The Thorns of Life

The Thorns of Life were a punk rock band from Brooklyn[1], New York. In October 2008, Blake Schwarzenbach, formerly of Jets to Brazil and Jawbreaker, revealed that he had started writing music for a then "as-yet-unnamed group"[2] with drummer Aaron Cometbus (formerly of Crimpshrine and Pinhead Gunpowder, among other bands) and bassist Daniela Sea, formerly of the Gr'ups (as "Danyella Dislexica") and Cypher in the Snow, but best known for her recurring role on television's The L Word. The name may come from Percy Bysshe Shelly whose poem “Ode to the West Wind” features the line “I fall upon the thorns of life! I bleed!”.[3]

The Thorns of Life
OriginBrooklyn, New York, U.S.
GenresPunk rock
Years active2008–2009
Associated acts
Members

As of November 2008, the group had played a couple of shows in Brooklyn, New York, with videos and reviews available online.[4][5][6] In January 2009, they played a string of shows across California including dates in San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco[7], Oakland, Santa Rosa, Berkeley (selling out 924 Gilman Street)[8], and ending with a final date on February 1, 2009, in Santa Cruz. Their music has been described has including some pretty raw smart-punk riffs.[9]

Regarding the band, Schwarzenbach has been quoted as saying:

I can say only that it's loud and tender and we're called the Thorns of Life. Whether it's more Jetsesque or Breaker-like I honestly don't know; it sounds like a storehouse of fond hatred from the last few years and in the now.[10][11]

Some rumors mentioned a first album Legislators or Prophets in June 2009 but it was never recorded.[12][13][14] In August 2009, Blake Schwarzenbach announced that The Thorns of Life had broken up and that he had started a new band named Forgetters.[15][16]

Although the band never released any studio recordings, the various bootlegs of their live performances indicate that they wrote a total of twelve songs during their formation: "My First Time," "Available," "I Hate New York," "Kryptonite," "Subway," "Vivid Green," "We Build Al Qaeda in Washington," "From a Tower," "Black Art," "Not a Track Bike," "O Deadly Death," and "Ribbonhead." The last four songs listed were carried over by Schwarzenbach to Forgetters's setlist; "O Deadly Death" and "Ribbonhead" also appear on the band's debut album. As of 2018, Jawbreaker has been performing "Black Art" live. [17]

References
  1. "Blake Schwarzenbach Has A New Band". Stereogum. 2008-11-14. Retrieved 2020-03-02.
  2. Navel Gazing: October 26th, 2008 from punknews.org
  3. cohenaaron (2008-11-13). "Blake Schwarzenbach's New Band – The Thorns of Life?". Retrieved 2020-03-02.
  4. AP Exclusive: A Review of The Thorns of Life (Blake Schwarzenbach, Aaron Cometbus Show) from altpress.com
  5. More details, video from the Thorns of Life (Blake Schwarzenbach, Aaron Cometbus) from punknews.org
  6. "Music Can Make ME Stupid", LarryLivermore.com, Nov. 16, 2008; also, "MCMYS", Nov. 23, 2008.
  7. Billyjam (January 30, 2009). "Aaron Cometbus on Writing & Music (Inc. Thorns of Life)". Amoeblog. Retrieved 2020-03-02.
  8. "Thorns Of Life Holyfuck | Silver Sprocket Bicycle Club". Retrieved 2020-03-02.
  9. "Video: Thorns of Life, the New Band of Jawbreaker/Jets to Brazil's Blake Schwarzenbach + Bonus Get Up Kids Reunion Video, "Mass Pike"". Riverfront Times. Retrieved 2020-03-02.
  10. Schwarzenbach, Cometbus, and the Thorns of Life Archived 2008-12-23 at the Wayback Machine from bohemian.com
  11. Video of Blake Schwartzenbach’s Thorns of Life in Brooklyn Archived 2009-01-01 at the Wayback Machine from blog.synthesis.net
  12. cohenaaron (2009-04-15). "New Thorns of Life Album Out June 30th? Called Legislators and Prophets? Rumor Time!". Retrieved 2020-03-02.
  13. "Dienstag, 24.05.2011: forgetters / Witches". Kafe Kult. 2011-04-08. Retrieved 2020-03-02.
  14. Bonner, Sean (May 20, 2009). "Thorns of Life Rumors". Sean Bonner.
  15. Punknews.org. "Break-ups: Thorns of Life (2008-2009); Schwarzenbach forms new band with ex-Against Me! drummer". www.punknews.org. Retrieved 2020-03-02.
  16. "Blake of Jawbreaker – Thorns of Life broke up. The new band is forgetters & they are playing some shows (dates)". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved 2020-03-02.
  17. "Jawbreaker Setlist at The Fillmore, San Francisco". setlist.fm. Retrieved 2020-03-02.


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