My Denton Music spotlight: Oso Closo

by Sarah Crisman of My Denton Music

Here's the thing about Oso Closo: I find it very hard to talk about them without using the word "epic." I realize that the repeated use of any one descriptive word can cause it to lose its meaning. Fortunately for me, this band seems incapable of creating anything less than epic, so I will continue to point out how massive the Oso Closo experience is, and they will continue to rock in ways that always surprise me.

Oso Closo is a fascinating juxtaposition of unassuming charm against raw talent. They aren't playing the rockstar game because it's a highly marketable field for five handsome musicians; they rock because they have to. It's just what happens when they start to play. There is a passionate purity in every step of the way, from Adrian Hulet and Chris McQueen's writing, to the live performances and the intricate studio arrangements. These guys know what they're doing, and they do it as if their existence depends on it.

Born of the halls of the University of North Texas Jazz Department, Oso Closo joined the ranks of other jazz-influenced rock bands like Midlake to create a fresh sound that doesn't necessarily sound like jazz -- it's just inescapably good music. The guys are also heavily influenced by bluegrass; bass player Andy Rogers was raised by musicians in the deep of Tennessee (that's not something you just "get over" by joining a rock band). It makes sense they are so highly trained, they know what they're doing and they use that intelligence to melt faces (another descriptive phrase I have to use every time I talk about Oso). Their passion for music is what brings about such bombastic performances and sets them apart from other emerging acts. Here are these five disarmingly sweet guys taking to the stage and you think to yourself "Oh good, we're gonna hear a little music," and then they rip a hole in the sky with their powerfully intense melodic rock and you don't know what to think anymore.

Since the release of their first album, Rest, Oso Closo has toured supporting the likes of Marcy Playground, Phantom Planet, Parachute Musical, and Fair to Midland. Last summer they were chosen by the Dallas Theater Center to provide the music for The Who's Tommy, all the while building steam around the country and evolving as a band now on the brink of something extraordinary.

Actually, I have a sneaking suspicion they are in the throes of the extraordinary with their sophomore release of Today is Beauty's Birthday (due out in August). McQueen and Hulet took to the lake to write the entire album, and they began playing the tunes for audiences shortly thereafter. I've had the delightful fortune of being able to hear a bit from the album -- we are all in for quite a treat.

Wanting to be faithful to the creative aspirations they found themselves entrenched in, Oso pulled out all the stops in this recording. But production costs can skyrocket when you're going all in like this, so they enlisted the help of friends and fans alike to cover the studio expenses. With contribution levels starting at $25, friends could chip in and receive a little thank you gift in manner of NPR, from limited edition merchandise to house parties and time in the studio with the band. I, for one, am hoping to earn a spot wandering around melodramatically in a future music video.

While you are waiting with baited breath for the new album, you can check out Oso Closo headlining the first installment of the My Denton Music concert series at Hailey's, Saturday, July 18. They'll be playing with RTB2 and Pentagrass (here is where you can understand the full scope of Andy Rogers' bluegrass roots, and also his occasional tendency to yell "Hail Satan"). I don't think I need to mention the epic proportions of this show, I'll let you find out for yourself (and your face is probably going to melt).