If you’re not familiar with Brooklyn’s Miracles of Modern Science, they ingeniously create pop music using non-pop instrumentation. Instead of synths, turntables, and guitar the band uses violin, cello, mandolin, double bass, and drums. Additionally, they love to toss pop music songwriting clichés out the window too, cleverly creating a sound that feels strange and one of a kind, tot he point where you can easily call them classical rock, yet so smartly accessible and fun. It’s high time they were acknowledged as innovators in pop music, and their new album Mean Dreams should convince more listeners of the same.
“There’s no separate string section behind music stands supporting the band,” says singer/bassist Evan Younger. “The strings are the band.”
“In some ways it’s a limitation, but there are things our instruments can do that others can’t,” says violinist Kieran Ledwidge. “We think differently with strings in our hands than we would with guitars or keyboards. It’s exciting to see what songs come out of this combination.”
Mandolinist Josh Hirshfeld adds, “If the album inspires anyone to pick up an old instrument and play it in a new way, we’ll be happy.”
Mean Dreams is out now. Catch Miracles of Modern Science on tour now:
August
Sat/22 Norfolk, VA
Sun/23 Charlottesville, VA
Mon/24 Charleston, SC
Tue/25 Athens, GA
Thu/27 Cape Coral, FL
Fri/28 Tampa, FL
Sat/29 Hattiesburg, MS
Sun/30 New Orleans, LA
September
Tue/01 Houston, TX
Thu/03 Austin, TX
Fri/04 Las Cruces, NM
Sat/05 Tucson, AZ
Sun/06 San Diego, CA
Tue/08 Los Angeles, CA
Thu/10 San Francisco, CA
Sat/12 Portland, OR
Mon/14 Seattle, WA
Tue/15 Vancouver, BC
Thu/17 Boise, ID
Fri/18 Salt Lake City, UT
Sat/19 Denver, CO
Tue/22 Minneapolis, MN
Wed/23 Northfield, MN
Fri/25 Chicago, IL
Sat/26 Cincinnati, OH
Wed/30 Paducah, KY
October
Thu/01 Nashville, TN
Sat/03 Toronto, ON
Mon/05 Rochester, NY