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American chiptune-based synthpunk band From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Math the Band is an American chiptune-based synthpunk band from Providence, Rhode Island[9] formed in 2002[11] by Kevin Steinhauser. Originally being a solo project by Steinhauser, the band's style has been sometimes called Nintendocore. The band has performed over 1000 shows throughout the United States, Mexico, Canada, and the United Kingdom, touring with bands, artists and rappers such as Andrew W.K.,[9][13] Japanther, Wheatus, MC Frontalot, Horse the Band[14] MC Chris,[15] Peelander-Z,[16][9] Anamanaguchi[17] and MC Lars. Math the Band has been featured in several magazines such as Venus Zine and Keyboard Magazine, and were also featured on NPR Music.[18][19][20] Still, with band members spread across the United States, Math the Band is based in Providence, Rhode Island and are a part of Providence's AS220[21][22] and have performed there multiple times.[23][24][25]
Math the Band | |
|---|---|
Math the Band performing at Super MAGFest 2023. | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | |
| Origin | Providence, Rhode Island, United States[8][9][10][6] |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2002–present[11] |
| Labels |
|
| Members | Kevin Steinhauser Max Holbrook Adam Waz Matt Zappa |
| Past members | Joe DeGeorge Neil King Justine Mainville Jeff McGowan Jon Pagano Scott |
| Website | Official website  |
Since 2017, Math the Band has been Kevin Steinhauser, Max Holbrook, Adam Waz, and Matt Zappa.
Math the Band was originally the solo project of sixteen-year-old[12] Kevin Steinhauser created in 2002,[11] "doing his own thing" after getting kicked out of other bands he was in during high school for reasons he attributed to him "not being any good" – most notably, Christian pop punk band The Schwartz where he played guitar and was the only non-religious member.[26][27][28] The origin of the name Math the Band originates from Steinhauser thinking of band names and having a pin on his backpack that simply said "Math" on it and he wanted a pin for his band so he named the band after the pin.[26] During this time starting in 2002, Steinhauser released the studio albums: Robots Will Rise, Eep! An EP!, One Man Band For Single-Celled Organisms, The Lost Levels, Math the Band and the Secret of Mystery Island, Imaginary Everything, Greatest Hits and All Good Things, All in Good Time all under the Math the Band name and did live shows with a laptop and sometimes a box of costumes.[26]
Steinhauser met Justine Mainville after playing a few shows with her then-band The Reaganauts[29] while they were both in college. They later became friends and dated, leading Steinhauser to ask her to join on drums and synthesizer in 2007.[27] The duo lineup of Math the Band released the studio albums: Math the Band Banned the Math, Don't Worry, Get Real, No Thing, Stupid and Weird and Math the Band the Band the Album.
Mainville later left the band and Max Holbrook, Adam Waz and Matt Zappa joined the band. In 2019 and 2020 they performed at PAXEast[30][31] and MAGFest[32] and played with a setlist featuring yet-unreleased songs announced as part of their young adult fantasy novel.[32] On April 20, 2020[33] they released the single "Wet Cement", the music video's description announced it as part of Flange Factory Five, a five-part series of releases based on the band's yet to be released at the time studio album of the same name.[34] The album itself released on October 1, 2020, and is the third release in a collection of five monthly releases.[35] The second single from the album titled "Duel of the Deer" released on July 5, 2020.[36] The first release under the name Flange Factory Five was Flange Factory Five: the Novel a book which is a "fantasy adventure novel with magic, wizards and other characters".[37] On October 23, 2020, the band streamed the first part of live reading the book on their YouTube account.[38] The second release was an energy drink advertised as "A New Sport Utility Beverage"[39] The fourth release was a guitar pedal, Steinhauser describes it as "a replica of the pedal that’s a playback device of the album, and you can make the sound go all weird."[37] and was originally planned for a release in November but was released in early December[40] along with an accompanying demo.[41][42][43] The fifth was planned for a release in December and be a video game for the Game Boy Color,[37] it is unknown when it will release but is currently in development, its released date was delayed due to their making sure the game was up to "gamer standards".[44]
On March 16, 2021, Math the Band announced an online concert at AS220 for March 25, it was their first show since the COVID-19 pandemic.[45] On April 1, the band released the music video for "That Thing You Don't", in the video the band stars on a fictional TV show titled Good Morning Void, at the end of the video, Steinhauser and a fictional manager are seen in the studio watching the performance, before the manager begins berating Steinhauser, and eventually "firing" him, upon being asked by Steinhauser who would replace him, the release of "Duel of the Deer (Matt the Band)" single was announced and released the same day.[46][7]
For April Fools 2022, Math the Band live streamed an "album delease" for Flange Factory Five featuring Steinhauser and Waz playing the entire album, providing commentary and subsequently destroying copies of multiple versions of Flange Factory Five removing it from streaming services, since then the album has remained removed. Steinhauser also mentioned the delay of the Game Boy Color game saying "it originally was going to be a five-minute-long thing that just got to a point in the book, and it was like do this thing and then I was like I wanna make it a longer thing and it's just not done yet." Him and Waz also joked that after the album delease and it's finished, it could be "preleased".[47]
On January 7, 2023, Math the Band performed at Super MAGFest 2023.[11]
Math the Band has described their music as "glitched-out, chaotic, celebration pop for the constantly anxious."[48] Stylistically, the band is characterized as Nintendocore,[49][50][51][52] punk rock,[53][5][54][55] chiptune,[55][56] indie rock,[1][53] synthpunk,[50][9][6][37][57][54][58][59] dance-punk,[50] electronic,[60][56] synth-pop,[56] pop[56] and pop punk[52]
Math the Band uses vintage analog synthesizers, drum machines, hacked second and third generation video game consoles and homemade synthesizers[8] to make loud and fast, punk rock music. Math the Band, specifically Steinhauser has cited Atom and His Package,[61][13][56][62][63] Andrew W.K.,[13][62] Steve Roggenbuck[13] Nathan Fielder,[28] and Devo[62] as influences.
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Robots Will Rise[69] |
|
| Eep! An EP![71] |
|
| The Lost Levels |
|
| A One Man Band For Single-Celled Organisms[72] |
|
| Math the Band and the Secret of Mystery Island[73] |
|
| Imaginary Everything[74] |
|
| Greatest Hits |
|
| All Good Things, All in Good Time[75] |
|
| Math the Band Banned the Math[76][77] |
|
| Don't Worry[78][53][57][79] | |
| Get Real[82][57][83][84] |
|
| No Thing[85] |
|
| Stupid and Weird[86][87] |
|
| Math the Band the Band the Album[1][4][88] |
|
| Flange Factory Five[89][90][37] |
|
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Beethoven the Movie[91] |
|
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Math the Band and the Secret of Mystery Island |
|
| Nature[92] |
|
| Shoes[93] |
|
| Teeth[94] |
|
| Banana Split w/ Iji[95] |
|
| Covers EP |
|
| Tour de Friends[96] |
|
| Accident Comedy Doctor pt. 4[97] |
|
| Get Off My Lawn[98] |
|
| Best Swishes, Thanks a Dunks[99][100][84] |
|
| Year | Title | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | "Why Didn't You Get a Haircut?"[101] | Don't Worry |
| "Floppy Disk #1"[102] | Non-album single | |
| 2011 | "Four to Six"[57][103][104] | Get Real |
| 2013 | "January 2008" | Stupid and Weird |
| 2020 | "Wet Cement"[105][106] | Flange Factory Five |
| "Duel of the Deer"[107][108] | ||
| 2021 | "Duel of the Deer (Matt the Band)"[7][109] | Non-album single |
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Shark Attack[116] | Unknown | Video lost and mentioned by Steinhauser in an interview, mentioned it might not be shown to the public. |
| 2009 | Why Didn't You Get Haircut?[117] | Chris Shashaty | — |
| Hang Out/Hang Ten[118] | Andy Devlin and Embrace Your Awesome Productions | ||
| 2011 | Four To Six[119][57] | Jonathan Yi and Sam Goetz | |
| 2012 | Down[120] | AD Lane | |
| Horses[121] | Carman Spoto | ||
| I Hope You Die[122] | Johnny Weiss and Jesse Gouldsbury | ||
| Bad Jokes[123] | Antonio Cisneros | ||
| Stay Real (Sock It To Me Satan)[124] | Ian Danskin | ||
| Positive Stress[125] | Frank Howley | Uploaded onto the Frank Howley YouTube channel. | |
| Get Real[126] | FISHBOY | — | |
| GUTS[127] | Jonathan Killoran | ||
| Brand New Physics[128] | Jono Gray | ||
| NAHH[129] | — | ||
| Mission Statement[130] | Adam Theroux | ||
| 2013 | Hey Alright[131] | — | |
| January 2008[132][10] | Johnny Weiss and Jesse Gouldsbury | ||
| 2014 | Stupid and Weird[133] | CrashBoomBang Productions | |
| 2015 | |||
| I Ate the Mold[134] | Adam Waz and Moxicotton | ||
| Didn't Have Time to Think[2][4][135] | Many Hearts (Jesse Gouldsbury and Johnny Weiss) | ||
| 2020 | "Wet Cement"[136][137] | Adam Waz | Shot by each band member at their house while in quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2021 | "That Thing You Don't"[46] | Unknown | — |
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