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Aug. 2013: The OF – Oh It’s The OF

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  1. Softbelly Crab excerpt The OF 1:17
  2. Seagull Attack The OF 2:04
  3. SODO Monkey (Part I) The OF 5:13
  4. Whiskey & Pills The OF 2:37
  5. SODO Monkey (Part II) The OF 9:06
  6. Can't Stop Listening The OF 1:44
  7. Down In The Basement The OF 4:13
  8. Oh It's The OF The OF 1:16
  9. You're In Love With The OF The OF 5:08
  10. Mouse Trash Recipe The OF 14:06
  11. Thrompnobulous The OF 3:18
  12. Mystic Fishstick The OF 14:49

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We originally put this up as Album of the Month a year ago. It was self-released by the band. I said it was in my Top 10 albums for the whole damn year. You know how many other reviews they got of this great album? Zero. Perhaps they needed a little more organization. Or something. I talked to John about putting out their next album (coming soon). After we talked some more, I thought wot de hell, wot de hell, this album is so sublime why not put it out on Green Monkey and give it worldwide exposure!

So here we go. John remastered it, I spruced up the cover and you now have “Oh It’s The OF” better than ever. This album is the real deal- so get with the ticket and get with The OF!

td
August 2013


What follows in the original notes I scribbled for the Album of the Month.

Ladies and Gentlemen.

I cannot tell you how delighted I am to present our April AotM – The OF, starring in Oh It’s The Of. You no doubt recall we introduced you to The OF last December (2011) with their three-man-bass version of We Three Kings on the annual GMR X-mas album. The OF are the Ian Grayperplexing brainchild of one John Carey, a once and former bass player for The Queen Annes (more about them in the coming months). If I was asked to describe The OF I would say crazy, eclectic and stimulating. At one point it’s all about a hermit crab and a French fry, there are piles of pointless Zappa-esque noodling, there is dumbo rock that is dumber than anything by ZZ Top, and the lovely You’re In Love With The OF. How could you not be? I most certainly am. I have pulled up a few facts below to give you a better idea of just what it’s all about. The OF does have a Facebook, a webishpage (of sorts)and if you want to buy one of the 100 copies of this that exist in the world (you do!) you must email Mr. Carey at squimbolio@yahoo.com. You’ll be glad you did! And so will The OF!

td

April 2012


The official OF word.

John CareyThe OF formed in 2010 in a garage in Roslyn, WA.

In spite of the local scene’s attempts to eradicate them, The OF have survived long enough to offend audiences with their weirdo music and to commence recording on their first project: “Oh It’s The OF.”

Carey is a veteran of Seattle legends The Queen Annes, Refuzors, Shattered Machine, and Trapezoid Monks. Writes material and grumbles about life’s little injustices. Knows a lobster by name.

Ian Gray is a multiple stringed instrument player with a diverse musical background ranging from bawdy folksongs, jazz, classical, and bossa nova. Since being assimilated into The OF he has made the 4 string electric bass his primary sound form manipulation device. Other musical efforts he has been involved in include All Folked Up, The Slomosapiens, The Swauk Prairie Ramblers, The Ivory Tower Tets, Movin’ Mountains, and The Dusty James Band.

We just found Jim Morgan in a barrel behind the local sheet metal factory. He seems happy enough, so we keep him around.


The OF:

John Carey – Guitar, keyboard, percussion and vocals.
Jim Morgan – Drums, cello, percussion and vocals.The OF
Ian Gray – Bass, vocals, banjo, mandolin and triangle.
Pat Nevin – Vocals and percussion.
Guests: Roy Ravincrowe – Trombone;
Carl Bivens – Pipe talking and didgeridoo.

Oh It’s The OF (GM1019)

1. Softbelly Crab Excerpt
2. Seagull Attack
3. Sodo Monkey Part I
4. Whiskey & Pills
5. Sodo Monkey Part II
6. Can’t Stop Listening
7. Down In The Basement
8. Oh It’s The OF
9. You’re In Love with The OF
10. Mouse Trash Recipe
11. Thrompnobulous
12. Mystic Fishstick

All songs by John except Thrompnobulious by John and Jim
Cover art by Johua Keys


An Interview with Mr. Carey.

TD:I usually refer to The OF as the Top Band In Cle Elum. Is that a true statement?
JC: Not really. I live in Roslyn. We have played in Cle Elum twice, but we are a Roslyn band, of which there are approximately 3 at any given time. We are usually the one that the least amount of people are interested in, due to the difficulty involved in hula hooping to odd time signatures.

TD:What is the Cle Elum scene like?
JC: I will tell you if there turns out to be one. There are a couple of places to play, but it’s very limited. It’s better for bands from out of town, since they have the novelty factor going for them.

TD: How did The OF come into existence?
JC: Force of will. I wanted to put together a band after several years of not having one. The OF evolved and hopefully will continue to annoy for years to come.Jim Morgan

TD: The OF is pretty dang schitzo. Sometimes it is Zappa-ville, sometimes it is bone-head dumbo rock and sometimes just plain goofy. Why is that? What is the thread that holds that that together? Is there one?
JC: I don’t see any reason to limit what we do. So we just do whatever I write.

TD: What is your recording set-up like?
JC: Delta 1010 + Delta 44 sound cards on a pc 12 in, 12 out. Mics and preamps and a couple of rooms built in the garage. Limited but useful. I use Cubase.

TD: Do you play shows?
JC: Sure, lots of them. Ironically, now that you ask, we are scaling down our gigs in order to learn new material for the next CD. We’ll pick up again in a couple of months.

TD: On your web site there is a picture involving aluminum foil. Do you think it is sustainable to be known as a “foil band”?
JC: Heavy foil and colander rock helps keep the space lobsters away.

TD: Now that “Oh It’s The OF” is out what is next? Where do you go from here?
JC: “Escape goat.” Hopefully out by the fall. It may contain an Icons cover, if we can cut a deal.

TD: “You’re in Love with The OF” must obviously be considered your theme song. Why is it hidden late in the album?
JC: Because if you haven’t listened that far, then you Aren’t In Love With the OF.

TD: Your cover says there are 12 songs but the disc only has only 10. What’s the deal?
JC: It was a last minute editing harsh out. I had already sent the track order to the artist and received finals back. The first 3 tracks (and also “Sodo Monkey Pt 2”) were recorded live in one take. When I tried to edit them, there was no way to get them to play correctly in sequence when cut separately. So Track 1 is really three songs. I am really impressed at the number of people who have noticed this. I will fix it on the second pressing, so having the screwed up track order versions will be collectible.

The OF at Wally's Wenatchee WA

The following comes from The OF’s OFFICIAL website.

REFRIGERATION LEAK ON A CLOUDY NOVEMBER EVENING WITH CRANBERRY ARTERIOSCLEROSIS

Perhaps you think it is easy to make this sort of music. Well it isn’t. I have to spend most of my time trying not to scream. When I moved to the tiny town of Roslyn WA I was so impressed that I almost threw up. Lots of quaint old buildings built by drunken miners in the days of the company store, hippies and dogs running rampant in the streets…now we have cell towers and a parasitic gentry colony replete with lodge and golf courses. They send a little short bus out to our taverns and bars, where it disgorges it’s contents of wasted youth. Unfortunately they really don’t want to listen to music, they simply want a background thump for their mating rituals, some of which can be quite amusing. At the end of the night there is inevitably a drunk dork in dockers who hits on the girls one after another in descending order of breast size, only to get dragged back to the bus by the old hunchbacked driver. The descendants of the miners have pretty much taken to hiding in their hovels waiting for it all to stop. I have created a small recording studio in the garage where the OF were born. I hope the music makes the little satin dresses fly off of the nubile young rich and pretties as then it will be marketable in some form at least.

JC

 

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