Spotlight
The Flatliners: An Interview About Fake Leaks, National Pride, And Fitting In With Everyone
The Energy
The Energy’s First Album
Team Science Records
The first lesson most kids learn in school is that friends matter. Not in the “this person will support me in my times of need” sort of way, but rather a “that person consistently talks to interesting people, maybe I should pay attention to them” angle. Yes it’s shallow; no I don’t care. This guiding theory has kept Team Science Records on my radar for the better part of three years. A roster featuring Teenage Kicks, Franz Nicolay, Matt and Kim, O Pioneers, and The Swellers is too good to ignore.
With such a varied set of tastes, from hipster pop to skate punk, on display in the label’s discography there aren’t many place’s their impressive back catalog as yet to explore. The one exception is abject darkness, but thanks to The Energy’s new record, The Energy’s First Album, Team Science can now lay claim to even that uncovered territory. And they did it with a punk record.
Real darkness seldom declares itself when it first appears. Heck Ted Bundy worked on a suicide hotline while he was committing his murders. Similarly The Energy has a deceptive music front that leaves the pitch black humor of their lyrics waiting to spring from the shadows during a later listen. Most of the songs follow the same basic pattern. The rhythm section pound out their parts as hard as they can while a feedback choked guitar lead screams out some melody whether the rest of the song likes it or not.
While the production is decidedly lo-fi The Energy lacks the “lets drown it all in shitty production for the sake of it” pretension prevalent in so many lo-fi bands. In fact the closest peers I can think of to their heavily rock and roll inspired sound is Social Distortion, though perhaps Social D with production help from No Age. Under the grit and scratchy recording are simple undeniable punk rock (and roll) songs with a switchblade in their boot.
Or, I suppose if the lyrics are to be believed, in the hand of lead vocalist Arthur Bates. Bates’ deadpan vocals would be right at home fronting a snotty girl crazy pop punk band. Instead his poems for The Energy read like a biker film written by the Khmer Rouge, minus the ethnic cleansing. People are blown up with dynamite. Eyes are cut out. In “Stabbing In The Dark” Bates giggles as he pulls a victim’s brains out, after burning out the eyes of course. “I’m Gonna Cut You Into Pieces” finds the vocalist explaining “I’m gonna cut you into pieces, ’cause you’re rotting up my room, can’t drag you out in daylight”.
It’s not all ultra violence. “Girls Don’t Like Me At All” asks the age old question of whether the girl doesn’t like you because of the way you dress or if she just thinks you’re crazy. Granted I’ve never asked that question of ladies who’ve heard me make murderous threats via song. Still it’s a nice low key moment, even with the lines about someone’s dick not working.
All this lyrical bloodshed might lead some to shy away from The Energy. Good. Screw those listeners. Rock and roll is supposed to be dangerous. I’ll always pick The Rolling Stones over The Beatles because when the Stones owed London/Decca Records one final single in 1970 what they delivered was entitled “Cucksucker Blues”. You don’t have to mean everything you say as long as it’s fun to shout out during a concert. Plus if the Team Science guys are willing to give them a co-sign they probably won’t stab you.
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