Oswald
is a five-piece rock band from Berkeley, CA with innovative songs
and uncompromising artistic integrity. Influences include synaesthesia,
bi-polar disorder, sleep deprivation, Hunter S. Thompson, Kafka,
and Sylvia Plath. Their music is both dark and melodic, with thoughtful,
introspective lyrics and hooks that stick in your head long after
remnants of the last note has faded. Though radio programmers have
been quick to label the band as alternative, their songs evoke a
timeless quality, more reminiscent of an age when bands still made
music that meant something. Oswald could be described as a cross
between Wilco, Spoon, Neutral Milk Hotel, and Pink Floyd, but it
becomes clear from the very first listen they're making music that's
distinctly their own. 2002 saw the release of their debut album,
A Failed Attempt to Alter History,
followed by a four song E.P. entitled The
Shine On Sessions. Over the course of the year, Oswald played
a regular schedule of shows all over the Bay Area, released two
music videos, and continued to write, amassing a catalogue of almost
50 songs. The year culminated in grand fashion with a headlining
slot at the prestigious Great American Music Hall in San Francisco
towards the end of December. Furthermore, while continuing to attract
a solid local following, they've managed to broaden their
fan base to include parts of South America, the UK, France, and
even the Netherlands. Along the way, Oswald also contributed music
to a college television program and an independent film. As of late,
Oswald has been holed up in the dark confines of their rehearsal
compound hidden in some undisclosed location, developing material
for their second full length album, while continuing to expand the
limits of their live capabilities.
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