Ozma (band)
Encyclopedia
Ozma is a rock band
from Pasadena, California
. The band's sound is a mix of new-wave
–influenced power pop
and Casiotone
-driven melodies sustained by heavy guitar riffs. The complexity of Ozma's songs grew considerably during the band's initial nine-year history. After their split in 2004 they announced their reformation in early 2006.
books) in 1997, and in 1998 were joined by Star Wick, who replaced the departing Kieckhefer. In early 1999, they released Songs of Inaudible Trucks and Cars, a collection of demos and live tracks, released on home-made CD-Rs and later republished in slightly different form as Songs of Audible Trucks and Cars by mp3.com. They then released what was considered their first "proper" album, Rock and Roll Part Three, on January 1, 2000. This consisted of "a few thousand" (estimated by Brummel) self-made pressings on their own Tornado Records label.
Ozma's first real break, however, came in 2001, when they were selected to tour with Weezer
. In preparation for their spring tour, Weezer asked fans to vote for an opening act on their web site, and Ozma was selected along with the Kansas City-based Get Up Kids
.
Early in 2001, the band also self-released The Doubble Donkey Disc (later reissued on Kung Fu Records). With this release, Ozma experimented with the traditional Russian balalaika
and the flute
to create a sound they called "Russian coldfusion". The disc was split into two imaginary "concept EPs": the first five songs (including the Russian folk song "Korobeiniki
", more famously the Tetris
theme) revolved around Russian themes, while the second half created a more "dance party" atmosphere.
. Over the next two years, the label put out remastered and enhanced versions of Rock and Roll Part Three and The Doubble Donkey Disc, before Ozma's third album, Spending Time On The Borderline, was released in 2003. This record saw Ozma "mature" their sound and expand their musical outlook, moving away—at times significantly—from the keyboard-driven, often videogame-themed rock of the earlier albums. During this period of 2001-2004, Ozma toured the US numerous times, with such well-known acts as Nada Surf
, Superdrag
, Piebald
, and Rilo Kiley
.
. Ozma had recently returned from its tour with Weezer
. They headlined the show with a full bill including Running Late, Up In Arms, and The Fresas.
This was the last Ozma performance at the No Future Cafe; however, Ozma's offshoots of musical acts have performed at the club since that date. These acts have included: Daniel Brummel, Yes Dear, and at No Future Cafe's Ten Year Anniversary show: a cover of "Battlescars" by local hardcore band CafFiends along with Jose Galvez and Ryen Slegr.
Daniel Brummel moved to New York City to pursue a more folk-heavy style. His solo record, Speak Easy, was independently released in 2005. At the same time Ryen Slegr and Jose Galvez formed a new band called Yes Dear, with ex-members of Arlo and Teen Heroes. The majority of Yes Dear's recording projects were completed with Billy Burke at Loveless Motel Studio in Sierra Madre, CA, where Ozma eventually recorded their most recent release, Pasadena.
. The short set included five songs from Ozma's albums as well as "D Song" (introduced as a "new one" but in fact a song from the Spending Time era that, although previously played live, had never been officially released). This sparked feverish rumours among Ozma's fanbase about a possible future reunion, particularly with the news that Brummel had moved back to Southern California.
page :
The band have since showcased some new songs at various shows, in addition to playing unreleased songs dating from after the release of Spending Time.... In September 2006, the band uploaded two demos of new songs they have recorded to their MySpace page. The songs, entitled Straight Flush and Barriers, were recorded over the summer of 2006 along with two other songs.
During July and August 2006 the band opened for The Rentals
on the Return Tour, with Slegr filling in on guitar for them. During the tour, they rotated many new songs through their setlist. In September, the band announced that they would be touring the nation again in October, along with the band hellogoodbye
.
The album photos and artwork were shot at the Colorado Street Bridge in Pasadena.
The album includes guest appearances by Matthew Caws (Nada Surf), Will Noon (Straylight Run), Rachel Haden (The Rentals, that dog.
), Ben Pringle (The Rentals, Nerf Herder), Eric Summer (Get Set Go), and Benjamin Chadwick (New Maximum Donkey).
On November 26, 2011 Ozma performed a show in preparation for the Weezer cruise at The Glasshouse in Pomona, CA. This was the first Ozma show in over three years. Moses Campell and Body Parts performed as opening acts before Ozma took the stage. During their set, Ozma played Rock and Roll Part 3 from start to finish to celebrate the album's 10-year anniversary. For the first encore, members of The Rentals including Matt Sharp joined Ozma on stage to play three songs: "Waiting", "Getting By", and "Friends of P". During this encore performance, Matt Sharp talked about a possible Ozma/The Rentals tour which sparked rumors of a proper Ozma reunion that would extend beyond the Weezer Cruise and might include a new album.
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
from Pasadena, California
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
. The band's sound is a mix of new-wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
–influenced power pop
Power pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
and Casiotone
Casiotone
Casiotone refers to a series of home electronic keyboards released by Casio Computer Co. in the early 1980s.These first keyboards used a sound synthesis technique known as Vowel-Consonant synthesis to approximate the sounds of other instruments...
-driven melodies sustained by heavy guitar riffs. The complexity of Ozma's songs grew considerably during the band's initial nine-year history. After their split in 2004 they announced their reformation in early 2006.
Early years
Ozma was formed in 1995 by Ryen Slegr (vocals/guitar), Jose Galvez (guitar/vocals), Patrick Edwards (drums) and Daniel Brummel (vocals/bass), when Brummel was introduced to the others by Galvez, whom he had met on the internet while looking for a band to join. In 1996, the as-yet-unnamed band were joined by Katherine Bullard on keyboards, before deciding on the name "Ozma" (taken from the L. Frank BaumL. Frank Baum
Lyman Frank Baum was an American author of children's books, best known for writing The Wonderful Wizard of Oz...
books) in 1997, and in 1998 were joined by Star Wick, who replaced the departing Kieckhefer. In early 1999, they released Songs of Inaudible Trucks and Cars, a collection of demos and live tracks, released on home-made CD-Rs and later republished in slightly different form as Songs of Audible Trucks and Cars by mp3.com. They then released what was considered their first "proper" album, Rock and Roll Part Three, on January 1, 2000. This consisted of "a few thousand" (estimated by Brummel) self-made pressings on their own Tornado Records label.
Ozma's first real break, however, came in 2001, when they were selected to tour with Weezer
Weezer
Weezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...
. In preparation for their spring tour, Weezer asked fans to vote for an opening act on their web site, and Ozma was selected along with the Kansas City-based Get Up Kids
The Get Up Kids
The Get Up Kids are an American alternative rock band from Kansas City, Missouri. Formed in 1995, the band was a major player in the mid-90's emo scene, otherwise known as the "second wave" of emo music...
.
Early in 2001, the band also self-released The Doubble Donkey Disc (later reissued on Kung Fu Records). With this release, Ozma experimented with the traditional Russian balalaika
Balalaika
The balalaika is a stringed musical instrument popular in Russia, with a characteristic triangular body and three strings.The balalaika family of instruments includes instruments of various sizes, from the highest-pitched to the lowest, the prima balalaika, secunda balalaika, alto balalaika, bass...
and the flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
to create a sound they called "Russian coldfusion". The disc was split into two imaginary "concept EPs": the first five songs (including the Russian folk song "Korobeiniki
Korobeiniki
"Korobeiniki" , also known as the Tetris song is a nineteenth-century Russian folk song that tells of an incident between a peddler and a girl "haggling" over a price, with the details only being said in metaphor...
", more famously the Tetris
Tetris
Tetris is a puzzle video game originally designed and programmed by Alexey Pajitnov in the Soviet Union. It was released on June 6, 1984, while he was working for the Dorodnicyn Computing Centre of the Academy of Science of the USSR in Moscow, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic...
theme) revolved around Russian themes, while the second half created a more "dance party" atmosphere.
Kung Fu years
Later in 2001, partly as a result of the exposure gained from touring with Weezer, Ozma signed with Kung Fu RecordsKung Fu Records
Kung Fu Records is an American independent record label founded in 1996 by Joe Escalante and Warren Fitzgerald of the punk rock band The Vandals. Founded in order to release a record by the Riverside, California band Assorted Jelly Beans, the label soon grew to include a roster of notable artists...
. Over the next two years, the label put out remastered and enhanced versions of Rock and Roll Part Three and The Doubble Donkey Disc, before Ozma's third album, Spending Time On The Borderline, was released in 2003. This record saw Ozma "mature" their sound and expand their musical outlook, moving away—at times significantly—from the keyboard-driven, often videogame-themed rock of the earlier albums. During this period of 2001-2004, Ozma toured the US numerous times, with such well-known acts as Nada Surf
Nada Surf
Nada Surf is an American alternative rock band. Formed in 1992, the New York band consists of Matthew Caws , Ira Elliot and Daniel Lorca .-Early years:...
, Superdrag
Superdrag
Superdrag is an alternative rock band from Knoxville, Tennessee. The band had a hit with its 1996 single "Sucked Out" off their album Regretfully Yours, for which a video clip was broadcast regularly on MTV...
, Piebald
Piebald (band)
Piebald is an American alternative rock band. Piebald started as a hardcore band in Andover, Massachusetts, out of the same scene that produced legends Converge. They later moved to the Boston suburb of Somerville and became a staple of the Greater Boston indie rock scene. Two members still live in...
, and Rilo Kiley
Rilo Kiley
Rilo Kiley was an American indie rock band based in Los Angeles. Formed in 1998, the band consisted of Jenny Lewis, Blake Sennett, Pierre de Reeder, and Jason Boesel....
.
Trail Gate
On January 11, 2002, Ozma—in its full and original form—played as the band “Trail Gate” at the No Future Cafe located in Pasadena, CaliforniaPasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
. Ozma had recently returned from its tour with Weezer
Weezer
Weezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...
. They headlined the show with a full bill including Running Late, Up In Arms, and The Fresas.
This was the last Ozma performance at the No Future Cafe; however, Ozma's offshoots of musical acts have performed at the club since that date. These acts have included: Daniel Brummel, Yes Dear, and at No Future Cafe's Ten Year Anniversary show: a cover of "Battlescars" by local hardcore band CafFiends along with Jose Galvez and Ryen Slegr.
Split
Ozma disbanded on July 23, 2004. In a message posted on the official Ozma website, Ryen Slegr cited deteriorating relationships between band members which affected the "creative and professional facets of the band to the extent that no one [felt] like continuing…"Daniel Brummel moved to New York City to pursue a more folk-heavy style. His solo record, Speak Easy, was independently released in 2005. At the same time Ryen Slegr and Jose Galvez formed a new band called Yes Dear, with ex-members of Arlo and Teen Heroes. The majority of Yes Dear's recording projects were completed with Billy Burke at Loveless Motel Studio in Sierra Madre, CA, where Ozma eventually recorded their most recent release, Pasadena.
Irregardless
On December 3, 2005, the former members of Ozma, minus drummer Patrick Edwards, played the Troubadour in West Hollywood—billed as Irregardless (not Regardless)—opening for The WrensThe Wrens (band)
The Wrens are an indie rock band that formed in the late 1980s in New Jersey. The group consists of Charles Bissell, Greg Whelan, Kevin Whelan, and Jerry MacDonald. Their debut album Silver was released in 1994...
. The short set included five songs from Ozma's albums as well as "D Song" (introduced as a "new one" but in fact a song from the Spending Time era that, although previously played live, had never been officially released). This sparked feverish rumours among Ozma's fanbase about a possible future reunion, particularly with the news that Brummel had moved back to Southern California.
Reunion
In early 2006, Ozma announced that the band had reunited—again without Edwards—to play new shows, new songs, and put out new records. The absence of Edwards led many to believe he was partly responsible for the split, in addition to the on-stage quarrels between Edwards and Brummel. On January 9, 2006, the band posted the following message on their MySpaceMySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
page :
WE: Star Wick, Ryen Slegr, Jose Galvez, and Daniel Brummel, do hereby declare our full and true intention to reform, reunite, and otherwise reanimate the rock group OZMA. Manning the drum kit for this incarnation of OZMA will be Kenn Shane, formerly of Addison. After rehearsing and working on new material since September 2005, we will play our first reunited concert on Sunday, March 12th 2006 at the Knitting Factory in Hollywood, CA. Tickets to this concert will be made available on January 14th, 2006. Announcements regarding future OZMA releases and tours will henceforth be made at our official website OzmaOnline.com.
The band have since showcased some new songs at various shows, in addition to playing unreleased songs dating from after the release of Spending Time.... In September 2006, the band uploaded two demos of new songs they have recorded to their MySpace page. The songs, entitled Straight Flush and Barriers, were recorded over the summer of 2006 along with two other songs.
During July and August 2006 the band opened for The Rentals
The Rentals
The Rentals are an American rock band fronted by vocalist Matt Sharp, best known as the former bass player for rock group Weezer. The band is best known for their mid-1990s hit single, "Friends of P.". The group has released two albums, Return of the Rentals and Seven More Minutes on Maverick...
on the Return Tour, with Slegr filling in on guitar for them. During the tour, they rotated many new songs through their setlist. In September, the band announced that they would be touring the nation again in October, along with the band hellogoodbye
Hellogoodbye
Hellogoodbye is a power pop band that was formed in Huntington Beach, California in 2001 by singer Forrest Kline. They were signed to Drive-Thru Records and released their first full-length album Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs! in 2006, in addition to their previously released EP Hellogoodbye...
.
Pasadena
On Valentines Day, 2007, the band announced via a MySpace posting that the newest album would be released on May 15, 2007 through About A Girl Records. On March 17, 2007, a new video was posted on YouTube and the first glimpse of the tracklisting for "Pasadena" was released. Information stayed spotty for about a month while various YouTube videos showcased the recording of the new album. On May 7, 2007, there was a leak on the album onto the internet. On May 11, 2007, Ozma made an agreement with MySpace and they streamed the whole album on Ozma's homepage.The album photos and artwork were shot at the Colorado Street Bridge in Pasadena.
The album includes guest appearances by Matthew Caws (Nada Surf), Will Noon (Straylight Run), Rachel Haden (The Rentals, that dog.
That dog.
That Dog is a Los Angeles-based rock band that formed in 1991 and dissolved in 1997, reuniting in 2011. The band consists of Anna Waronker on lead vocals and guitar, Rachel Haden on bass guitar and vocals, her sister Petra Haden on violin and vocals, and Tony Maxwell on drums...
), Ben Pringle (The Rentals, Nerf Herder), Eric Summer (Get Set Go), and Benjamin Chadwick (New Maximum Donkey).
The Weezer Cruise
In 2011, Rivers Cuomo invited Ozma to perform in a music festival hosted by Weezer onboard a four-day cruise from Miami to Cozumel. Other bands slated for the cruise included: Sebadoh, Gene Ween and Dave Dreiwitz, Wavves, Antlers, Yuck, Free Energy, Boom Bip, J. Mascis, Lou Barlow, Keepaway, The Nervous Wreckards, The Knocks, and Sleeper Agent.On November 26, 2011 Ozma performed a show in preparation for the Weezer cruise at The Glasshouse in Pomona, CA. This was the first Ozma show in over three years. Moses Campell and Body Parts performed as opening acts before Ozma took the stage. During their set, Ozma played Rock and Roll Part 3 from start to finish to celebrate the album's 10-year anniversary. For the first encore, members of The Rentals including Matt Sharp joined Ozma on stage to play three songs: "Waiting", "Getting By", and "Friends of P". During this encore performance, Matt Sharp talked about a possible Ozma/The Rentals tour which sparked rumors of a proper Ozma reunion that would extend beyond the Weezer Cruise and might include a new album.
Studio Albums
- Songs of Inaudible Trucks and Cars (1999)
- Rock and Roll Part ThreeRock and Roll Part ThreeRock and Roll Part Three is Ozma's first full length studio album. It was released by Kung Fu Records on August 21, 2001.-Reception:Bradley Torreano, writing for Allmusic, described the album as "arguably written the best Weezer album of 2001 ."-Track listing:All sonsg written by Ryen Slegr, Jose...
(2000, reissued 2001) - The Doubble Donkey DiscThe Doubble Donkey DiscThe Doubble Donkey Disc is Ozma's second full length studio album.-Track listing:# "Flight of Yuri Gagarin" – 2:24# "No One Needs to Know" – 4:06# "Korobeiniki" – 2:18...
(2001, reissued 2002) - Spending Time on the BorderlineSpending Time on the BorderlineSpending Time on the Borderline is Ozma's third full length studio album.-Track listing:# "Spending Time" - 4:02# "Your Name" - 2:31# "Come Home Andrea" - 3:58# "Bad Dogs" - 3:07# "Utsukushii Shibuya" - 4:57# "Turtleneck Coverup" - 3:45...
(2003) - PasadenaPasadena (album)Pasadena is Ozma's fourth full length studio album.-Track listing:# "No One Needs to Know" - 3:36# "Barriers" - 3:05# "Eponine - "3:18"# "Fight the Darkness" - 2:59# "Heartache vs Heartbreak" - 3:33# "Incarnation Blues" - 2:24...
(2007)
Singles
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | "Lorraine" b/w "Los Angeles" | Self-released cassette single of Ozma's earliest recordings. |
| 2001 | "Domino Effect" b/w "Apple Trees" | Promotional radio-only single released by Kung Fu Records, never commercially available. |
| 2002 | "Korobeiniki" | UK 7" single, b/w "The Business of Getting Down". Only 1,000 copies produced, by small UK label Falsetto Records who procured the rights for a one-off release. |
| 2007 | "Eponine" |
External links
- Official Website (currently a redirection to Ozma's MySpace)
- Official Fansite (also home of the officially-sanctioned forum during the band's hiatus)
- Ozma on Weezerpedia
- Soundcrank Podcast Hosted by Ozma
- [ AMG's Ozma page]