polyester blues by Oh, Ranger!

The group chose the name The Skunks and performed their first show at Sprockets Pub in Albuquerque in mid-1999. The set blew the crowd away with resonant guitar licks, quirky bass lines, unpretentious keyboards, dynamic drumming and tight harmonies.

The popularity of the quartet grew quickly, and The Skunks began to fill slots for the biggest and best shows Albuquerque had to offer, playing venues such as The Launchpad, Anodyne, Burt's Tiki Lounge and Sprockets Pub, among others. One of the group's first recorded songs, "Skate Ramp," was included on the 1999 Socyermom Records compilation CD Ouch!, and gave a taste of what was to come in the following years. While "Skate Ramp" has all the catchiness and pop power The Skunks were best known for, it had yet to reach the climactic level of maturity and perception of lyric to which their songs now adhere.

In 2000, The Skunks realized a name change was eminent. After considering names such as Luke Is Spider and The Black Cathy's, and not any of them sticking, the group agreed on Oh, Ranger! 2000 also brought the release of Oh, Ranger!'s first full-length CD, Bitter Yearnings on a Lonely Farm...(Socyermom Records). The CD made both fans and press take notice to the innovative up-and-comers. The eight songs on Bitter have since become some of the group's most popular songs. Often compared to Weezer, Modest Mouse and The Pixies, Oh, Ranger! combine strong elements of Indie-pop sounds with brooding lyrics, which range from everything from relationships to social commentary. Songs such as the pop-inspired "Chewbacca," sensitive love song "Red Headband" and the sex-filled "Judy Brown," have been requested at almost every show since the album's release.

2001 was an even better year for Oh, Ranger! as the band has opened for national acts like Man...Or Astroman?, No Motiv, Reel Big Fish and The Gamits, and was one of the headlining bands at 104.7 FM The Edge's annual bash, EdgeFest. They have received airplay on many radio stations such as The Edge, The Planet, KUNM and Radio Free Santa Fe, and merchandise sales of CDs, t-shirts, buttons and stickers have been astounding.

Oh, Ranger! again took to the studio and recently released a a limited run of their six-song demo, which, with the inclusion of more songs, is to become their second full-length project. The demo sold out within weeks of its release, and though most of its songs are only months old, show-goers have already learned the words and faithfully sing along to songs like "Take Me Home," "Party's Over" and "Roberts." The new album "Polyester Blues" will also be released on Albuquerque Indie/Alt rock label Socyermom Records who have been with the band since their inception, and obviously realize what a gem the band truly is. The eagerly anticipated "Polyester Blues" is slated for release on Valentine's Day 2002. Oh, Ranger!'s uncanny ability to say what they mean has struck a chord with their listeners. The metaphors and social overtones stir up the most wild of emotions and create music with purpose and direction without letting go of aspects of eccentricity and light-heartedness.

Spending much time on the road, Oh, Ranger! are currently making waves in many big southwest cities. Arizona, Texas, Nevada and Colorado audiences have caught the spark and have packed venues-anxiously waiting to hear and see what's new with the band- and stage antics keep the crowd more than entertained. Everything from Noelan lighting his cymbals on fire to Boyd Reno playing and screaming while sprawled across the stage, show their undeniable and charismatic presence.

With so much going on within the group and it's music, there's no telling what will pop up in Oh, Ranger!'s future. But, it seems the best part of the Oh, Ranger! experience is waiting to see what will come next, and it's always worth the wait.

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