United Nations (band)
Encyclopedia
United Nations is an experimental
punk
supergroup
whose roots go back to at least 2005. They consider "screamo
power-violence
" as their main influence.
, the vocalist/lyricist of the band Thursday
. Other artists involved in the project possibly include Daryl Palumbo
, vocalist of Glassjaw
and Head Automatica
, and Ben Koller
, drummer for Converge
. However, all members except for Rickly are under contracts with other record labels and are not legally permitted to work in projects released by another label, making it difficult for the official lineup to be well known. Since Rickly is the only member whose primary band is currently not under contract, his name is the only one that can legally appear in press materials. Press photos of the band released in 2008 depict four people wearing Ronald Reagan
masks.
The idea of this side project can be traced back to the early 2000s, but it was not until 2008 that United Nations took shape. In 2008 the band recorded enough material for two studio albums, two extended plays, and one parody album that would be released at some point. The band is uncertain if these will be the only releases by the band, or if the band will regroup to record more songs.
United Nations released their self-titled debut on September 9, 2008 through Eyeball Records
. The band was ready to release the album with essentially the same photo cover for the iconic cover of The Beatles
' Abbey Road, with the exception of The Beatles engulfed in flames and walking to the left rather than the right. When stores began refusing to sell the album, pressing was halted with 1,000 albums already made. These were sold exclusively through the Eyeball Records webstore, and it was later released with a different cover. The album received minor success and while it didn't chart on the Billboard 200
, it did chart at number 44 on the Billboard Independent Albums
and number 14 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers
. The vinyl pressing of the album (also limited to 1,000 copies) was intended to include a Kidz Bop
version of their self-titled album, titled United Nations Plays Pretty For A Bunch Of Fucking Babies. However recordings of this album were lost and had to be rerecorded for a later release.
The future releases already recorded from the band include a 7" EP on to be Deathwish Inc.
titled Never Mind the Bombings, Here's Your Six Figures, which may potentially face similar copyright issues due to the title and cover's parodying of the Sex Pistols
' album Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols
. Also a 10" vinyl EP titled Music For Interchanging Parts to be released on Temporary Residence
which features one song in many parts, and a second studio album titled Dark Side Of The UN have already been recorded and await a release.
United Nations played their first show on January 20, 2009, the day of Barack Obama's presidential inauguration. They played alongside Anti-Flag
, Darkest Hour, Ruiner, and The A.K.A.s
in Washington DC.
, hardcore punk
, powerviolence
, and post-hardcore
bands such as Refused
, Nation of Ulysses
, Orchid
, Majority Rule, Fugazi, Reversal of Man and bands signed to Gravity Records
or Ebullition Records
. Their genre is also often described as grindcore
. United Nations pays tribute to the band's from which they take their influence from in their albums. On their self-titled debut album, the song titled "The Shape of Punk that Never Came" pays tribute to Refused's album The Shape of Punk to Come
– most notably in the lyric "Denis, are you listening? Is there something that I'm missing?" which is directed toward Dennis Lyxzén
, the lead singer of Refused. The album United Nations Plays Pretty For A Bunch Of Fucking Babies was inspired by Nation of Ulysses' album Plays Pretty for Baby
.
Lyrically, United Nations has songs that feature both comical songs with assistance from comedy group Stella
and comedian Kristen Schaal
, and also songs that about social and political values. More specifically, United Nations was inspired by bands that "raised questions about political corruption, social inequity, personal responsibility and artistic freedom" in opposition to bands that are more concerned with pop culture. Geoff Rickly commented on his vision for the band:
.
The actual international organization, United Nations
, after which the band is named, discovered that a musical group had formed under the name of United Nations, and ordered Facebook
to remove their official page. After deleting their page, Facebook informed the band about the removal and also stated, "The use of the name 'United Nations' by the Band and the use of its Logo which resembles the UN emblem has not been authorized and violates international and United States laws..." The band's record label comically responded the situation stating, "The United Nations, an international organization of some kind, has been taking issue with the band that shares its name. Who had the name first remains open to debate, but the problem exists nonetheless." Their label also hinted at the possibility of no longer being able to release their debut album. In December 2008, a little over a month after the band's Facebook was deleted, their MySpace
page was also deleted.
masks, and all contributors are contractually obligated to remain anonymous. The only member not under contract is Geoff Rickly, of the band Thursday, for press and media purposes. Many sources claim that Daryl Palumbo, Ben Koller, and also members of various bands signed to Eyeball Records contribute to United Nations. In an interview with Rickly, he discussed the inclusion of non-instrument playing members, such as the comedy group Stella
and comedian Kristen Schaal
who helped write lyrics, and the creators of Homestar Runner
who acted as "directors" for the band. Ben Koller has writing credit for all of the songs from the self-titled debut album.
At a live performance in May 2009, United Nations performed with the following line-up.
Experimental music
Experimental music refers, in the English-language literature, to a compositional tradition which arose in the mid-20th century, applied particularly in North America to music composed in such a way that its outcome is unforeseeable. Its most famous and influential exponent was John Cage...
punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
supergroup
Supergroup (music)
In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
whose roots go back to at least 2005. They consider "screamo
Screamo
Screamo, though used loosely to generally describe music that features screamed vocals, is actually a musical subgenre of hardcore punk which predominantly evolved from emo, among other genres, in the early 1990s...
power-violence
Powerviolence
Powerviolence , is a raw and dissonant subgenre of hardcore punk. The style is closely related to thrashcore and grindcore.-History:...
" as their main influence.
History
United Nations was started by Geoff RicklyGeoff Rickly
Geoffrey William Rickly Geoffrey William Rickly Geoffrey William Rickly (born March 8, 1979 is the lead singer and songwriter of Thursday, an American rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey. They have released six studio albums. Rickly grew up in Dumont, New Jersey...
, the vocalist/lyricist of the band Thursday
Thursday (band)
Thursday were an American rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey. Formed in 1997, the group has released six full-length albums, their most recent being No Devolución, which was released in April 2011 on Epitaph Records...
. Other artists involved in the project possibly include Daryl Palumbo
Daryl Palumbo
Daryl Palumbo is an Italian American musician, , grew up in Bellmore, New York. He is the frontman of the bands Glassjaw and Head Automatica. As a youth he was a member of the Long Island straight edge band XbustedX, however he has since rejected that philosophy...
, vocalist of Glassjaw
Glassjaw
Glassjaw is a four-piece rock band from Long Island, New York. The band is fronted by vocalist Daryl Palumbo and guitarist Justin Beck, and have undergone numerous line-up changes since their inception...
and Head Automatica
Head Automatica
Head Automatica is a Dance Rock band, formed by Glassjaw frontman Daryl Palumbo with Jarvis Holden, formerly of Give Up the Ghost or American Nightmare, Jim Greer, and Brandon Arnovick.-History:...
, and Ben Koller
Ben Koller
Ben Koller is an American drummer currently in Converge, United Nations, Acid Tiger, and All Pigs Must Die. He started playing a full drum kit at age 14.-Early bands:...
, drummer for Converge
Converge (band)
Converge is an American band from Salem, Massachusetts. Playing a blend of hardcore punk and metal since 1990, Converge has helped to define many of the elements of the metalcore genre.-Description:...
. However, all members except for Rickly are under contracts with other record labels and are not legally permitted to work in projects released by another label, making it difficult for the official lineup to be well known. Since Rickly is the only member whose primary band is currently not under contract, his name is the only one that can legally appear in press materials. Press photos of the band released in 2008 depict four people wearing Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
masks.
The idea of this side project can be traced back to the early 2000s, but it was not until 2008 that United Nations took shape. In 2008 the band recorded enough material for two studio albums, two extended plays, and one parody album that would be released at some point. The band is uncertain if these will be the only releases by the band, or if the band will regroup to record more songs.
United Nations released their self-titled debut on September 9, 2008 through Eyeball Records
Eyeball Records
Eyeball Records is an independent record label based in Northern New Jersey, formed in 1995 by Alex Saavedra. They have released albums by artists such as Thursday, My Chemical Romance and Murder by Death....
. The band was ready to release the album with essentially the same photo cover for the iconic cover of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' Abbey Road, with the exception of The Beatles engulfed in flames and walking to the left rather than the right. When stores began refusing to sell the album, pressing was halted with 1,000 albums already made. These were sold exclusively through the Eyeball Records webstore, and it was later released with a different cover. The album received minor success and while it didn't chart on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, it did chart at number 44 on the Billboard Independent Albums
Independent Albums
The Billboard Independent Albums is a chart of the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays in the United States, compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is used to list artists who are not signed to major labels...
and number 14 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical...
. The vinyl pressing of the album (also limited to 1,000 copies) was intended to include a Kidz Bop
Kidz Bop
Kidz Bop is a brand of compilation albums featuring child session musicians performing contemporary music. The series was developed by Razor & Tie co-founders Cliff Chenfeld and Craig Balsam in 2001...
version of their self-titled album, titled United Nations Plays Pretty For A Bunch Of Fucking Babies. However recordings of this album were lost and had to be rerecorded for a later release.
The future releases already recorded from the band include a 7" EP on to be Deathwish Inc.
Deathwish Inc.
Deathwish, Inc. is a independent record label founded by Jacob Bannon and Tre McCarthy. The label was originally used to release early albums by Bannon's own band Converge starting in late 1991. It wasn't until late 1999 that McCarthy and Bannon discussed turning Deathwish into a full-fledged label...
titled Never Mind the Bombings, Here's Your Six Figures, which may potentially face similar copyright issues due to the title and cover's parodying of the Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
' album Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols
Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols
Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols is the only studio album by the highly influential and controversial English punk rock band The Sex Pistols...
. Also a 10" vinyl EP titled Music For Interchanging Parts to be released on Temporary Residence
Temporary Residence Limited
Temporary Residence Limited is a Brooklyn, New York-based record label. TRL was started in Baltimore, Maryland in late 1995. The label's first release was The Concord Anthology Process/Nero split 7", released April 1, 1996. After moving the operation to Portland, Oregon, owner/operator Jeremy...
which features one song in many parts, and a second studio album titled Dark Side Of The UN have already been recorded and await a release.
United Nations played their first show on January 20, 2009, the day of Barack Obama's presidential inauguration. They played alongside Anti-Flag
Anti-Flag
Anti-Flag is a punk rock band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the United States, formed in 1988. The band is well known for its outspoken political views. Much of the band's lyrics have focused on fervent anti-war activism, criticism of United States foreign policy, corporatism, U.S. wealth...
, Darkest Hour, Ruiner, and The A.K.A.s
The A.K.A.s (Are Everywhere!)
The A.K.A.s, a.k.a The A.K.A.s is a band that emerged from New York City and later relocated to Philadelphia, PA. They call their music "dancehall fight music" They released their debut album "White Doves & Smoking Guns" on Fueled by Ramen's record label...
in Washington DC.
Influences and genre
Musically, United Nations takes influence from mid 1990s screamoScreamo
Screamo, though used loosely to generally describe music that features screamed vocals, is actually a musical subgenre of hardcore punk which predominantly evolved from emo, among other genres, in the early 1990s...
, hardcore punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
, powerviolence
Powerviolence
Powerviolence , is a raw and dissonant subgenre of hardcore punk. The style is closely related to thrashcore and grindcore.-History:...
, and post-hardcore
Post-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a genre of music that developed from hardcore punk, itself an offshoot of the broader punk rock movement. Like post-punk, post-hardcore is a term for a broad constellation of groups...
bands such as Refused
Refused
Refused was a Swedish hardcore punk band originating from Umeå, Sweden, formed in 1991. In total the band released five EPs and three albums, before splitting up in 1998...
, Nation of Ulysses
Nation of Ulysses
The Nation of Ulysses was an American punk rock band from Washington, D.C., formed in spring 1988 with four members. Originally known as simply "Ulysses," the first mark of the group consisted of Ian Svenonius on vocals and trumpet, Steve Kroner on guitar, Steve Gamboa on bass guitar, and James...
, Orchid
Orchid (band)
Orchid was a screamo band from Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Considered by many to be one of the pioneers of the "screamo" sound, Orchid combined this with a post-modern aesthetic, releasing several extended play and splits as well as three LPs...
, Majority Rule, Fugazi, Reversal of Man and bands signed to Gravity Records
Gravity Records (US)
Gravity Records is an underground independent record label from San Diego. It was formed in 1991 by Matt Anderson, a member of the influential underground band Heroin. It has been central in developing and promoting the "San Diego sound" - an idiosyncratic form of post-hardcore with loose, chaotic...
or Ebullition Records
Ebullition Records
Ebullition Records is an independent record label and distro based out of Goleta, California. It published HeartattaCk, a zine focusing on independent punk and hardcore from around the world, informed by an anti-consumerist and D.I.Y. ideology....
. Their genre is also often described as grindcore
Grindcore
Grindcore is an extreme genre of music that started in the early- to mid-1980s. It draws inspiration from some of the most abrasive music genres – including death metal, industrial music, noise and the more extreme varieties of hardcore punk....
. United Nations pays tribute to the band's from which they take their influence from in their albums. On their self-titled debut album, the song titled "The Shape of Punk that Never Came" pays tribute to Refused's album The Shape of Punk to Come
The Shape of Punk to Come
The Shape of Punk to Come: A Chimerical Bombination in 12 Bursts is the third and final album released by Swedish hardcore punk band Refused, which was released in October 1998 through Burning Heart Records...
– most notably in the lyric "Denis, are you listening? Is there something that I'm missing?" which is directed toward Dennis Lyxzén
Dennis Lyxzén
Dennis Lyxzén is a musician most famously known for being the lead vocalist for Swedish hardcore punk band Refused.-Career:...
, the lead singer of Refused. The album United Nations Plays Pretty For A Bunch Of Fucking Babies was inspired by Nation of Ulysses' album Plays Pretty for Baby
Plays Pretty for Baby
Plays Pretty for Baby is the second album by the American punk rock band Nation of Ulysses.Tracks 14-16 on the CD are not on the original album, and are taken from the 7" EP Birth of a Ulysses Aesthetic....
.
Lyrically, United Nations has songs that feature both comical songs with assistance from comedy group Stella
Stella (Comedy Group)
Stella is a comedy trio consisting of Michael Showalter, Michael Ian Black, and David Wain . The group formed in 1997 as a weekly nightclub comedy attraction, performing at New York City nightclub Fez from 1997 until February 2005...
and comedian Kristen Schaal
Kristen Schaal
Kristen Schaal is an American actress, writer and comedienne, best known for her role as Mel in the HBO series Flight of the Conchords, as Louise in Bob's Burgers and as a contributor on The Daily Show.-Early life:...
, and also songs that about social and political values. More specifically, United Nations was inspired by bands that "raised questions about political corruption, social inequity, personal responsibility and artistic freedom" in opposition to bands that are more concerned with pop culture. Geoff Rickly commented on his vision for the band:
Controversies
Before its release, stores refused to sell the band's debut self-titled album because of copyright issues. As a result, only 1,000 copies were made with the controversial cover, and later copies were made with an alternative cover. The one thousand original copies were sold exclusively through the band and Eyeball RecordsEyeball Records
Eyeball Records is an independent record label based in Northern New Jersey, formed in 1995 by Alex Saavedra. They have released albums by artists such as Thursday, My Chemical Romance and Murder by Death....
.
The actual international organization, United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, after which the band is named, discovered that a musical group had formed under the name of United Nations, and ordered Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
to remove their official page. After deleting their page, Facebook informed the band about the removal and also stated, "The use of the name 'United Nations' by the Band and the use of its Logo which resembles the UN emblem has not been authorized and violates international and United States laws..." The band's record label comically responded the situation stating, "The United Nations, an international organization of some kind, has been taking issue with the band that shares its name. Who had the name first remains open to debate, but the problem exists nonetheless." Their label also hinted at the possibility of no longer being able to release their debut album. In December 2008, a little over a month after the band's Facebook was deleted, their MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
page was also deleted.
Members
Due to the nature of the band, it is unclear who exactly is a member of United Nations. Promotional images of the band depict four people wearing Ronald ReaganRonald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
masks, and all contributors are contractually obligated to remain anonymous. The only member not under contract is Geoff Rickly, of the band Thursday, for press and media purposes. Many sources claim that Daryl Palumbo, Ben Koller, and also members of various bands signed to Eyeball Records contribute to United Nations. In an interview with Rickly, he discussed the inclusion of non-instrument playing members, such as the comedy group Stella
Stella (Comedy Group)
Stella is a comedy trio consisting of Michael Showalter, Michael Ian Black, and David Wain . The group formed in 1997 as a weekly nightclub comedy attraction, performing at New York City nightclub Fez from 1997 until February 2005...
and comedian Kristen Schaal
Kristen Schaal
Kristen Schaal is an American actress, writer and comedienne, best known for her role as Mel in the HBO series Flight of the Conchords, as Louise in Bob's Burgers and as a contributor on The Daily Show.-Early life:...
who helped write lyrics, and the creators of Homestar Runner
Homestar Runner
Homestar Runner is a Flash animated Internet cartoon. It mixes surreal humor with references to retro pop culture, notably video games, classic television, and popular music.The cartoons are nominally centered on the title character, Homestar Runner...
who acted as "directors" for the band. Ben Koller has writing credit for all of the songs from the self-titled debut album.
- Geoff RicklyGeoff RicklyGeoffrey William Rickly Geoffrey William Rickly Geoffrey William Rickly (born March 8, 1979 is the lead singer and songwriter of Thursday, an American rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey. They have released six studio albums. Rickly grew up in Dumont, New Jersey...
of ThursdayThursday (band)Thursday were an American rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey. Formed in 1997, the group has released six full-length albums, their most recent being No Devolución, which was released in April 2011 on Epitaph Records...
– vocals, guitar - Daryl PalumboDaryl PalumboDaryl Palumbo is an Italian American musician, , grew up in Bellmore, New York. He is the frontman of the bands Glassjaw and Head Automatica. As a youth he was a member of the Long Island straight edge band XbustedX, however he has since rejected that philosophy...
of GlassjawGlassjawGlassjaw is a four-piece rock band from Long Island, New York. The band is fronted by vocalist Daryl Palumbo and guitarist Justin Beck, and have undergone numerous line-up changes since their inception...
and Head AutomaticaHead AutomaticaHead Automatica is a Dance Rock band, formed by Glassjaw frontman Daryl Palumbo with Jarvis Holden, formerly of Give Up the Ghost or American Nightmare, Jim Greer, and Brandon Arnovick.-History:...
(unconfirmed) - Ben KollerBen KollerBen Koller is an American drummer currently in Converge, United Nations, Acid Tiger, and All Pigs Must Die. He started playing a full drum kit at age 14.-Early bands:...
of ConvergeConverge (band)Converge is an American band from Salem, Massachusetts. Playing a blend of hardcore punk and metal since 1990, Converge has helped to define many of the elements of the metalcore genre.-Description:...
(unconfirmed) - Christopher Conger of The Number Twelve Looks Like YouThe Number Twelve Looks Like YouThe Number Twelve Looks Like You was a mathcore band from Fair Lawn, New Jersey. Their music combined elements of grindcore, progressive metal, hardcore punk and jazz...
(unconfirmed) - Eric Cooper of Made Out of BabiesMade Out of Babies-Biography:Drawing equally from noise-rock bands like The Jesus Lizard and post-metal bands like Isis, the band developed a following after the release of their debut album, Trophy. Their first two albums were released by Neurot Recordings, the label of post-metal and post-rock bands like Isis,...
(unconfirmed) - Jonah Bayer of Lovekill (unconfirmed)
At a live performance in May 2009, United Nations performed with the following line-up.
- Ryan Bland of Home 33 – vocals
- Lukas Previn of Acid Tiger – bass
- Geoff Rickly – guitars, vocals
- Ben Koller – drums
- Jonah Bayer – guitars
Studio albums
- United Nations (2008, Eyeball Records)
- United Nations Plays Pretty For A Bunch Of Fucking Babies (TBA, UN/Collect Records)
- The Dark Side Of The UN (TBA, TBA)
EPs
- Never Mind the Bombings, Here's Your Six FiguresNever Mind the Bombings, Here's Your Six FiguresNever Mind the Bombings, Here's Your Six Figures is the second release from American screamo band United Nations. The four-song EP was released on June 23, 2010 through Deathwish Inc. on both 7" vinyl and digital download versions...
7" (2010, Deathwish Inc.) - Music For Interchanging Parts 10" (TBA, Temporary ResidenceTemporary Residence LimitedTemporary Residence Limited is a Brooklyn, New York-based record label. TRL was started in Baltimore, Maryland in late 1995. The label's first release was The Concord Anthology Process/Nero split 7", released April 1, 1996. After moving the operation to Portland, Oregon, owner/operator Jeremy...
) - Stole The Past, Fucked The Future 7" (TBA, TBA)