Ozma

Ozma (stylized as OZMA or ozma) is a rock band from Pasadena, California. The band, who have cited Weezer as a major influence, have performed in concert and on tour with Weezer on many occasions and members of the two bands have collaborated at numerous points.
==History==
===Early years===
The band that would later be named Ozma was initially formed in 1995. Dubbed "Paper or Plastic," the lineup consisted of Ryen Slegr (vocals/guitar), Jose Galvez (guitar/vocals), Patrick Edwards (drums), and Matt Herman (vocals/bass).Daniel Brummel’s Humble Mumble. Tone Def Sound. 18 August 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20211017025324/https://tonedefsound.com/daniel-brummels-humble-mumble/ Herman departed from the band shortly after its band's formation, reportedly due to creative differences. Daniel Brummel, who met Galvez through an AOL profile search while looking for a local band to join, was introduced to the other band members by Galvez in September of 1995. The band went through various names during their first year with their new bassist, such as "Sochi," "Sheriff Bob," "Powercool," and "Cosmic Egg," but by April 1996 the band officially changed its name to "Ozma." Brummel had taken a "Wizard of Oz" book off of Patrick's mother's bookshelf while brainstorming new band names. He proceeded to flip to a random page and put his finger on a word without looking. That word was "Ozma." Later that year, the band was joined on keyboards by Katherine Kieckhefer, who Brummel had met at a CalArts summer music program.
In 1996, Ozma recorded demos to a Fostex XR-5 four-track tape recorder and distributed them to friends on cassette under the names Cuatro in April of 1996 and Ocho in September of 1996. Throughout May and April of 1997, they recorded the First Strike EP, the band's first studio release. In 1998, the song "Iceland" appeared as the first track on the compilation album Hear You Me! A Tribute to Mykel and Carli, which also featured songs by Weezer, That Dog, Supersport 2000, and Kara's Flowers. Ozma attempted to record again that year at Ocean Way Recording Studio with former Weezer guitarist Jason Cropper producing, but the master tape was lost before a mix was delivered.Daniel Brummel Instagram fan correspondence. :File:DanOnJasonCropperSessions.jpg Kieckhefer departed the band later that year, leaving Brummel to fill in on keyboards for the singles "Lorraine" and "Los Angeles", which were produced by Rod Cervera (of the Rentals and Supersport 2000). In October 1998, the band was joined by Star Wick on keyboards, who has remained with the band ever since.
Ozma released the compilation album Songs of Inaudible Trucks and Cars on January 2, 1999, featuring demos and live recordings by the band. Initially distributed on homemade CD-Rs, the songs were later re-published on MP3.com in late 1999 (albeit under the title Songs of Audible Trucks and Cars, due to a character limit).
===Rock and Roll Part Three and touring with Weezer===
On January 1, 2000, Ozma released their first studio album, Rock and Roll Part Three. During these early days, Ozma played numerous venues throughout the state of California, garnering a regional following. In the summer of that year, Jose Galvez delivered a copy of Rock and Roll Part Three to Rivers Cuomo after seeing Weezer perform on the 2000 Vans Warped Tour. The members of Ozma eventually received word from Cuomo's friend Justin Fisher that Cuomo loved their record and was playing it repeatedly and "singing along to every word."Brummel, Daniel "Is Weezer Power Pop?" Go All the Way! A Literary Appreciation of Power Pop Myers, Paul and Lauden, S.W., HighBridge Audio, 2019. :File:DBPowerpopbookrrp3torivers.png Rock and Roll Part Three was later reissued by Kung Fu Records (owned by Joe Escalante of the Vandals) on August 21, 2001.
Ozma achieved mainstream attention in July of 2000 when Weezer asked the band to open for them for two shows in Sacramento and Los Angeles. Then, in January of 2001, Ozma was invited to open for Weezer on the Yahoo! Outloud Tour. Weezer fans expressed similar enthusiasm for Ozma, as the band received the second-most votes (behind only Kansas City-based band The Get Up Kids) in a Rebel Weezer Alliance poll asking fans who should open for Weezer.Karl's Corner - 12/05/2000 Karl's Corner - 12/15/2000 Karl's Corner - 12/30/2000 Karl's Corner - 01/04/2001 In 2002, Weezer invited Ozma to tour with them again on the Hyper Extended Midget Tour, alongside the band Saves the Day.
===The Doubble Donkey Disc and Spending Time on the Borderline===
On February 22, 2001, during Ozma's first tour opening for Weezer, Ozma self-released their second studio album, The Doubble Donkey Disc. With this album, Ozma incorporated alternative instruments such as the flute and the Russian balalaika. The album is composed of ten tracks split into two album concepts dubbed Russian Coldfusion and Bootytraps.
As a result of the newfound exposure from file sharing platforms such as Napster, Ozma signed with in early 2001, leading to a main stage appearance on the 2002 Warped Tour. Kung Fu subsequently released remastered and enhanced versions of Rock and Roll Part Three and The Doubble Donkey Disc. On May 6, 2003, Ozma released their third studio album, Spending Time on the Borderline, on Kung Fu Records. This record saw the band move away from the keyboard-driven, so-called "geek" rock of the earlier albums. From 2001—2004, Ozma toured the United States multiple times alongside bands such as Nada Surf, Superdrag, Piebald, , , Rooney, , and .
===Breakup and reunion===
Ozma disbanded on July 23, 2004. In a message posted on the band's official website, Ryen Slegr cited deteriorating relationships between band members which affected the "creative and professional facets of the band to the extent that no one [felt] like continuing…""Farewell post from 07/24/04 and Return on 01/09/06" OzmaFans Forum 23 June 2006. Archived by Wayback Machine. https://web.archive.org/web/20210630223559/https://www.ozmafans.com/index.php?topic=2014.0
Daniel Brummel subsequently moved to New York City to pursue a solo career, independently releasing the album Speak Easy in 2005. Star Wick started working at a Marc Jacobs store in Los Angeles. Chabran, Gab "The Rise And Revival Of Ozma, A 'Secretly Huge' Indie Rock Band" 18 December 2019. https://laist.com/news/entertainment/ozma-band-los-angeles-pasadena-rise-revival Patrick Edwards helped form the short-lived band Acute. Ryen Slegr and Jose Galvez formed Yes Dear with former Arlo and Teen Heroes members. The majority of Yes Dear's recording projects were completed with Billy Burke at Loveless Motel Studio in Sierra Madre, CA (where Ozma would eventually record their next release, Pasadena).
On December 3, 2005, the former members of Ozma (sans Patrick Edwards) opened for the Wrens at the Troubadour in West Hollywood under the moniker Irregardless (being unable to use "Ozma" due to booking reasons).Slegr, Ryen (ozmasoundings). Discord. 2021 https://www.weezerpedia.com/wiki/File:RyenIrregardless2021.png The band performed five Ozma album tracks, as well as the Spending Time-era outtake "D Song" (later renamed "Underneath My Tree"). A friend of the band named Gerardo BerdinGalvez, Jose. Facebook comment 2020 :File:Joseirregardless.PNG played drums during the set alongside future Ozma drummer Kenn Shane. This, combined with the news that Brummel had recently moved back to southern California, sparked rumors among the Ozma fan base about a potential reunion. On January 9, 2006, the band announced that they had reunited (sans Patrick Edwards):
WE: Star Wick, Ryen Slegr, Jose Galvez, and Daniel Brummel, do hereby declare our full and true intention to reform, reunite, and otherwise reanimate the rock group OZMA. Manning the drum kit for this incarnation of OZMA will be Kenn Shane, formerly of Addison. After rehearsing and working on new material since September 2005, we will play our first reunited concert on Sunday, March 12th, 2006 at the Knitting Factory in Hollywood, CA. Tickets to this concert will be made available on January 14th, 2006. Announcements regarding future OZMA releases and tours will henceforth be made at our official website OzmaOnline.com.
Throughout July and August of 2006, Ozma opened for the (also newly-reformed) Rentals on the latter's summer tour with Ryen Slegr additionally performing as a member of both Ozma and the Rentals. In September, the band announced that they would be touring the US again in October with the band . Later that month, the band uploaded two demos of new songs they had recorded to their Myspace page. The songs, titled "Straight Flush" and "Barriers," were recorded over the summer of 2006.
===Pasadena===
On February 14, 2007, Ozma announced via their Myspace account that their newest album would be released on May 15 through About a Girl Records. The album, Pasadena, was named after the band's California hometown. On May 11, Ozma made an agreement with Myspace to stream the whole album on their homepage. Pasadena featured guest appearances by Matthew Caws (of Nada Surf), Will Noon (of Straylight Run and Fun), Rachel Haden (of That Dog and the Rentals), Ben Pringle (of the Rentals and Nerf Herder), Eric Summer (of Get Set Go), and Benjamin Chadwick (of New Maximum Donkey). Allmusic referred to Pasadena as "the strongest work of their careers," giving it a 4.5 rating out of 5.Mason, Stewart. "Pasadena Review" AllMusic https://www.allmusic.com/album/pasadena-mw0000570253
===The Crabs and the Weezer Cruise===
In 2009, Jose Galvez and Ryen Slegr joined members of the band Teaneck to form a Weezer tribute band dubbed The Crabs.Across the Crabs. Pinkerton. One night Only 10.2.09. Desc: "Affiliates of the glorious Ozma and the majestic Teaneck have once again formed an unshakable alliance" https://youtu.be/PSFgrXuy8Us The group played two shows that year: a tribute to Weezer's Green Album and a tribute to Pinkerton. The band also covered the Weezer b-sides "I Do," "Waiting on You," and "I Just Threw Out the Love of My Dreams" (the latter of which featured Star Wick and Daniel Brummel as guests on lead vocals and keyboards, respectively).johnny12ockets "Across the Crabs - I Just Threw Out The Love of My Dreams (intro)" YouTube 3 October 2009. https://youtu.be/LP1LbMlqu3E
In 2011, Ozma was among several artists invited to perform on the four-day Weezer Cruise from Miami to Cozumel. In preparation for the cruise, Ozma performed with Moses Campbell and Body Parts at the Glasshouse in Pomona, CA on November 26, the first Ozma concert in over three years. The band performed Rock and Roll Part Three in its entirety to celebrate the album's 10-year anniversary. During the encore, members of the Rentals (including Matt Sharp) joined Ozma on stage to play the Rentals songs "Waiting," "Getting By," and "Friends of P."
===Boomtown and Further Collaborations===
Throughout 2012, Daniel Brummel and Ryen Slegr collaborated on several songs with Rivers Cuomo, including what would eventually become the Weezer track "Eulogy for a Rock Band" from the band's 2014 album, Everything Will Be Alright in the End.
In 2013, six years after the band's last album, Ozma launched a crowdfunding campaign through the website . The campaign raised over $20,000, over 150% of the requested amount. As a thank-you to fans who donated, the band also released the Pasadena-era demo "Kid Icarus." On February 11, 2014, the band released their fifth studio album, Boomtown. Immediately following the release of the album, the band performed on the second Weezer cruise.
Brummel performed on drums with Weezer on multiple occasions throughout 2013 and 2014. On the , Brummel contributed additional instrumentation in character as "Joe Laffoley". Also in 2014, Ryen Slegr joined the Rentals as a guitarist and engineer, performing on the album Lost in Alphaville and its subsequent tour.
===Recent projects===
On December 19 and 20 of 2019, the band played two sold-out shows at the Troubadour celebrating the 20th anniversary of Rock and Roll Part Three. They were joined at both shows by Matt Sharp, who filmed a music video for his song Breaking and Breaking and Breaking.
On August 22, 2020, the band re-released their demo album Songs of Inaudible Trucks and Cars through the music platform . Later that year on December 11, Rivers Cuomo released the digital demo bundle Weezma: Daniel, Ryen & Rivers on riverscuomo.com, consisting of demos from Cuomo's songwriting sessions with Ryen Slegr and Daniel Brummel from 2012. 
In January of 2021, the band conducted a Zoom interview with fan-submitted questionsOzma - Doubble Donkey Disc 20th Anniversary Fan Interview https://youtu.be/Kr9QaGKiihI for the 20th anniversary of The Doubble Donkey Disc. On July 9, Ozma released the first of multiple live albums, Ozma - Live Acoustic Set - July 12, 2000 through Bandcamp, nearly 21 years after it was performed. On August 6, Ozma re-released the demo compilations Cuatro and Ocho on Bandcamp as the compilation Cuatro y Ocho. 
On March 16, 2024, S.W. Lauden released Generation Blue. The book and compilation album by the author recounts the effects of Weezer's 1994 self-titled debut on the LA Power Pop scene. Included are quotations from Slegr, Brummel, and Galvez about the influence of Weezer's self-titled album on the music of Ozma, along with brief history insights from the members. The song "No One Needs to Know" from the band's second album appears on the compilation album. 
On July 22, the band announced three shows at the Troubadour on November 29 and November 30 (with an additional date added for December 1) celebrating the 25th anniversary of Rock and Roll Part Three. All three of the shows sold out within a day of announcement. On September 22, Brummel and Slegr played an acoustic show, where they played two new songs, "Summerlove", and "Valley of a Thousand Dreams". A third new song, "Casio", was also set to be played, but was cut from the set due to a lack of time. These were the first new songs the band had played in over 10 years.
==Discography==
===Studio Albums===
* Rock and Roll Part Three (2000, reissued 2001)
* The Doubble Donkey Disc (2001, reissued 2002)
* Spending Time on the Borderline (2003)
* Pasadena (2007)
* Boomtown (2014)
===Live Albums===
*Ozma - Live Acoustic Set - July 12, 2000 (2021)
*Ozma - Live on KUCI - January 24, 2001 (2021)
===Singles===
Year	Title 	Notes
1998	"Lorraine" b/w "Los Angeles" 	Self-released cassette single of some of Ozma's earliest studio recordings. Notably produced by Rod Cervera.
2001	"Domino Effect" b/w "Apple Trees" 	Named Songs From Rock and Roll Part Three. Included a ‎promotional radio edit of Domino Effect released by Kung Fu Records.
2002	"Korobeiniki" b/w "The Business of Getting Down"	UK 7" single. Only 1,000 copies produced, by small UK label Falsetto Records who procured the rights for a one-off release.
2003	"Bad Dogs" b/w "Gameover" 	
2007	"Eponine" b/w "No One Needs To Know" 	Promotional radio-only single released by About A Girl Records, never commercially available.
2014	"Nervous" 	Digital Boomtown single for Pledge Music donators.
==Touring Members/Guest Contributors==
This list contains all studio collaborators and touring members of Ozma.
Name
Role
Barry, James
*Cello on Spending Time on the Borderline (2003)
Berdin, Gerardo
*Marching band percussion on "Bad Dogs" (2003)
*Drums during Ozma concert: 12/05/2005
Buchla, Ezra
*Viola on Spending Time on the Borderline (2003)
Caws, Matthew
*Guitars on "Motorology 3:39" (2007)
Chadwick, Benjamin
*Background vocals on "Lunchbreak (Cobras Theme)" (2007)
Doyle, Greg
*Writing on "Barriers" (2007)
Grant, Derek
*Keyboards during the Vans Warped Tour (2002)
Greely, Nate
*Vocals during part of the Rooney Tour (2004)
Guilliams, Mary
*Keyboards during various dates in 2002, including the Vans Warped Tour (2002)
Haden, Rachel
*Backup vocals on "Utsukushii Shibuya" and "Wake Up" (2003)
*Overdubs on "Heartache vs Heartbreak" (2007)
Kidish, Julia
*Translating and reading Russian lyrics on "Flight of Yuri Gagarin" and "Landing of Yuri Gagarin" (2001)
Lea, Eric
*Viola on "I Wonder" (2007)
Maynes, Ryan “Shmedly”
*Piano on Spending Time on the Borderline (2003)
*Bass during part of the Rooney Tour (2004)
Moyer, David
*Baritone saxophone on "Eponine" (2003)
Noon, Will
*Drums on "Heartache vs Heartbreak" (2007)
Pringle, Ben
*Trombone on "Lunchbreak (Cobras Theme)" (2007)
Ritchie, John
*Tenor saxophone on "Eponine" (2003)
Takesue, Miki
*Backup vocals on "Utsukushii Shibuya (Japanese Version)" (2003)
==Interviews==
*UCLA Daily Bruin interview with Daniel Brummel and Ryen Slegr - April 2000
*Loud Energy interview with Ozma - 2000
*Furnari.net interview with Ozma - 2000
*The Spectrum interview with Ozma - March 2, 2001
*The Michigan Daily interview with The Get Up Kids and Ozma - March 2001
*The Sentry interview with Daniel Brummel and Patrick Edwards - March 2001
*Meanstreet interview with Ozma - April 2001
*Super Radio X interview with Pat Edwards and Jose Galvez - Summer 2001
*No-Nothing Rock! interview with Daniel Brummel and Ryen Slegr - Fall 2001
*Sandie Go Punk interview with Ozma - 2001
*Caustic Truths! interview with Ozma - February 2002
*Ozmafans.com interview with Patrick Edwards - May 2002
*Philly Blurbs interview with Ozma - August 2002
*Up in Arms Music interview with Ozma - September 2002
*UCLA Daily Bruin interview with Ozma - October 2002
*The Wood interview with Daniel Brummel - 2002
*Kludge Magazine interview with Ozma - 2002
*Lincoln Journal Star article - April 4, 2003
*Tulsa World article - April 10, 2003
*Student Life article - April 15, 2003
*Telegram & Gazette article - April 29, 2003
*The Gateway interview with Ozma and Superdrag - April 2003
*Meanstreet interview with Ozma - May 2003
*AMP Magazine interview with Ryen Slegr - May 2003
*Destroy All Monthly interview with Ozma - May 2003
*Bass Player Magazine interview with Daniel Brummel - July 2003
*Southern Illinoisan interview with Ozma - September 4, 2003
*Thrasher interview with Ozma - September 2003
*DahBelly interview with Daniel Brummel and Ryen Sleger - 2003
*Campus Circle interview with Ozma - June 2004
*The Rutgers Review interview with Daniel Brummel - March 2005
*Pepperdine University interview with Daniel Brummel - Spring 2006
*Soundtracking interview with Daniel Brummel Star Wick and Pierre de Reeder - 2006
*The Los Angeles Times article - May 3, 2007
*Living Music interview with Daniel Brummel - February 2008
*WEHOville interview with Daniel Brummel - June 2013
*Live2PlayNetwork interview with Jose Galvez - November 2013
*Spotlight interview with Ozma - Spring 2015
*LAist interview with Ozma - December 2019
*S.W. Lauden interview with Daniel Brummel - July 2020
*Tone Def Sound interview with Daniel Brummel - August 2020
*The Spin Rate interview with Daniel Brummel - October 2022
==See also==
*Sanglorians
*Daniel Brummel and the Contraband
*Yes Dear
*Commuter Music
*TGB
*Monstro
*Gone with the Ghosts
*Starwick
*Ozma recording blogs - 1999-2001
*Ozma song explanations - MP3.com
*Ozma song explanations - 2000
*Ozma Kung Fu Records biography - 2003
*Spending Time on the Borderline press release - March 14, 2003
*List of Ozma concerts
*Weezma: Daniel, Ryen & Rivers
*Ozma merchandise
*Ozma appearances in pop culture
== External links ==
* Fan Forums
* Official Fansite
* Soundcrank Podcast Hosted by Ozma
* LAist Article
* AMG's Ozma page
==References==
Category:Ozma
Category: Weezer-related bands
Category:Bands influenced by Weezer
Category:Bands that have covered Weezer