The Lawrence Arms is a punk rock trio formed in 1999 in Chicago, featuring Brendan Kelly, formerly of Chicago bands The Broadways and Slapstick on bass, Chris McCaughan (also of The Broadways) on guitar, and Neil Hennessy on drums. The band is named after an apartment complex on the Northside of Chicago that Kelly and McCaughan lived in until they were evicted in the middle of the night.
Kelly and McCaughan split vocals duties (with the exception of "106 South", which is sung by Hennessy), and each have a very distinct style. Kelly tends to be more urgent and harsh in his singing, while McCaughan has a more relaxed, melodic voice. On the first record Kelly sings nearly every song, while their later releases are nearly evenly split. On the band's 2006 release "Oh! Calcutta!", Kelly and McCaughan both sing on every song on the record.
Early on, The Lawrence Arms released two full length recordings on Asian Man Records, followed by two splits with fellow Asian Man bands The Chinkees and Shady View Terrace. In late 2001 they were signed to Fat Wreck Chords along with Minneapolis' Dillinger Four. They have released two full lengths and a Fat Club 7-inch since signing on. They have also contributed to a total of thirteen compilations as of November 2004, although rarely with songs not available elsewhere.
Originally formed with no intention of even playing a single live show (currently at 700+), The Lawrence Arms have become one of Fat Wreck's most respected and well-liked bands, and were on the forefront of the label's movement away from the traditional "Fat Sound." The Arms released their B-sides record, Cocktails and Dreams, on Asian Man Records in the spring of 2005.
