Oranger

Oranger was a San Francisco indie rock band.

Oranger
OriginSan Francisco, California, California, USA
GenresIndie rock,
psychedelic rock
Years active1998–2006, 2020—present
LabelsPoptones Records
Eenie Meenie Records
Amazing Grease Records
Pray for Mojo Records
MembersMike Drake
Patrick Main
Bob Reed
Past membersChad Dyer
Jim Lindsay
Matt Harris
John Hofer

Band history

Mike Drake, Matt Harris and Jim Lindsay knew each other from playing together in previous bands Overwhelming Colorfast and Stick Figures. They formed Oranger in 1997 with Chad Dyer of American Sensei on bass, Mike Drake providing vocals and guitar, Jim Lindsay on drums and Matt Harris performing lead guitar.

The four first performed at the San Francisco Noise Pop Festival. Dyer soon left the band and Oranger established itself as a trio. After the success at the Noise Pop Festival, they recorded their first album Doorway to Norway. The album was recorded on a Tascam 8-track cassette and released in 1998 on their own Pray for Mojo record label. In early 1999, Scott Kannberg of Pavement and Drake founded San Francisco indie label Amazing Grease Records and reissued Doorway to Norway as the label's first release.[1]

In 1999, Patrick Main was added to the lineup and the band began recording their second album, The Quiet Vibrationland, taking its name from a lyric from The Who's rock opera Tommy".[2] It was tracked on an Ampex MM1000 tape machine previously owned by The Beach Boys. Vibrationland was released in 2000.

In 2003, Oranger released the double album Shutdown the Sun/From the Ashes of Electric Elves on San Francisco indie label Jackpine Social Club.

Lindsay left the group in 2004 and currently plays drums for The High Water Marks.

Oranger's last album, New Comes and Goes, was released in 2005 on Los Angeles indie Eenie Meenie Records. Also in 2005, the band's cover of the 1954 hit song "Mr. Sandman" was featured in the Xbox video game Stubbs the Zombie in "Rebel Without a Pulse" and in the television show "Vampire Diaries".

In 2020, Oranger planned a reunion concert for April 12, 2020 at Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco.[3] It was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Band members

Current members
  • Mike Drake - vocals, guitar
  • Bob Reed - guitar
  • Patrick Main - keyboards

Former members
  • Chad Dyer - bass
  • Jim Lindsay - drums
  • John Hofer - drums
  • Matt Harris - bass, vocals (died 2021)

Discography
  • Doorway to Norway (1998)
  • The Quiet Vibration Land (2000)[4]
  • Shutdown the Sun/From the Ashes of Electric Elves (2003)
  • New Comes and Goes (2005)
  • Please Leave Our Mind - Covers Under Lockdown (2021)
  • Vege-tables (2021)
  • Everyone Says You're Lots of Fun (2023)

Soundtracks

References
  1. "Ex-Pavement Guitarist Goes To 'School'". Billboard. NYC. April 16, 2001. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  2. Amazing Journey Lyrics
  3. "bottomofthehill: Hot Fog ~ Oranger ~ Heavy Hinderburg ~ &) Foodcourt --- 4/12/2020". www.bottomofthehill.com. Retrieved 2020-01-28.
  4. "The Quiet Vibration Land - Oranger | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.
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