Oh, Canada (Part 8): Okara

I feel like it has been forever since I've posted a music recommendation on here. I guess I'm actually glad that life has been taking precedent over things like computer use. But anyways, I decided that as a return to the scene, if you will, I would FINALLY write about a band I've referenced numerous times in the ongoing "Oh, Canada" series I've been doing. Okara. Memory is such a strange thing. And I love that. I love that certain things tend to be connected to certain times and places in a person's life. I found Okara in a time in my life when I was continually searching for new music. And by new, I mean of course, new to me. For whatever reason, I got on a Canada kick. Honestly, it was probably because so many of the bands I was finding were truly spectacular. Independent record labels like Matlock Records and Blue Skies Turn Black turned me on to a lot of bands from Canada. Another label that helped me a great

deal in my search was Spectra Sonic Sound. I found the label in a completely backwards way. Matlock was probably the first of the Canadian labels I got really in depth with. Rockets Red Glare were one of the bands on that label that I really enjoyed. In reading, I found out that Gus and Evan of RRG used to play together in the band Blake. Blue Skies Turn Black was the label that put out the Blake full length LP, so that is what brought me to them. And then I heard about Spectra Sonic Sound because they were the label that put out a few Blake 7inch's as well as the Blake Discography CD. Whenever I found one of these labels, what I would do, is download tracks from all of their bands to see what I liked. Besides Blake, there were a lot of other great bands on SSS. There were the ex-Shotmaker bands Three Penny Opera & 30 Second Motion Picture. The sometimes post rock-y, sometimes straight indie rock, Kepler. And of course, Okara. The weird part about Okara was that they grew on me. I don't know if it was just me not getting them the first time through, or that I needed to hear more material, but I just remember that in my frame of mind at the time, I thought there was something very strange about the

band that I couldn't put my finger on. I remember sort of putting them to the side and checking out the other SSS roster before coming back to them. I'm so glad I did return to check them out more in depth. Okara is a band that as I heard more and more of their material, I fell harder and harder in love with them. The three piece hardcore/post hardcore band from Ottawa, Canada consisted of ex-members of the band Lockjaw. ( If anyone has a copy of ANYTHING Lockjaw recorded, could you for the love of god get it to me? I've been trying to get a hold of that stuff for years) Musically, Okara played a screamy, mathy brand of Canadian hardcore. Sort of like if Shotmaker got a little experimental with time signatures and guitar playing like Rodan. In a way, and this is apparent with my mentioning the band over and over again in this series, Okara set the standard for where Canadian post hardcore would go as a genre. As true as that is though, up until recently I had never heard of a band that sounded anything like them. The band Okara kind of sound similar to? Akarso. Okara existed in the mid 90's for what seems like a

short time. But in that time they inspired countless bands. In America, they are fairly unknown. Which is really sad because this is one of the best, most original bands I've heard from Canada.

Download Their Demo Here

Download Their First and Second EP's along with their split with Mothman here. (Note:included the Mothman portion of the split as well)

Download Their AMAZING album Months Like Years Here

If you like the Months Like Years album, please buy a copy for yourself from Spectra Sonic Sound. Go here and buy the vinyl!