Ocelots
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Ocelots

Nashville, Tennessee, United States

Nashville, Tennessee, United States
Band Rock Alternative

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This band has not uploaded any videos
This band has not uploaded any videos

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"The Cellar and the Ghost Have Let Us Down Review"

Much like the current political landscape, indie rock has never been so polarized. If a band isn’t trying to land that ad placement by being as bland and inoffensive as possible, it’s constructing impenetrable walls of fuzz, blips and screams.

With that in mind, it’s refreshing to hear this well-rounded effort from Nashville rock trio Ocelots. Cellar seems so unconcerned with being accessible, challenging or hip, it succeeds in doing all three in an admirably unique way.

The band seems heavily inspired by angular instrumental acts such as Slint and Don Caballero, but the results are surprisingly melodic, aided by some blunt and adventurous lyrics from singers Greg Wagner and Chris Hargrow.

Ocelots’ Nashville peers should take note: There’s a palpable sense of discovery and joy here that’s too often missing from local indie efforts.
- The Tennessean


"new blurb"

The Ocelots stepped in to represent the local flavor. Pushed full speed ahead by a barrage of break-neck punk-rock beats, the veteran trio delivered a well-crafted collection of something that was a little too complicated to be twee pop and a little too happy-go-lucky to be math rock. Despite their inability to be pigeonholed into a cozy genre, their fusion works well, and it reminded us old-schoolers of a time when we could just call something like it punk without having to attach any other prefixes, suffixes and trendy buzz words to describe it - The Nashville Scene


"live review"

Ocelots are More Than Impressive at The Basement, May 2, 2008

Friday night May 2, 2008 Nashville-based band Ocelots delivered a tight set of their 80s influenced alternative rock. Only a three-piece, the band is made up of Greg Wagner on bass and vox, Paul Spivey on drums, and Chris Hargrow on guitar and vox. Ocelots are making some of the best alternative rock in not only Nashville, but I would argue, the entire country. Very reminiscent of late 80s alternative rock, Ocelots are as intelligent as fIREHOSE, as edgy as Suicidal Tendencies, and as catchy as Nada Surf.

The first thing you notice at an Ocelots show is how freakin' tight these guys are. Spivey is as rhythmic as Stewart Copeland behind the drum kit, and about as busy (and tasteful) as Buddy Rich. No kidding, Spivey is an under-the-radar genius of a drummer, and it won't be long before people start to take notice. Hargrow's guitar is clean, dissonant, and loud—very similar to fIREHOSE's Ed Crawford, with well placed dissonant chords and intelligent tension/release built into his playing style. Wagner's bass playing is right in sync with Spivey's drums, and his vocals will remind you of early Nada Surf. With lyrics pulled from the angst of daily life, grab your skateboard and head to the nearest skatepark with Ocelots on your ipod—these guys recall the very best of late 80s punk and alternative rock.

Fans of all the above-mentioned bands will be doing themselves a favor by taking in an Ocelots live show. Indeed, Ocelots are that good, and while Nashville remains extremely slow in their response to these three amazing musicians, my bet is that Ocelots are finding their audience in college towns across America. Don't miss out, go see Ocelots when they come to your town. —Vincent Wynne - listennashville.com


"blurb 1"

“The Minutemen told us like it was. Yo La Tengo made our hearts flutter. Pavement confused us but made us think and put the wild west into our ears. They Might Be Giants made our asses twitch and our toes tap. Sonic Youth wowed us with what noises they could make. I don't really want to tell you that Ocelots derive themselves from these things, but the Ocelots do the above.”
--Matt Perkins, dotdotdot zine (www.pataphysics-lab.com)
- dotdotdot zine (www.pataphysics-lab.com


"blurb 2"

"Noisepoppers Ocelots...will have you singing along to their catchy tunes before they unleash one of their heavier tracks on you, catching you off-guard and knocking you into the sorts of things people are knocked into."
Nashville Zin
- NashvilleZine


"blurb 3"

"Criminaly underated" - Nashville Scene


"album review (lightning)"

This is the first I've heard from this Nashville trio, but apparently, this is their second album. The band has a different approach to songwriting, giving us some tunes that are unconventional, but still quite interesting. Their sound is generally poppy (and often with a bit of a jazzy influence) with clean and jangly guitars and sprightly drums, but they'll sometimes turn on the distortion and loud it up. The cleaner songs remind me of the Pathways (particularly in the guitar sound and in the singer's vocal style), but I can also hear a bit of the Minutemen in there, especially in songs like "Two Years After The Fact..." with its intricate drum parts. Or maybe Firehose is a better reference, since these guys sometimes don't know when to trim a song down (which a few of these songs could certainly use), although "Everybody Wants MOR" could've easily fit on any Minutemen record. Additionally, they nab a verse from Husker Du's "From the Gut" in "Big Soft Pile Of Money", but I couldn't really find any other similarities with that band. All told, it's a pretty cool record, and I'll have to keep my eye out for their first! MTQ=9/12 - indiepages.com


"album review (truth)"

Ocelots "The Truth About Ocelots"

nashville indie scene, open your eyes before the elusive ocelots disappear.

the members of Ocelots have been around for quite some time in this area. they’ve been in many different bands. perhaps notable, perhaps not. i can’t say. i’m too new of a resident. i don’t know all the history of who or what might have been the shit.

but what i can say is that this band is pretty damned good and that even if this band truly does end soon (the bassist lives far away and will soon be moving even farther) … that we can expect only good things to come from these three folks.

the minutemen told us like it was. yo la tengo made our hearts flutter. pavement confused us but made us think and put the wild west into our ears. they might be giants made our asses twitch and our toes tap. sonic youth wowed us with what noises they could make.

i don’t really want to tell you that ocelots derive themselves from these things, but the ocelots do the above.

they tell it like it is, “you walk in with your ‘detroit sucks’ t-shirt on cause you’re from chicago where the scene is oh so big and strong, and yes i’m aware that never been one good band that has come outta nashville, so why don’t you go back home, go to a slint show, oh right, they broke up already, i’m sorry!”

the make our hearts flutter with deep bass sounds and crazy guitar insanity.

they confuse us in wonderment and twang.

but we dance!

so maybe i wonder about the fate of yet another good band who deserve a lot more credit than i think anybody gave them since they’ve been around. here we have another band that did it all and more and may not really ever be heard by more than a few. maybe that’s ok. maybe it’s not.

seesaw records…. “american dream” rolls around and maybe i know it’s ok… because ocelots are all about growing up to be themselves, regardless….”you’ve got your american dream and i’ve got mine. you’ll get soft and i’ll get hard. you’ll get dull and i’ll get as sharp as i’ve ever been.”

rah!!!!

if you don’t move, you’ll miss it. - dotdotdot zine (www.pataphysics-lab.com


Discography

The Truth About Ocelots (2002)
The Truth About Christmas (2004)-limited edition ep; out of print
If Lightning Strikes Us Both (2005)
The Cellar and the Ghost Have Let Us Down (Sept 2008) via Grand Palace Records
Satan's Darts (June 2010) - ep

Photos

Bio

Chris Hargrow (guitar, vocals) and Greg Wagner (bass, vocals) had played together for several years in the instrumental noise-rock band Garage Sale, while Paul Spivey (drums) had previously played with Hargrow in the short-lived indie pop band, Something. The three came together as Ocelots in Nashville, TN in mid 2001 and released their first cd, The Truth About Ocelots in July, 2002. They continued writing and performing through several years of members living in various states. In 2005, all three members were back in Nashville and the band released their second album, If Lightning Strikes Us Both.
After 9 years, Ocelots are still going strong. In 2010, they will be releasing a brand new ep called "Satan's Darts" and touring to support the record.