl / Roundhouse
June 18: Germany / Southside Festival
June 19: Germany / Hurricane Festival
June 20: Utrecht
June 21: Cambridge
June 22: Wolverhampton
June 24: Sheffield
June 25: Oxford
June 27: UK / Glastonbury Festival
July 8: Sweden / Hultsfred Festival
July 10: UK / T In The Park Festival
July 11: Ireland / Oxegen Festival
August 19: Belgium / Pukkelpop Festival
August 20: Austria / Frequency Festival
August 21: Switzerland / Gampel Open Air Festival
August 23: Munich
August 24: Berlin
August 25: Koln
August 28: UK / Reading Festival
August 29: UK / Leeds Festival |
