Update
03/21/08
BRAND NEW OTTOMEN ALBUM FOR 08! THE OTTOMEN ATAK!
My Dad's Birthday is Tomorrow and it's a good time to be alive!
I don't know what rumors you heard but the Ottomen have not split. We Only lost a drummer but the live show at the "Rock And Roll Arts and Crafts Show" on a cold October afternoon proved that the Ottomen, even as two, still could rock the room even if it was just filled with 3 shivering people. And now that drummer, John, is back so the hiatus is officially over! And there's MORE!:
In Early March 08, Long time Ottoman, Justin D returned to Stl from Sunny LA to record and produce the brand new Ottomen CD entitled "THE OTTOMEN ATAK!" including 15 new songs and a few old ones redone and reduxxed! At this very moment Justin is in LA mixing down the album with all the love he has in his big heart.
In Other Otto news: The ottomen may have live shows coming up in May, so stay tuned!
"Misung"
here are the names of the new tracks:
Altered Beast
Above the Law
Times Beach
Trio-oh-oh
Hostile (Hostel)
Pole Position (R U ready 2 Qualify?)
The Pig and the Horse
Little Brown Jug
Interpoliceman
Smooth Wild Cat
White Jaguar
*In Jamaica (Bonus SOng)
and Old tracks newly recorded by the Ottomen STL
Song About a Fridge 97'
Japan 98'
Mayo 97'
Lonely Surfer Girl 02'
Hip HIp Hooray and Viva Los Ottomen!
Update Jan 14 2008. The Ottomen are now on Hiatus due to the loss of the Drummer, John Halloran who has left the rock and roll world to drum for a local st. louis old ska band. At the moment no new drummer has been found but we are on the search and we have some ideas, but only time will tell. Stay tuned!
Dave
08/21/07
Update: Back to the Past is now available to purchase on Itunes! Yes indeed!
So stop by your online Itunes store and get all the songs for a small cost!
"Adventures at the Shore" The ottomen's 1998 25 track album is also available!
So buy today! Do not hesitate!
We will thank you personally if you do!
7/29/07 Update: The STL Riverfront Time's reviews the Album Back to the Past![The Ottomen
Back to the Past (Ottomen Empire)
By Christian Schaeffer
Published: July 25, 2007
homespun
Subject(s): Back to the Past , The Ottomen
-"The term "arrested development" takes on new meaning with the release of the Ottomen's Back to the Past. Best known for its slightly ragged, punk-inflected rock & roll and a happy-go-lucky stage presence, the revolving collective is composed of five grown-ass men playing songs about He-Man toys, sea-creatures and the detritus of their childhoods. If the lyrics are juvenile (and they are), the musicianship picks up the slack. Pubes/Sex Robots leader Mario Viele shares guitar duties with Justin DiCenzo, taking a break from his main gig as an ace upright bass player. And while the guitars are in the hands of professionals, these songs center on band leader David "Misung" Stevenson and his fixations on sci-fi and '80s pop culture. Stevenson's baritone voice hits John Linnell levels of depth and austerity, especially on "Not Love Song," which accents the song's meta nature with gentle woodwinds and a pleasing glockenspiel melody. It's about as sensitive as things get on this album, which mostly sticks to the Dead Milkmen method of mixing irrepressible rock music with dum-dum lyrics. It's a combination that works for the Ottomen — and one that makes Back to the Past a fun listen, at least for the first few spins."-
— Christian Schaeffer]
Hells Yeah! Thanks for the review, Schaeffer! You can see the real website here
http://www.riverfronttimes.com/2007-07-25/music/the-ottomen/
6/23 "Back to the Past" is now available! Contact us for a copy or check out Vintage Vinyl if you live in st louis MO. Also be on the lookout for THe Ottomen "back to the Past" on itunes and cdbaby.
-Ottoball
from "the current" newspaper
"The Ottomen have been keeping it silly since 1995 when the bare bones of the group began recording tunes influenced by the Pixies and They Might Be Giants during early college years.
With catchy tunes consisting of simplistic chord structures likened to those used by groups such as Weezer and Nirvana, The Ottomen croon lyrics about old '80s TV cartoons like Heman and Transformers in addition to lighthearted libretto about other playful endeavors.
The group, whose name was adapted from The Dead Milkmen song "I Tripped Over the Ottoman," has since expanded into an "Ottomen Empire" of sorts due to its multiplicity of members. Be on the lookout for a compilation of all their hit songs entitled, "Back to the Past" in the near future."
-Mabel Suen
NOW!
WOW mom! it's the The Ottomen Podcast!!!
Click on the above link for all of the ottomen videos as well as episodes of Dave and Jim's "George and Timmy Show!" All easily downloadable (with itunes) for your ipod or home computer viewing pleasure!
The Ottomen Story:
started in 1996 when Jim Campbell and Dave Stevenson became friends at Kansas City Art Institute...they added drummer George Garcia then a cardboard cut out of Rolando the banjo player...
The ottomen moved to saint louis after graduating art school and added Justin DICenzo on the bass or guitar...depending on which show...and John Halloran on drums. George didn't wanna move.
Jim moved to NYC so dave and justin did an album, then Dave and Justin added Mario Viele from Pubes and sex robots to the lead guitars and rock.
The last album was done at justin's again using all 4 ottobots and a few guest appearances by Duane Bridges from shedshot and vegabasin, Alison Derrick from UT austin orchestras and stuff....
Before april 2004, ottomen added a new member, mark youngbauer.
He filled in all the holes for justin to play a billion other instruments when they played live.
In 2005, Justin moved to Osaka Japan to study leaving the Ottomen short of a bassist and vocalist.
It was then, later in 2005, that long time chum, Walter of "The Cleavers" and "Graham" fame joined as the fill in for Justin as bassist. Throughout 2005 they had a few shows here and there in the local parts of St Louis
Through 2005-2006, The Ottomen began recording their newest installment, entitled "Back to the Past" which were new recordings of some of their finest work throughout the years.In 2006 and early 2007, The Ottomen played a multitude of shows in St. Louis to raving reviews and started the "viral project" in which thousands of ottomen stickers were planted on street signs and billboards all around the city to advertise, subliminally, their upcoming record, which at the time was close to being completed.
By March, Justin DiCenzo moved to LA to play with Hecuba as an instrumentalist , playing shows at such installments as the MOMA in San Francisco and other establishments.The Ottomen are still playing in St Louis and have a number of shows coming up, but are now reduced to a three band ensemble. Mario Viele hopefully will stand in at times...but we can only wait and see.
Misung is currently writing new songs for a new Ottomen album which include such subjects as Merry Go Rounds, being Above the Law, Police men, Earthquakes, time's beach, hibernation, slime monsters and more! How exciting! Look for it in the future!
And Now check out the Ottomens first Video "LAnd of Nephrandon" aka "LON"
and now check out our 2nd video "A Day in a Life's Day!"
and now check out our Hit Video "Amityville Horror House" filmed in 2003. A crazy ghostbuster's ripoff (done way before the new Michel Gondry film.)
And..Now...COLOR THEORY RAP VIDEO! filmed in 2007!
and now "The OTTOMEN" from "WOMEN IN CHARGE BENEFIT OF SPETEMBER 2007!
AND CHECK OUT THE LO-FI STL EPISODE 149 FEATURING DAY IN A LIFE'S DAY BY THE OTTOMEN! HERE:
http://lofistl.com/2007/03/28/episode-149-the-ottomen/
