Video Playback Error
The Adobe Flash Player is required to watch videos on this page
| Hometown | Merced, CA |
| Genres | |
| Band Members | RC Essig - Guitar/ Sing; Brian Strong - Accordion; Joey... » more |
| Achievements |
|
| Upcoming Shows | None |
| Contact Information: |
It all started in a barn on hundreds of acres of rice patties in the heart of the agricultural center of the world. It started when two wrote letters to each other from 1,400 miles away. It started when three sat in a smoky den, where a white coveralled...
It all started in a barn on hundreds of acres of rice patties in the heart of the agricultural center of the world. It started when two wrote letters to each other from 1,400 miles away. It started when three sat in a smoky den, where a white coveralled man ignores his patrons and murder covers the wall. It all started with the hearts and minds of five people who are watching their small home town that they love being taken over by part time, minimum wage industry and being filled with too many big fish for such a little sea
From the Central Californian town of Merced comes El Olio Wolof, invoking majestic kingdoms where Shel Silverstein's brand of playful poetics meets the ebb and flow of dusky indie rock. Their acoustic-based arrangements are spare: acoustic guitar, electric bass, accordion, jazz-influenced drums, keyboards and bells, but the compositions created with these basic elements seem to breathe and take flight. The soothing voices of the band are our bewitching tour guides, escorting and illuminating us through sweeping tales of terror and wonder
EL OLIO WOLOF Has been lucky enough to play with..
The Black Heart Procession, Calexico, Neko Case, Xiu Xiu, Deerhoof, Two Gallants, David Dondero, Radar Bros, Dengue Fever, Tarantula AD, Concrete Blonde, The Rosebuds, Scissors For Lefty, Mr Tube & The flying Objects, Karate, Jason Lytle of Grandaddy, Nik Frietas, Carla Bozulich, Kimya Dawson, Apollo Sunshine, Wye Oak, Jeremy Jay, Mt Eerie and hundreds more talented artists..
El olio Wolof has done numerous tours up and down the West Coast, two National tours, and has two Self Released albums.
From the Central Californian town of Merced comes El Olio Wolof, invoking majestic kingdoms where Shel Silverstein's brand of playful poetics meets the ebb and flow of dusky indie rock. Their acoustic-based arrangements are spare: acoustic guitar, electric bass, accordion, jazz-influenced drums, keyboards and bells, but the compositions created with these basic elements seem to breathe and take flight. The soothing voices of the band are our bewitching tour guides, escorting and illuminating us through sweeping tales of terror and wonder
EL OLIO WOLOF Has been lucky enough to play with..
The Black Heart Procession, Calexico, Neko Case, Xiu Xiu, Deerhoof, Two Gallants, David Dondero, Radar Bros, Dengue Fever, Tarantula AD, Concrete Blonde, The Rosebuds, Scissors For Lefty, Mr Tube & The flying Objects, Karate, Jason Lytle of Grandaddy, Nik Frietas, Carla Bozulich, Kimya Dawson, Apollo Sunshine, Wye Oak, Jeremy Jay, Mt Eerie and hundreds more talented artists..
El olio Wolof has done numerous tours up and down the West Coast, two National tours, and has two Self Released albums.
December 2008 Noise Pop 2009
November 2008 Judging Excellence
December 2008 Noise Pop 2009
November 2008 Judging Excellence
UPCOMING: El Olio Wolof by The Seattle Stranger
The town of Merced is a pretty wonderful jewel in California's otherwise somewhat culturally harsh central valley, an agricultural nexus point that has yielded unimaginable bounties of...
The town of Merced is a pretty wonderful jewel in California's otherwise somewhat culturally harsh central valley, an agricultural nexus point that has yielded unimaginable bounties of...
Of Friends and Fairy Tales by The Seattle Stranger
Compared to their neighbors along the coast, Central California's cities don't see a whole ton of action. Merced is known as the gateway to somewhere else and Fresno is renowned for building the...
Compared to their neighbors along the coast, Central California's cities don't see a whole ton of action. Merced is known as the gateway to somewhere else and Fresno is renowned for building the...
UPCOMING: El Olio Wolof by The Seattle Stranger
The town of Merced is a pretty wonderful jewel in California's otherwise somewhat culturally harsh central valley, an agricultural nexus point that has yielded unimaginable bounties of earth-sprouting goodness for the whole world. From its trophy-shop- and rice-field-laden climes hail El Olio Wolof, undoubtedly one of the most singular and touching bands in recent Golden State history. Their music winds from lightly brushed jazz waltzes with heartbreaking children's story lyrics to more dramatically rocking songs sometimes reminiscent of the livelier moments of the Black Heart Procession. They are a band possessed of earnest tenderness, an unwinking affection for fantasy, and a patient attention to musical detail, all qualities somewhat too rare in the modern indie strata. They appear here in support of their new, self-released album, A Tedious Task. SAM MICKENS
The town of Merced is a pretty wonderful jewel in California's otherwise somewhat culturally harsh central valley, an agricultural nexus point that has yielded unimaginable bounties of earth-sprouting goodness for the whole world. From its trophy-shop- and rice-field-laden climes hail El Olio Wolof, undoubtedly one of the most singular and touching bands in recent Golden State history. Their music winds from lightly brushed jazz waltzes with heartbreaking children's story lyrics to more dramatically rocking songs sometimes reminiscent of the livelier moments of the Black Heart Procession. They are a band possessed of earnest tenderness, an unwinking affection for fantasy, and a patient attention to musical detail, all qualities somewhat too rare in the modern indie strata. They appear here in support of their new, self-released album, A Tedious Task. SAM MICKENS
Of Friends and Fairy Tales by The Seattle Stranger
Compared to their neighbors along the coast, Central California's cities don't see a whole ton of action. Merced is known as the gateway to somewhere else and Fresno is renowned for building the first modern landfill. Nestled in the belly of the San Joaquin Valley, this little agri-politan wonder has little reputation as a musical hotbed, but it's this exact creative dryness that gave birth to El Olio Wolof.
A linguistic combo of Spanish, English, and Swahili, El Olio Wolof stands for "the shapeless messenger," which is sort of the vibe the wonky quintet give with their brooding indie lo-fi. Originally a reading group, this clique of word nerds called themselves "J,K,L,M,N,Okapi" (the okapi is the only relative of the giraffe) and hung out at a Merced coffeehouse sharing poems and fiction. Naturally, they took up playing instruments. What makes this all so cozy is that the songs they wound up playing on their debut EP, El Subconscious Celestine Olio Wolof, are basically fairy tales.
Taking cues from Tom Waits's storage-shed tinkering, Miles Davis's meanderings, Shel Silverstein's gargantuan wit, and the Muppets' playfulness, El Olio Wolof make music that is as moody as it is childlike. Fronted by a bear of a man called Radioactive Cauliflower (his thin warble a tad Oldham-ish), El Olio Wolof sound like bohemians singing their kids to sleep following a late shift at the co-op. "The Tale of Herbert Giant" is a swinging number about a giant who will eat anything: skateboards, car tires, etc. On the fatalistic "The Very Humble Honey Bee," a group of bees comes to the realization that they all "work just to die" before staging a coup, ultimately slaying the queen they live to serve and climaxing in the chilling chorus "We won't work/just to die."
El Olio Wolof's fairy tales are minor-key affairs, but they're not all gloom 'n' doom. "Tree Shakers and Tree Climbers" is rollicking enough to sound like a gypsy caravan sing-along and every song, no matter how dark, is as welcoming as a campfire sing-along.
Compared to their neighbors along the coast, Central California's cities don't see a whole ton of action. Merced is known as the gateway to somewhere else and Fresno is renowned for building the first modern landfill. Nestled in the belly of the San Joaquin Valley, this little agri-politan wonder has little reputation as a musical hotbed, but it's this exact creative dryness that gave birth to El Olio Wolof.
A linguistic combo of Spanish, English, and Swahili, El Olio Wolof stands for "the shapeless messenger," which is sort of the vibe the wonky quintet give with their brooding indie lo-fi. Originally a reading group, this clique of word nerds called themselves "J,K,L,M,N,Okapi" (the okapi is the only relative of the giraffe) and hung out at a Merced coffeehouse sharing poems and fiction. Naturally, they took up playing instruments. What makes this all so cozy is that the songs they wound up playing on their debut EP, El Subconscious Celestine Olio Wolof, are basically fairy tales.
Taking cues from Tom Waits's storage-shed tinkering, Miles Davis's meanderings, Shel Silverstein's gargantuan wit, and the Muppets' playfulness, El Olio Wolof make music that is as moody as it is childlike. Fronted by a bear of a man called Radioactive Cauliflower (his thin warble a tad Oldham-ish), El Olio Wolof sound like bohemians singing their kids to sleep following a late shift at the co-op. "The Tale of Herbert Giant" is a swinging number about a giant who will eat anything: skateboards, car tires, etc. On the fatalistic "The Very Humble Honey Bee," a group of bees comes to the realization that they all "work just to die" before staging a coup, ultimately slaying the queen they live to serve and climaxing in the chilling chorus "We won't work/just to die."
El Olio Wolof's fairy tales are minor-key affairs, but they're not all gloom 'n' doom. "Tree Shakers and Tree Climbers" is rollicking enough to sound like a gypsy caravan sing-along and every song, no matter how dark, is as welcoming as a campfire sing-along.
New Music of ‘08: El Olio Wolof by Adventures In Public Transit
Springing from the hot, dead-yet-fertile, vast farming region known as California’s Central Valley, El Olio Wolof writes songs about wizards, dragons, alienated childhoods and, not surprisingly, farmers. This year marked the group’s debut LP, “A Tedious Task.” Small tours around the West have brought the group to Tucson twice, although the majority of their live shows focus around their hometown of Merced and the surrounding region, so it’s unlikely that many of them have had the chance to see them. What strikes me so much about this group is simply the song arrangements. In addition to having a wide variety of instrumentation including a flute, an accordion (on almost every track, nonetheless), keyboards and, of course, a gong, El Olio Wolof has a very unique and unpredictable song structure, driving through various time signatures while maintaining a sort of laid-back, lazy Sunday sort of groove. And that’s my favorite time to listen to them: Sundays just sitting around the house. Although the album falters in a couple of places, there are several stand-out tracks. “Apathetic Apple” tells the story of the life of an apple tree from the tree’s perspective, and ends up being incredibly poetic yet, at the same time, moody and dark. The track also features some of the best use of the group’s instrumentation, complementing the mood and structure perfectly. I had the chance to see El Olio Wolof in one of their few ventures out of the Central Valley at a show opening for Point Juncture, WA in Portland. The live show impressed me especially in that the band was able to pull off their arrangements and performance in a manner that rivaled if not surpassed the quality of the recorded material. I also had the pleasure of briefly speaking with one of the members, the flutist/keyboardist who has, unfortunately, since left the group. I was especially curious about the songwriting and was told that it begins with two of the members writing stories, which then are turned into songs and music is added. It seems traditional, but, in reality, nothing is traditional about El Olio Wolof.
Springing from the hot, dead-yet-fertile, vast farming region known as California’s Central Valley, El Olio Wolof writes songs about wizards, dragons, alienated childhoods and, not surprisingly, farmers. This year marked the group’s debut LP, “A Tedious Task.” Small tours around the West have brought the group to Tucson twice, although the majority of their live shows focus around their hometown of Merced and the surrounding region, so it’s unlikely that many of them have had the chance to see them. What strikes me so much about this group is simply the song arrangements. In addition to having a wide variety of instrumentation including a flute, an accordion (on almost every track, nonetheless), keyboards and, of course, a gong, El Olio Wolof has a very unique and unpredictable song structure, driving through various time signatures while maintaining a sort of laid-back, lazy Sunday sort of groove. And that’s my favorite time to listen to them: Sundays just sitting around the house. Although the album falters in a couple of places, there are several stand-out tracks. “Apathetic Apple” tells the story of the life of an apple tree from the tree’s perspective, and ends up being incredibly poetic yet, at the same time, moody and dark. The track also features some of the best use of the group’s instrumentation, complementing the mood and structure perfectly. I had the chance to see El Olio Wolof in one of their few ventures out of the Central Valley at a show opening for Point Juncture, WA in Portland. The live show impressed me especially in that the band was able to pull off their arrangements and performance in a manner that rivaled if not surpassed the quality of the recorded material. I also had the pleasure of briefly speaking with one of the members, the flutist/keyboardist who has, unfortunately, since left the group. I was especially curious about the songwriting and was told that it begins with two of the members writing stories, which then are turned into songs and music is added. It seems traditional, but, in reality, nothing is traditional about El Olio Wolof.
Preview: El Olio Wolof by Mission Freak.
Monday night? Just another night for a show this summer, as the newly reintroduced Public Space One will open its doors and welcome you to its friendly confines. Joining us this time will be Californians El Olio Wolof, a quintet whose lengthy style of songwriting evokes some hybrid form of the Decemberists (without any prog leanings) and Okkervil River (without that Will Sheff croon). El Olio Wolof make pop songs, yes, but they also make pop tales: “I went to my closet the other night, guess what I saw / A fire-breathing dragon must’ve stood, thirty feet tall / I invited her for lunch but I, first asked my Ma / She said, “Okay just this once, Melvin, but don’t tell your Pa.” This world in which El Olio Wolof resides has been compared to the poetry of Shel Silverstein, and rightfully so. It’s the world where fantasy meets the suburbs on the backbone of pop music. Through it all an intoxicating accordion drones and the songs unfold like strip malls.
Monday night? Just another night for a show this summer, as the newly reintroduced Public Space One will open its doors and welcome you to its friendly confines. Joining us this time will be Californians El Olio Wolof, a quintet whose lengthy style of songwriting evokes some hybrid form of the Decemberists (without any prog leanings) and Okkervil River (without that Will Sheff croon). El Olio Wolof make pop songs, yes, but they also make pop tales: “I went to my closet the other night, guess what I saw / A fire-breathing dragon must’ve stood, thirty feet tall / I invited her for lunch but I, first asked my Ma / She said, “Okay just this once, Melvin, but don’t tell your Pa.” This world in which El Olio Wolof resides has been compared to the poetry of Shel Silverstein, and rightfully so. It’s the world where fantasy meets the suburbs on the backbone of pop music. Through it all an intoxicating accordion drones and the songs unfold like strip malls.
El Olio Wolof by Suggested Listening
Zac messaged me to see if I would be around to run sound on the 3rd of July. So I looked up who was playing on myspace and realized why the inquiry was sent. This was not your average band. El Olio Wolof's sound instantly hit me with a full wave of accordions, keys, vocals, flutes, and more. I try not to make a rambling review on any of these postings (the point being to check out the band for what it does: music), but there's a bit of a back story: You see, El Olio Wolof had the 4th off. The 5th was at the 400 in Minneapolis and they were debating their next move. I was given a copy of their latest album after the show by Brian (their killer accordionist) for running sound. I said my goodbyes, farewells, and thank yous as I left with their amazing album "A Tedious Task" in my pocket. Guilt sets in when there's a band worthy of supporting and you just don't have any money to help out. The next evening was Skinless' "America Fu@$ Yeah" 4th of July, First Friday extravaganza. There were three bands booked for the evening. I called to see what time everything was starting up and to my suprise, El Olio Wolof had decided to spend the 4th of July with us in Kansas City and play an impromptu second set. I stopped by the ATM, pulled out some cash, swung down to the gallery, changed one or two things with the mics, and voila: an even better show than the evening before(I know, it doesn't seem possible). After their performance, I passed along enough money to buy them a couple of gallons of gas (might have gotten them out of the city). We talked over a couple of smokes while I learned about the city of Merced and it's Hmong population. After working the rest of the evening (more on this to come in a future post!), I once again bid adieu to the band. Upon shaking RC's hand he summed up their stay with the following (and I quote loosely): We meet wonderful people on the road all of the time; never to see them again. I hope we see each other again someday. With that, I was off. Point empathized. And a fitting way to end this tale. What does any of this have to do with the music? I don't know. But you will listen...and you will enjoy.
Zac messaged me to see if I would be around to run sound on the 3rd of July. So I looked up who was playing on myspace and realized why the inquiry was sent. This was not your average band. El Olio Wolof's sound instantly hit me with a full wave of accordions, keys, vocals, flutes, and more. I try not to make a rambling review on any of these postings (the point being to check out the band for what it does: music), but there's a bit of a back story: You see, El Olio Wolof had the 4th off. The 5th was at the 400 in Minneapolis and they were debating their next move. I was given a copy of their latest album after the show by Brian (their killer accordionist) for running sound. I said my goodbyes, farewells, and thank yous as I left with their amazing album "A Tedious Task" in my pocket. Guilt sets in when there's a band worthy of supporting and you just don't have any money to help out. The next evening was Skinless' "America Fu@$ Yeah" 4th of July, First Friday extravaganza. There were three bands booked for the evening. I called to see what time everything was starting up and to my suprise, El Olio Wolof had decided to spend the 4th of July with us in Kansas City and play an impromptu second set. I stopped by the ATM, pulled out some cash, swung down to the gallery, changed one or two things with the mics, and voila: an even better show than the evening before(I know, it doesn't seem possible). After their performance, I passed along enough money to buy them a couple of gallons of gas (might have gotten them out of the city). We talked over a couple of smokes while I learned about the city of Merced and it's Hmong population. After working the rest of the evening (more on this to come in a future post!), I once again bid adieu to the band. Upon shaking RC's hand he summed up their stay with the following (and I quote loosely): We meet wonderful people on the road all of the time; never to see them again. I hope we see each other again someday. With that, I was off. Point empathized. And a fitting way to end this tale. What does any of this have to do with the music? I don't know. But you will listen...and you will enjoy.
El Olio Wolof in the PDX - Mississippi Studios by Describe The Ruckus
El Olio Wolof is an indie rock treasure from Merced, CA, a small farming town in the Central Valley. Members of the band have run venues rivaling those in larger, neighboring cities, baked and distributed scores of vegan muffins, and generally been an awesome group of people. My last band shared our first bill with them, and I’ve since been a fan, so it was good news when I heard they were playing a 5 minute walk away from my house!
El Olio Wolof is an indie rock treasure from Merced, CA, a small farming town in the Central Valley. Members of the band have run venues rivaling those in larger, neighboring cities, baked and distributed scores of vegan muffins, and generally been an awesome group of people. My last band shared our first bill with them, and I’ve since been a fan, so it was good news when I heard they were playing a 5 minute walk away from my house!
El Olio Wolof CD Release Friday at BOTH by The Bay Bridged
Us Bay Area folk like to make fun of places like Bakersfield and Fresno - what we consider sweltering hot hell. That is, until a great band comes out of the depths. And with that somewhat unflattering but well-intentioned intro, we have Merced’s El Olio Wolof. Search for El Olio Wolof on Google and you’ll come up with all kinds of raving reviews from local Fresno and Modesto papers who think they’re the bees knees. And not without substance - the band has a ‘relaxed and groovy’ sound, using some accordion, woodwinds and organ to spice up the already soothing starter. Their myspace page says it well, actually: “…invoking majestic kingdoms where Shel Silverstein’s brand of playful poetics meets the ebb and flow of dusky indie rock.” Fronted by the somehow befittingly-named Radioactive Cauliflower (I really hope his real name is Bob), the band will be touring California in promotion of the new album until late April. Their new album is entitled A Tedious Task, ironic when thought of in context to the act of listening to their music, which feels anything but tedious. It feels quite like the perfect use of time. Their songs weave stories as complex as fairy tale spells and as simple as apple trees growing from seed.
Us Bay Area folk like to make fun of places like Bakersfield and Fresno - what we consider sweltering hot hell. That is, until a great band comes out of the depths. And with that somewhat unflattering but well-intentioned intro, we have Merced’s El Olio Wolof. Search for El Olio Wolof on Google and you’ll come up with all kinds of raving reviews from local Fresno and Modesto papers who think they’re the bees knees. And not without substance - the band has a ‘relaxed and groovy’ sound, using some accordion, woodwinds and organ to spice up the already soothing starter. Their myspace page says it well, actually: “…invoking majestic kingdoms where Shel Silverstein’s brand of playful poetics meets the ebb and flow of dusky indie rock.” Fronted by the somehow befittingly-named Radioactive Cauliflower (I really hope his real name is Bob), the band will be touring California in promotion of the new album until late April. Their new album is entitled A Tedious Task, ironic when thought of in context to the act of listening to their music, which feels anything but tedious. It feels quite like the perfect use of time. Their songs weave stories as complex as fairy tale spells and as simple as apple trees growing from seed.
El Olio Wolof by wordsmithlind
As I laid in my tent this past May while volunteering in northern California doing fire prevention, I grew bored of listening to the Oakland A’s game on the radio of my MP3 player. The silence of the forest lost its allure after the first couple of weeks, so I flipped through the channels until I found a station to suit the moment. Immediately the first song I heard took over my ears as nothing had in a long time. Who would have thought a song about a fire-breathing dragon could have such power; it was passive circus music, it was eclectic originality, it was non-pompous indie rock. The only way to categorize it properly would be to put it in the same category as Sgt. Pepper’s, which is a category all to its own. When the organs and accordions drew silent, I frantically grabbed a pen and the first scrap of paper I could find and wrote down what the DJ said, or I thought he said. “El Olio Wolf…El Olio Olof…El Olio…what?” Upon my return to civilization a week later, I googled my interpretations of the name— I was close, El Olio Wolof. I went to every record store in Santa Cruz, including Borders, but none had it. It could be ordered, but I did not have time for that as I was returning to Chicago the next day. I did the same in Chicago. Nothing. How does no one have this? This is some of the most original music I have ever heard and this has to be one of the best bands no one has ever heard of. (I caught a glimpse of few more of their songs courtesy of myspace.) Since then I have acquired this album and have not stopped listening to it since. Individual songs do not exist; it is a whole and complete album about dragons and mystical lands, created with the same imagery that fills a child’s imagination. Do yourself a favor and get this album and listen to it three times in a row without realizing. My former thoughts have held true, this is one of the best bands that no one has heard of.
As I laid in my tent this past May while volunteering in northern California doing fire prevention, I grew bored of listening to the Oakland A’s game on the radio of my MP3 player. The silence of the forest lost its allure after the first couple of weeks, so I flipped through the channels until I found a station to suit the moment. Immediately the first song I heard took over my ears as nothing had in a long time. Who would have thought a song about a fire-breathing dragon could have such power; it was passive circus music, it was eclectic originality, it was non-pompous indie rock. The only way to categorize it properly would be to put it in the same category as Sgt. Pepper’s, which is a category all to its own. When the organs and accordions drew silent, I frantically grabbed a pen and the first scrap of paper I could find and wrote down what the DJ said, or I thought he said. “El Olio Wolf…El Olio Olof…El Olio…what?” Upon my return to civilization a week later, I googled my interpretations of the name— I was close, El Olio Wolof. I went to every record store in Santa Cruz, including Borders, but none had it. It could be ordered, but I did not have time for that as I was returning to Chicago the next day. I did the same in Chicago. Nothing. How does no one have this? This is some of the most original music I have ever heard and this has to be one of the best bands no one has ever heard of. (I caught a glimpse of few more of their songs courtesy of myspace.) Since then I have acquired this album and have not stopped listening to it since. Individual songs do not exist; it is a whole and complete album about dragons and mystical lands, created with the same imagery that fills a child’s imagination. Do yourself a favor and get this album and listen to it three times in a row without realizing. My former thoughts have held true, this is one of the best bands that no one has heard of.
Copyright ©Amazing Media Group 2006-2023 Contact Us
iAnEAqqqq