OK GO

Consisting of vocalist/guitarist Damian Kulash, guitarist Andrew Duncan, bassist Tim Nordwind, and drummer Dan Konopka, OK Go formed in the autumn of 1998. Prior to Kulash moving to Chicago from Washington, D.C., the other three members of OK Go had been members of the Chicago band Stanley's Joyful Noise.

After just a few months, OK Go garnered considerable media attention in Chicago without even having recorded a full-length album, mostly due to their exuberant live shows and opening spots for heavyweights like Elliott Smith and The Promise Ring.

They released two three-song CD singles to tide fans over until a full-length could be recorded, and also served as the house band for public radio program 'This American Life' on the show's fifth anniversary tour.

OK Go eventually signed with Capitol Records and issued their debut album in September 2002, scoring a big radio hit with the single "Get Over It." But it wasn't really until the combo returned in 2005 with their follow up album, 'Oh No', that they began to make a widespread impact.

The band convened in Malmo, Sweden to record the second album, and Tore Johansson (The Cardigans, Franz Ferdinand) was in the production seat. Guitarist Duncan left after sessions for the album had ended, and was replaced by Andy Ross

Once again combining nihilistic lyrics and sunny pop hooks with dance rhythms and guitar power chords, 'Oh No' provided anthemic tunes with driving beats, all glossed over with a refreshingly light hearted attitude.

In fact it was the bands refreshing lack of self-importance and sense of humour - in contrast to many of their peers - that led to their emergence into the wider public conscience, via a lo-fi backyard dance routine video for their single "A Million Ways". Proving to be a viral internet sensation in 2005, the ultra-low budget, one-take video featured the band in their back garden performing a dance choreographed by lead singer Kulash's sister. Using a camera borrowed from a friend, the video was produced for under ten dollars, and was apparently released without the knowledge or consent of their label. By August 2006, the video had become the most downloaded music video ever, with over 9 million downloads to its credit.

This form of fantastic viral marketing was then repeated for their second single from the album, "Here It Goes Again". Featuring a similar elaborately choreographed dance routine, the video sees them lining up eight rented treadmills in Kulash's sister's spare room in Orlando, Florida, on which they jump, spin, skip, duck and shuffle in a synchronized treadmill dance that must be seen to be believed. Another single shot affair - which meant the band had to perform the routine in its entirety nearly 20 times to get a clean take - the video was viewed by over 1 million people on the media site YouTube in the first 6 days, and has now exceeded more than 4 million views since it was submitted on July 31st of this year.

So to celebrate the fact that they are our favourite band of the moment, have provided us with numerous hours of video viewing entertainment, and took to the VMA stage last week pulling off a treadmill performance to remember, we've decided to shine the spotlight on Ok Go, and make them our Artists Of The Week. Their album may have been out for a year, but just go buy it already...OK?

(Source:allmisic.com)

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