MP3 Outside the Box - Outside the Box
What if Semisonic wrote hip hop? What if the Gin Blossoms started covering Green Day? Power pop trio seeks like-minded for good times with no strings attached.
10 MP3 Songs in this album (37:35) !
Related styles: ROCK: Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, ROCK: Adult Contemporary
People who are interested in Sugar Ray Semisonic Gin Blossoms should consider this download.
Details:
Jonathan says:
"I took piano lessons for years as a kid and hated it. Only when I inherited a classic Martin D-18 did I really get the bug. As an early teen I played mostly Dylan, Jackson Browne and other folk rockers. In college, I hosted open mikes and even met Natalie Merchant from the 10,000 Maniacs when the ''Screaming Maniacs'' as we called then were just a local upstate New York band."
"The first band I was in was horrible -- talk about a clash of musical styles: jazz drummer, classic rock guitarist (how many times can you hear the same Eddie Van Halen solo), punker bassist and me fronting. We did early 80s covers -- the Clash, Police, Elvis Costello -- the whole British Invasion II thing. We had maybe 4 or 5 gigs, having to change our name each time so that people would come and not know that the same band was playing again."
"About three years ago, I joined a band called Year of Tuesdays which later became ''CORE.'' We played mostly covers and had a good run of it, playing wherever we could, including the now legendary and defunct Club Soda on Connecticut. About a year later, I bumped into a guy who I had taken a class with at GW. He was carrying a guitar case and I asked where he played. Several months later we met again at a drunken GW party, and there and then, OTB was formed. We played an open mike the next night, and the rest, as they say is history..."
"I really like almost every type of popular and classical music: baroque, gregorian chant, germanic opera, classic rock, punk, roots, reggae, afro pop, you name it. I do tend to come back to some things, like country-tinged alternative (e.g. REM and some of Lucinda Williams stuff) as reflected on our song "Can''t Hear." I also like catchy alternative (what we used to call ''new wave''), like Foo Fighters, Fuel, as reflected on ''None of That'' and ''Rand McNally.'' I think it is important for musicians and bands to know what they are and are not. This recognition is reflected in a comfort level and groove that the band, and its audience, will appreciate. OTB is a modern rock band that plays pop tunes with an edge. I am comfortable with that, and so are our fans."
Dave says:
"As a child, I would take out all the pots and pans from my mother''s kitchen cabinet and bang on them with spoons. This gave my parents the insight to sign me up for drum lessons at an early age. In sixth grade, I started learning the snare drum and taught myself from a music book called ''Stick Control'' which is a highly recommended book for drummers old and new. Over time, my passion for drumming developed and I began taking drum set lessons. I became versed in rock and roll drumming techniques and studied relentlessly from a music book called ''Realistic Rock'' by Carmine Appice (the legend). Syncopated rhythms and alternating paradiddles are hallmark signatures of this masterful book (it is an awesome book for beginning drummers)."
"I gained valuable drumming experience through a variety of activities. In college, I played in the percussion section of the Boston College ''Screaming Eagles'' marching band and travelled to Dublin, Ireland to play at the Millenium celebration held to commemorate Ireland''s 1000 years as a country. The hallmark of these festivities focused around an ESPN worldwide telecast of Boston College versus Army in a promotional football match. The event proved enormously successful."
"Within the drum line section, members held an annual contest to determine who could throw a bass drum mallet through the field goal uprights. After many practice attempts, I finally set the record of throwing the mallet a distance of forty-seven yards through the uprights. Although the bass drum mallet is no longer with us today, this record-breaking day will not soon be forgotten."
"Beside Carmine, my other drumming favorites include Stewart Copeland (from the Police), Buddy Rich, Alex Van Halen, and Steve Gadd. In closing, I would like to express my thanks to the OTB Army and our supportive fans."
Gene says:
"In junior high, I wanted to play the trumpet. But the band director told me my lips were too big and that I should play the clarinet. I did for a couple of years, and to this day I have a soft spot for the instrument. In high school, I played for the Jazz band, but the clarinet''s days were numbered. There was a new instrument on the horizon - the bass."
"On the outskirts of Houston, there is a lot of sunshine, a lot of humidity, and a lot of lawn care opportunities for a neighborhood kid. I mowed lawns every weekend and started saving up for my first bass guitar..."
"I''ve been into a number of sounds over the years - from gamelan to techno. Elvis Costello, Nanci Griffith, Paul Westerberg and Bruce Robison are all great songwriters. In Washington, there are few things better than a late night at the Vegas Lounge. Iota is another great place for music (how big are they gonna grow?), as is the 9:30 Club."
"I think my favorite thing about OTB is the cohesion, musically and personality-wise. Everyone brings something a little different to the mix and it all comes together."