Ozma - Songs of (In)Audible Trucks and Cars (1998)

Chances are if you're hip to this southern Cali quintet, you're a fan of Weezer. Essentially starting their career as loose proteges of Rivers Cuomo and Co, and later opening for them on their 2001 tour, Ozma paved modest inroads for themselves amongst a small but dedicated legion of fans. If you need to acquaint yourself with the guys (and girl) you need not wander much further than their Myspace page (linked above) and a very useful and thorough Wiki bio.

Before Ozma made themselves known to the world in general with their first proper full-length, Rock and Roll Part Three (the title of which was swiped from a lyric in the song "Iceland"), the band DIY'd their way into the hearts of local fans with the 1998 cd-r release, Songs of Inaudible Trucks and Cars. From the Wiki article I referenced above:

In early 1999, they (Ozma) released Songs of Inaudible Trucks and Cars, a collection of demos and live tracks, released on home-made CD-Rs and later republished in slightly different form as Songs of Audible Trucks and Cars by mp3.com.

What I'm sharing with you folks this evening is the latter MP3.com version of this rather nascent release, featuring eleven slices of buzzing, Casio-friendly mid-fi rock, that occasionally strives to the echelons of Weezer's fabled Blue Album. Still going, Ozma have released four albums since Songs of Audible..., including their latest and most proficient effort to date, 2007's Pasadena, (yep, the band's hometown).

01. Lorraine
02. Just Tell Me When
03. Rain of the Golden Gorilla
04. Maybe in an Alternate Dimension
05. Los Angeles
06. Flight of the Bootymaster
07. Im My Amp Had Wheels
08. Shooting Stars (live)
09. Natalie Portman (intro)
10. Natalie Portman (demo)
11. Iceland
12. Baseball (live)

Now offered on Bandcamp