We Are Scientists

New Releases: Hawthorne Heights, We Are Scientists, Morningwood, Sharissa

9 Jan 2006 08:44:00 EST

Also due Tuesday is the 'Underworld: Evolution' soundtrack and albums by Bleeding Through and BR5-49.
By Kurt Orzeck

Hawthorne Heights' This Is Who We Are
Photo: Victory Records

Reaching New Heights: They've rammed a couple songs deep into your consciousness ("Ohio Is for Lovers," "Niki FM"), spent 50 weeks on the Billboard albums chart and have a big tour with Fall Out Boy coming up — but now Hawthorne Heights are showing their true colors with their debut DVD, "This Is Who We Are." The disc offers sneaks of three new tunes ("Light Sleeper," "Where Do I Stab Myself in the Ears" and "This Is Who We Are") and is rounded out by radio-show clips, TV spots and the inevitable behind-the-scenes footage.

Exclusive Evolution: Hawthorne's "Where Do I Stab Myself" finds itself remixed Legion of Doom-style on the soundtrack to "Underworld: Evolution." Sixteen bloody tracks are stacked onto the platter, some of them chopped into remixes, and they're all exclusive (well, for now, at least). Linkin Park's Chester Bennington puts Julien-K in a stranglehold on "Morning After," while My Chemical Romance, Cradle of Filth, Atreyu, Slipknot and Alkaline Trio also rise to the occasion. Meat Beat Manifesto, in the meantime, devolve to their earlier sound with "Suicide," which marks their first use of vocals in six years.

Weird Science: Speaking of evolution, after months as fixtures on mtvU — with "Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt" and "Inaction" — We Are Scientists are finally letting loose the anxious, caged beast that is their debut LP. And it's got three cats on the cover. The Scientists expand their zoo with "Cash Cow," elsewhere making their "Great Escape" and solemnly declaring "This Scene Is Dead." That's With Love and Squalor, in stores meow.

Morning Glory: Brooklyn's Scientists have to make some room for fellow New York rookies Morningwood, who are sporting their self-named maiden release this week. Produced by Gil Norton (Pixies, Foo Fighters), the record finds 23-year-old crooner Chantal Claret urging listeners to "Take Off Your Clothes," "Ride the Lights" and take it to the "Nth Degree" — on a dance floor, one can only hope.

Song Title of the Week:

"Let Jesus Make You Breakfast" (BR5-49's Dog Days)

Other Notables:

Sharissa's Every Beat of My Heart: R. Kelly's found himself caught in a number of different, uh, dilemmas in his "Trapped in the Closet" series, but he digs himself into deeper drama on Sharissa's sophomore LP, Every Beat of My Heart. On the duet "In Love With a Thug," Sharissa bemoans the drug dealer she fell in love with, voiced by Kelly. On a lighter note, the starlet finds hip-hop happiness with Wyclef Jean on "Take Me as I Am," goes clubbin' with the Game on "I'm Hot" and teams with Millie Jackson on "I'm Through," which is a play on Bobby Womack's "I'm Through Trying to Prove My Love to You."

Various artists' Hands Across the Water: A Benefit for the Children of the Tsunami: With the one-year anniversary of the Asian tsunami still fresh in mind, a bevy of folksters from the U.S., Scotland and Ireland are making another push for relief. All proceeds from the item — which features Jackson Browne, Vince Gill, Rodney Crowell, John Prine and many others — go to relief efforts.

Mass' Labour of Love, Rema-Rema's Wheel in the Roses and the Wolfgang Press' The Burden of Mules: Seminal indie-rock label 4AD is digging through its warehouse to revive three early releases, all on CD for the first time (but limited to just 1,000 copies apiece). Post-punks Rema-Rema, the label's first artists under the name 4AD, find four early tunes retouched (one was later covered by This Mortal Coil, one by Big Black), while the only album put out by Mass — an arty group featuring three members of Rema-Rema — has original show flyers and some other cool stuff. Related project the Wolfgang Press are also recalled with a revitalized version of their debut.

New Releases:

Armik - Desires (Bolero)
Avid - Altered States (Jetspeed)
Vicky Beeching - Yesterday, Today & Forever (Sparrow)
Bleeding Through - The Truth (Trustkill)
BR5-49 - Dog Days (DualTone)
Eric Burdon - Soul of a Man (SPV)
Brandi Carlile - EP (Columbia)
Chloë - Walking in the Air (Manhattan)
Conga Fury - Dear Friends (Six Weeks)
The Cottars - Forerunner (Rounder)
Dion - Bronx in Blue (Dimensional Music Recordings)
Dragonforce - Inhuman Rampage (Sanctuary)
Drop Dead Gorgeous - Be Mine, Valentine (EP; Rise)
Mary Duff - When Your Old Wedding Ring Was New (Beautiful Music Co.)
John Lord Fonda - Debaser (Citizen)
Frankel - Chatterbox EP (Three Ring)
Glasshead - Daydreams on Jupiter (New School)
Delta Goodrem - Born to Try (DualDisc same day; Epic)
Hurt Locker - Fear in a Handful of Dust (Napalm)
It Dies Today - Forever Scorned (EP; Victory)
Living Loud - Living Loud (Capitol)
Erwin McManus - Barbarian Way: Unleash the Tamed Faith (Thomas Nelson Publishing)
Mairead - Raining Up (Manhattan)
Meav - A Celtic Journey (Manhattan)
Members - At the Chelsea Nightclub (Captain Oi)
Mercury Radio Theater - Blue Eyed Model (Lujo)
Morningwood - Morningwood (Capitol)

Buy Now: Morningwood (Capitol)

Public Announcement - When the Smoke Clears (Boss Entertainment)
Randy - Randy the Band (enhanced; Fat Wreck Chords)
The Satelliters - The Satelliters (Dionysus)
Sharissa - Every Beat of My Heart (Virgin)

Buy Now: Every Beat of My Heart (Virgin)

Sia - Colour the Small One (Astralwerks)
Darden Smith - Field of Crows (Dualtone)
Sons of the San Joaquin - Way Out Yonder (Dualtone)
Soweto Gospel Choir - Blessed (Shanachie)
Switched - Ghosts in the Machine (two CDs; Corporate Punishment)
Tango Red - The Campaign (Reprise)
The Transit War - ¡Ah Discordia! (Orange Peal)
UHF - All Our Golden Tomorrows (Second Story)
We Are Scientists - With Love and Squalor (Virgin)
Read: "We Are Scientists Hope Giving Advice, Running From Bears Is Formula For Fame"
Buy Now: With Love and Squalor (Virgin)
Various artists - A Bluegrass Tale: Pickin' on Nickel Creek (CMH)
Various artists - Afterdark: Milan (Kinkysweet)
Various artists - Another Brick in the Wall, Vol. 2: The Remixes (Cleopatra)
Various artists - All Shook Up: A Reggae Tribute to the King (Trojan)
Various artists - Alright This Time Just the Girls, Vol. 2 (Sympathy for the Record Industry)
Various artists - The Bluegrass Tribute to the Strokes (CMH)
Various artists - Chicano Rap Con Reggaetón (P.R.)
Various artists - Funeral: The String Quartet Tribute to My Chemical Romance (Victory)
Various artists - Hands Across the Water: A Benefit for the Children of the Tsunami (Compass)
Various artists - Heartbreaker: Pickin' on Tom Petty (CMH)
Various artists - "Glory Road" soundtrack (Hollywood)
Various artists - "High School Musical" soundtrack (Disney)
Various artists - "Underworld: Evolution" soundtrack (Lakeshore)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

16 Horsepower - Hoarse (Alternative Tentacles)
The Autumn Offering - Revelations of the Unsung (Victory)
Chet Baker - Chet Baker Plays for Lovers (Concord)
Regina Belle - Love Songs (Columbia/Legacy)
Tony Bennett - Tony Bennett Sings for Lovers (Concord)
Black Market Baby - Coulda Shoulda Woulda: The Black Market Baby Collection (Dr. Strange)
David Bowie - David Live (with unreleased material; Virgin)
Dave Brubeck - Dave Brubeck Plays for Lovers (Concord)
Buckwheat Zydeco - 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Buckwheat Zydeco (Island)
Chicane - Behind the Sun (Xtravaganza)
Climax Blues Band - Rich Man (Fuel 2000)
John Denver- Love Songs (RCA)
Bill Evans - Bill Evans Plays for Lovers (Concord)
Phyllis Hyman - Love Songs (Arista)
The Incredible String Band - The Circle Is Unbroken: Live and Studio 1967-1972 (live; Castle/Ryko)
Etta James - The Definitive Collection (Geffen/UME)
Etta James - Love Songs (RCA)
Brenda Lee - The Definitive Collection (MCA Nashville)
Julie London - The Very Best of Julie London (two CDs; Capitol)
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Family (Geffen/UME)
Mass - Labour of Love (4AD)
Stephanie Mills - Gold (Hip-O)
The Move - Message From the Country (Capitol)
John Jacob Niles - I Wonder as I Wander: Tradition Years (Empire Musicwerks)
Dolly Parton - Love Songs (RCA)
Rema Rema - Wheel in the Roses (4AD)
Reverend Horton Heat - 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Reverend Horton Heat (Hip-O/UME)
Lionel Richie/ Commodores - Gold (two CDs; Motown/UME)
The Righteous Brothers - Gold (two CDs; Polydor/UME)
Nina Simone - The Definitive Collection (Hip-O/UME)
Sloan - Between the Bridges (Koch)
The Statler Brothers - Gold (Mercury Nashville)
Talking Heads - Fear of Music, More Songs About Buildings and Food, Remain in Light and Talking Heads 77 (DualDiscs; Rhino)
U.K. Subs - Complete Riot (New Red Archives)
Kyle Vincent - Gathering Dust - Rare & Unreleased, Vol. 2 (Songtree)
Andreas Vollenweider - White Winds (enhanced; Kin Kou)
Grover Washington Jr. - Gold (Hip-O/UME)
The Wolfgang Press - The Burden of Mules (4AD)
Various artists - Blues Gold (Hip-O/UME)
Various artists - Classic Railroad Songs From Smithsonian Folkways (Smithsonian Folkways)
Various artists - TBS Tunes: Fun Tracks Wisecracks (Rhino)

DVDs:

Asia - "Ultimate Collection" (Classic Rock Legends)
Blues 'N' Trouble - "Lost Deposit" (with CD; Dark Peak)
Dubliners - "Dublin" (Dark Peak)
Bob Geldof - "Geldof in Africa" (two DVDs; Rhino)
Hawthorne Heights - "This Is Who We Are" (Victory)
Living Loud - "Debut Live Concert - Sydney Fox Studios, 2004" (Capitol)
Magna Carta - "In Tomorrow" (Dark Peak)
Kevin McDermott Orchestra - "Boxed Set" (Dark Peak)
Donnie Munro and Friends - "Boxed Set" (Dark Peak)
Motörhead - "Stage Fright" (SPV)
Mountain - "Live in Texas 2005" (United States Distribution)
Nazareth - "Naza' Live" (Dark Peak)
The Rolling Stones - "Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out" (Classic Rock Legends)
Kim Waters - "In the Groove" (Shanachie)
Various artists - "One for the Money: The Birth of Rock 'n' Roll" (Passport)

Coming Attractions:

January 17

Aaron Carter - Come Get It: The Very Best of Aaron Carter (Jive)
Buy Now: Come Get It: The Very Best of Aaron Carter (Jive)
Say Anything - Say Anything ... Is a Real Boy (J)
Too Short - Pimpin' Inc. (with DVD; Up All Night)

January 24:

Cat Power - The Greatest (Matador)
P.O.D. - Testify (Atlantic)
Yellowcard - Lights and Sounds (with DVD; Capitol)

"Yellowcard Move To New York, Write LP About Hating Los Angeles"

Buy Now: Lights and Sounds (Capitol)

January 31:

Heather Headley - In My Mind (RCA)
She Wants Revenge - She Wants Revenge (Geffen)
Warren Zevon - Reconsider Me: The Love Songs (Artemis)

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We Are Scientists Hope Giving Advice, Running From Bears Is Formula For Fame

15 Nov 2005 08:28:00 EST

Brooklyn, New York, band already has loyal following in the U.K.
By James Montgomery

We Are Scientists
Photo: Appio

Let's get this out of the way right off the bat: We Are Scientists are not actually scientists. Rather, they're a Brooklyn, New York, three-piece that have won a loyal following in the U.K. — and earned tons of blogger buzz here in the States — thanks to their hook-heavy, dance-friendly brand of rock and roll, not to mention their rather tongue-in-cheek approach to making that rock and roll (bassist Chris Cain's truly excellent Tom Selleck mustache has probably won a few fans over, too).

All three of those traits are on display in the video for the Scientists' first single, "Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt," which finds the band — Cain, guitarist/vocalist Keith Murray and drummer Michael Tapper — being chased around the streets of Los Angeles by a killer bear. Or rather, by a man in a killer-bear suit.

"This guy named Chester was inside the bear suit, and inside of him was a tiny little bear," Murray deadpanned. "So it was this strange kind of Russian-doll thing going on."

"We figured we should use it as a public-service announcement, like those [old] 'Stop, Drop and Roll' commercials on Saturday-morning cartoons," Cain added. "There used to be this myth that when a bear attacks, you're supposed to get down on the ground and curl up in a ball, but we're here to tell you that doesn't work. We've lost many friend bands here in New York to that same type of logic."

In addition to performing a valuable public service, the "Nobody Move" clip also serves as a nice intro to the type of stuff found on the Scientists' debut album, With Love and Squalor: jittery, angular guitars, four-on-the-floor drum breaks and yelped, boogie-woogie vocals. Love and Squalor doesn't hit stores here in the U.S. until January (it's already out in the U.K.), so in the meantime, the band is reaching out to fans in another way: via its very own advice column on WeAreScientists.com.

"People are always asking us for advice on how to convince their mom to let them get a dog. And it's not like we're great at answering that question, but we'd like to get some questions from time to time," Cain explained. "Ironically, none of us actually has a dog. So all our methods are untried but true. But there are a lot of factors that go into convincing your mom to get a dog: geography, financial status — the list goes on and on.

"Say you live in the Midwest. You probably work the crops or herd sheep," Murray added. "So you tell your mom you need a dog for your job. You tell her a sheepdog is part of the tradition of sheep-herding, and it will help the family business. And bam — you've got yourself a dog."

When they're not being chased by guys in bear suits or dispensing advice, We Are Scientists can be found on the road in the U.S., playing second fiddle to acts like Hot Hot Heat. It's a far cry from their sold-out shows in the U.K., but the Scientists know that in order to make it here in the States, there's no gig too small. Well, almost.

"We're living a rags-to-riches story," Murray said. "We started in Orlando, and things couldn't be worse. It was basically a ragged little town, and we couldn't leave fast enough."

"In Orlando, no one has ever heard of us — or even heard of music, for that matter — so it's almost like bringing the Ten Commandments down from the Mount," Cain joked. "Whereas in the U.K., they've got radio stations, CD players, the MiniDisc has come and gone. No, I'm kidding. No one in Orlando knows us, so we're just trying to win over fans. Although now I think it'll be tough to win any more fans over in Orlando."

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