OneSideZero

Forceful, sensitive rock from proudly contradictory Los Angeles quintet
Release date: November 20, 2001

Brawny L.A. fivesome Onesidezero may look like rap-metal contenders eager to fill Fred Durst’s voluminous shorts, but they certainly don’t sound like it. Reminiscent of both At the Drive-In’s squealing emotional hardcore and Tool’s considered aggression, Onesidezero’s debut makes a valiant attempt to put a new spin on angst-rock by balancing muscle-flexing noise with florid sentimentality. Crunching riffs are underpinned by delicate melodies, while singer Jasan Radford alternates between girlish falsetto and devilish bellow. When they falter, Onesidezero merely gasp and chug like a second-rate Faith No More (“Shed the Skin”), but when they hit their mark (“Holding Cell”), they do so with thunderous grace. - Blender Magazine

It's been a very long time since going to a show excited me days before the event took place. But with ONESIDEZERO being added to the bill just took it over the edge. Ever since I got the advance CD of the band's debut IS THIS ROOM GETTING SMALLER the emotional roller coaster of it has captivated me and to see them live was going to be an extra treat. Plus 6GIG who I finally will see live and my friends BOY HITS CAR were there also, so what else can you ask for. Pulling up to the venue 6GIG were hanging out along side ONESIDEZERO'S bus. Knowing that BOY HITS CAR was fronting the old Journey bus, it was nowhere to be found, I found out later that their bus broke down the night before in New York so they trekked over here in a mini-van and a u-haul to follow with their equipment (thanks 6GIG for the info). As we made our way into the crowded Met, we took a front seat to be ready to watch ONESIDEZERO. As these West Coast gentlemen took the stage and began their outstanding set performance with SHED THE SKIN, I knew they were going to grab the crowds attention. I must say I always get chills listening to the disc and this night even though the Met was hella hot, the chills still came. The guys show off a harder music side to them in a live environment compared to the disc which is kick ass. Frontman Jasan sounds as good or even better as the disc live. Throwing out every bit of emotion that seeps out in each track and delivers it to the crowd like a sonic boom. Gracing us with HOLDING CELL, THE DAY WE LIED, SOAK, NEW WORLD ORDER, the first single, INSTEAD LAUGH and one of the stand out tracks A POINT IN TIME. The band crammed a lot in their set with less talk and more rock and it was enjoyed by the entire place. These guys will blow up on September 5th when their debut is released. Next up was 6GIG from Maine. Just recently getting into their freshman disc TINCAN EXPERIMENT (2000). I was finally going to see a live experience. I noticed that their singer's mic stand holds two microphones (probably for different effects) or if one shits the bed. But anyway, the boys kicked in and it was cool. They have a very energetic stage show. They did METHOD, HIT THE GROUND, 5 and TINCAN EXPERIMENT off their debut disc. I was hoping to hear new stuff since the guys prior to the show told me that they had been working on stuff, but we were not lucky enough at this show, but hopefully next time. From what I saw from their set, they can pull it off live nicely, but I think I am still more in tuned to them when I hear the disc. As BOY HITS CAR was taking the stage and getting ready, my friend Amy and I were chilling with the guys in ONESIDEZERO (who have to be one of the most down to earth guys in the band scene now a days). BOY HITS CAR took the stage and sounded incredible. I've never heard the Met sound so crisp and clear as the boys blasted into LOVE CORE (WELCOME TO), AS I WATCH THE SUN FUCK THE OCEAN, I'M A CLOUD and their new single MAN WITHOUT SKIN. It's always a pleasure to see BHC because they are so energetic and open to their fans onstage with Louie's dreads going full swing, never knowing what Cregg will do for their introduction and Scott & Michael just giving you that driving beat to rock out to. I didn't get to see the guys full set due to the fact we went and chilled with ONESIDEZERO at Bickford's, but from what I heard the rest of BOY HITS CAR'S set was as up beat and rockin as what I saw, but with seeing the guys on vast occasions, I knew they couldn't and wouldn't make their fans walk away unhappy. - EAST COAST ROMPER

When the standard rock 'n' roll question "Who's your influence?" is popped to newbie heavy rockers Onesidezero, the answer's an all too apparent one. The Los Angeles band's sweeping, dramatic singer, Jason Radford, is a drop-dead musical offspring of Tool/A Perfect Circle frontman Maynard James Keenan. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Sounding like an earlier pre-prog-rock and more digestible version of Tool, Onesidezero churns out rumbling tunes like "Tapwater" and "Holding Cell," the kind of pseudopsychedelic-alternative-rock numbers that burst into ferociousness and give them a slight shade of darkness. And tighter, heavier cuts like "New World Order" are a headbanger's dream. A nice debut--and with Radford's powerful chops fronting 'em, there's plenty of room to grow. - E! Magazine

Coming together in the streets of Los Angeles, the quintet known as Onesidezero, went through a period of adversity and self-discovery before establishing them selves as one of the West Coast’s most electrifying and passionate young bands. Working with producer Jim Wirt (Incubus, Fiona Apple) and mixer David Bottrill (Tool, Peter Gabriel) has allowed Onesidezero to fully showcase and capture their abilities on the band’s debut album, Is This Room Getting Smaller through Maverick Records.

Focusing on melody, and groove-driven harmonics, Onesidezero beautifully crafts a stellar soundscape that effortlessly blends rock & alternative with traces of emo and a metal edge. Most favorably comparable to the band Cold or A Perfect Circle, Onesidezero’s songwriting is crisp & intelligent, driven by groove-oriented melodies, richly layered textures, soothing rhythms, and powerful, yet intricate drum work. Unlike Cold whose style possessed a grunge-like, alternative strain, Onesidezero’s sound is clean & effervescent, marked by captivating harmonics, dynamic effects, and inviting melodies. Talented musicianship and a seamless musical flow are demonstrated through the unique tightness of the band, while the music itself shivers with undeniable passion and beauty. Overall, Onesidezero does a masterful job of forging a sound that is addictive, yet edgy in its timelessness, without falling into the trap of clichéd commercialization by writing songs specifically for radio airplay or savvy marketability.

Preceded by thoughtful, lyrical poetry, and hauntingly, beautiful melodies, frontman vocalist Jasan Radford is able to relate his personal, emotional feelings to the audience with remarkable conviction. Conveying hope, reflection, and spiritual strength in the face of immeasurable loss, Radford displays a wide range of poignant harmonies, soaring choruses, and unrestrained rage that are presented with undeniable style & grace. Possessing a vocal style that is similar to Cold or A Perfect Circle and edged with the intensity that can be found in any emo-core band, Radford is the final piece to the puzzle, powerfully completing the depth and passion of Onesidezero’s expression.

Featuring twelve very beautiful and passionate tracks, Onesidezero’s Is This Room Getting Smaller, is a refreshing and captivating departure from the industry’s current musical trends. Amazing vocal harmonics combined with stellar musicianship, provides the perfect formula to lose yourself in a world of rich emotions and touching soundscapes. Led by the standout tracks A Point In Time, Instead Laugh, Holding Cell, and Underground, which combine energetic melodies with graceful vocals, Onesidezero displays beauty personified. Added aggression & dynamics appear on the tracks Tap Water, The Day We Lied, and Soak, while Eight and Never Mind provide a more ethereal experience. Stunning from start to end, Is This Room Getting Smaller is perhaps one of the most entertaining and complete albums to have graced our music scene in recent years.

Considering the fact that Onesidezero does not fall into any of today’s identifiable genres, there is the sad possibility that the band will fall into the tragedy of becoming another underrated & forgotten band because of their lack of commercialization. Passion and undeniable emotion are the driving elements behind Onesidezero, and given that the quintet is supplied with the right marketing & exposure, Onesidezero possesses the talent and the potential to not only become successful in the music industry, but they also have the ability to become a future icon...

Final Score: 8.5 out of 10 - dynamic rock magazine

Some bands produce a demo to get signed to a record label, but LA-based hard rock band Onesidezero made their demo as a parting gift to their loyal fan base. “It was kind of an accident,” said guitarist Brett Kane. “We made copies for our close friends [and] two weeks later we started getting phone calls from record labels calling us out to come meet with them. Next thing we know, Maverick [Records] calls and are like, ‘We want to showcase you at two o’clock this afternoon.’”

The record companies jumped at the chance to court the band because “we’re not doing something that everybody else is doing,” said drummer Rob Basile. “It doesn’t feel like everything else you hear out there.”

Onesidezero’s sound is “kind of melodic, heavy,” Kane said. “A lot of people say we have an emo edge to us, but it’s not straight up emo. It definitely has a harder edge to it.” Basile said the showcase was their hardest show yet. The Maverick A&Rs “rented this giant sound stage in Hollywood called SIR [with] this giant room with three people standing in the back (with their arms crossed) and were like ‘OK, go ahead.’” After the show, Basile said, they just walked away.

The poker-faced A&Rs must have been impressed because Onesidezero was subsequently signed. While they await the release of their debut, Is This Room Getting Smaller, they are touring as openers for 311.

And they’re grateful for the gig even though “the music styles are completely different,” lead singer Jason Radford said. But as 311 supporters and as a relatively unknown band, Radford said, “we have to go out and be ourselves, 100 percent. We also have to sell ourselves and really do our job because these kids haven’t heard of us and they’re there to see 311.”

“We make the kids nuts for them,” Basile said. “We pump them up.” They may come off heavy and angst-ridden, but Radford claims they’re just emotionally charged.

“On the album and some of the songs in our set, there’s different emotions,” he said. “Our single is called ‘New World Order.’ It’s about change, mind and body. It’s not about political new order, [President George W.] Bush’s thing. It’s change within yourself.”

Their debut LP, which is set for release on Nov. 13, is “a true and honest album from beginning to end,” Radford said. “A lot of the songs were written within the first week and a half of pre-production,” he continued, “we weren’t going out to write it a certain way, it just worked. It just happened.” Radford said he “hopes the album does well enough, so we’re still touring next year.”

Radford said they’re eager to continue touring the country because “Los Angeles is so jaded…unluckily, it’s such a musical community that it’s hard for someone to truly like you.” Basile added, “Once you leave LA, the musical diversity in kids is amazing. When I was growing up, there were the metalers and the new wavers. Now, kids are all getting open minded to all different kinds of music.”

They’ll continue to open for 311 until the tour ends on Oct. 19 in Pensacola, Fla. After that they will open for current Billboard darlings Incubus on a West Coast tour from Nov. 11 to Dec. 1. Obviously, Onesidezero is on the up-and-up, but as they relax on a cramped tour bus parked on Lawrence Avenue after their performance at the Riviera Theatre, they seem both eager to take the music industry by storm and humble to be there.

“The dream has already happened and this is all icing,” Basile said. “I can remember looking over countless fences,” he continued, “and being like ‘Oh my god, there’s their tour bus,’ and now I’m the guy on the bus.” Radford added, “I think, genuinely from all of us, we’re extremely grateful for this opportunity. It’s just such a shot in the dark for everybody.” - COLUMBIA CHRONICLE

Maverick's newest hard rock stars, Onesidezero, have a cd on their hands that is absolutley amazing. This new band is one that will take the world by storm. After already being on tour with Rob Zombie, Mudvayne, and Ozzy, as well as being featured on HBO's reverb, this band has even more to look forward to. With a sound like Tool, meets Incubus, slashed with some Deftones, how can this band do wrong? The first song, 'Instead Laugh' is a song that represents the bands more prominent softer side. The album is packed with these strong melodic tracks that are spectacular. Not only are the melodic songs great, the band can step it up a notch and rock out with the best of them. Their first single, 'New World Order' is one of these songs. It rocks hard with some intense lyrics in the style of something like older Deftones. The best song this band has to offer is track 6 'Shed The Skin'. This song is absolutely fabulous. It's raw and in your face like nothing I've ever heard before. Jason's vocals on the album are similar to a cross between Brandon from Incubus and Chino from Deftones. The guitars on the album by Levon and Brett are complicated and beautiful. They range from upbeat to heavy without sounding forced. The bass and drums by Cristian and Rob respectively tie the band's sound together without missing a beat. Onesidezero pack a punch with this debut album, which proves to be one of the best releases in 2001. Be ready for them to take over the radio airwaves and invade your cities.

Rating: 9 out of 10 - BREAK THE STATIC

Ready to rock the house? Well Onesidezero was at it full force Sunday night, bringing the ruckus to Detroit with 311 for one hardcore show.

Hailing from southern California, this classic hard rock quintet proved to be the up and coming force that so many critics have already labeled them as. Set to tour with Incubus this fall, Onesidezero translated their emotional intensity into a 45-minute emotionally pummeling set.

Opening with “Neverending” and playing through their new album This Room is Getting Smaller, the very talented Onesidezero soon performed the task so many opening bands fail at — getting the crowd livened up. From the first song all the way through the last, the crowd was loving every minute, moshing and jumping in that sing of rock ’n roll acceptance.

Onesidezero’s unique yet potent sound is thanks to the fact that “this band is all about music. We all love music and we love playing music,” said drummer Rob Basile.

As for furthering their music careers, the goal is “Don’t die because we’ve gotten more than we set out to do, if we asked for anything else we’d be pompous pricks,” said Basile. It’s not very often a band without a video receives such an overwhelming media response, but the kids dig their noise and are desperate to get in on the action. Lead singer Jasan Radford had a hard time keeping his pants from getting ripped off.

Keeping with the band’s theme of “positive energy of life itself with all the ups and downs facing life and living it,” according to guitarist Levon Sultanian, Onesidezero is definitely riding the wave and relating to audiences. Dishing out their new single “New World Order” as well as “Soak,” “Neverending” and “Eight,” Onesidezero demonstrated that they are more than a force to be reckoned with, they have a musical gift which translates to a sound everyone can relate to.

For the hard-hitting, hardworking band, it is more than just going up and putting on a killer show. “We love having fun with the kids,” said Radford, “and that’s what it is about.” - MICHIGAN DAILY

Not yet as well known as others, but increasingly becoming so, is the surrealistic group Onesidezero. With a sporadic edge peaking amidst the swirling tones of electric guitar, melody and rhythm penetrate one’s mind easily with the smooth vocal concepts that Jasan Radford pulls together. This uprising band holds the tempered talents of: Levon Sultanian-Guitar, Brett Kane-Guitar, Cristian Hernandez-Bass, Rob Basile-Drums, and as mentioned, Jasan Radford-Vocals, all quickly shattering their way into the mainstream of musical creations with a new, but needed construction of vibes. Is This Room Getting Smaller is an album written to be eagerly embraced by those yearning for a trans-like blend of rock passion. Enabling this CD to do just that are stand out tracks like, “Instead Laugh” (the opening song), “Tapwater” and “Soak”, not to be missed are underlying tunes such as “Awake” and “Underground”, this entire CD is outstanding and truly shows the “one of a kind” sound perpetuated by Onesidezero.

Offering a variety of deep meanings layered upon skilled musical mechanics, it could be said the album caters to those fond of A Perfect Circle, consisting of similar lush interludes, yet still uncommon enough to be labeled as uniquely different. Definitely christening an upcoming popularity, Onesidezero have massive potential to be an overwhelming force in today’s music society.

I personally believe this gifted band, given time along with a perfect arrangement of events, will gain a following well-deserved; captured by the emotions founding the group, I‘m certain we will be hearing, as well as seeing, a lot more of Onesidezero in the not-to-distant future. - ON TRACK MAGAZINE