Admit it: although you’ve wholeheartedly looooourved the scuzzy garage punk/folk/psych/whatever-the-hell he and his cronies have been dutifully cranking out for the past 20 years now, some niggling little part of you was never quite “sold” on that weird, antiquated word “Thee” dangling from the beginning of California-based songwriter, singer, guitarist, and Castle Face Records chief John Dwyer’s band’s name!
Or…actually? Wait, maybe don’t admit it! Because it’s gone. Poof. Boom. Blammo. On the eve of their 19th (!) album (which I totally TOLD YOU was coming, BTW!), Dwyer has just re-branded his main musical vehicle. Boys and girls, FUCK Thee Oh Sees. Say hellooooo to: Oh Sees.
And while you’re at it, say hello to the new(est) OH SEES album. It’s charmingly entitled Orc, will feature the current lineup of Tim Hellman on bass, Dan Rincon, and Paul Quattrone on drums, and is out on August 25 via Capital Records. Just kidding, just kidding; it’s on Castle Face (it’s still John Dwyer, people).
Of course, it’d be natural to assume that this (secretly somewhat relieving) banishment of the band’s infamous definite article reflects some sort of “radical lateral move in aesthetics.” right?
Um…yeah, in answer to that ridiculous question, check out album opener “The Static God” down below. (Also, don’t forget that even though they’re called something slightly different now, the band fka Thee Oh Sees is still committed to touring the hell out of the known-universe for the next 3,000,000 years…in fact, they’ll probably be calling themselves “O Seas” or something by the time they get back home.)
Orc tracklisting:
01. The Static God
02. Nite Expo
03. Animated Violence
04. Keys To The Castle
05. Jettison
06. Cadaver Dog
07. Paranoise
08. Cooling Tower
09. Drowned Beast
10. Raw Optics
Oh Sees on tour:
06.08.17 - Ravenna, Italy - Beaches Brew
06.09.17 - Dudingen, Switzerland - Bad Bonn
06.10.17 - Nimes, France - This Is Not A Love Song
06.11.17 - Bordeaux, France - Le Block
06.12.17 - Tours, France - Le Temps Machine
06.14.17 - Manchester, England - Transformers
06.17.17 - San Francisco, CA - Phono Del Sol Festival
06.22-23.17 - Los Angeles, CA - FYF
08.06.17 - Katowice, Poland - OFF Festival
08.08.17 - Hamburg, Germany - Molotow
08.10.17 - Oslo, Norway - Oya Festival
08.11.17 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Way Out West Festival
08.12.17 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Pumpehuset
08.18.17 - Saint Malo, France - La Route du Rock
08.19.17 - Brecon Beacons, England - Green Man Festival
09.01.17 - Phoenix, AZ - The Crescent Ballroom
09.02.17 - Albuquerque, NM - Sister Bar
09.04.17 - Austin, TX - Hotel Vegas Outside
09.05.17 - New Orleans, LA - One Eyed Jack’s
09.06.17 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
09.08.17 - Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero Theater
09.10.17 - Brooklyn, NY - Warsaw
09.13.17 - Cambridge, MA - The Sinclair
09.14.17 - Montreal, Quebec - La Tulip I Le National
09.15.17 - Toronto, Ontario - Danforth Theater
09.16.17 - Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom
09.17.17 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall
09.19.17 - Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall
09.22.17 - Missoula, MT - Monk’s
09.24.17 - Vancouver, British Columbia - Commodore Ballroom
09.25.17 - Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom
More about: Oh Sees, Thee Oh Sees
