The Old-Fashioned Way profile picture

The Old-Fashioned Way

About Me


** Press & Booking inquiries: [email protected] **
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A swarm of multi-talented musicians with a dazzling array of weird instruments erupting from the stage.
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Crowded around their sage leader, the OFW give off the ease of a family band, though no member remotely resembles another. They’re Dickensian orphans, then, who’ve gathered to put on a minstrel show — and who’ve had to find a sound to fit their strange batch of instruments. The two red-blooded guitars and the drum kit give the songs a sturdy rock core when the band wishes it. But there are also, at points, a Paul McCartney–style toy bass, an accordion, a triangle, a wailing keyboard, and a melodica, which pile into a haunted and seductive sort of antipop, mournful and klezmerish on a track like "Robot on Fire" but boppy, harmonic, and needing a restroom on "Take Your Fluids."
--SF Bay Guardian
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A live favorite for their rocking songs and multi-instrument pop attack.
--The Bay Bridged
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A less frantic version of the Arcade Fire...definitely worth your time.
--The Deli SF
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Deep-voice indie pop jewels featuring every instrument under the sun.
--The Bay Bridged
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Like the Magnetic Fields with a more impressive back-up band.
--Noisepop.com
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Danceable indie with a sense of humor straight outta the Tenderloin.
--SF Bay Guardian
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San Francisco has always had a vibrant indie-pop community, but The Old-Fashioned Way are the first locals I’ve seen (who aren’t freak-folk collectives) to really go big....Chris Wu’s basso vocals bridge the hitherto-unrealized gap between Calvin Johnson and Johnny Cash.
--Albondigas
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My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 21/03/2006
Band Members: Christopher W. :: vocals, keyboards, melodica, maraca, triangle mastery

Jake :: guitar, uke, guiro, mandolin, back-up vocals, jumping around, voice of reason

Christopher O. :: guitars, vox, microkorg, accordion, excessive scowling

Marie :: violin, keyboards, xylophone, crude joke teller

Matt :: drums, other percussive oddities, bass clarinet, immaculate facial hair

Chani :: bass, vocals, bells, wisdom
Sounds Like: releases:

The Old-Fashioned Way and Their Weak Constitutions (Dec 2008)
the debut CD from OFW featuring 5 previously unreleased tracks


$8 (includes US shipping)

The Bay Bridged Vol. 1 (2007)
a compilation CD of tracks from 11 different up-and-coming Bay Area artists. featuring a fast version of "Robot on Fire" by TOFW


$5 (includes US shipping)

Type of Label: Major

My Blog

NEW RECORD OUT NOW! GET IT HERE!!

The Old-Fashioned Way and Their Weak Constitutions (Dec 2008)The debut CD from OFW featuring 5 previously unreleased tracksTracklist:1. Zeitgeist2. Robot3. Bowie4. Information5. The Hypnotist$8 (inclu...
Posted by on Fri, 05 Dec 2008 22:31:00 GMT

** Past Shows **

05.31.09 :: Rickshaw Stop :: w/ The Wooden Birds, Goh Nakamura04.21.09 :: Cafe Du Nord :: w/ Birdmonster, The Local Natives02.20.09 :: Hemlock Tavern :: w/ The Parents, Si, Claro12.03.08 :: Bottom of ...
Posted by on Wed, 27 Aug 2008 21:21:00 GMT

SF Artist of the Month = TOFW!

Thanks to everyone who voted for us in The Deli's Artist of the Month contest.  We won!  Check out our rad banner on their site:   http://thedelimagazine.com/sflove,tofw
Posted by on Fri, 29 Feb 2008 16:29:00 GMT

SF Bay Guardian Show Review

From the 9/19/07 SF Bay Guardian:The first triumph of the night was simply that no one lost an eye. The Hemlock Tavern stage isn't much more than a low corner deck, and the Old-Fashioned Way work a sw...
Posted by on Wed, 19 Sep 2007 01:20:00 GMT

The Bay Bridged Vol. 1 + FREE TIX

Here are 2 GREAT reasons to head over to thebaybridged.com!1) Our first single "Robot on Fire" is featured on their compilation The Bay Bridged, Vol. 1.  You can purchase it on thebaybridged.com,...
Posted by on Wed, 08 Aug 2007 01:10:00 GMT

8.06.07 :: were on KALX 90.7 today from 5-6pm

today at 5 on KALX we'll be playing some unreleased tracks from our upcoming album, and talking with Mon Amie about our Thursday night show @ Cafe Du Nord in support of Robbers on High Street.  l...
Posted by on Mon, 06 Aug 2007 11:18:00 GMT

OFW on KALX [mp3 link]

Here's a link to Chris Wu and Jake on KALX yesterday with DJ Mon Amie.
Posted by on Thu, 01 Mar 2007 22:22:00 GMT

New merch this Saturday @ the Rickshaw Stop

Hey Folks- For those of you who missed out on our first edition buttons at the last show, good news: This Saturday night, we'll have 4 new OFW button designs, and for the first time ever we'll ha...
Posted by on Wed, 28 Feb 2007 15:33:00 GMT

2.26.07 :: Listen to TOFW on KALX Wednesday morning at 11am!!

Dear Friends, Chris W., Jake and others will be hanging out with Mon Amie in the KALX studio on Wednesday morning between 11AM and noon to promote our upcoming Noise Pop show.  Give a liste...
Posted by on Mon, 26 Feb 2007 01:32:00 GMT

2.07.07 :: The Bay Bridged February Mix

Dear Friends, "Take Your Fluids" has been featured in this month's The Bay Bridged Music Mix.  Give it a listen when you get the chance...Love,The OFW'sp.s. for your button-wearing pleasure,...
Posted by on Wed, 07 Feb 2007 01:16:00 GMT