Uranium Club

Uranium Club (also known as The Minneapolis Uranium Club Band) is an American punk rock band based in Minneapolis. The band consists of members Brendan Wells, Harry Wohl, Ian Stemper and Matt Stagner, several being former members of Iowa City bands Solid Attitude and NERV. The band has released four albums on Static Shock Records and other independent labels, and been associated with the egg punk subgenre.

Uranium Club
Uranium Club performing in Sydney, 2024.
Background information
Origin	Minneapolis, Minnesota
Genres	Punk rock
Years active	2013–present
Labels	Static Shock Records
Members	Brendan Wells Harry Wohl Ian Stemper Matt Stagner

History

Uranium Club formed in late 2013 from former members of Iowa City bands Solid Attitude and NERV following relocation to Minneapolis.^[1] In 2014, Uranium Club distributed their debut album, Human Exploration, originally as a self-released cassette, later repressed by Lumpy Records in 2015.^[2][3][1] Maximum Rocknroll praised the album's "midwestern-freak aesthetic" and "choppy, sharp, borderline-angular" sound.^[2] The band secured a record deal with London record label Static Shock Records after cold calling founder Tom Ellis.^[4] The band's sophomore album, All of Them Naturals, was released on 3 November 2016 on Static Shock Records and Fashionable Idiots, led by the single Who Made The Man? on 9 October.^[5][6] Describing the album as a work from "one of contemporary punk's most creative bands", Exclaim praised its "bizarre musical and lyrical ideas".^[7] Pitchfork considered the album's "twitchy neurosis" and "sardonic" humor to bridge a line between being "self-aware" and "aggressively obtuse".^[8] A live album, Live! at Arci Taun!, performed in Fidenza in November 2016, was released in 2017 on Castle Face.^[9]

The band's third album, The Cosmo Cleaners: The Higher Calling of Business Provocateurs, was released on 15 March 2019, although a test pressing of the album was distributed on tour previous year.^[10] A.V. Club praised the album's "jagged punk with a satirical edge", stating it found the band "sprawling out while building new alcoves in their weirdo mythology".^[11] Pitchfork named The Cosmo Cleaners as one of the ten best punk and garage rock albums of the year.^[12] PunkNews commended the band's "tight knit looseness" and resemblance to post-punk band Minutemen.^[13] Uranium Club released their fourth album, Infants Under the Bulb, on 1 March 2024 through Anti Fade Records and Static Shock Records,^[14] led by single Small Grey Man on 18 January.^[3] Exclaim praised the album as "ambitious as ever" and "complex but strangely accessible".^[15]

Musical style and influences

The band's music has been described as punk,^{[7][8][15][11]} and representative of a midwestern scene of egg punk bands, a subgenre of DIY punk bands influenced by DEVO.^{[16][17][18][19]} Similar to DEVO, the band employs narrative elements in the concept and packaging of their music, including the operations of the titular Club and the fictional National Pen Company and Sunbelt Chemical Corporation.^[20][21]

Members

• Brendan Wells – Bass, vocals (2014-present)
• Harry Wohl – Guitar, vocals (2014-present)
• Ian Stemper ("Teen Man") – Guitar, vocals (2014-present)
• Matt Stagner – Drums, percussion (2014-present)

Discography

Studio albums

• The Minneapolis Uranium Club Band Performs Human Exploration (2014)
• All of Them Naturals (2016)
• The Cosmo Cleaners: The Higher Calling of Business Provocateurs (2019)
• Infants Under The Bulb (2024)

Live albums

• Live! at Arci Taun! (2017)

References

1. McCormick, Zach (11 November 2015). "Uranium Club". City Pages. pp. 12–13. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
2. "Demos". Maximum Rocknroll. No. 382. March 2015. p. 120.
3. ""Small Grey Man" by Uranium Club". WKNC 88.1. 27 January 2024. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
4. Bloom, Madison (17 June 2021). "A Guide to Static Shock Records, One of the UK's Best DIY Punk Labels". Pitchfork. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
5. Minsker, Evan (18 October 2016). "Tracks: "Who Made The Man?"". Pitchfork. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
6. Scott, Tim (19 September 2016). "Uranium Club Return With More 80s Inspired Stabby and Jabby Midwestern Punk". Vice. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
7. Firth, Cole (2 December 2016). "Uranium Club: All of them Naturals". Exclaim. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
8. Glickman, David (7 January 2017). "All of Them Naturals". Pitchfork. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
9. Pearis, Bill (9 February 2018). "Bill's Indie Basement (2/9): the week in classic indie, college rock, and more". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
10. Breihan, Tom (8 February 2019). "Uranium Club – "Man Is The Loneliest Animal"". Stereogum. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
11. "5 new releases we love: An infectious ass-shaker, a dystopian pop debut, and more". AV Club. 22 March 2019. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
12. Minsker, Evan (27 December 2019). "The 10 Best Punk and Garage Rock Albums of 2019". Pitchfork. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
13. "Uranium Club: The Cosmo Cleaners - The Higher Calling of Business Provocateurs". PunkNews. 17 July 2019. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
14. Minsker, Evan (19 January 2024). "Uranium Club Announce New Album Infants Under the Bulb, Share New Song: Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
15. Djurdjic, Marko (14 March 2024). "Uranium Club Are Ambitious as Ever on 'Infants Under the Bulb'". Exclaim. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
16. Salmon, Ben (4 January 2024). "The Rise of Second-Wave Egg Punk". SPIN. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
17. "Egg Punk – A Genre Field Guide". WKNC 88.1. 19 November 2023. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
18. "Egg Punk vs. Chain Punk". DIY Conspiracy. 25 June 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
19. Robb, John (28 January 2024). "Egg Punk – LTW examines the manic thrills of punk's current new wave plus playlist!". Louder Than War. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
20. Pearis, Bill (18 April 2019). "Uranium Club touring this summer with Urochromes". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
21. Watchorn, Shivaun (December 2015). "Uranium Club". Maximum Rocknroll. pp. 38–40.