Bobble Tiki knows a good match when he sees one. Rum and Coke. Ben and Jerry. Simon and Simon.

All of these pairs get high marks in Bobble Tiki’s book.

Sunday, June 3, Thee Ohsees will make a tour stop at Le Voyeur in Olympia, and something tells Bobble Tiki Oly and Thee Ohsees will be another match made in heaven.

People send Bobble Tiki stuff in the mail all the time. Whether it’s a band with a press kit or a creditor with an unresolved debt, it seems someone’s always got a package on the way to Bobble Tiki. This is exactly how Bobble Tiki became familiar with Thee Ohsees.

Thee Ohsees’ Sucks Blood has been in constant rotation at the Tiki house since it arrived in one of those bubble padded envelopes a couple of weeks ago. Whether or not Thee Ohsees actually suck blood is still open for debate, and isn’t necessarily relevant to this article. What is relevant is that Bobble Tiki happened to meet the guy responsible for bringing Thee Ohsees to the Northwest from their home in San Francisco, and one thing led to another. Burritos were eaten. Cards were exchanged. And eventually, the Ohsees’ Sucks Blood found its way to Bobble Tiki’s mailbox.

When Thee Ohsees classify themselves as pop/folk/psychedelic on MySpace, they mean it. They’re exactly the type of band that Olympia should slurp up like cheap drinks at McCoy’s. They’re arty, but not to a fault. They’re smart, but not to the point of being alienating. They’re definitely indie, but not just because it’s cool.

According to Wikipedia, which Bobble Tiki recently learned can now be officially cited in college level work, Thee Ohsees “began as a way for John Dwyer (of Coachwhips, Pink and Brown, Landed, Yikes, Burmese, The Hospitals, etc.) to release his instrumental, experimental home recordings. However, over the course of five albums it has evolved into a full band.”

It’s been quite an evolution, and the result is quite a band. A number of people are taking notice. Sucks Blood, which was officially released March 19, was produced by Kelly Stoltz — who Bobble Tiki is almost positive he remembers seeing open for the Raconteurs last July. In addition, Thee Ohsees have a new record they’re preparing to record, which will be produced by the considerably more famous, Dave Sitek of TV on the Radio.

Bobble Tiki got the chance to pose a few questions to John Dwyer of Thee Ohsees, by phone, strangely enough after Dwyer had been kicked out of a public pool in Lawrence, Kan., for wearing cutoff jeans and making too much commotion on the water slide.



WEEKLY VOLCANO: Let’s start by talking about the record.  Are you happy with how it turned out?

JOHN DWYER:  I’m actually pretty happy with it. I think it came out kind of nice. I think it’s a nice psychedelic experience. I got a phone call from my friend telling me his girlfriend and he were having sex and listening to the record, and that they thought it was so fantastic they stopped to appreciate it. I realized that was probably the best review I’ve ever gotten.

VOLCANO: I heard you guys are recording with Dave Sitek from TV on the Radio. When can people expect to hear any of it?

DWYER: We’re doing some of the material live, but as far as the record release, probably in the fall.  I’m shooting for the fall.  That’s realistically, I mean that’s like an overestimate, but you know.

VOLCANO: How amazing has it been to work with Sitek?

DWYER: Great.  The guy’s a fucking genius, and I get along with him really well.  He can be a bit acidic and bossy, which is good though because I kind of need that in the studio myself because I get real impatient and tend to not pay attention or give a fuck after a certain point.  That’s why I like recording at home, because I can do a little bit, or do it all at once in five minutes.  It just depends on where my mood’s at. Working with a producer forces you to focus.  It’s beneficial I think for the record.  He’s a really cool cat, I mean considering all the shit that he’s getting blown up his ass now, he’s super, super down to earth. He brings ideas that I would never, ever think of in a fucking million years.



As usual, Bobble Tiki absolutely, positively, without a doubt, doesn’t care what you do this week, because, after all, he doesn’t even know you.  Besides, Bobble Tiki’s still trying to figure out why Michael Winslow was so cool to him on the phone, then turned out to be the biggest diva in the history of washed up, never really all that funny in the first place comedians. Bobble Tiki heard he demanded a chauffer and a fog machine. Unless you can help Bobble Tiki understand what might be going through that guy from “Police Academy 1” through infinity’s mind, than Bobble Tiki doesn’t want to meet you. Besides, Bobble Tiki’s already got, like, six friends. He’s pretty much set.



[Le Voyeur, with The Bodiddles and Go Go Simba, Sunday, June 3, 10 p.m., no cover, 404 Fourth Ave. E., Olympia, 360.943.5710]