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Ozma | |
|---|---|
 Brummel, Slegr, Wick, Galvez, Shane | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Pasadena,California, United States |
| Genres | Alternative rock,power pop,indie pop,pop punk |
| Years active | 1995–2004, 2006–2009, 2011–present |
| Labels | Kung Fu Records About a Girl Records |
| Members | Ryen Slegr Daniel Brummel Jose Galvez Star Wick Kenn Shane |
| Past members | Katherine Kieckhefer Patrick Edwards |
Ozma is an Americanrock band fromPasadena, California.[2] The band's sound is a mix of nostalgicnew wave–influencedpower pop andcontrapuntalCasiotone-driven melodies sustained by heavy guitar riffs. Since their formation in 1995, Ozma has released five studio albums and toured the U.S., Japan and Canada[3] more than thirty times, including extensive touring with stylistically similar groups includingWeezer,Nada Surf,Rilo Kiley,Superdrag,The Rentals,The Get Up Kids,Piebald,Saves The Day,Asian Kung-Fu Generation, andRooney.
Ozma was formed in September 1995 byRyen Slegr (vocals/guitar), Jose Galvez (guitar/vocals), Patrick Edwards (drums) andDaniel Brummel (vocals/bass), Galvez introduced Brummel to the others, whom he met onAOL while Brummel was looking for a band to join.[4] In 1996, the still-unnamed band were joined by Katherine Kieckhefer on keyboards, before deciding on the name "Ozma" (taken from theL. Frank Baum books on the drummer's mother's bookshelf)[5] in 1997, and in 1998 were joined by expert keyboardist Star Wick,[6] who replaced the departing Kieckhefer. After their early 4-trackcassette demosCuatro andOcho were well received by friends, they releasedSongs of Inaudible Trucks and Cars in early 1999, a collection of demos and live tracks, released on home-made CD-Rs and later republished onMP3.com asSongs of Audible Trucks and Cars (due to a character restriction). They then self-released what is considered their first "proper" studio album,[7]Rock and Roll Part Three, on January 1, 2000.[8] This consisted of "a few thousand" (estimated by Brummel) CDs manufactured by their own label, Tornado Recordings. During these early years, Ozma "played almost anywhere in the California state area,"[9] garnering a strong regional following.
Ozma's first real break came in 2001, when they were selected to tour withWeezer. In preparation for the "Yahoo! Outloud Tour," Weezer asked their fans to vote for an opening act via their web site, and the bands who received the most votes were Ozma andThe Get Up Kids.[10] One year later,Weezer invited Ozma to tour with them again on 2002's "Hyper Extended Midget Tour", which also featuredSaves the Day.[11]
The band self-released their second albumThe Doubble Donkey Disc on February 21, 2002 (later reissued on Kung Fu Records on June 25, 2002). With this release, Ozma experimented with the traditional Russianbalalaika and theflute 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 theTetris theme) revolved around Russian themes, while the second half created a more danceable atmosphere.
Later in 2001, partly as a result of the exposure gained from touring with Weezer, Ozma signed withKung Fu Records, which led to a mainstage appearance on the 2002Warped Tour. Over the next two years, Kung Fu put out remastered and enhanced versions ofRock and Roll Part Three andThe Doubble Donkey Disc,[12] before Ozma's third album,Spending Time On The Borderline, was released in May 6, 2003. This record saw Ozma mature their sound and expand their musical outlook, moving away—at times significantly—from the keyboard-driven, often video game–themed rock of the earlier albums. During the 2001–2004 period, Ozma toured the US numerous times, with bands such asNada Surf,Superdrag,Piebald,The Format, andRilo Kiley.
On July 23, 2004, Ozma announced that they had disbanded, citing deteriorating relationships between band members. Daniel Brummel moved to New York City to pursue a more folk-heavy style and released his debut solo albumSpeak Easy independently on September 27, 2005.[13] Also during this interim period,Ryen Slegr and Jose Galvez formedYes Dear with ex-members of Arlo and Teen Heroes. On January 9, 2006, Ozma announced that the band had reunited—without Edwards—to play new shows, new songs, and put out new records. During July and August 2006 the band joinedThe Rentals for the "Return Tour," with Slegr (now an official member ofThe Rentals) performing in both bands. During the tour, Ozma rotated many new songs through their setlist. In September, the band announced that they would be touring the nation again in October with the bandHellogoodbye.
On May 15, 2007, the band released their fourth studio album,Pasadena (after their hometown ofPasadena, CA), through About a Girl Records. The album included guest appearances byMatthew Caws (Nada Surf),Will Noon (Straylight Run,Fun),Rachel Haden (The Rentals,that dog.), Ben Pringle (The Rentals,Nerf Herder), and Eric Summer (Get Set Go). Allmusic referred toPasadena as "the strongest work of their careers," rating it 4.5 out of 5 stars.[14]
In 2012, Ozma performed on the inaugural Weezer Cruise, alongsideDinosaur Jr. andSebadoh.[15] Then, in late 2013, Ozma heldPledgeMusic campaign to fund their unnamed fifth album. Their goal was exceeded, andBoomtown was released digitally on February 11, 2014. Immediately following the digital release, Ozma joined Weezer,Cat Power,The Orwells,DIIV, andAdam Devine on the second Weezer Cruise, being the only band aside from Weezer to perform on both cruises.
Ozma's cover of the Russian folk song "Korobeiniki" was featured inKick-Ass 2.
A person in the crowd in the filmNapoleon Dynamite can be seen wearing an Ozma t-shirt.
The song "Rocks" was heard in theNickelodeon teen sitcomiCarly, in the 2008 episode "iMight Switch Schools".[16]
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | "Lorraine" b/w "Los Angeles" | Self-released cassette single of Ozma's earliest professional recordings. Notably produced byRod Cervera. |
| 2001 | "Domino Effect" b/w "Apple Trees" | NamedSongs From Rock and Roll Part Three. Included a promotional radio edit of "Domino Effect" released by Kung Fu Records. Several hundred self-released CDs were given out at live shows. |
| 2002 | "Korobeiniki" b/w "The Business of Getting Down" | UK 7" single. Only 1,000 copies produced, by small UK label Falsetto Records who procured the rights for a one-off release. |
| 2007 | "Eponine" b/w "No One Needs To Know" | Promotional radio-only single released by About A Girl Records, never commercially available. |
| 2014 | "Nervous" | Boomtown single for Pledge Music donators. |
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