Ocelot Robot

Ocelot Robot are doing the things that feel right to them, both as business whizzes and musicians. The Band’s underlying mantra must surely be work hard, play hard... - Thrust Magazine

With a name that attaches a South American furry feline to a mechanical artificial agent, Ocelot Robot should cause more than a little speculation. Who or what is Ocelot Robot? Formed in West LA by four day job guys who use quirky stage names (Johnny Awesome, the Grid, Bonasty, Daltron, and ap#1), Ocelot Robot plays something probably best described as melodic rock with a power pop and post punk foundation. Call it Green Day, without all the commerical arrogance, blending with Goo Goo Dolls at their most accessible pop best.
With tongues firmly in cheek, on their debut Ready to Go, Ocelot Robot rumbles along with catchy melodies and endless hooks, all surely in the name of rock n roll fun. You can hear this enthusiasm across the entire disc with Dead Celebrity, Again & Again, and Don't Play Nice just a few of the more energetic numbers. However, Ocelot Robot is probably at their best when the high energy rock merges the reckless pop friendliness as on Reckless, Beautiful Girl, or the quite catchy Brand New Girl (a near Goo Goo Dolls rip). Some songs fell flat on my ears like Isabelle and Give It to Me. (But this could be because the overall production/mix sometimes also sounds flat.) With most songs coming in at an efficient three minutes, Ocelot Robot closes Ready to Go with the oppressively boorish 11 minute No One Left. Why it's there is anyone's guess.
For a first effort Ocelot Robot's Ready to Go is a solid start: a hook-laden platter of interesting power pop rock. - Danger Dog Music Reviews

Well, it’s definitely fall. The weather’s getting cold and the daylight is getting shorter. If you find yourself dragging a little and in need of some tunes to pump you up and add energy to get you through the days, you need to check out Ocelot Robot.

This five-piece band out of Los Angeles brings it – hard. Though they’re 100% independent – writing their own songs, scheduling their own shows, sleeping on couches, traveling in vans, while still holding down day jobs – as their album title suggests, they’re Ready to Go. Ocelot Robot plays rock music with a punk edge that will not be denied, rocking out with drums that don’t quit, clean vocals, and hooks that will have you singing along in no time. Lyrically, Ready To Go backs up the “go hard or go home” music with stories that discuss the good and bad parts about navigating life in LA – avoiding fake people, living for the moment, and being true to yourself above all else.

If you get to catch them live, you’ll see these daytime working men transform into their alter egos – Johnny Awesome (frontman David Bowick), AP #1 (Andrew Parkman), theGR!D (drummer Geoff Godfrey), Daltron (guitarist Nate Hertweck), and BotNasty (bassist Marc Mutnansky) – and completely give themselves over to making sure the crowd is having a good time. Just this week, the guys finished making their first music video, so if you can’t catch them in person anytime soon, be sure to follow the guys on Twitter or Facebook so you can find out when it’s posted.

Whether you’re watching them put on their high-energy show or listening to their recorded material, it’s clear that this band is enjoying the hell out of making loud, catchy, and unapologetic music together. - Alicia Inman at The Record Rebellion

While normally I post about the roots side of rock music, I have to give a shout out to my friends in the straight up indie rock band Ocelot Robot. They are what independent, from the ground-up music is all about. Based in Los Angeles and paying dues, these guys work their day jobs and play bars and clubs at night. I’ve seen them live several times and not only do they play great rock music, they also put on a really entertaining show.

Comprised of solid musicians who write their own songs, Ocelot Robot is currently gearing up and raising funds for a summer tour across the Southwest. Five guys in a van, sleeping on people’s couches across America, pouring their hearts out nightly on stages however humble – the spirit of indie rock lives on! If you are feeling abundant and want to support a cool group of hardworking musicians doing their thing, donate to their “feed the muse” summer tour fund:

Ocelot Robot is also participating in the MySpace Toyota Music: Rock the Space contest, where indie bands are competing to win a record contract with MySpace Records so check them out there as well. Happy Birthday Marc and Nate, my fellow Geminis. May you rock hard on the road (and have a soft place to sleep at night). - Blog