Supernova - Ages 3 and Up

Name: Supernova
Album: Ages 3 and Up
Year: 1995
Style: Punk
Similar Bands: Ramones, Dead Milkmen, Devo, Sleater-Kinney, Buzzcocks, The Presidents of the USA, Aquabats, Tom Verlaine, Man or Astro-Man?
"One-Word" Review: Wacky, Silly Punk
Based Out Of: Costa Mesa, CA
Label: Amphetamine Reptile Records, Atlantic

Cover & Back

Liner Notes, CD Back, CD

Ages 3 & Up (1995)

1. Vitamins 2:07 (single)
2. Oreo 1:35
3. Harry Gato 2:18
4. Up & Down 2:16
5. Mechanical 3:01
6. Gum Fighter 2:15 (single B-Side)
7. Wabbit 1:58
8. Invasion 2:14
9. Best Coast 2:09
10. Drool 1:14
11. Hippy 0:12
12. Sea Stunt 1:54
13. Daredevil 3:04
14. Math 2:18
15. Mentos 0:31
16. Boo! 2:16
17. Our Way 0:49
18. Electric Man 3:21 (single)
19. Supersong 3:00
20. Close Encounters 1:04

Album Rating (1-10): 9.0

Members & Other Bands:

• Art (Mitchell) - Bass (Gum Fighters)
• Dave (Collins) - Drums (Gum Fighters)
• Jo(dey Lawrence) - Guitar
• Tiim Mac - Producer, Recording
• Andrea Collins - Toy Piano
• Tim Connolly - Affirmations, Synth, Backups (Delicious Mind Garden)
• Haze XXL - Design
• Corrigan - Photos

Unknown-ness: Picked this up because it looked wacky. Like Presidents of the US- but in space wacky. Like somewhere between Dead Milkmen and They Might Be Giants wacky. Like so energetic you think it's cocaine, but it's really just too much Tang and Pixy Stix wacky. They are van-traveling-in-space, 20 tracks with 3 under a minute,  and weird haircut in space suits, which is wacky. The promo sticker on the front doesn't promote any "single," but instead, apologizes for language used in a 12 second song called "Hippy." 

Album Review: Right off the bat, the song Vitamins speeds through with some fuzzy, rockabilly punk guitars and sarcastic propaganda. The general sound is speedy punk with some juvenile imagery and silly lyrics. "Harry Gato" oddly sounds like Sleater-Kinney. "Mechanical" sounds like Tom Verlaine on acid. Live, the band tends to employ a sci-fi / space theme, with astronaut suits, like a punk version of surf rock Man or Astro-man? In fact, their original singer/guitarist (Hayden Thais) left Supernova right before this album was made to join Man or Astro-man? Their origin story is also similar: aliens from Cynot 3 who escaped a supernova that engulfed their planet. They landed in So-Cal and ask for folks to come to their shows bearing tin foil...not too far from what Man or Astro-Man or Peelander Z did for that matter.

Their song Up & Down, which sounds like any a solid, jittery/nervous early 80's new wave song, was performed on Yo Gabba Gabba in 2007, and their song from the previous album, Chewbacca (Chewy/What A Wookiee), was on the Clerks Soundtrack. Even though this was their first full length for a major label, they had previous released a bunch of singles (grouped together in the early years comp Pop as a Weapon in 2001). This record helped get them on the initial Vans Warped Tour in 1995. They enacted legal trouble for CBS in 2006, where the network produced a show called Rock Star, where contestants battled to become lead singer of a band, they called Supernova. The show knew of the other band's existence but ignored them and stole the name anyway. In the end, the original Supernova won, and the tv band was renamed Rock Star Supernova.

Stand Out Track: Up & Down

Links:
Wiki

Discogs

Allmusic

Punk News

10 Things Zine

Famous Fix