Uranium Club

{{Short description|American alternative rock band}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Uranium Club | image = Uranium Club Band.jpg | caption = Uranium Club performing in Sydney, 2024. | landscape = | origin = Minneapolis, Minnesota | genre = {{hlist|Punk rock|post-punk|egg punk}} | years_active = 2013–present | label = Static Shock Records | website = | current_members = Brendan Wells Harry Wohl Ian Stemper Matt Stagner }}

'''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. The band has released four albums on Static Shock Records and other independent labels, and been associated with the egg punk subgenre.

== History ==

Uranium Club formed in late 2013.<ref name=CP/> In 2014, Uranium Club distributed their debut album, ''Human Exploration'', originally as a self-released cassette.<ref name=MRNR/><ref name=WKNC>{{cite web|website=WKNC 88.1|title="Small Grey Man" by Uranium Club|date=27 January 2024|accessdate=21 April 2024|url=https://wknc.org/2024/01/27/small-grey-man-by-uranium-club/}}</ref><ref name=CP>{{cite magazine|magazine=City Pages|date=11 November 2015|title=Uranium Club|pages=12-13|last=McCormick|first=Zach|accessdate=21 April 2024|url=https://digitalissue.citypages.com/publication/?m=5512&i=280687&p=12&ver=html5}}</ref> ''Maximum Rocknroll'' praised the album's "midwestern-freak aesthetic" and "choppy, sharp, borderline-angular" sound.<ref name=MRNR>{{cite magazine|magazine=Maximum Rocknroll|issue=382|date=March 2015|pages=120|title=Demos|url=https://archive.org/details/mrr_382/page/n120}}</ref> The band secured a record deal with London record label Static Shock Records after cold calling founder Tom Ellis.<ref>{{cite web|website=Pitchfork|title=A Guide to Static Shock Records, One of the UK’s Best DIY Punk Labels|last=Bloom|first=Madison|date=17 June 2021|accessdate=21 April 2024|url=https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/a-guide-to-static-shock-records-one-of-the-uks-best-diy-punk-labels/}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite web|website=Pitchfork|title=Tracks: "Who Made The Man?"|last=Minsker|first=Evan|date=18 October 2016|accessdate=21 April 2024|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/18574-uranium-club-who-made-the-man/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|website=Vice|title=Uranium Club Return With More 80s Inspired Stabby and Jabby Midwestern Punk|last=Scott|first=Tim|date=19 September 2016|access-date=21 April 2024|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/uranium-club-return-with-more-80s-inspired-stabby-and-jabby-midwestern-punk/}}</ref> Describing the album as a work from "one of contemporary punk's most creative bands", ''Exclaim'' praised its "bizarre musical and lyrical ideas".<ref name=E2>{{cite web|website=Exclaim|title=Uranium Club: All of them Naturals|last=Firth|first=Cole|date=2 December 2016|accessdate=21 April 2024|url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/uranium_club-all_of_them_naturals}}</ref> ''Pitchfork'' considered the album's "twitchy neurosis" and "sardonic" humor to bridge a line between being "self-aware" and "aggressively obtuse".<ref name=P4K>{{cite web|website=Pitchfork|last=Glickman|first=David|title=All of Them Naturals|date=7 January 2017|accessdate=21 April 2024|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/22659-all-of-them-naturals/}}</ref> A live album, ''Live! at Arci Taun!'', performed in Fidenza in November 2016, was released in 2017 on Castle Face.<ref>{{cite web|website=BrooklynVegan|title=Bill's Indie Basement (2/9): the week in classic indie, college rock, and more|last=Pearis|first=Bill|date=9 February 2018|accessdate=21 April 2024|url=https://www.brooklynvegan.com/spiral-stairs-uranium-club-air-waves/}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite web|website=Stereogum|last=Breihan|first=Tom|title=Uranium Club – “Man Is The Loneliest Animal”|date=8 February 2019|accessdate=21 April 2024|url=https://www.stereogum.com/2031401/uranium-club-man-is-the-loneliest-animal/music/}}</ref> ''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".<ref name=AVC>{{cite web|website=AV Club|title=5 new releases we love: An infectious ass-shaker, a dystopian pop debut, and more|date=22 March 2019|accessdate=21 April 2024|url=https://www.avclub.com/5-new-releases-we-love-an-infectious-ass-shaker-a-dys-1833461722}}</ref> ''Pitchfork'' named ''The Cosmo Cleaners'' as one of the ten best punk and garage rock albums of the year.<ref>{{cite web|website=Pitchfork|last=Minsker|first=Evan|title=The 10 Best Punk and Garage Rock Albums of 2019|date=27 December 2019|accessdate=21 April 2024|url=https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/the-10-best-punk-and-garage-rock-albums-of-2019/}}</ref> ''PunkNews'' commended the band's "tight knit looseness" and resemblance to post-punk band Minutemen.<ref>{{cite web|website=PunkNews|title=Uranium Club: The Cosmo Cleaners - The Higher Calling of Business Provocateurs|date=17 July 2019|accessdate=21 April 2024|url=https://www.punknews.org/review/16620/uranium-club-the-cosmo-cleaners-the-higher-calling-of-business-provocateurs}}</ref>

Uranium Club released their fourth album, ''Infants Under the Bulb'', on 1 March 2024 through Anti Fade Records and Static Shock Records,<ref>{{cite web|website=Pitchfork|title=Uranium Club Announce New Album Infants Under the Bulb, Share New Song: Listen|last=Minsker|first=Evan|date=19 January 2024|accessdate=21 April 2024|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/uranium-club-announce-new-album-infants-under-the-bulb-share-new-song-listen/}}</ref> led by single Small Grey Man on 18 January.<ref name=WKNC/> ''Exclaim'' praised the album as "ambitious as ever" and "complex but strangely accessible".<ref name=E>{{cite web|website=Exclaim|title=Uranium Club Are Ambitious as Ever on 'Infants Under the Bulb'|last=Djurdjic|first=Marko|date=14 March 2024|accessdate=21 April 2024|url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/uranium-club-infants-under-the-bulb-album-review}}</ref>

== Musical style and influences ==

The band's music has been described as punk,<ref name=E2/><ref name=P4K/><ref name=E/><ref name=AVC/> and representative of a midwestern scene of egg punk bands, a subgenre of DIY punk bands influenced by DEVO.<ref>{{cite web |accessdate=21 April 2024 |date=4 January 2024 |first=Ben |last=Salmon |title=The Rise of Second-Wave Egg Punk |url=https://www.spin.com/2024/01/second-wave-egg-punk/ |website=SPIN}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|website=WKNC 88.1|title=Egg Punk – A Genre Field Guide|date=19 November 2023|accessdate=21 April 2024|url=https://wknc.org/2023/11/19/egg-punk-a-genre-field-guide/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|website=DIY Conspiracy|title=Egg Punk vs. Chain Punk|date=25 June 2022|accessdate=21 April 2024|url=https://diyconspiracy.net/terms/egg-punk-vs-chain-punk/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|website=Louder Than War|title=Egg Punk – LTW examines the manic thrills of punk’s current new wave plus playlist!|last=Robb|first=John|date=28 January 2024|accessdate=21 April 2024|url=https://louderthanwar.com/egg-punk-ltw-examines-the-manic-thrills-of-punks-current-new-wave-plus-playlist/}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|website=BrooklynVegan|title=Uranium Club touring this summer with Urochromes|last=Pearis|first=Bill|date=18 April 2019|accessdate=21 April 2024|url=https://www.brooklynvegan.com/uranium-club-touring-this-summer-with-urochromes/}}</ref><ref name=MRNR2>{{cite web|website=Maximum Rocknroll|last=Watchorn|first=Shivaun|title=Uranium Club|issue=391|date=December 2015|pages=38-40|url=https://archive.org/details/mrr_391/page/n39}}</ref>

== 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)

== Past Members ==

* Charles Free - Tape manipulation, sound effects (2013-2014) * "Sci-fi" Sam Benson - Dancer, back-up vocals (2013-2014)

== 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 == {{reflist}}

Category:Musical groups established in 2014 Category:Musical groups from Minneapolis Category:Punk rock groups from Minnesota