We Are Scientists - With Love and Squalor

Despite their claim, singer-guitarist Keith Murray, bassist Chris Cain and drummer Michael Tapper are actually math teachers—or at least look like it. Nerdy in the extreme (minus the pocket protectors), the Brooklyn-based rock trio is equally academic in its approach to music. The group’s debut album, named for a J.D. Salinger short story collection, adds elements of punk and new wave on songs like “Textbook,” Can’t Lose” and “Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt.” Catchy pop hooks are also part of the equation.

Jan. 10