As far as those Wikipedia band member timelines go, Osees’ is certainly among the more complicated as it lists over a dozen members contributing various instruments over the course of the project’s 27-year lifespan. Although keyboardist/bassist Brigid Dawson’s (*squinting*) pink and purple lines on that graph end in 2014 (with a few more blips afterwards), she’s the guest of honor on ringleader John Dwyer’s latest release. Reverting to the early-years OCS moniker which the duo briefly revived in 2017, the forthcoming live album Live at Permanent Records was initially dreamed up nearly a year ago and features 23 tracks spanning the Osees catalog—“Some new, some very old that I’ve never played live, ever,” Dwyer explains of the holiday setlist recorded at the LA record store.
The project’s latest single, for example, harkens back to Osees’ early freak-folk period. “Golden Phones” originally appeared on the band’s (then simply “The Oh Sees”) 2007 album Sucks Blood, with the live recording matching the minimalist psychedelia bordering on Sung Tongs–era Animal Collective (unfortunately they may have had to check their singing saw at the door for the live rendition). The new recording, meanwhile, begins with a shoutout to one of the band’s current percussionists: “This song’s dedicated to Dan Rincon and how Shannon Lay makes him cry,” Dwyer announces before the duo launches into the eerie track.
Check it out below.
