Remember those captivating scenes from mid-'60s TV shows in which the main character enters a party and finds young people dancing to the latest craze? If you spent the next few weeks searching out similar music to jerk and frug to like the characters on the tube, then the Oscillators — New Hampshire's solution for listeners hungry for Hollywood-filtered, pre — Sgt. Pepper's rock 'n' roll in go-go boots — is for you.
“We've always been garage oriented, but within that genre, you'll find surf, old R&B, bubble gum, and punk,” says Joel Mellin, songwriter, instrumentalist, and co-producer of the Oscillator's second release, Incog-Neat-O! (www.stereorrific.com). “We're paying homage to the great garage-pop bands in hopes that people will enjoy the subtle jokes and ironies. It's hard to go wrong with three chords, boots, and some ‘yeah yeahs.’”
The Oscillators is a quintet featuring guitarist and songwriter Miss Mary and keyboardist Samantha on vocals; Mellin on vocals, guitar, keyboards, and theremin; M@ on bass; and Wendy on drums. The band's dune buggy mascot, Doug, plays a major thematic role on the album.
Incog-Neat-O! showcases Mellin's and Miss Mary's brilliant flair for catchy melodies wrapped in simple, classy arrangements such as “Don't Look Back” and “Gimme Gimme.” The Oscillators successfully re-create the party-rock sound familiar to the TV generation, thanks to the studio wizardry of producers Mellin and Pete Weiss, who have crafted a record that buzzes with Farfisa organs and jangles with tambourines and surf guitars.
The Oscillators' songs focus primarily on teen love gone wrong, with Miss Mary and Samantha taking turns at the mic. In addition, Mellin delivers spectacular Eric Burdon — inspired vocals on “I Can't Wait 'Til Friday Comes” and the Billy Childish chestnut “Out of Control.” There are even a couple of fine surf instrumentals such as the title track and “Doug Buggy,” both penned by bassist M@.
“We've sold a decent number of records over the Web,” Mellin says when asked about the Internet's relevance to an up-and-coming band. “Miss Mary receives a considerable amount of attention on MP3.com from her Stereorrific Recordings solo debut Hey Blue! She's been featured on the ‘Women of MP3.com’ twice now. The Web is fascinating, though, because your musical niche, however specific, is accessible to listeners worldwide.”