Band Biography

THE OXYS 

 Jason “Ginchy” Kottwitz - Lead Guitar 

Phil Davis - Lead Vocals 

Genocide - Rhythm Guitar 

Michael Harpel - Bass 

Chris Alaniz – Drums

 “Combining punk, sleaze, rock n’ roll and powerpop. The Oxys’ jumping-off point is second  album Dead Boys where their songs were shifting up a notch with melody and craft.” - Gerry Ranson, Vive Le Rock

 "The sound is wonderful —  snotty and sleazy in all of the most delicious ways. Again, rock ‘n’  roll doesn’t need saving, but the Oxys are going to do it anyway." - Brett Callwood, LA Weekly 

The Oxys have returned with their sophomore full length LP, Generation Irrelevant (Dead Beat  Records) just eight months after releasing their first full length release, and it’s heater!! The potent  songwriting team of guitarist Jason “Ginchy” Kottwitz (Dead Boys, Sylvain Sylvain and The Sylvains)  and vocalist “PunkRockPhil” Davis are back with a vengeance to let it be known that you and  your opinion do not matter. You have been deemed Generation Irrelevant. 

Immediately following the release of the first record, A Date With The Oxys (Dead Beat Records) — of which Classic Rock Magazine (January 2023) declared “Every song sounds like an A Side” – Ginchy went on a writing binge and churned out sixty new tracks, sending them over to Phil one  at a time, some with lyrics, some without. Phil filled in the blanks and put the finishing touches on  the ones that caught his ear. Come January 1st, 2023, the band entered Ice Cream Factory Studios with  Matt Parmenter to track Date’s follow-up. Ginchy immediately took the recordings to his home  facility for their final mix. Famed mastering engineer Jack Butcher at Austin’s Enormous Door Studio added the finishing touches. 

“The new album is more punishing than the first in terms of tempos and angst level,” muses Ginchy.  “Probably as a result of me being pissed off that I had to wait 12 months for the first record to be  pressed.”  

From opener “Ticking Time Bomb’s” flame-thrower guitars and sky-punching “whoa-whoa” hooks,  to “Isolation’s” chiming, intense evocation of pandemic-bred shielding and claustrophobia, to the  rumbling “Screaming In Silence,” Generation Irrelevant is one follow-up album which does not  suffer from the dreaded Sophomore Jinx.  

The rest of the crew remains the same. Michael Harpel  handles bass duties, Genocide on rhythm guitar, and Chris Alaniz handles the skins, both played alongside Ginchy for many  years in the Cheetah Chrome solo band and Sylvain Sylvain and the Sylvains.  Punkrock Phil is also back in the kitchen, laying down thick icing on this punk rock n’ roll  masterpiece. 

The first single from Generation Irrelevant is “Mr. Horrible,” written by Ginchy about Sid Vicious.  “Sylvain Sylvain was staying in my guest bedroom, and he called me in to tell me a story one day,”  he recalls. “Syl explained that when Sid Vicious first met Freddie Mercury, Sid asked Freddie if he  had succeeded in bringing ballet to the masses, clearly being snarky and poking fun at him.  Sylvain told me that Freddie always referred to Sid as ‘Mr. Horrible’ from that moment on. I later  learned that Freddie actually called him ‘Mr. Ferocious,’ but I found Syl’s enthusiastic presentation  of the story quite charming, so I kept the original name he provided me.  

The Oxys were formed at the start of 2020 during the height of the pandemic. Winners of Austin’s  2019 Punk Rock Lottery (in which local musicians are randomly banded together to write, perform  and compete with each other), guitarist Jason “Ginchy” Kottwitz and vocalist “PunkRockPhil”  Davis quickly realized they shared a potent songwriting chemistry along with a mutual love of late 1970s gutter rock, snot punk and a penchant for power pop. So they decided to form a "real  band" together called The Oxys. 

A Date With The Oxys, with its mix of ‘70s FM radio hooks and raw, trashy, gutter punk ‘n’ roll,  received across-the-board acclaim upon its release late last year. Daryl Smyers in Texas Monthly wrote, “This isn’t wind-up hardcore or some guys who wear punk apparel picked up at the thrift  store. A Date with the Oxys is an ugly, menacing romp through the best seedy punk rock of the  ’70s. Think of Johnny Thunders’ Heartbreakers and the early work of the Replacements.” Ames  Flames in US Rocker called attention to the album’s “well-crafted songs with just the right amount  of dirt with a punk edge. Plus they don’t sound like anyone else. You can hear their influences in  the material but this band is not a carbon copy of anyone.” Chad Williams at Razorcake wrote  “The Oxys have that classic rock’n’roll swagger, big, chunky power chords and, best of all, a lead  singer with character, vulnerability, and a sense of realness that’s so often lacking." And Dave  Glessner at 2Fast2Die sums it up saying “A Date with The Oxys...buzzes with all the fast-and-loose  swagger one would expect from a band that started with a roll of the dice...One listen, and you’ll  be hooked." 

In 2024, The Oxys embarked on a triumphant tour of Spain, electrifying audiences with their explosive live performances. Additionally, they showcased their unparalleled energy and talent with seven unforgettable shows at South By Southwest in their hometown of Austin, TX.

In addition to their explosive live performances, The Oxys have shared stages with legendary bands such as FEAR, Supersuckers, Dwarves, Throw Rag, The Spits, Riverboat Gamblers, The Hangmen, Lords of Altamont, The Zeros, Rickshaw Billies Burger Patrol, Starving Wolves, The Dahmers, The Ravagers, Lord Friday the 13th, Lords of Altamont and many others, solidifying their reputation as one of punk rock and roll’s most formidable acts.

As they continue to tear up stages across the country, The Oxys stand as a testament to the enduring power of punk rock. With each performance, they prove that the spirit of punk rock is alive and well, and that the fire of rock 'n' roll burns brighter than ever before.

True to form, The Oxys have just completed there 3rd full-length within 12 months, hot on Generation Irrelevant’s heels. It is set for an early 2025 release. We believe “prolific” is the word you're searching for.