Osker
Encyclopedia
Osker was a Los Angeles
melodic punk rock
band who formed in 1998 and split in February 2002, ultimately due to the departure of their drummer. The line up originally consisted of Devon Williams on vocals and guitar, Dave Benitez on bass, and Kevin Campell on drums, who would be later replaced by Phil Drazik after getting signed by Epitaph but before recording Treatment 5.
Osker broke away from the typical SoCal punk band with the release of their second CD Idle Will Kill. Previous to this was their first full length album Treatment 5. Both contained cynical and snotty lyrics about teen angst. As a consequence to their stage antics, among which was Devon's brutal sincerity, criticizing conformity in the punk scene and "fashion", as well as their crowd-taunting habit, Osker were labelled as one of the most hated, mean acts on Epitaph.
They released two albums, Treatment 5
and Idle Will Kill
. After the split, Williams announced they had been working on a new album (tentatively titled Thriller), however it was later said by Benitez to be a joke.
In 2011, Dave brought suit against Devon and Devon's father, Ross Williams, in Los Angeles Superior Court claiming unpaid royalties and conspiracy to defraud. The suit is pending.
.
He also played in folk
/acoustic
band Fingers Cut Megamachine
(although he has said that he is hesitant to use the word folk, "given its connotations today"). He previously worked at Amoeba Records in Los Angeles
.
He released his first single and first vinyl under his own name in August 2007 on L.A. RECORD
. In April 2008 he released Carefree on Ba Da Bing, his first album released under his own name.
Dave Benitez now plays guitar and sings in the band The Black Heartthrobs, who released their first album "Clean Dirty Clean" on the Aggravated Music label, which has supported Roscoe and Fingers Cut Megamachine in the past.
Drummer Phil Drazic played in punk/hardcore band End on End, which has released several records, including the most recent Why Evolve When We Can Go Sideways. They have toured extensively throughout the United States
, Europe
, and Japan
. He currently plays drums in Punk is Dead and runs Coldbringer Recordings with End on End singer, Andy Kindon.
EP's
Compilations
(2001).
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
melodic punk rock
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...
band who formed in 1998 and split in February 2002, ultimately due to the departure of their drummer. The line up originally consisted of Devon Williams on vocals and guitar, Dave Benitez on bass, and Kevin Campell on drums, who would be later replaced by Phil Drazik after getting signed by Epitaph but before recording Treatment 5.
Osker broke away from the typical SoCal punk band with the release of their second CD Idle Will Kill. Previous to this was their first full length album Treatment 5. Both contained cynical and snotty lyrics about teen angst. As a consequence to their stage antics, among which was Devon's brutal sincerity, criticizing conformity in the punk scene and "fashion", as well as their crowd-taunting habit, Osker were labelled as one of the most hated, mean acts on Epitaph.
- "I decided that it is about just doing what you want, while you have gallons of mohawks and leather jackets telling you that they do what they want, I don't believe them... I respect the person that says, "I don't care for that" because there is no extreme, it's pure sincerity. Punk is doing what you want despite the infiltrators, outside of the skateboards and shoes and hair and patches and the diets and the tattoos. I am Devon and I have 5 close friends, the rest of the world is divided into the helpers and the clueless." - Devon Williams.
They released two albums, Treatment 5
Treatment 5
Treatment 5 is the first full-length album by Los Angeles punk rock band Osker.-Track listing:# "I Cannot" – 1:45# "Useless" – 1:42# "Dying" – 2:42# "Ballad Of A Traitor" – 2:10# "Alright" – 1:40# "Panic" – 2:13# "Life Sucks" – 1:27...
and Idle Will Kill
Idle Will Kill
Idle Will Kill is the second and final full-length album by Los Angeles punk rock band Osker.-Track listing:# "Patience" – 1:16# "Strangled" – 2:59# "Animal" – 2:47# "Contention" – 3:23# "Motionless" – 3:05# "Piece By Piece" – 2:16...
. After the split, Williams announced they had been working on a new album (tentatively titled Thriller), however it was later said by Benitez to be a joke.
- "The split between Dave and I is astounding to me. I always thought we were the next Simon and Garfunkel. I thought we would be our generations Hall and Oates ... Of course, I plan on killing Dave." - Devon Williams.
In 2011, Dave brought suit against Devon and Devon's father, Ross Williams, in Los Angeles Superior Court claiming unpaid royalties and conspiracy to defraud. The suit is pending.
Other projects
Devon Williams now plays guitar in Lavender DiamondLavender Diamond
Lavender Diamond is a Los Angeles-based Folk/country-pop quartet known for its light-hearted, often winsome sound; its simple, romantic lyrics; and the charismatic, whimsical stage presence and ethereal vocals of frontwoman Becky Stark.-History:...
.
He also played in 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....
/acoustic
Acoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
band Fingers Cut Megamachine
Fingers Cut Megamachine
Fingers Cut Megamachine is a Los Angeles-based indie/folk rock band led by Devon Williams, formerly of the Southern California punk band Osker. Fingers Cut Megamachine draw influences from indie, pop, country music, as well as traditional American acoustic folk music...
(although he has said that he is hesitant to use the word folk, "given its connotations today"). He previously worked at Amoeba Records in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
He released his first single and first vinyl under his own name in August 2007 on L.A. RECORD
L.A. Record
L.A. Record is an independent music magazine originally published weekly as a broadsheet poster. The poster usually depicts a local Los Angeles musicians and according to the magazine editors is meant to recreate an iconic album cover. In March 2008, it began publishing as a monthly magazine with a...
. In April 2008 he released Carefree on Ba Da Bing, his first album released under his own name.
Dave Benitez now plays guitar and sings in the band The Black Heartthrobs, who released their first album "Clean Dirty Clean" on the Aggravated Music label, which has supported Roscoe and Fingers Cut Megamachine in the past.
Drummer Phil Drazic played in punk/hardcore band End on End, which has released several records, including the most recent Why Evolve When We Can Go Sideways. They have toured extensively throughout the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. He currently plays drums in Punk is Dead and runs Coldbringer Recordings with End on End singer, Andy Kindon.
Members
- Vocals + Guitar : Devon Williams
- Bass : Dave Benitez
- Drums : Phil Drazic
- Drums : Kevin Campell
- Drums on Idle Will Kill : Ty Smith on track #s: 1-4, 9-11 - Phil Drazik on track #5 and Kelly Kusumoto on track #s: 6, 7, 8, 12-14.
- ,,Original Drummer of the band signed to Epitaph, plays drums on their first release on Punk-O-Rama III (Epitaph, 1998)
Discography
Albums- Treatment 5Treatment 5Treatment 5 is the first full-length album by Los Angeles punk rock band Osker.-Track listing:# "I Cannot" – 1:45# "Useless" – 1:42# "Dying" – 2:42# "Ballad Of A Traitor" – 2:10# "Alright" – 1:40# "Panic" – 2:13# "Life Sucks" – 1:27...
(EpitaphEpitaph RecordsEpitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record...
2000) - Idle Will KillIdle Will KillIdle Will Kill is the second and final full-length album by Los Angeles punk rock band Osker.-Track listing:# "Patience" – 1:16# "Strangled" – 2:59# "Animal" – 2:47# "Contention" – 3:23# "Motionless" – 3:05# "Piece By Piece" – 2:16...
(EpitaphEpitaph RecordsEpitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record...
2001)
EP's
- Osker/Blindsided Split 7" (Bankshot! Records 1998)
Compilations
- Punk-O-Rama IIIPunk-O-Rama Vol. 3Punk-O-Rama III is the third compilation album in the Punk-O-Rama series.This entry features two previously unreleased tracks, "We Threw Gasoline on the Fire and Now All We Have Stumps for Arms and Legs and No Eyebrows" by NOFX and "Wake Up" by Pennywise...
(EpitaphEpitaph RecordsEpitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record...
, 1998) - Smash Ignorance Up! (Possible Problem Records, 1998)
- Punk-O-Rama IVPunk-O-Rama Vol. 4Punk-O-Rama 4: Straight Outta the Pit is the fourth compilation album in the Punk-O-Rama series. This is the only entry to have a sub-title.All of the tracks were previously released except the first track, "Fight It" by Pennywise....
(EpitaphEpitaph RecordsEpitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record...
, 1999) - Punk-O-Rama VPunk-O-Rama Vol. 5Punk-O-Rama Vol. 5 is the fifth compilation album in the Punk-O-Rama series.All of the tracks were previously released except for "Pump Up the Valium" by NOFX and "Problematic" by All. The latter two tracks were title tracks left off the band's current albums at the time, NOFX's Pump Up the Valuum...
(EpitaphEpitaph RecordsEpitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record...
, 2000) - Punk-O-Rama VIPunk-O-Rama Vol. 6Punk-O-Rama Vol. 6 is the sixth compilation album in the Punk-O-Rama series.The cover is a reference to a scene in the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, as this was the release from the year 2001....
(EpitaphEpitaph RecordsEpitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record...
, 2001) - Crazy/Beautiful Original Soundtrack (Hollywood RecordsHollywood RecordsHollywood Records is an American record label owned by Disney Music Group, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company.-History:Hollywood Records was founded in 1989 by then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner with the idea of expanding the music operations of the company and to develop and promote...
, 2001) - Noise Annoys (Kerrang, 2001)
- Vans: Off The Wall Sampler (Cleopatra RecordsCleopatra RecordsCleopatra Records is a Los Angeles-based independent record label.- History :Founded in 1992 by Brian Perera, it specializes in gothic rock, hard rock, heavy metal and reissues of out-of-print music...
, 2002) - Bankshot! Mass Destruction (Bankshot! Records, 2003)
- The Aggravated Music BBQ Sampler (Aggravated Music, 2004)
Other
Osker was the punk band playing at the house party in the mainstream movie Crazy/BeautifulCrazy/Beautiful
Crazy/Beautiful is a 2001 American drama/romance film starring Kirsten Dunst and Jay Hernandez. It is largely set at Palisades Charter High School and the surrounding area, including Downtown Los Angeles, Pacific Palisades, Malibu , and East Los Angeles .-Plot:Nicole — the spoiled, rich,...
(2001).
External links
- Osker Picture Gallery
- Osker on Epitaph.com
- Osker discography with cover art
- Fingers Cut Megamachine fan site
- August 2007 Interview with L.A. RecordL.A. RecordL.A. Record is an independent music magazine originally published weekly as a broadsheet poster. The poster usually depicts a local Los Angeles musicians and according to the magazine editors is meant to recreate an iconic album cover. In March 2008, it began publishing as a monthly magazine with a...
- Interview with Osker
- Devon Williams' Blog
- End On End
- The Black Heartthrobs on MySpace
- http://www.facebook.com/#/pages/Osker/40378611996?ref=ts