Osees | |
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 Osees performing in fall of 2024 at Union Transfer in Philadelphia | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Orinoka Crash Suite (1997–2003) OCS (2003–2005, 2017, 2023) Orange County Sound (2005) The Ohsees (2006) Thee Oh Sees (2006–2017) Oh Sees (2017–2019) |
| Origin | San Francisco, California, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1997–present |
| Labels |
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| Members |
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| Past members |
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| Website | theeohsees |
Osees is an American rock band formed in San Francisco, California in 1997, now based in Los Angeles, California.[1] Originally the solo recording project of John Dwyer, the band has evolved through numerous line-up and name changes since its founding, with Dwyer serving as the band leader and primary songwriter throughout. Alongside Dwyer, the band's current line-up includes longtime members, Tim Hellman (bass), Dan Rincon (drums), Paul Quattrone (drums) and Tomas Dolas (keyboards).
The group's sound draws from a wide variety of influences, including garage rock, krautrock, psychedelia, and folk music. Osees are noted for their prolific recording output, energetic live shows, and whimsical visual aesthetic. The group has released twenty-eight studio albums, to date, alongside various EPs, singles and compilations.
Initially a solo freak folk recording project, Dwyer evolved the project into a full garage rock band, featuring Brigid Dawson (keyboards, backing vocals), Petey Dammit (bass, guitar), Mike Shoun (drums), and Lars Finberg (drums, guitar), while releasing the acclaimed albums, The Master's Bedroom Is Worth Spending a Night In (2008), Carrion Crawler/The Dream (2011) and Floating Coffin (2013).
After relocating to Los Angeles in late 2013, Dwyer changed the line-up of the band, with Sic Alps bass guitarist Tim Hellman and White Fence drummer Nick Murray replacing Dawson, Dammit!, Shoun and Finberg. Following the release of the band's sixteenth studio album, Mutilator Defeated At Last (2015), Dwyer and Hellman began touring with two drummers, Dan Rincon and Ryan Moutinho, replacing Murray. Touring extensively, this line-up recorded the band's seventeenth and eighteenth studio albums, A Weird Exits and An Odd Entrances, with Moutinho departing in late 2016 to focus on his own projects.[2]
With the arrival of new drummer Paul Quattrone, the band recorded its nineteenth album, Orc, with co-producers Ty Segall, Eric Bauer and Enrique Tena. In late 2017, Dwyer reunited with Dawson for a primarily acoustic album, Memory of a Cut Off Head, which returned to the band's lo-fi roots, and featured several former and current Oh Sees members. After two studio albums featuring a heavy, progressive rock sound—Smote Reverser (2018) and Face Stabber (2019)—the band changed its name to Osees in July 2020, with the announcement of their twenty-third album, Protean Threat. The group continued to release prolifically under the new name, putting out Metamorphosed, alongside a remix album and an EP before the end of 2020.[3][4][5] The band's twenty-sixth album, A Foul Form, was released on August 12, 2022.
- ^ Pehling, Dave (September 3, 2021). "Psychedelic garage-rock heroes Osees play annual SF shows at the Chapel - CBS San Francisco". Cbsnews.com. Archived from the original on August 13, 2022. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
- ^ Lindsay, Andrew. "Odd Entrances and Weird Exits: In Conversation with Thee Oh Sees' Ryan Moutinho". thereprise.org. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
- ^ Graves, Wren (September 18, 2020). "Oh Sees (as Osees) Announce New Album Metamorphosed, Share 'Electric War'". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
- ^ Schatz, Lake (September 23, 2020). "Oh Sees (as Osees) Announce New Remix Album Panther Rotate, Share the Origins for 'Don't Blow Your Experiment'". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
- ^ Graves, Wren (September 23, 2020). "Oh Sees (as Osees) Announce New EP Weirdo Hairdo". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved November 7, 2021.