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High Times Magazine's Unsigned Band of the Month: Science!
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Science! is a musical pursuit of empirical evidence, using poetry and soundscapes to express the tru...Science! is a musical pursuit of empirical evidence, using poetry and soundscapes to express the truth of daily life. Science! is something for the everyman to believe in. The band explores the challenges of existence with a rip-roaring exclamation that every ounce of humanity matters. It’s political, it’s daring and dreamy, it’s the place where rock and folk meet to dance, smile and raise a frothy brew in celebration.
Science! is comprised of guitarist and vocalist Justin Stang and multi-instrumentalist Jim Elenteny. When backed by Elenteny’s nimble fingers plucking an acoustic solo, Stang’s raspy vocals and pensive wordsmithing elevate to heights that exceed some of his previous work with Sideways Reign. Elenteny, previously known around Seattle as the bassist for the four-piece Nefarious Jones, picks up the acoustic six-string to effortlessly blend with Stang’s strumming and vocals.
Stang and Elenteny released their debut self-titled EP in the fall of 2012, featuring Blind Melon’s Glen Graham on drums.
For more information on Science!, including audio samples and tour dates, visit:
www.scienceseattle.com
www.facebook.com/scienceseattle
www.twitter.com/scienceseattle
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Weekly Volcano Feature
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We checked in with Science! asking guitarist and vocalist Justin Stang how he and bandmate Jim Elent...We checked in with Science! asking guitarist and vocalist Justin Stang how he and bandmate Jim Elenteny help keep the music scene alive, why fans play an important role and how Olympia (which Stang calls home, and where Science!'s next show is) measures up in keeping their name on the Northwest music map.
"Science! keeps the South Sound alive by being ourselves and staying true to our roots," says Stang. "We try to continuously write, put out and perform new music that we really love despite industry pressure for conformity. This has always been really important for the Northwest music identity, and in particular, the South Sound; to be ahead of trends, and do what we do best: be ourselves and rock."
The duo has managed to stay true to that spirit, and reap the benefits of hard work and staying grounded. The band was featured in High Times as January's unsigned band of the month, has a SXSW tour planned for March, and its clever and catchy tune, "Seattle Song," has received airplay on Jet City Stream and the Bob Rivers Show. Olympia readers knew what they were doing when they voted Science! "Best New Band" in this rag's 2012 Best of Olympia issue.
But, without the fan base, "Seattle Song"would perhaps be just another campfire jingle.
"The continued support of South Sound music fans really keep the whole scene alive," says Stang. "Without folks coming out to shows, buying CDs and leaving tips, it would be impossible for any musician to continue creating their art. I think South Sound music fans truly understand that and do their part to support the music they're passionate about."
We asked Stang his opinion on Olympia's role in "Viva South Sound Music."
"I think that Olympia is very unique in its approach to the music scene and that keeps it alive and well," he says. "Despite so many different kinds of acts from bluegrass to hip-hop to metal, everyone is exceptionally supportive of all the other talented folks. I love playing shows and seeing so many other musicians in the audience and as a result, I try to get out to see as many other shows as I can. I think the entire community from fans to bands realizes that we're all in the boat together and want to get sailing. I guess we all see success as far more rewarding when shared."
Science!'s recent studio debut EP includes Blind Melon's Glen Graham on drums and their music has been featured in Fall 2012 on PBS television's Roadtrip Nation.
Catch the folk-rock duo this Friday with Kendl Winter and the Summer Gold, and the return of string band, Fruition, at the Olympia Ballroom. Also look for them at Weekly Volcano's 2013 Best Of Olympia party Feb. 20 at Capitol Theater Backstage.
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Tri-City Herald Feature
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"Science" isn't just about systematic knowledge of swirling atoms or Einstein's Theory of Relativity..."Science" isn't just about systematic knowledge of swirling atoms or Einstein's Theory of Relativity. It's also the name of a Seattle music duo performing Feb. 8 at the Roxy Wine Bar in Kennewick.
They say they borrowed the name -- adding an exclamation point at the end -- as a way to pursue music using poetry and soundscapes to express the truth of daily life.
If that sounds a bit confusing, then perhaps a reference to a 30-year-old song will help.
"Our name 'Science!' is, in part, a nod to Thomas Dolby's 1982 song She Blinded Me With Science," said Justin Stang, one half of the duo. "The song features interjections from the British scientist and TV presenter Magnus Pyke, who repeatedly shouts 'Science!' and delivers other lines in a deliberately over-the-top mad scientist voice."
But mostly it refers to the other half of the duo, guitarist Jim Elenteny, and his expertise on the guitar.
"Jim's precision and technical execution in performing solos on the guitar led one of his students to (say) that his approach was akin to a musical scientist," Stang said. "An odd comparison, but it sort of stuck as a nickname."
Both Stang and Elenteny are transplants from New York. Stang moved to the Northwest seven years ago looking for a change of pace from the hustle and bustle of East Coast life. He's made his living as a musician ever since.
Elenteny came later, accepting a job a couple of years ago teaching guitar, recording and sound engineering at a Seattle-area community college.
"We play as often as our schedule can allow," Stang said. "I've been playing for about 15 years, but only as a performer the last six. Jim's been playing guitar for about 20 years, and his expertise and precision, and a master's degree (in music) is what led people to start calling him a scientist."
The duo play Americana music, which Stang said is a mix of folk and country, as well as bluegrass, rock and blues -- sort of a blend of Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash and a whole bunch of other sounds in between, he added.
"We like it due to the vague nature of its description," Stang said. "It's hard to put us in a confined and specific box, although the focus of the genre almost always involves storytelling and folklore as an American tradition."
Stang handles most of the vocals for the duo and plays guitar. Elenteny plays keyboards, piano and organ as well as guitar.
-Dori O'Neal, Herald staff writer
Their Tri-City gig at The Roxy starts at 9 p.m. and is open to the 21 and older crowd. There is no cover.
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Streaming Now: Science! perform LIVE on Jet City Stream
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Classical flourishes, funky folk with dabs of psych combined to make an elixir of mind pleasing, bod...Classical flourishes, funky folk with dabs of psych combined to make an elixir of mind pleasing, body melting sounds.
Science! is comprised of guitarist and vocalist Justin Stang and multi-instrumentalist Jim Elenteny
Recently listed on my favorites of 2012 and back in August we highlighted Science! new self titled album featuring Blind Melon's Glen Graham on drums! Since then we've had a pretty good tweetmance going on on twitter and I'm delighted to say after some slight (none at all) nudging they are in for Couch By Couchwest '13.
Last week they sat down for a Live session on Jet City Stream Radio, a Seattle based Internet Only Radio Station that focuses on Local Artists and Live Music.
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Weekly Volcano's Best of Olympia 2012 Music: Best New Band - Science!
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There's excitement behind Justin Stang and Jim Elenteny's new band, Science!, a project fully realiz...There's excitement behind Justin Stang and Jim Elenteny's new band, Science!, a project fully realized in Olympia over the last year but born out of the duo's long-term musical relationship.
You can tell there's excitement by the exclamation point.
And you can tell by the voting. Stang and Elenteny's Science! received and overwhelming majority of votes cast during the Best of Olympia 2012 Readers' Poll in the "Best New Band" category. Though the duo says they have "maybe a dozen" shows under their belt, Olympia seems to have Science! on the brain.
The reasons are many. Most important, the finger-plucking beauty and ease of the duo's folksy, acoustic, storytelling is easy on the ear; Science! has a rootsy vibe that goes a long way in a town like Olympia. Plus, Stang's voice, which partners with Elenteny's guitar playing and skillful and varied musicianship on record, is naturally captivating, unique yet familiar and comforting. Stang sings like a man who's seen a lot of miles on the road, and indeed he has.
"Science! is a musical pursuit of empirical evidence, using poetry and soundscapes to express the truth of daily life," reads the band's bio.
Via phone, Stang and Elenteny have a more straightforward description of the band.
"We wanted something that was simple, that was universal, and that was truthful," says Stang of the Science! name and acoustic approach. "That's a lot of how we view our music.
"We wanted this to be an acoustic duo, just two acoustic guitars and two microphones, because I think that really represents, at its core element, what we are and what we do."
While Science! is undeniably a "new" band, there's a familiarity with Stang's work in Olympia thanks to his contribution to the well-known, nationally touring jam-rock outfit Sideways Reign, as well as a tireless solo touring schedule. Elenteny, for his part, plays bass in the also-well-known Seattle-based jam act Nefarious Jones.
Most beneficial to the duo's chemistry, Stang and Elenteny's connection goes back decades. Both musicians grew up together in Sayville, New York, with mere chance (or perhaps fate) bringing them together again years later and 3000 miles removed in Olympia.
"We both started when we were in high school playing together, kind of when we were both beginners," says Elenteny. "And we both came from the same place in music.
"So, when we got back together it was like no time had passed. We'd both done all of our different things, but we still had the same foundation."
Science! plans to release a self-titled EP in 2012 as well as play more local shows. Chances are you'll have an opportunity to see Stang and Elenteny in action over the coming year - a chance to see what all the excitement is about for yourself.
If the voting (or punctuation) is any indication, it's a chance you don't want to squander.
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Pens Eye View: Featured XXQ's Interview
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You may remember half of our latest feature from PEV alum Sideways Reign - Justin Stang has covered ...You may remember half of our latest feature from PEV alum Sideways Reign - Justin Stang has covered tens of thousands of miles touring not only with Reign, but as a solo act and as the guitarist and vocalist for the focus of today’s XXQ’s: Science! Stang and the man known as the “Musical Scientist”, Jim Elenteny make up the two-man operation, a duo that one of their fans says is “the hardest working, hardest drinking and hardest singing acts in the Pacific Northwest.” Naturally, we at PEV already love them.
The latest release from Science! is called “Two Guitars Live”… and they’re not kidding. Elenteny says “It's just that. We recorded a live performance in the studio and have broken the songs down to exactly what the live duo show is like, with two guitars and two mics. It's quite refreshing and thrilling to record without a safety net and to know that the performances have to be good, because it's live… We strive to make music that's simple, truthful and universal to everyone. We enjoy trying to write songs that everyone can relate to and feel that keeping our arrangements basic, is the truest representation of our personalities as well.” Excellent stuff. Check out “Two Guitars Live” and keep an eye out for a studio album later this year. There’s so much more for you to get into, so keep reading for all the answers to the XXQ’s.
XXQs: Science! (Jim Elenteny)
PensEyeView.com (PEV): On your site you say that Science! is “pursuit of empirical evidence, using poetry and soundscapes to express the truth of daily life.” With that, how would you describe your sound and what do you feel makes you stand out over the others in your genre?
Jim Elenteny: We strive to make music that's simple, truthful and universal to everyone. We enjoy trying to write songs that everyone can relate to and feel that keeping our arrangements basic, is the truest representation of our personalities as well.
PEV: What kind of music where the members of the band into growing up? Do you remember your first concert?
JE: I started off with a lot of Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton, got a whole lot of Beatles , Neil Young, Crosby Stills and Nash and the Allman Brothers from my dad. When I was in high school I got really into Phish. My first concert was Carlos Santana at Jones Beach in New York.
PEV: What was it like trying to break into the music scene in your hometown, when you first started out as a band? What was your first show like together as a band?
JE: When we played as teenagers, our town on Long Island had a very small music scene. Reuniting many years later in Seattle has been far more welcoming and beneficial for our work. Sadly enough, our first show way back then stands out simply because it was cancelled due to a massive snow storm!
PEV: What can fans expect from a live Science! show?
JE: They can expect that we're having fun playing music and we're going to do everything we can to get that across to them.
PEV: What is the first thing that comes to mind when you step on stage?
JE: We're most comfortable on stage and it's always a great feeling to have everything else in life, for a moment, fade away and have only music, playing and entertaining the crowd on your mind. It's refreshing and exciting every time.
PEV: What do you think of mainstream music today – as in what’s being played on the radio?
JE: Neither of us are very big fans of radio today. That's not to say that there aren't good artists out there, we just prefer music that's a little more honest and less polished. We always strive to have as genuine of a live performance as possible and want that to be reflected in our recordings. As a result, that's the music we also tend to like the best.
PEV: What was the underlining inspiration for your music? Where do get your best ideas for songs?
JE: We're inspired quite a bit from old blues, folk and country songs and listening to older music can, at times, put us in a grea
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Skope Magazine: Two Guitars Live Review
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You very rarely get what you ask for, and most of us know this all too well. Just like Michael Dougl...You very rarely get what you ask for, and most of us know this all too well. Just like Michael Douglas in “Falling Down”, we’re simply unimpressed and more than a little bit annoyed that the burger looks absolutely nothing like the poster.
Science!, an inspired acoustic duo from Seattle, must have had this in mind when planning their new CD release called “Two Guitars Live”. No frills and no gimmicks. Just two guitars, two mics, and a stripped-down set. This is the kind of thing that more well-known acts usually release, but in my opinion, it’s a bold move and an excellent choice for an indie act. Bold because the mistakes will be there for all to see. An excellent choice because it’s rare. There’s no overdubbing here.
“Austin Tune” starts off on the right note, as Jim Elenteny shows himself as more than adept on the guitar, and vocalist Justin Stang accompanies him on guitar, and most importantly contributes his raspy singers accent that sounds inspired by artists such as Janis Joplin and Shannon Hoon. There’s a looseness here that proves both artists are unconcerned with getting things perfect. They are willing to sacrifice perfection for flow, and this is a lesson more artists would do well to learn. Transmit some soul and you’ll be fine.
“You and Rachel” is more sombre in nature, showcasing more virtuosity from Elenteny while Stang moans a tortured story. Quite a strong communication here. “Chains” brings a more upbeat melody and the performances are impressive all around. The guitar soloing at times can get a bit longwinded and it would have served the song to have a few atmospheric parts or riffs rather than vocals/solo/vocals/solo throughout, but you have to give credit for how difficult a performance like this would be in the first place.
“Time” has a classic sound; picture Led Zeppelin’s acoustic work with an Americana flavor. “Time, you ain’t never been a friend of mine. Age and wisdom ain’t what I need on my side”, Justin Stang sings on the pepped up chorus. “Abilene” is bittersweet and reflective, while “Days Spent” has a self-affirming theme of reclaiming the past for your own purposes. “Things Is Going My Way” brings the blues and the funk, as well as demonstrating the song-writing ability and versatility here. “Seattle Song” closes the album on an expected high note; an energized homage to the duo’s home.
Science! respect the music they play, and you can tell. They successfully borrow from 60’s rock, 90’s grunge, blues and folk, and it sounds classic. The closest similarity I can think of is an at times uncanny resemblance to Blind Melon, both in their sound and in their mature, loose song-writing approach. Rock is alive and well with new artists like Science! around to throw some wood into the fire.
-James Moore
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NeuFutur Magazine Introduces...Science!
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NeuFutur Magazine Introduces…Science!
Posted by James McQuiston on April 3rd, 2012
Justin Sta...NeuFutur Magazine Introduces…Science!
Posted by James McQuiston on April 3rd, 2012
Justin Stang and Jim Elenteny have known each other since childhood; the music that results from this friendship is some of the most pure and complimentary that we have heard. The duo is a platonic couple; where a husband and wife can complete each other’s sentences, these two finish lines and arrangements. It is this cohesive sound that makes Science! into one of the few acts that we have been excited about in 2012; their Two Guitars Live should be a revelatory experience.
Science! is an act that is able to craft mature, intricate tracks without having to sweeten any sound or piece a coherent track through countless tacks. Their album, Two Guitars Live, was just released (and is available for individuals to purchase at their Bandcamp. The interplay between Justin and Jim allows a track like You and Rachel to reach a timeless state; fans of alternative, guitar rock, classic guitar, bluegrass, and blues can find something here. The duo’s ability to insert a detailed narrative before the vocals even begin on the aforementioned You and Rachel speaks volumes about their technical virtuosity.
Time is a track that provides listeners a different facet of Science!. The band looks back to the days of the Athens, GA (R.E.M., Matthew Sweet, Neutral Milk Hotel) stranglehold on independent music . Rather than be a retro act, Science! imbues each guitar line and lyric with a current feel. This means that the richness of Two Guitars Live is unparalleled; what Science! does in one take far outstrips “good” bands’ collective efforts. The emotional intensity of Days Spent immediately hits listeners, ensuring that they focus in for the disc’s final three tracks.
Check them out if you can make it up to the Pacific Northwest; I am confident that they will expand as soon as more listeners take note of their inimitable style. Two Guitars Live is a rare example of an album that takes the best of live recordings (providing listeners with all the band’s fire and fury) and those recorded in a stereo (a more polished and smooth approach). Give the band whatever you can spare for a copy of Two Guitars Live; I would love to hear the band’s sound expand and evolve over the course of their next few albums. Check out their Kickstarter for more information about their upcoming release – www.kickstarter.com/projects/scienceseattle/science-record-their-debut-ep .
Top Tracks: Austin Tune, Things Is Going My Way
Rating: 8.4/10
Science! – Two Guitars Live (CD) / 2012 Shuk Dog Records / 7 Tracks / www.scienceseattle.com / www.sonicbids.com/science2 / www.facebook.com/scienceseattle / scienceseattle.bandcamp.com/
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Olympia Power and Light - Music Without Borders: Science!
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“Are you the guy with long hair or are you the guy with short hair?”
I ask this over the phone on m...“Are you the guy with long hair or are you the guy with short hair?”
I ask this over the phone on my way to meet Justin Stang after he’d emailed me a photo of his new band Science!.
Turns out Justin is the long dread haired singer and guitarist and Jim Elenteny is his Science! partner. Jim also plays bass in the Seattle jam band Nefarious Jones while Justin also sings and plays guitar in the PNW jamrock group Sideways Reign and tours around the country as a solo act.
Justin moved to the PNW six years ago at the suggestion of his cousin,Casey Dehe, who lives in Shelton and is a long time friend of Trail and Joel Black of High Ceiling. The High Ceiling brothers inspired Justin and Casey to start their own band and after adding Cody Goodwin on bass and drummer Mike Dennis, Sideways Reign was born.
Fast forward to a couple of months ago when Joel had the chance to move to Olympia, he says “It struck me as a community I wanted to be part of.”
Over tea at Café Vita Justin tells me that in the five years Sideways Reign has been together they’ve produced a couple CDs and toured all over the country and hope to play again in Olympia this coming January.
Justin and Jim, both in their early 30s, have known each other since high school in Long Island and after they both relocated to the Northwest, they reconnected over music and Science! Originally a side project, Science! has morphed a important direction they want their music to take.
Justin hands me a CD of three Science! demo songs that he had just burnt saying they plan on fleshing it out to six songs that they hope to have available in a couple of weeks.
Justin adds, “we live in an age of short attention spans, and I love to keep listeners engaged and always have something that I’m working on for people who want to have new music in their hands.”
As a way of introducing me to the songs on the Science! EP Justin tells me of Sideways Reign’s history of community involvement including a High School scholarship, adoption of a section of Highway 101 to keep litter free and a soccer team sponsorship.
Justin also ran as a state senator last year and wants to carry that activism over to Science! with plans of donating money from their EP sales to local school science programs.
He calls the music on the Science! EP ‘social songs’, with “Chains” the first song being about a wrongly convicted man on Death Row, it was inspired by the late Troy Davis. He’s also certain there’ll be a song about the Occupy movement.
The other songs are inspired by the trip that Justin made with Sideways Reign to perform at the South By Southwest music fest in Austin, and those Texas locales just can’t help but show up on these next two songs.
“Abilene” is the kind of country rock that this town just doesn’t have enough of, though I just wish they’d have added some pedal steel guitar and sequin suits.
“Austin Tune” the first song that Jim and Justin wrote together is described by Justin as “a road tune, sort of getting lost to find yourself song.” With it’s “dusty roads” lyrics it could be kin to the Grateful Dead’s “Friend of the Devil” except it breaks down into a nice bridge.
All three songs are full of lively acoustic music, and Justin has a great voice, soulful and distinct and he knows how to project. Though Science! is a duo the EP’s songs are thoroughly fleshed out courtesy of multi-instrumentalist Jim who adds bass, drums and organ.
They plan to tour down to California and back after their upcoming gig at Charlie’s. It’ll be just the two of them on acoustic guitars but if their songs are all like these it’ll be a great set.
Science! plays Charlie’s Tavern on 4th Ave. Dec. 19th
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Lemonade Magazine: Two Guitars Live Review
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Their name is simple, their album is simple, but their work is anything, but simple.
You never qu...Their name is simple, their album is simple, but their work is anything, but simple.
You never quite know what you're going to get from an instrumentally heavy album,
especially when it is recorded live. Some artists these days say that they
improvise based on how they feel in the moment. I however translate that to "oh
sh**, I forgot the next part...this is me free-styling!". Regardless, much of the
time this sort of situation can create a mess that is only enjoyed by those who intend on
coming off intellectually superior or those who are stoned out of their mind.
Thankfully, Science! gives us a break from that sort of thing. Justin Stang and Jim
Elenteny bring us melody and form once again to a part of the music world that has been
taken over by abstractness. Instead of dueling, their guitars compliment each other,
leaving you with the feeling that you are riding along with them on the roads that
they've obviously traveled listening to their music. The vocals are just rough enough to
give it that wholesome whole grain feeling and their lyrics are "with it"
enough to nullify any fears of sounding dated and boring.
Austin Tune and Abilene are standout tracks and Seattle Song is a fun way to end the
album where the duo sings about everything from Microsoft to Starbucks to the Seattle
Sounders, as well as other quirks of the city they call home. This album is highly
entertaining and can be yours for free at www.scienceseattle.bandcamp.com .
supersonic
