New Ozma Songs on Myspace

[Not Jason]

I think the thing I like the most about these songs is that they don't sound like any previously existing Ozma material.  Yes, Rock and Roll Part Three is a classic Ozma record, but it hasn't exactly aged with me if I may be honest.  I want to hear a record put out by twenty-somethings that sounds like a record put out by twenty-somethings.  They were a phenominally talented high school band, but they aren't in high school anymore, and I don't really want them trying to reconect with that, cause I don't think it would hold my interrest at this point.

"Straight Flush" bored me at the beginning and built up to something that proved enjoyable.  Where "Barriers" falls flat (read below), this song succeeds in being very dynamic.  Arguably, though, it is too inaccessable to be immediately enjoyable.  I'm still not sure I really "get" this song.  It has moments where I get really into it, but as a whole, it has yet to really click with me.

"Barriers" has a lot of potential, but I'm not sure yet if it lives up to it.  The melodies are Samuel, but I sort of feel like it's not quite the sum of it's parts.  It feels like it needs something that's not in there.  Like a real bridge or a buildup/solo or something.  It needs something to indicate motion.  As it is, it busts out of the gate strong, but doesn't have any really substancial dynamic changes throughout.  That could take this song from being merely okay to being fantastic, but at this point, it feels unfinished.  They synth is excellent, and the arangements are generally pretty solid.

[hipsun]

what do you guys think they should change to make these songs better/more enjoyable to you? faster? crazy guitar solos? backup vocals? vocoder? massive echo chambers? def leppard style choruses?

[Mister_E]

I dunno... I like the classic ozma better at this point. The New Ozma I think might grow on me but classic Ozma will always hold a special place in my heart.

Straight Flush is kind of boring to me, I like Barriers better.

[brad]

i think these songs show a lot of growth, especially by daniel.  i love how "straight flush" and "kid icarus" have this kickass angsty/angry drive to them.  he's really matured into a singing style of his own.

both of daniels and ryens projects during this past year's influence can be seen.  straight flush is more folky, and barriers seems like yes dear, but this is not necessarily a bad thing. 

rock and roll part three might be my least favorite ozma album (i do love it, but DDD is my favorite).  i think its best for these guys to move away from that type of music, and mature into their own styles.  do you remember how annoying it is to mention ozma and automatically have weezer associated with them?

i myself am a big fan of these new songs.  i'll admit on the first listen or two i wasn't.  but then certain things started jumping out of them at me.  i absolutely love the synth/guitar solo with them harmonizing in straight flush.  i love the screaming by daniel after the solo and ryen at the end of barriers.  i could also see how kid icarus would fit with this "new" ozma sound.

i'm very excited for the future.

[Fantastic Max]

I dunno, I see this obvious split between Ryen/Dan

Ryen has the whole rockin thing goin on.
Dan has the whole artsy-ish thing.


I guess its kind of a Lennon/McCartney thing goin on, but it kinda bugs. I miss the old days when I couldn't tell them apart, haha.



Oh, and I still wish they'd put D Song in there, and polish it up.

[Lando_Calrissian]

Oh, and I still wish they'd put D Song in there, and polish it up.

 

[tom]

Straight Flush is awesome.
Barriers is good.

[Lando_Calrissian]

Someone (who shall remain nameless for safety reasons) suggested that there's a 'new Weezer' element to Barriers.

I hadn't really noticed before, but now that it's been pointed out I can definitely hear it. Bit Make Believe-ey.

An ironic twist to the 'new direction'?

Ommmmmm.

[Indoor Fireworks]

I love the new songs, but I hope to hear some more vocal harmonizing in the other songs they've recorded. I think thats a big part of what makes Ozma so fun.

[amish]

On further listening, I think I might enjoy them more once there's more depth to it. Sounds muffled, and that's driving me nuts.

[Bob511]

Sounds muffled, and that's driving me nuts.

I'm not entirely informed on MySpace's music process, but I'm guessing it asks for an MP3, which it then encodes into its own format to stream through its player--and judging by the MP3 demos the guys have provided directly in the past, they're possibly in the 128kbps-192kbps range to begin with.  Definitely sounds like (re-)compression artifacting.

[Fantastic Max]

I think they need to put in more clever stuff, like in old songs. Trade-offs in songs, deliveries...whatever. Something exciting.

[Not Jason]

What Bob said is pretty accurate in terms of how MySpace music works.  It's also worth noting that these likely are not finished products, and were probably rushed to be mixed and put online.  That surely contributes slightly as well.

[simpleton]

-and judging by the MP3 demos the guys have provided directly in the past, they're possibly in the 128kbps-192kbps range to begin with.  Definitely sounds like (re-)compression artifacting.

I think it's even worse; I once was told they are about 96kbps original.

[hipsun]

I think they need to put in more clever stuff, like in old songs. Trade-offs in songs, deliveries...whatever. Something exciting.

agreed, but i think there is a fine line between something clever and something gimmicky, and that's the last thing i would want. do you think they should try to fix barriers by trying to find something exciting to change about it, or just ditch it and work on other songs?

i disagree with the poster in the "dan = ozma" thread. both ryen and dan are wonderful musicians on their own, but almost all "of the "classic ozma" songs were a collaborative effort. it seems to me that they haven't quite hit their groove yet writing together again, but i'm sure it will happen soon.

[Not Jason]

I addressed the fact that the songs seemed unfinished when talking to dan, and he said that they were still sort of works in progress.  It's possible that they might change in future versions.

[Fantastic Max]

I'd be scared shitlless reading all of our comments about the issue, haha. Feeling pressured to write good music, haha.

I hope they do read this, take our suggestions to heart...Orr..completely disregard them, and make some good fucking music because they want to, and it's great to them.

Either way.

[Not Jason]

Any work that needs to be done, I'm sure will be done because the band thinks it needs to be done.  Of course that makes sense, because the band probably knows more about songwriting than most of the people in this thread (definitely more than myself).

[Lando_Calrissian]

I've been doing some more listening and Straight Flush has grown on me a lot. It now pleases me.

Unfortunately, I still can't get excited about Barriers. It's not bad, but it's definitely lacking something.

[I like ozma]

to me neither sound like ozma songs, one sounds like dan post ozma, and the other, ryen post ozma. but neither ozma

[jvstin]

they removed barriers from the myspace player.

i didn't like it as much as i liked straight flush but it was still a good tune. the synth effects overshadowed the guitar, so it was a bit of a departure from what i'd usually recognize as ozma (it had a yes dear vibe going on).

as for the 'daniel = ozma?' debate, i disagree. i think ryen and dan compliment eachother perfectly. jose is also extremely important. as long as they can agree on what they choose to put out, i'll find interest in it.   

[noonchild]

I can't get the new song "darkness into light" to play. 

[tom]

I can't get the new song "darkness into light" to play. 

Download it.

[brad]

i like barriers more than this one.  you guys are too harsh on barriers.

[Jeff42]

I was going to say, am I weird for liking Barriers the most of these three songs?  I definitely like all three, though.  Actually, Kid Icarus is my favorite new song so far.

[Cheese]

Why is Darknes into Light downloadable but the other two weren't?

[claydarcy]

Now they all are.

[I like ozma]

barriers isnt.

[claydarcy]

Guess it wasn't apparent that I was speaking of the songs actually present on MySpace...

[The Other Mike]

I kind of wish ozma had gone in a quirkier, poppier, rock direction rather than with the overly serious big rock sound.  I think that these kind of songs (like bad dogs, and even battlescars) sound a little forced and insincere.  I think they do pop (and even mellow indieish stuff like your name) better.