The Definitive 1000 Songs Of All Time 1955 to 2005: Number 722

Friday, November 24, 2006

Number 722 - Oleander

Number 722

Oleander

"Halo"

(2001)

Genre:Alt Rock

Probably more famous for songs like "Why I'm Here" and "I Walk Alone." And what is more probable is that Oleander has disbanded although its not official. Lets hope not, for their music is special and unique and oh another reason.. they haven't been to New Zealand yet!

Oleander was formed by Fred Nelson Jr. (drums), Doug Eldridge (bass guitar), Ric Ivanisevich (guitar) and Thomas Flowers (vocals, guitar) in the mid-90s. Their debut was Oleander, an EP released on Fine Records in 1996, which they followed with the full-length album Shrinking The Blob in 1997. The song "Down When I'm Loaded" became a regional hit, and Oleander signed with Universal Records.

During this time, Nelson left the band and was replaced with Scott Devours. Their major label debut was 1999's February Son which featured the hit singles "Why I'm Here" and "I Walk Alone." After supporting the album with a tour, they released Unwind in 2001, which included the hit song "Are You There?". The song "Champion" became a hit, and a symbol of the sacrifice of firefighters during the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York.

Some time later, the band parted ways with Universal Records and moved to Sanctuary Records, where they released Joyride in 2003. In November, 2003, drummer Devours issued a statement announcing he was leaving the band to join Ima Robot. The decision was amicable.The band has apparently went on an indefinite hiatus.

They haven't released any official statement about the status of the band, but vocalist Thomas Flowers is currently working in a band called The Black Summer Crush. ~ [Source: unknown]

What does Rolling Stone think about Oleander

If Oleander's songs veer toward the introspective, examining failed relationships the way a mortician dissects a cadaver, it's not because frontman and chief lyricist Thomas Flowers is a failed romantic. "It's because I have a natural tendency to just want to be a fuck up, which is a lot of fun, but not very productive," he readily admits

Named after a beautiful and fragrant indigenous shrub whose every part is poisonous, the Oleander project was born when Flowers and Eldridge met at their jobs in a local Sacramento eatery. They courted guitarist Ivanisevich, who joined after dropping in on a rehearsal that began with simple riffing and ended with a jam that left the entire room with goosebumps. When their original drummer didn't work out, Fred Nelson, Jr., another workmate of Flowers and Eldridge, joined the fold. ~ [Source: Rolling Stone]

Rolling Stone Top 500 Songs ranked this song at Number (Disbanded so we are of the hook) and the Album ranked at Number (Otherwise...No)

This song has a crowbarred rating of 67.4 out of 108 pts