Calamine (band)

Calamine is an indie pop band currently based in Massachusetts, but had spent the vast majority of its active years in their hometown of Brooklyn, New York City. Calamine released their eponymous EP in 1999, and their second release, "What We Forgot To Remember," was released in 2006. The band is probably best known for performing the theme song to the popular television show Sealab 2021.

The group writes original songs, has a dedicated following, and its distinctive trademark is the lead vocal work by Julie Stepanek.

History

Pre-Calamine Era (1995-1998)

Julie began playing the music she had been writing in New York with a band as early as 1995 She first started playing with her friend Elizabeth (on bass)and they then started looking for a drummer and found Helene Stapinksi. The trio rehearsed extensively at the Tasty Fish rehearsal space on the lower east side of Manhattan (presumably now-defunct), playing mostly titleless songs and early versions of songs that would later be released under the Calamine moniker (such as "Document" and "Astronaut"). Elizabeth left the band and was replaced by Helene's husband (his name unknown), and the nameless band continued to practice, now situated in a new and improved rehearsal space.

The band soon settled on the name I Hate Jane, and played out two shows (one at an acoustic extension of CGBG, but the band played electric regardless) before abandoning the name. After the second show Helene's husband, only a temporary bassist, exited the band, leaving Julie, Helene and Steve to post flyers searching for a female bassist.

One of the people to answer the call was Dan Crane, a young lead guitarist and vocalist living in Brooklyn. Julie was skeptical at first, but upon witnessing his audition she immediately welcomed him into the band. With two guitars in play, the keyboard was rendered auxiliary at best, and Steve was soon given the boot from the band. Another male bassist, Doug Mikko, was recruited, and it was this lineup that comprised the second official incarnation of the band, Stephonic.

The band played many shows, including reworked versions of old I Hate Jane songs, newer compositions to later be released as Calamine ("Flicker"), and several tunes that only exist on old, unsurfaced demo recordings ("The Bomb," "Next Big Thing").

One demo recording from this era has surfaced and is now officially posted on Calamine.com It includes "Nightlight's Glow," "Letters," "Stop Me," and an early version of the Calamine classic "Document."

The EP Era (1998-2000)

At this point Helene was fired from the band; Dave Jargowsky was recruited as her replacement. The band's then current bassist, Doug, was also fired by Julie and Jack Campbell became the band's new bass player. Stapinski went on to be the bestselling author of "Five-Finger Discount: A Crooked Family History" (Random House; 2001), and "Baby Plays Around: A Love Affair, with Music" (Villard; 2004), which chronicled her experience in Stephonic, as well as problems in her marriage. "Baby Plays Around" featured numerous comic scenes in which Julie struggled to tune her guitar between songs while engaging the audience in aimless patter.

The band renamed itself Calamine and released their self-titled EP, recorded by Nicholas Vernhes (who later went on to produce The Fiery Furnaces and Silver Jews). The disc was self-released via the band's own Squirrel Hut imprint, gaining some minor but very affectionate press attention, including an interview with Rockband.com (see links below).

By the year 2000 it had become apparent that Calamine could no longer sustain itself through the internal tensions developing within the band: Dan, having only sung lead on one of the EP's six tracks, wanted a greater level of creative control in the band, also wanting to play louder and rock harder than Julie would allow. The band played a final, "pre-hiatus" show that summer (rather notably with former drummer Helene in the audience, marking her reconciliation with the band), and then disbanded.

Before splitting for good, however, the band recorded the theme song to popular television show Sealab 2021, a move that garnered the band a new and larger audience. Despite this, it was the last recording the band would record with that lineup. Dan also went on to a successful career as a writer, using the name of his alter ego, Björn Türoque, as the author of "To Air Is Human" (Riverhead; 2006), which described his career competing in air guitar competitions. He appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brian, Last Call with Carson Daly and other programs, and received numerous glowing reviews.

What We Forgot to Remember (2003-2006)

In the three years of Calamine's inactivity that followed the initial line-up's fracture, Julie had largely stayed out of the musical limelight, instead quietly working on new material in her Brooklyn apartment. In the year 2003, however, Julie became interested in releasing music again, and publicly promised fans a new record, which she hoped to deliver before she did her first baby. The record was, at this point, carrying the tentative title, "Play Again."

Bassist Jack Campbell, having recently had a baby and moved out of the city, was replaced by Julie's husband, Andrew Webster. Dave Jargowsky resumed drumming responsibilities, and the band continued as a trio for the first time since Julie had played with Helene and Elizabeth in 1995.

In the summer of 2003, the band played a brief series of return gigs in NYC, including one at Calamine's favorite venue, Pete's Candy Store. After "road testing" the songs a bit, Julie finished the writing process for the record in the winter of 2004. The early AM acoustic demos (produced on 4-track) represented an early version of the record, which the band posted song-by-song on their website (currently, only the demo for "The Accident" is available).

By summer 2004, Dave could no longer commit himself to the band, so Julie recruited Steven Albert to play drums, and the band entered NYC's Purple Room with producer Eli Janney (Girls Vs. Boys, DJEJ). She was, at this point, 7 months pregnant.

After laying down the basic tracks at Purple Room, the album was shifted to Fort Knox Studios, where Steve Raskin mixed and edited the record with the band for nearly a month straight. The record was then returned to Janney for a final round of mixing and editing, and the completed 9-song full-length, "What We Forgot to Remember," was self-released in 2005, available exclusively through the band's website. The following January, the album saw international digital release via iTunes.

Presently (2006)

The band played a pair of shows on Lorimer Street in Brooklyn that January, one at Pete's Candy Store and another at the Balanza Bar. Steven Albert, having relocated to Boston, was unable to play, so Julie and Andrew played as a guitar-bass duo with occasional aid from temporary second guitarist Ben Goldie. The band mostly played songs off of the new record, as well as reworked versions of EP classics "Trampoline," "Flicker" and "Document," and the famous "Sealab Theme." The band was soon rehearsing with a temporary drummer, Al Zapata, but he never made an official live appearance with the band.

At this point Julie and Andrew became more concerned with raising their son, Henry, and moving to Massachusetts. They now comprise Calamine on their farm in Pioneer Valley, where they rehearse and play music in their remodeled barn. The band is currently planning a live return to Brooklyn on August 1st, again at Pete's Candy Store. Julie has written and demoed an album's worth of new material, which is currently being refined and polished for eventual recording and release.

CODA

Ironically, as writers, Helene and Dan enjoyed considerable success. Although Helene's "Five Finger Discount" was a bigger seller than "Baby Plays Around," the latter still received glowing reviews in USA Today, the New York Observer, Entertainment Weekly and other publications. Dan's "To Air Is Human" was also well reviewed. Publishers Weekly, for example, wrote: "With hilarious detail, Türoque/Crane recounts what became a three-year, nearly full-time immersion into the cutthroat, usually drunken, but always serious world of air guitar competitors, who choreograph detailed 60-second routines of air-jumping, air-fretting, air–power-chording and air-soloing in order to be 'transposed from insignificance into supernatural supershredding superheroes.'" He was prominatnly featured in the film "Air Guitar Nation" -- both on screen and in the poster. Released in March, 2007, the movie comes out on DVD in the summer of 2007. Although he retired as an air guitarist in 2005, Dan writes for The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times and Slate, among others, and plays in the faux French rock-and-roll band, Nous Non Plus.

Complete Songography

The complete list of songs known to be performed by the following incarnations of the band. The vast majority of these songs have never been heard outside of unreleased demos and live shows.

Julie, Elizabeth and Helene

1. Shower Song (a.k.a. "The Violent Femmes Song")

2. "The Nirvana Song"

3. Next Big Thing

4. Haircut Song

5. Fuck You Song

6. Document [earliest version]

I Hate Jane (Julie, "Martin," Steve, and Helene)

1. Epigone

2. The Bomb

3. The Other Side

4. Rip My Tongue Out Song

5. Document

6. Next Big Thing

Stephonic (Julie, Dan, Doug, and Helene)

1. Letters

2. So Far

3. Nightlight's Glow

4. Stop Me

5. Document

6. Astronaut

7. If You Could Read My Mind (Gordon Lightfoot cover)

8. Grinch Who Stole Christmas Song (cover) [learned for 1997 Xmas show]

9. Just Like Honey (Jesus and Mary Chain cover)

10. Sorry

11. Brandy (cover)

12. Gone Away [early version of Flicker]

13. Stringbean Boy

Calamine 1998-2000 (Julie, Dan, Jack, Dave)

1. Astronaut

2. Trampoline

3. Document

4. Repulsion [written by Dan]

5. Flicker

6. Horse & Carriage

7. Airplane

8. Skinned Knees [written by Dan]

9. Sealab Theme (various versions)

Calamine 2003-2004 (Julie, Andrew, Dave)

What the band played during this era is unconfirmed.

Calamine 2004-2006 (Julie, Andrew, various musicians)

1. These Days

2. New Machine

3. The Accident

4. The Truth About You

5. More Sad Robots

6. Lovey

7. Coney Island

8. Asleep In The Sun

9. Porch

10. Aubrey Dance

11. Trampoline [reworked version]

12. Document [reworked version]

13. Flicker [reworked version]

14. Sealab Theme [reworked version]

15. Sealab Theme Redux

16. Holland, 1945 (Neutral Milk Hotel cover)

17. Passing Afternoon (Iron & Wine cover)

Known Recording Sessions

Various known instances of Julie's songs on tape. Like the songography, the majority of these have yet to surface.

1995 Home Demo

Just Julie on guitar, vocals, and keyboards, recorded by herself on a 4-track; the actual song content is unknown. Julie gave a copy of this demo to drummer Helene and bassist Elizabeth during the first incarnation of the band (then nameless).

Night Owl Demo

Seven song demo recorded by the I Hate Jane lineup of the band (Julie, "Martin," Steve, and Helene); one again, actual song content remains unknown.

First Stephonic Demo

Currently available for download from Calamine.com

1. Letters

2. Nightlight's Glow

3. Stop Me

4. Document

Second Stephonic Demo

Apparently released on CD, with artwork. Actual song content is unknown.

Rare Book Room Session

Recorded and mixed by Nicholas Vernhes, this session produced the six songs on the Calamine EP. Whether or not additional songs were attempted is unknown.

Sealab Session

The final recording session of the EP Era of the band, in 2000. The band recorded various versions of the theme song, including a vast amount of instrumental takes and interpretations (from country-fried to arena rock), as well as a two-minute guitar improv on the song's main riff by Dan.

Winter 2004 Demo

Acoustic demos of the songs that were to eventually become "What We Forgot to Remember." Various instruments circulate throughout, including guitar, piano, keyboard, bass, and minor elements of percussion -- presumably all played by Julie. Many songs feature widely different structures and lyrics than the finished album versions.

1. Porch [different vocal melody, cuts off at 2 minute mark]

2. New Machine [features an unreleased bridge and final chorus]

3. These Days [original second verse lyrics, two choruses, different bridge]

4. The Accident [almost entirely different arrangement and song]

5. More Sad Robots [prominently features piano]

6. The Truth About You [prominently features piano]

7. Lovey

8. Aubrey Dance [as of yet unreleased song]

9. Asleep in the Sun

WWFTR 2004 Basic Tracks

The tracks as recorded by Julie, Andrew, and Steven, prior to any mixing/editing by Steve Raskin at Fort Knox Studios. As of yet unsurfaced but presumably very different-sounding and less adorned than the version of the album as known by the fans. "Aubrey Dance" was also attempted at one point in the recording session, but was aborted early.

WWFTR February Premaster

The album "What We Forgot to Remember" before it was shipped back to Eli Janney for a final round of edits and mixing in the Purple Room. Surprisingly different from the completed version of the album, both in mix and song structure.

1. These Days [different outro]

2. The Truth About You

3. The Accident

4. More Sad Robots

5. Coney Island [extended]

6. Porch

7. New Machine [features an unreleased bridge and final chorus]

8. Lovey [entirely different percussion]

9. Asleep in the Sun [extended]

2006 Rough Demo Tape

Julie's first draft of a forthcoming record, recorded at home in Pioneer Valley, Massachusetts. As of yet unsurfaced and apparently in very poor audio quality; actual song content is unknown.

Various Demos (199X-2006)

Several demos that Julie has accumulated over the years, which still have some possibility of being shaped into final songs for a future release. These are by and large instrumental. The list below is incomplete.

1. Arbor Day

2. A Brilliant Tattoo

3. Airplane

4. Birthmark

5. Blue Shirt

6. Everything

7. Fruit

8. Joan Of Arc