Zen Mode

Biography

Sacramento's rock scene has long been a source for amazing bands. O! the Joy is the next big thing to come from this city of indie rock angels. This atypical band, born from the ashes of Mister Metaphor (former project of Justin Goings, O! the Joy's drummer), succeeds in creating a perfect harmony between a wide range of genres, from krautrock to emo. There's something really catchy that grabs you when you first hear the abounding universe of O! The Joy. Their amazing tunes and musicality focus...

Sacramento's rock scene has long been a source for amazing bands. O! the Joy is the next big thing to come from this city of indie rock angels. This atypical band, born from the ashes of Mister Metaphor (former project of Justin Goings, O! the Joy's drummer), succeeds in creating a perfect harmony between a wide range of genres, from krautrock to emo. There's something really catchy that grabs you when you first hear the abounding universe of O! The Joy. Their amazing tunes and musicality focus your attention on their talent. The melodies take over until the music rises and begins to lead you in some unexpected territories. You won’t have what you expected you’d get, but you'll be rewarded a thousand times with what you are about to listen to. Their music takes some unpredictable paths when the songwriting explodes to reveal the amazing personality of the band. O! The Joy represents a remarkable crossover of styles, which makes their sound hard to label. Perhaps calling them an experimental pop band, although simplistic, would do. Vocalist Kurt Travis’ singings are moving. He possesses a punchy and sensitive voice that plays a key role in the expanse of the music, just above the instrumentation. He is the gateway to the richness of the compositions. Guitarist Jason Ellis plays the most experimental role in the band, assisted by Justin Goings on methodic and polyrhythmic drums and cymbals. Both Goings and Ellis play constantly to create complex structures, putting adventurous ideas on the table in unexpected directions. O! the Joy recorded their debut "Zen Mode” at the Tiny Telephone studios in San Francisco. The fine sound engineering by Aaron Prellwitz raises each band member's musicianship to the highest level. The band brings to mind post-rock bands like Do Make Say Think, math rock outfits like Hella, or even prog rock, like Amon Düül. But O! the Joy are definitely too ingenious to get stuck on a genre. They bring indie rock further than it has ever been. They've been compared to Russian nesting dolls: when you've come to the end of an idea, there is always another one, hidden. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.