How did you discover OTC?

[Coquelicot]

Okay, so there's "First Reactions to NMH" and "How'd You Get Into the Apples?" threads, so why not a similar discussion for the third great E6 flagbearer (and the favorite of many, myself included)?

I first heard of The Olivia Tremor Control soon after I first discovered The Elephant Six Collective via Essex Green and Of Montreal, two bands that I found on Napster through complete randomness (I have Napster at school and frequently link from band to band, trying to find new ones I like). The only OTC album that Napster had was Singles and Beyond, and since it was buy-only, I opted not to get it, d/l'ing instead free disks by Essex, Of Montreal, Apples, Elf Power, etc. Then, one day (some of you are not going to like this) I started going to Pitchfork, and while reading innumerable reviews (I couldn't stop at first), I ran into the review for Black Foliage, which is glowing, as those as you who have read it know. It sounded like something I would really like, so I got it, and loved it immediately. I then looked up albums related to Black Foliage, and found Dusk, Circulatory System, and once again, Singles and Beyond. Got all those, and now OTC is at the top of band list.

So yeah, I know. Napster and Pitchfork. But I'm sure some of you guys have much better stories than that. So...how about those?

[emanresu]

My brother got me really into Beulah, which got me really into Elephant 6 bands, which led me to liking psychedelic pop, which led me to the mp3 section of elephant6.com, which led me to downloading a concert, which led me to liking Jacqueline 1906 alot, which led me to the flydaddy demos, which led me to buying all their albums.

[clouds-chan]

someone sigged peculiar noise called train director. their taste had never failed me before, and the rest is history or forgotten!

[tito00]

I've discovered Sunshine Fix and Elf Power at epitonic.com, these two bands guide me to the E6 website where I've finally discovered OTC and all the E6 magical world.

[Coquelicot]

Originally posted by clouds-chan
someone sigged peculiar noise called train director. their taste had never failed me before, and the rest is history or forgotten!

Ah nice, the first OTC song I got stuck in my head. Thing was, it was just the chorus, and it was for days. I had to improvise variations on the melody so I wouldn't go insane.

[theallnewcarefulmary]

in '96, maybe ;98 ( i think) NME did a review of the super furry animals called the new wave phychadelia. A big review with lots of snippets about other bands doing the same kind of thing.
Among them were otc, the apples, juantrip, mellow and some others i forget.
emma and i went on a big record buying weekend and found juantrip and mellow, and finally came across dusk on vinyl.
i still remember the first time we heard it and i don't think the memory will ever fade either. i just remember getting the same feeling inside that i used to get when i would nick my mums beach boys albums as a child and play heroes and villians over and over playing cowboys and indians in my head, i was only 7 but dad had left home and i remember it giving me a feeling of utter freedom at a time when i was losing that childhood feeling that you always have.
otc got that back for me. then we got black foliage on vinyl and no-one has ever ever come close to them.
i hope i one day find an album that i love even more than those two otc ones, but honestly, i can't see that day ever arriving...

[josaphax]

i found giant day at tone vendor and i looked worth my time so i bought it. theyve been one of my favorite (if not my favorite) bands ever since.

[alfred_hybrid]

In college, with Will, Bill and Jeff back in 89. They weren't OTC yet. I remember Will sitting on back of a pickup truck tailgate at the laundromat/bar singing and playing something about families in mason jars. I had to stop him and ask how he was able to play on a guitar whose strings were melting. Yes, there were some controlled substances involved, at least for me.

I even had the privilege of singing on stage w/ them for a song (can't remember which one). Good times.

Followed them all since.

[Coquelicot]

Originally posted by alfred_hybrid
In college, with Will, Bill and Jeff back in 89. They weren't OTC yet. I remember Will sitting on back of a pickup truck tailgate at the laundromat/bar singing and playing something about families in mason jars. I had to stop him and ask how he was able to play on a guitar whose strings were melting. Yes, there were some controlled substances involved, at least for me.

I even had the privilege of singing on stage w/ them for a song (can't remember which one). Good times.

Followed them all since.

Awesome.

[call me hi]

alfred hyrbrid's story makes me think about how cool it would be to see will hart or bill doss just do an acoustic set or hear some really stripped down demos with just acoustic guitars.

[gwilym]

I had heard of them because I was into NMH but I never really got into them. Then I read a thread on this board about how good an album black foliage was with headphones on or something, so I picked it up. Quite good.

[knottoeboy]

I really can't remeber exactly how i got into otc, but I think it was around 96 when I read a Dusk review and it mentioned Guided by Voices (as a similarity I think) so I thought it was worth a listen. I was lucky to find a promo dbl cd of Dusk and the whole E6 explosion started after that. Then OTC came to play in Davis, CA opening for Beck and that just totally blew me away (well worth the lack of sleep before my finals)- of course nobody was remotely interested in the olivias and I felt kinda bad for them, but to me they rocked. I was able to chat with the band after the show at their van, I showed them my homemade E6 coffee mug which Bill thought was really cool, and I bought some 7"s off them- I think sent a couple to some folks on the e6 list (and I also put one on ebay a little later which fetched a crazy price)? can't remeber since it was almost 10 years ago. Wonderful memories.... and speaking of memories, I just found a box of clothes with 2 otc shirts in them! little small for me, but of course I'll be sporting them again! I got a couple of early (Im guessing around 96 or so) otc shows on video somewhere (with J Mangum playing and doing a song or two, and J Kostar doing his crazy antics). I'll get them transfered to digital video one of these days to share, the quality really ain't that good. I can't promise them anytime soon, but I promise to get them out someday.

I was just listening to BF today and realized that maybe the cd suits OTC records better because you don't have the pause in the flow of things (unlike flipping a record)? Just a thought.

Jay

[Soma]

It's kind of laughable but I had/have a crush on a girl named Olivia, so the name caught my eye. Then I learned they were connected to NMH to which Aeroplane and Avery a couple of my favorites already, from there I found out about all the E6 bands. I've really only been an E6 fan for a year, OTC is my favorite, Black Foliage being my favorite. So I guess its a good thing I have that crush.

And I just took that girl to a Of Montreal show, so long live E6

[Edited on 8-10-0606 by Soma]

[rogersbowne]

i found them first on a DC++ hub while i was checking for new music but then i found NMH and really didn't get into them until like 6 months ago when i listened to black foliage and just was amazed at the detail of the music now they rank with NMH in my book.

[Coquelicot]

Originally posted by rogersbownenow they rank with NMH in my book.

Yeah same here, OTC is my "intellectual" love as NMH is my "emotional" one. If that makes sense.

[DrPanda97]

Probably back in my freshman year of High School (now a senior), I went through a phase where I had to be different. I had to stick out. I had to know the bands that nobody in my grade new about. Same with movies. So with the little knowledge I had of indie music, I started looking on Amazon recommendation lists. I would always see CDs by NMH, OTC, The Microphones, Nick Drake, Elliott Smith, The Flaming Lips, Bright Eyes,and so on. But NMH and OTC were always at the top of the list, so I bought them.

I wish I had a sweet story.

[robonuckket!]

I was over at my friend's house and we were listening to some CDs her brother had lying around. She picked up some CD that said "Olivia Tremor Control- Hits" (which I later found out was Singles And Beyond) and looked at me and said,

"Listen to this song. At the beginning it just says 'apple!'"

Since we were in seventh grade, it seemed completely bizarre that a band would just randomly throw that in there. A few months later, I remembered that song and spent a whole weekend looking over the internet for SOME proof of its existence. I stumbled upon then Amazon.com page for Singles and some reviewer mentioned the strange "Apple."

So, after some time, I ended up downloading "Love Athena," and then buying DaCC. Now, I've got all the CDs, love 'em, etc.etc.

[Harnk]

on a whim I bought Black Foliage on it's release date....fell in love..came in my pants....and continued to do so since

[dwightp]

I think I first heard of them after buying Satanic Panic in the Attic, which I'm pretty sure was my first Elephant Six album. I really dug the E6 logo, so I found out about some other prominent bands, and spotted OTC. Oddly enough, I really held back on buying Neutral Milk Hotel since, in all honesty, I didn't like the name at the time. OTC ended up setting my whole tenor as far as pop music, and NYC-25 is to this day my favorite song in the whole wide world. Wish I had a more nifty story of harrowing adventure and psychadelic hallucination behind it, but meh, my friend works at my town's college radio so I guess I just got it from him.

[AdamantlyFree]

Originally posted by robonuckket!
I was over at my friend's house and we were listening to some CDs her brother had lying around. She picked up some CD that said "Olivia Tremor Control- Hits" (which I later found out was Singles And Beyond) and looked at me and said,

"Listen to this song. At the beginning it just says 'apple!'"

Since we were in seventh grade, it seemed completely bizarre that a band would just randomly throw that in there. A few months later, I remembered that song and spent a whole weekend looking over the internet for SOME proof of its existence. I stumbled upon then Amazon.com page for Singles and some reviewer mentioned the strange "Apple."

So, after some time, I ended up downloading "Love Athena," and then buying DaCC. Now, I've got all the CDs, love 'em, etc.etc.

Out of all the stories here, I like this one the best.

My story is boring and pretty typical. Basically, one E6 band led to another, led to another, led to them all. It started with Neutral Milk Hotel. Although, to be fair, technically, the first E6 band I heard was OTC, not NMH. A (sort-of) friend of mine (long story) made me a mix tape, and side B started with "I Have Been Floated" and I was crazy about that song. So I told him how much I loved that song, but instead of telling me I should go get an OTC album, he told me I should get NMH. So I did, and I suffered from NMH-induced insanity for about 3 months (did any of you guys have this?) and then I got OTC and then the Apples and then pretty much anything else that was at all related to E6, and now my CD collection is extremely colorful. I mean that literally. All those E6 bands really add a great deal of color to the cover art.

[ItalianSeasideIceJester]

My friend Brendan being Mr. Hipster in the flesh, and listening to every word pitchfork said, came across them, because of thier stellar reviews. We've both been huge fans of neutral milk hotel for a few years, and they we're tied together in an article he read so he gave it a shot, and had me listen to it. The album was Dusk at Cubist Castle. I was completely blown away, on a whole nother level. At that point in my life i was getting out of punk rock, and finding the Beatles, and Neutral Milk Hotel.

I listened to that album for two years before i even bothered to find out if they had anymore albums, because i was so satisfied. As it turns out, about 6 months ago, i listened to Black Foliage for the first time.... I think i like it MORE than DaCC!!

Those two albums definately make my list of best albums ever.

[mannynose]

psychedelic yahoo launch internet radio

[theoperahouse]

will cullen hart crept into my bedroom one night and depsoited a goody box of OTC cds and vinyl into my arms whilst i slumbered. then john fernandes burst through the window, shattering the glass and simultaneously played a shreddin clarinet solo while tappin out a phat bassline with his feet, which woke me up with a start. i sat up, bill doss was all like "hey dude" and tossed me a dime. then they all left. was kinda weird, but thx for the records guys!

[alpharuin]

I was driving around in my friend's car one night and he played Black Foliage.

[robonuckket!]

Originally posted by AdamantlyFree
Originally posted by robonuckket!
I was over at my friend's house and we were listening to some CDs her brother had lying around. She picked up some CD that said "Olivia Tremor Control- Hits" (which I later found out was Singles And Beyond) and looked at me and said,

"Listen to this song. At the beginning it just says 'apple!'"

Since we were in seventh grade, it seemed completely bizarre that a band would just randomly throw that in there. A few months later, I remembered that song and spent a whole weekend looking over the internet for SOME proof of its existence. I stumbled upon then Amazon.com page for Singles and some reviewer mentioned the strange "Apple."

So, after some time, I ended up downloading "Love Athena," and then buying DaCC. Now, I've got all the CDs, love 'em, etc.etc.

Out of all the stories here, I like this one the best.

My story is boring and pretty typical. Basically, one E6 band led to another, led to another, led to them all. It started with Neutral Milk Hotel. Although, to be fair, technically, the first E6 band I heard was OTC, not NMH. A (sort-of) friend of mine (long story) made me a mix tape, and side B started with "I Have Been Floated" and I was crazy about that song. So I told him how much I loved that song, but instead of telling me I should go get an OTC album, he told me I should get NMH. So I did, and I suffered from NMH-induced insanity for about 3 months (did any of you guys have this?) and then I got OTC and then the Apples and then pretty much anything else that was at all related to E6, and now my CD collection is extremely colorful. I mean that literally. All those E6 bands really add a great deal of color to the cover art.

hey, thanks!
and I have to say, when I first read this, I thought you were crazy.
but now I'M in a NMH-induced insanity.
so, i totally get it.

[hatedeverysong]

i discoverd otc ,neutral milk hotel the gerbils and the marbles.
all at once i recorded a indie radio hour on tape about eight years ago the recording had a e6 block followed by a live set by flake music wich became the shins the whole tape blew me away.
i still have it somewhere.

[Xylemicarious]

I listened to Neutral Milk, loved it. A friend recommended Dusk at Cubist Castle, and my mind was blown. I'm pretty sure at that moment in my life it was one of the best albums I'd ever heard. I promptly went out and bought it, along with Black Foliage, and here we are.

Edit: Also, I'm pretty sure everyone I know has gone through the NMH insanity phase. It's a coming of age ceremony for many of us.

[Edited on 2-13-07 by Xylemicarious]

[sixpac_drinkur]

I read my favourite band at the time (and still one of my very favourites), Super Furry Animals, being described as sounding like a Welsh Olivia Tremor Control. That was enough for me.

[dpb]

My friend recommended that I should check out the Olivia Tremor Control back in december 1999. Earlier that year he had introduced me to Built to Spill and I was completely blown away by how awesome they were so I took his advice and bought Black Foliage. I was pretty excited to start listening to it so I threw it in the car cd player on the way home and was totally let down and was thinking "what the heck is this garbage?" - but later when I got home and sat down to listen to it when my headphones, I was completely in love. OTC is definitely not car music. Within a week I had bought "Dusk at Cubist Castle" and within a few weeks of that I was on ebay paying 50 bucks for the california demise EP. my love for them is undying even 7 years later.

[Kendra]

last.fm

[dpb]

The same friend who introduced me to Pink Floyd my senior year of high school (1998) and then introduced me to Built to Spill about a year later, also introduced me to the Olivia Tremor Control back in the winter 1999/2000. Needless to say, his taste was impecccable.

[bernardes]

red some articles bout the Apples/Beatles thing and started to dig the band (so thats how I got into the Apples).
then got to elephant6.com and downloaded a couple o live mp3 files from a lot of e6 bands... OTC was (is) unbelievable.
or something pretty much like that.

[Pål]

In 2002 or so I was in my last year of high school and was getting tired of the NME hyped "garage rock" bands, and then I first heard Pavement (ironically on my way home from a mediocre Strokes-concert), and I was introduced to the wonderful world of "indie rock". And I remembered that I'd once heard song in a record store that was similar to the sounds of Pavement, and that I had a note somewhere with the name of this band. It was Elf Power, and I bought A Dream In Sound, and I loved it. Some time later the same year I got my own computer, a fast internet connection and acces to a really good file-sharing network. I started to download every band that Allmusic.com listed as similar to Pavement and the other indie rock bands I knew, and found about the Elephant 6 collective, and then I downloaded an obscene amount of albums and started to listen to these bands one by one. It was overwhelmingly good times, musically at least. Wish I cound come across a new group of similarily 10 fantastic bands today.

[Cecil]

Shortly after I got into Neutral Milk Hotel I read up on their history and The Olivia Tremor Control popped up. I bought Dusk at Cubist Castle in Athens when my dad randomly decided to drive up there.

[JackAttack]

I got really into Neutral Milk Hotel and of Montreal around the same time, I think my sophomore year of high school, which I guess would have been 03/04. I had no idea that the two bands were related in any way until a long time later, and after a few years of reading about Elephant 6 I finally decided to start listening to all the different bands.

[mezezezah]

my brother in law was obsessed with elephant 6 when he was in highschool like ten yrs ago, and he wears an olivia tremor control shirt a lot and i thought the name was cool so i looked them up.

[VenusInFurs341]

While on the of montreal forum there was a ranking of E6 bands, and they all went of montreal, apples, neutral milk, and otc. So naturally since the first 4 are my fav bands, I was inclined to check out OTC. I bought black foliage and I was absolutely entranced, and they remain on the top of my playlists.

[thecauseofgauze]

i remember reading about all this elephant 6 stuff going on, and the 60's pop revival... and i couldn't believe it was happening. i love pop and psychedelia from the 60s. then, i checkout out Black Foliage based on a whim..... i got the cd, listened to it from start to finish w/ headphones while smoking, and i came to the conclusion that i had discovered another universe within this one. i was hooked like a fish!

[DrPanda97]

I used to always look on amazon recommendations lists, and Dusk at Cubist Castle would always come up, along with Aeroplane, The Glow pt. 2, and Neon GOolden. So I bought Aeroplane at the CD store, asked for The Glow and Neon Golden for Christmas, and eventually bought Dusk on eBay.

[horseface]

i would have checked them out much earlier but dusk was a fucker to find back when. it's pretty much required listening if you're into this sort of music, so it came w/ reccomendation from everywhere and everyone.