Blog > Title: What I’m Listening to Now: Thee Oh Sees

The new album by Thee Oh Sees has been on heavy rotation lately; and after about 25 spins, I must admit that I am still not sick of it. In the slightest. Gotta say that is kind of a rarity for me lately. But, as I continue to listen, I can certainly pinpoint the reasons why. This is a garage rock album. It’s out on In The Red Records, so I’m pretty sure no one is going to question that fact. The label is known pretty much exclusively for that style. They are also known for housing only the best of that style. The label has boasted The Black Lips, King Khan and the Shrines, The Deadly Snakes, The Reigning Sound, Jay Reatard, The Ponys, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Vivian Girls, and The Dirtbombs. If you can’t find a touch point there and you like garage rock, it’s time to put down The White Stripes records, the Nuggets comps, and dig a little deeper.

Anyway, Thee Oh Sees is the latest incarnation of John Dwyer (formerly of the garage rock wildmen The Coachwhips). The group was originally called OCS and was an outlet for Dwyers experimental psychedelic non-sense ( I have yet to explore this output but I plan on it). The band later became known as the Ohsees and the Oh Sees before settling on the current moniker. The current manifestation is a full band, and this is their first album for In The Red.

Oh yeah, here’s the album cover:

The record is exactly what I have been fiending for: a decidedly rocking structure, with a healthy dose of sonic experimentation or psychedelia, and plenty of catchy hooks. It definitely has a driving upbeat cadence, a pop sensibility and not at all in that guilty pleasure way, and an experimental edge that would satisfy the freak folk, art punk or experimental noise crowd. In other words, I think this album has a little something for everyone–well, maybe not for Barry Manilow or Mariah Carey fans, unless they have a wild side.

Do you have a wild side?

That sounded really sketchy. Why not just disregard that I ever said that, and give this sound bite a try:

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