New Brunswick's Osaka Aren't Going to Be Called Osaka Anymore

Not Osaka (Photo: Kat Schneider)

New Name Pending

First off, back when I went to see California X, ROMP, Casual, and American Lions at Paradise Lost in New Brunswick, I met Osaka's David Pressler. Even though we only spoke briefly at the beginning and the end of the night, David came off as a nice, genuine, caring guy who would never intentionally belittle or demean another individual or group. I, honestly, got all of that from our short meeting and subsequent electronic interactions.

So this was a bit of a head scratcher for me. Here's a statement released via Osaka's Facebook page:

It's come to our attention that some people are uncomfortable with our use of the name "Osaka" for our band. It has never been our intention to offend, insult, or degrade any people or their culture. That is why we have decided to change our name. We offer an apology to anyone who we may have harmed and invite them to share their feelings with us if they choose to do so. More news to follow.

There's been a lot of band name controversy going around lately, and some of those other names kind of make you tilt your head and go, "Really? Someone named their band that? Wow." But I'm just gonna admit that "Osaka" didn't really do that for me. That's me, though.

Anyway, the band have heard the concerns from some people and decided to go in another direction in the interest of keeping things friendly and positive. They haven't decided on a new name yet, and they've also canceled the release show for their upcoming Tamal.

I really enjoyed single "Always August" from the new record; and, just last month, Osaka released the post-punky "Transit" from that same album. It's another good one, and you can check that out while you wait for news on what's happening with the band.