Thee Oh Sees

Keeping track of what is going on in the San Francisco music scene should be someone's fucking full-time job. With the constant barrage of releases, collaborations, side-projects, and lineup changes, it is god damned impossible to know from day to day what is going on out there. It's almost as if Guided By Voices gave birth to every band in the city of San Francisco.

Making it only more difficult is the fact that the San Francisco psychedelic rock scene, with label Castle Face Records at its brain center, is something that you have to keep an ear on. Some of the best records of the last decade have come out of this area, including those from acts like Ty Segall, The Dodos, Papercuts, OBN III's, Sleepy Sun, Wooden Shjips, Howlin' Rain, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Coachwhips, Whirr, Tycho, and Damaged Bug. As many records come out of this city every year, most of them end up being kinda 'meh', but you are also bound to find something that will remain in your collection for a good many years to come. I think we found one this week.

Thee Oh Sees, formed in 1997, are perhaps the best known and certainly one of the most difficult to track acts out of the San Fran psychedelic explosion. The band (may) currently consist of primary songwriter and core member John Dwyer (vocals, guitar), Timothy Hellman (bass) and Nick Murray (drums). Thee Oh Sees have made a name playing in a  wide range of rock genres, including 1960s garage rock, psychedelic rock, punk rock, noise rock, art punk, and 1980s post-punk. The overall signature of Thee Oh Sees sound harkens back to the heavy psychedelic garage rock of older San Fracisco acts like Blue Cheer and Moby Grape.

Initially an outlet for Dwyer (Coachwhips, Pink and Brown, Yikes and The Hospitals) to release experimental home recordings, over the course of several releases and genre transitions, Thee Oh Sees evolved into a full band, featuring Brigid Dawson (vocals, keyboard), Petey Dammit (bass, guitar), Mike Shoun (drums), and Lars Finberg (drums, guitar). The band became noted for their prolific discography, energetic live shows, and whimsical visual aesthetic. The band has changed its lineup and name several times, having previously being known as Orinoka Crash Suite, OCS, Orange County Sound, and The Ohsees.

In late 2013, it was announced that the band was entering a hiatus, however, sporadic live performances and a new studio album, Drop (2014), have occurred since. Brigid Dawson relocated to San Marin, CA, where she continues to paint and exhibit artwork Mike Shoun & Petey Dammit have remained in the bay area. Dammit appeared as the bassist on Dylan Shearer's Empty Cellar Records/Castle Face release garagearray, released on April 15, 2014.

Since the dispersal of the band members, the band's live performances have been as a trio, with drummer Nick Murray, and bassist Timothy Hellman. Brigid Dawson's roles as a vocalist and keyboardist have not been filled. John Dwyer explained the reason for the latter in an interview with Uncut magazine: "The future of the band doesn’t hold much keyboard, I want to go more guitar. I’ll still record with a keyboard but I’m burned out with it live. I’ve been getting trapped into synthesizer land, I’m just surrounded by drum machines and keyboards while all my rock and roll stuff is in another studio." Brooklyn Vegan noted that while the band is currently touring as a trio, this should not be considered a permanent, "official" lineup change.

So, with the release this week of their newest record, Mutilator Defeated at Last, I have absolutely no idea who is playing what. I almost feel confident that Dwyer is still in the band. Luckily, it doesn't really matter because this new collection will melt your fucking face from the bone. Mutilator is the heaviest (and best) Oh Sees outing since 2011's Carrion Crawler/The Dream. But, where that former record delved more into experimental kraut and art rock, Mutilator relies more heavily on the blues references you would have heard from the OG San Francisco garage acts.

This is some Blue Cheer "Summertime Blues" shit right here and it comes with the pure rock sauce. Mutilator Defeated at Last re-establishes Thee Oh Sees as THE sentinals of San Francisco rock heritage (even if Dwyer has physically left the city). The LP opener "Web" is cutting edge, raw, and an ultimate homage to what came before it, with hazy production, searing guitars, and a two ton bassline.

"Turned Out Light" is amongst one of the catchiest tracks Dwyer has written, though probably still a far way off from your standard rock radio fare. This is followed by the pure rock sauce that is "Lupine Ossuary". This track sounds like it was recorded for Pink Floyd's More, but got cut for being too fucking hardcore (yes, that would have been the first known use of the word hardcore). Even the spacier 'ballad' "Sticky Hulks" smacks of sweaty sex with dead bodies. 

Altogether, if you were wondering whether you'd ever hear Thee Oh Sees again, Mutilator Defeated at Last answers your question with a giant middle finger jabbed into your earhole...in a good way.