Crash Course in Science are an American post-punk band. The band was formed in 1979 in Philadelphia by Dale Feliciello, Mallory Yago and Michael Zodorozny.[1][2] They avoided the sounds of conventional instrumentation by using toy instruments and kitchen appliances to augment distorted guitar, drums and synthesised beats.[3] Championed by local radio station WXPN DJ Lee Paris they recorded the single "Cakes in the Home" (with the B-side containing "Kitchen Motors" and "Mechanical Breakdown") for his Go Go label (GO GO R001).[4] This was followed by Signals from Pier Thirteen (Press Records P 2001) in 1981, produced by John Wicks at Third Story Recordings.[5]
In the years following the band's initial break-up, Crash Course in Science's music developed a cult following among techno and electro musicians, and the band have been cited as an influence on the 2000s electroclash scene.[1] In 2009, they reunited for tours, and in 2011, Schematic Records released a Signals from Pier Thirteen re-issue, as well as Near Marineland, an album originally recorded by the band in 1981 before being shelved.[1] In 2017, the band released a new album titled Situational Awareness.
