The Dead Science began life as the The Sweet Science; singer/guitarist Sam Mickens and brothers Jherek Bischoff (bass) and Korum Bischoff (drums) formed in mid-2000 and self-released the CD-R album Galactose that same year.
Forced to change their name in 2003 by a pre-existing “Sweet Science” band, The Dead Science was born, signed to Berkeley-based indie Absolutely Kosher, and released their proper debut, Submariner. During this period Sam and Jherek served as both recording and touring members of Xiu Xiu and members of the Butoh-based performance ensemble/punk-jazz orchestra Degenerate Art Ensemble.
The self-recorded EP Bird Bones in the Bughouse followed in 2004, and included the band’s lauded leftfield cover of Terence Trent D’arby’s “Sign Your Name.” In late 2004, drummer Korum was replaced by Nick Tamburro, and the following year the band released their second full-length, Frost Giant, recorded at the venerable Bear Creek Studios with producer Ryan Hadlock (Blonde Redhead, Black Heart Procession, Afghan Whigs). The band’s touring schedule increased dramatically and in the years since they have toured the US and Europe extensively alongside bands including The Blood Brothers, Xiu Xiu, Celebration, Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, and Carla Bozulich’s Evangelista.
In 2006 they released the more experimental and subdued EP Crepuscule With The Dead Science on Portland-based imprint Slender Means Society, which included two outtakes from the sessions for Frost Giant. A great deal more touring followed, along with a string of small, vinyl-only releases.
In late summer 2008, the band released Villainaire on Constellation and toured tirelessly in North America and Europe. Since that time, the members have been geographically disbursed, with Jherek and Nick on the home turf west coast, and Sam in NYC making mad music under several different guises.
The astonishing (en)chanteur Sam Mickens hits us with two songs from his Brooklyn-based big band, like the headline says. "One Final Round"/"To Victory or Death" is the freshest goods on Bandcamp. A finer drinking song than this A-Side is hard to imagine - stop crying in your beer, get up on the table, spread your arms wide. Both of these rapturous, incisive slabs mixed courtesy Mickens' Dead Science bandmate Jherek Bischoff.
Sam Mickens (founder, songwriter, guitarist and singer in The Dead Science) has been hard at work on various wonderful projects in Brooklyn over the past couple of years, since relocating from Seattle. Alongside his thrilling Ecstatic Showband and Revue (not to mention their audacious battle-of-the-bands challenge to Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings for title of "greatest working soul band in Brooklyn") there is now the imminent premiere of Sam's long-planned performance work Kayfabe: Game Of Death. Sam successfully raised the big bucks to realise this major new work via Kickstarter, where this informative video about the project can still be found. Thanks to everyone who pitched in – and you can still give! Expenses will far outstrip revenues on this extravaganza – if you are not lucky enough to be in the NYC area during its all-too-brief run, you can still lend your support from afar... Kayfabe: Game Of Death – should be nothing short of astonishing. Here's the full story for Mickens himself: Brooklyn-based artist Sam Mickens presents his new performance work, "Kayfabe: Game of Death," at Death by Audio Saturday, November 6th & Sunday, November 7th, MMX. A brutal reveille for this new phase of his NY-based performance work, "Kayfabe: Game of Death" sprung, fully grown and armored, from Mickens' recent obsessions with and voluminous research into the professional wrestling and wrestlers from the era of his youth and, further, from the larger concept worlds that thread through and explode from that of professional wrestling. Also integrating thematic elements from Mickens' longstanding obsession with the Rev. Jim Jones & his Peoples Temple, as well as a Homeric sense of poetic sweep, the piece will utilize elements of dramatic text, song, modern movement, video, and less definable modes to deliver a raw smackdown of avant pageantry. Featuring: Laurel Jones Charlie Looker Alexis Marcelo Noah Mickens Sam Mickens Mike Pride Steven Reker Alan Sutherland & more
"Kayfabe: Game of Death" at Death by Audio [49 S. 2nd St., Brooklyn, NY] Saturday Nov. 6th & Sunday Nov. 7th at 8pm $10-15 sliding scale. No one will be turned away for lack of funds, though seating will be limited.