While fairly new, Indie garage punks Obits -- who will play the Casbah on July 29 -- are no strangers to the scene.
Guitarist/vocalist Rick Froberg was previously a member of early indie mainstays Drive Like Jehu and Hot Snakes. Froberg formed the Brooklyn-based Obits in 2005 after Hot Snakes broke up, and they made their live debut in early 2008. The band gained some buzz when a bootleg recording of the show circulated on the Internet; these unofficial recordings caught the attention of Sub Pop, and they signed to the venerable label shortly thereafter.
Obits released their debut, I Blame You, in 2009 -- four years after the band's conception. There wasn't anything in particular that held Froberg & Co. back; he's just the kind of guy who lets things happen on their own. When asked about the delay, he said, "We weren't in a hurry." After their debut, Jason Crock of Pitchfork described the band's sound as "dueling guitars that have refined the echo and twang of surf and rockabilly into a sharp edge, basslines that are less walking than swaggering, drums too respectful and too evil for elaborate fills."
Critics have lauded Obits as both a great new band and also a natural progression of Froberg's aesthetic. True to his nature, the Obits frontman predicts that the band will have some longevity: "Since we're getting older, maybe we can grow old into this music." I'm sure he won't rush to conclusions.
The band will support Night Marchers at the Casbah. Get your tickets here. If you miss the Casbah show -- or you want to catch Obits two nights in a row -- they will also play the Che Cafe at UCSD on July 30.
T. Loper is a writer for the San Diego music blog Owl and Bear.
