O'Death
Encyclopedia
O’Death is an American alternative country
band from Brooklyn, New York. They combine elements of folk
, bluegrass
, punk
, metal
and Americana
music.
As O'Death worked on new material for their second, self-released LP, Head Home, the five-piece perfected their stage show. They played over 100 shows in 2006, and took the stage alongside acts including Battles, Dr. Dog, Art Brut, Langhorne Slim, The Big Sleep, and Old Time Relijun.
The band's nonstop touring caught the attention of the New York-based Ernest Jenning Record Co., who re-released Head Home in June 2007. Later that Summer, UK-based label City Slang released Head Home in Europe.
O'Death continued to tour the US and Europe throughout 2007, putting out a limited edition (500 copies) vinyl version of Head Home on Ernest Jenning Record Co./City Slang, followed by a 7" single of two new songs, "Low Tide" and "I Think I'm Fine," as well as a cover of The Pixies' "Nimrod's Son" as an internet bonus track. Head Home was nominated for a 2007 Shortlist Prize. The sounds of O'Death are related to the growing Gothic Americana
sound that many American artists are taking using components of minimalism, expressionism, country and bluegrass. O'Death leads along with lyrical content on life and death.
On February 5, 2008, Gigantic Music released a new 7", which features songs "Spider Home" and "Silk Hole".
The band also participated on Vincent Moon
's The Take-Away Shows and a Ukulele Session for the Belgian newspaper Le Soir
, recorded by Noahm in their studio (New York).
After being on hiatus due to David Rogers-Berry undergoing cancer treatment, the band is again on tour and they are going to release an upcoming album with a name 'Outside' which due in April 2011. The First song 'Bugs' from the album was offered as MP3 on 26 January.
Alternative country
Alternative country is a loosely defined sub-genre of country music, which includes acts that differ significantly in style from mainstream or pop country music...
band from Brooklyn, New York. They combine elements of folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
, punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
, metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
and Americana
Americana
Americana refers to artifacts, or a collection of artifacts, related to the history, geography, folklore and cultural heritage of the United States. Many kinds of material fall within the definition of Americana: paintings, prints and drawings; license plates or entire vehicles, household objects,...
music.
History
Originally formed in 2003 while the members attended SUNY Purchase, the band— with Jamie on guitar and vocals, Gabe Darling on banjo, David Rogers-Berry on drums, Jesse Newman on bass, and Bob Pycior on fiddle—played a series of shows at the now defunct Apocalypse Lounge in NYC, and quickly began building a fanbase with their reverently twisted take on Americana filtered through a wealth of musical influences as divergent as Bill Monroe, Prince, Neil Young, The Microphones, and The Misfits. For these shows, O'Death put together a very raw, 10-track CD-R, entitled Carl Nemelka Family Photographs, to sell to concert-goers.As O'Death worked on new material for their second, self-released LP, Head Home, the five-piece perfected their stage show. They played over 100 shows in 2006, and took the stage alongside acts including Battles, Dr. Dog, Art Brut, Langhorne Slim, The Big Sleep, and Old Time Relijun.
The band's nonstop touring caught the attention of the New York-based Ernest Jenning Record Co., who re-released Head Home in June 2007. Later that Summer, UK-based label City Slang released Head Home in Europe.
O'Death continued to tour the US and Europe throughout 2007, putting out a limited edition (500 copies) vinyl version of Head Home on Ernest Jenning Record Co./City Slang, followed by a 7" single of two new songs, "Low Tide" and "I Think I'm Fine," as well as a cover of The Pixies' "Nimrod's Son" as an internet bonus track. Head Home was nominated for a 2007 Shortlist Prize. The sounds of O'Death are related to the growing Gothic Americana
Gothic Americana
Gothic Americana is a style of alternative country that fuses Americana music with elements of gothic rock, gothabilly, psychobilly, deathcountry...
sound that many American artists are taking using components of minimalism, expressionism, country and bluegrass. O'Death leads along with lyrical content on life and death.
On February 5, 2008, Gigantic Music released a new 7", which features songs "Spider Home" and "Silk Hole".
The band also participated on Vincent Moon
Vincent Moon
Vincent Moon is an independent filmmaker from Paris mainly known for his field work music videos of indie rock related musicians as well as some notable mainstream artists like Tom Jones, R.E.M. or Arcade Fire. Besides making music videos he also makes experimental films and documentaries...
's The Take-Away Shows and a Ukulele Session for the Belgian newspaper Le Soir
Le Soir
Le Soir is a Berliner Format Belgian newspaper. Le Soir was founded in 1887 by Emile Rossel. It is the most popular Francophone newspaper in Belgium, and considered a newspaper of record.-Editorial stance:...
, recorded by Noahm in their studio (New York).
After being on hiatus due to David Rogers-Berry undergoing cancer treatment, the band is again on tour and they are going to release an upcoming album with a name 'Outside' which due in April 2011. The First song 'Bugs' from the album was offered as MP3 on 26 January.
Band members
- Bob Pycior (fiddle)
- Gabe Darling (banjo, ukulele)
- Greg Jamie (vocals, guitar)
- David Rogers-Berry (drums)
- Jesse Newman (bass)
- Dan Sager
Albums
- Carl Nemelka Family Photographs (Self-released, 2004)
- Head Home (Self-Released, 2006)
- Head Home (Ernest JenningErnest JenningErnest Jenning / Ernest Jenning Record Co. is an independent record label established in 2002 in Jersey City, NJ. The label is currently based out of the 44 Wall St. office in downtown NYC...
Record Co., US, 2007) - Head Home (City Slang, Europe, 2007)
- Head Home, limited edition vinyl (City Slang/Ernest Jenning Record Co., 2007)
- Broken Hymns, Limbs and Skin (City Slang, Europe, 2008)
- Broken Hymns, Limbs and Skin (Kemado RecordsKemado RecordsKemado Records is an American record label based in New York City founded in 2002. In 2006 the label released the Invaders compilation, which featured many of the label's bands alongside other hard rock and heavy metal bands such as Witchcraft, High on Fire and Witch.In 2008, Kemado introduced its...
, US, 2008) - Outside (Ernest JenningErnest JenningErnest Jenning / Ernest Jenning Record Co. is an independent record label established in 2002 in Jersey City, NJ. The label is currently based out of the 44 Wall St. office in downtown NYC...
Record Co., US, 2011)
EPs and singles
- “Low Tide”/”I Think I’m Fine”/“Nimrod’s Son” 7” (Ernest Jenning Record Co., 2007)
- “Spider Home”/ “Silk Hole” 7” (Gigantic Music, 2008)
- Underwater Nightmare 7" (Kemado Records, 2009)
Videography
| Year | Title | Director(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | "Down to Rest" | Jonathan Phelps |
| 2008 | "Low Tide" | Benjamin Zeitlin |
External links
- O’Death’s Official Website
- O’Death on Myspace
- O’Death’s Daytrotter.com session
- O’Death feature in the Village Voice
- O’Death on iLike
- Live O’Death show on BandsThatJam
- City Slang's release of Broken Hymns, Limbs and Skin
- Interview with drummer David Rogers in Chief Magazine
- Twang Nation's Review of O’ Death's Broken Hymns, Limbs and Skin