OXES
Encyclopedia : O : OX : OXE : OXES
OXES are a Baltimore instrumental rock band. Its members are part of what's known as "the Baltimore Rowdy Collective" who stage practical jokes usually involving a confrontational and outlandish racket in public places. These happenings are comparable to the Lettrist Scandals.
Their music has been called math rock or post punk but they havent been known to subscribe to any genre. However all of their recordings and shows are instrumental.
In all of the bands early performances Marc Miller (guitar), Natalio Fowler (guitar) both stood on large black boxes (or pedestals) towering over the audiences (a nod to the superiority complexes of rock bands). The guitarists would occasionally step down from the boxes to walk into the audience and stand in front of individuals in the crowd (while still playing) attempting to make the them feel uncomfortable. This was later aided by the much self-publicised acquisition of wireless guitars. Christopher Freeland (drums) would intermittenly get up from his set and barge around the stage, mumbling incoherent babble, only to sit back down and lunge into another song.
While the band retained its use of the large black boxes and wireless guitars, its later shows were marked by less showmanship. However they still maintain their audacious and silly stage presence.
The 'OXES/Arab on Radar split' 10\"
Prior to the release of their eight-track album "Oxxxes" in 2002, the band put out a 10" record, billed as a split-EP between OXES and Rhode Island noise-rockers Arab on Radar. The A-side of the record was performed by OXES. The B side was, again, OXES - this time impersonating (fairly convincingly) Arab on Radar, acquaintances of former. The unusual idea alledgely came about during practice sessions for the record, whereupon OXES happened to write some songs bearing aural-similarity to Arab on Radar, subsequently recording and releasing the record as an OXES/Arab on Radar split, unbeknownst to the latter band.
The Old Navy T-Shirt
In the Spring of 2006 the clothing company Old Navy released a T-shirt bearing the image of a flier for one of the bands previous shows. While there was no official word on whether or not the band, or Monitor records, OXES record-label endorsed this, as of May 2006, both OXES and Monitor's Myspace pages, bore an anti-Old Navy picture bearing the slogan "Boycott Old Navy (if you feel like it)", as well as the comment relating to "Old Navy Clothing Store now stocking inferior quality versions of our t-shirts!". However, the seriousness of such a comment is thrown into question by a similar comment, "iTunes Music Store now stocking inferior quality versions of our newest record!" also appearing on OXES Myspace page.
See also
External links
- [The Official Website]
- [The Monitor Records site]
- [OXES on Myspace]
- [Oxes Keeping It Peel on BBC Radio 1]
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