No one can call Brooklyn-based rockers We Are Scientists one-dimensional. The band has engaged in extracurricular activities ranging from creating a comedic TV series to self-improvement seminars. However, singer/guitarist Keith Murray and bassist Chris Cain have returned to their day job to release fourth album Barbara (PIAS/Masterswan). WAS, who were without a drummer since the 2007 departure of Michael Tapper, have added former Razorlight skinsman Andy Burrows to the lineup, and Barbara features a more eclectic sound, with the often-brash group experimenting with slower tempos and fuller arrangements. Lead single “Rules Don’t Stop” is vintage Scientists, though; it’s a nervy power-pop song driven by a thumping bass line. The single debuted at number 14 on the U.K. indie charts, and it’s already an anthem for mustachioed hipsters everywhere. Murray is guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our brand new Q&A with him.
Murray: Yes, there are a billion cool bands from Brooklyn. And yes, many of them feature hot girls. And yes, several other bands write songs that sound vaguely reminiscent of the Velvet Underground. But Bad Girlfriend manage to be the coolest, the hottest, and the best. Girls with the musical chops to match their fashion sense, Bad Girlfriend write tunes so knotty and structurally confounding that they have no right to be this riddled with ridiculously infectious hooks. I’ve seen them play with one drummer, I’ve seen them play with no drummer, and I’ve seen them play with, like, 25 audience members onstage, shaking the hell out of random pieces of percussion. Any band with a lyric like “I see the lion in your pants” is OK with me.
Video after the jump.
2 replies on “From The Desk Of We Are Scientists’ Keith Murray: Bad Girlfriend”
That is retarded. They are not hot, or good.
They’re not hot, but they’re not awful looking. However, their music is amazing and one of the best and under-appreciated indie acts to come around in the decade.