We Are Scientists

Context: We Are Scientists members Keith Murray and Chris Cain met in 1997 at Pomona College, in Claremont, CA, but initially enjoyed a friendship based on attending stand-up comedy. In early 2000, after graduating and moving to Berkeley, CA, they hatched the idea for the band. Their roommate and fellow Pomona College alum Scott Lamb was a co-founder, and the original guitarist for the band. Keith was on drums, though he also sang roughly half the songs, not unlike Phil Collins in Genesis. Keith and Chris moved back to the L.A. area in late 2000 (without Scott) and recruited drummer Michael Tapper, whom they'd known during their time at Pomona, and who was in his last year at adjoining Harvey Mudd College. In 1999 the members moved to Berkeley, California for a short period of time, becoming We Are Scientists full-time, a name which the band have stated a number of origins for, most notably the song "We are Scientists!" from the pivotal '90s band Cap'n Jazz. They have also given the following story: they rented a truck from U-Haul. When they returned it, the inspector, after looking them up and down and assessing their wardrobe, asked if they were scientists. The band moved to Brooklyn, New York in 2001 and began recording their debut album on November 10, 2001. The band finished recording in January 2002, completing 12 tracks - two of which credit former member Scott Lamb. The album's title was announced on March 14, 2002 on the band's official website as Safety, Fun, and Learning (In That Order) for release in April 2002 through the band's own label, Devious Semantics. Due to issues with setting up their own label, it wasn't until June that the band were able to release the record. The summer saw them reunite with original vocalist Scott Lamb. In October after several months of performing in California and New York, amongst other places the band recorded their first EP, available originally only at live shows Bitching! was released on October 14, 2002, and featured 6 tracks. Later Bitching! was made available online on January 16, 2003. In March 2003 the band announced they would be heading to the recording studio with Paolo DeGregorio on April 1 to record a second EP; In Action, which was released through MotherWest records in October 2003, featuring 6 tracks. A year after recording In Action the band headed once more to the recording studio with Los Angeles-based producer Chris Fudurich, where they recorded rough versions of "The Great Escape", "Scene Is Dead" and "This Means War", which would make up half of the band's final independently released EP The Wolf's Hour, other tracks included "Callbacks Under The Sea", "Inaction" and "Nobody Move, Nobody Gets Hurt". The EP was released on November 26, 2004. On January 11, 2005 the band began the recording of their second full-length album in Los Angeles with Ariel Rechtshaid and engineering from Rob Brill. The band ended their time in the studio on February 23, throughout their time in the studio the band posted blogs on their official website, many of which told of a cat called Lewis, which would later be used on the album's artwork. Having recorded the album, the band decided to sign to Virgin Records to handle to release. On May 15, 2005, the first single from the album was aired in the UK, "Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt", this came after a number of dates in the UK with Editors. "Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt" was released later on June 27 at the same time as their own headline Summer 2005 UK tour. In July the band shot a music video for their second single, "The Great Escape", as well as appearing on MTV2 for the first time to plug their upcoming release. The band also appeared on at Reading and Leeds Festivals for the first time, performing on the Carling Stage, and later the band released the album With Love and Squalor in the United Kingdom on October 17, 2005 celebrating with an album signing session and intimate gig in London's Selectdisc on Berwick Street. In December 2005 the band made their U.S. Network television debut on the Late Show with David Letterman where they performed "Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt", as well as announcing the release of their second album, With Love and Squalor which would be released on January 10, 2006, although in January the band would be in the United Kingdom on the NME Shockwaves Tour with Mystery Jets, Arctic Monkeys and Maximo Park, before embarking on their own headline tour in April and releasing "Its a Hit" on February 20 and re-releasing "Nobody Move, Nobody Gets Hurt" on May 3. In September a co-headline tour across the USA with Art Brut and a new split single with Art Brut covering W.A.S single "The Great Escape" and in-turn We Are Scientists covering Art Brut's "Bang Bang Rock & Roll". With their ongoing success in the United Kingdom the band embarked on another full 15 date tour, with two nights at Brixton Academy in London due to demand, it was on this tour that the band released Crap Attack, a compilation album of b-sides and covers, as well as a DVD featuring music videos for all of the tracks on With Love and Squalor and live performances. In January 2007 Murray announced that he had begun working on the band's follow-up to With Love and Squalor in Brooklyn, New York, previewing "Impatience" and "Spoken For" later that month. During a UK tour that February they debuted the songs "Dinosaurs", "Chick Lit" and "Best Behavior". Recording of the new album began on June 11 in California with Ariel Rechtshaid and ended on July 19. That August the band made their second appearance at the Reading and Leeds Festivals, performing on the Radio One Stage. September 2007 saw the band hire Max Hart as an additional guitarist and keyboard player for live performances. The addition of Hart was to fit the larger arrangements of new material. Days before the tour was due to start, drummer Michael Tapper quit the band. Gary Powell and Adam Aaronson took over from Tapper for the remainder of the tour. For eight of their November tour dates the band acted as their own support act, conducting "self-improvement seminars" under the name Brain Thrust Mastery. After Virgin merged in 2007, the band were now signed to EMI. Murray stated that the band had to deal with a lot of bureaucracy recording the new album, with EMI unhappy that they were working with producer Ariel Rechtshaid; who at the time was relatively unknown. EMI instead tried setting the band up with various "cheesy, cheesy, big producers who we didn't like at all". Ultimately, against their labels wishes the band did record with Rechtshaid and in March 2008 the band announced that Brain Thrust Mastery would also be the name of their new album. Garrett Ray handled drum duties for the album. The first single from the record, "After Hours", was to be released on March 3 in the UK. The album was previewed a week before its UK release on NME.com. It came out in the United States on May 13. "Chick Lit" was released as the second single from Brain Thrust Mastery on June 9, coinciding with performances at The Great Escape Festival, Oxegen Festival Glastonbury Festival, T in the Park and Reading and Leeds on the main stage, and a consequent North American tour in July. In the latter part of 2008 the band toured the US as support to Kings of Leon in the USA. "Impatience" was the final single from the album, released on October 27. CANNOTANSWER

Question: Is Brain Thrust Mastery an album or a single?
Answer: March 2008 the band announced that Brain Thrust Mastery would also be the name of their new album.