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 an "as-yet-unnamed group"[2] with the drummer Aaron Cometbus (formerly of Crimpshrine and Pinhead Gunpowder, among other bands) and the bass guitarist Daniela Sea, formerly of the Gr'ups (as "Danyella Dislexica") and Cypher in the Snow, but best known for a recurring role on television's The L Word. The name may come from Percy Bysshe Shelly whose poem Ode to the West Wind has 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
Members

In November 2008, the group had played a couple of shows in Brooklyn with videos and reviews available online.[4] In January 2009, they played a string of shows across California including dates in San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco,[5] Oakland, Santa Rosa, Berkeley (selling out 924 Gilman Street)[6] 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.[7]

Regarding the band, Schwarzenbach said, "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.[8]

Some rumors mentioned a first album Legislators or Prophets in June 2009 but it was never recorded.[9] In August 2009, Schwarzenbach announced that The Thorns of Life had broken up and that he had started a new band named Forgetters.[10]

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' setlist. "O Deadly Death" and "Ribbonhead" also appear on the band's first album, Forgetters. Since 2018, Jawbreaker has been performing "Black Art" live.[11]

References
  1. Brandon Stosuy (November 14, 2008). "Blake Schwarzenbach Has A New Band". Stereogum. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  2. Adam White (October 26, 2008). "Navel Gazing". Punk News.
  3. Cohenaaron (November 13, 2008). "Blake Schwarzenbach's New Band – The Thorns of Life?". Unlikely Words. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  4. Scott Heisel (November 15, 2008). "A Review of The Thorns of Life (Blake Schwarzenbach, Aaron Cometbus Show)". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on January 31, 2009.
    - "More details, video from the Thorns of Life (Blake Schwarzenbach, Aaron Cometbus)". Punk News.
    - Larry Livermore (November 16, 2008). "Music Can Make ME Stupid".
    - Larry Livermore (November 23, 2008). "MCMYS".
  5. Billyjam (January 30, 2009). "Aaron Cometbus on Writing & Music (Inc. Thorns of Life)". Amoeblog. Archived from the original on October 31, 2020. Retrieved September 11, 2009.
  6. "Thorns Of Life Holyfuck". Silver Sprocket Bicycle Club. January 29, 2009. Archived from the original on June 23, 2021. Retrieved September 11, 2009.
  7. Annie Zaleski (November 23, 2008). "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. Archived from the original on June 12, 2021. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
  8. "Schwarzenbach, Cometbus, and the Thorns of Life". Bohemian. November 14, 2008. Archived from the original on December 23, 2008.
    - "Video of Blake Schwartzenbach's Thorns of Life in Brooklyn". Bohemian. November 14, 2008. Archived from the original on January 1, 2009.
  9. Cohenaaron (April 15, 2009). "New Thorns of Life Album Out June 30th? Called Legislators and Prophets? Rumor Time!". Unlikely Words. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
    - "Dienstag, 24.05.2011: forgetters/Witches". Kafe Kult. April 8, 2011. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
    - Bonner, Sean (May 20, 2009). "Thorns of Life Rumors".
  10. "Break-ups: Thorns of Life (2008-2009); Schwarzenbach forms new band with ex-Against Me! drummer". Punk News. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
    - "Blake of Jawbreaker – Thorns of Life broke up. The new band is forgetters & they are playing some shows (dates)". Brooklyn Vegan. September 16, 2009. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  11. "Jawbreaker Setlist at The Fillmore, San Francisco". Setlist. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
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