California based OPM have been turning heads all summer long performing tracks from their upcoming new album "Golden State Of Mind" as a part of the DIY Tour with (Hed)pe. The band recently caught the attention of local authorities in Saint Petersburg, FL this week when frontman JohnE Necro was arrested for criminal mischief. Authorities arrested Necro and later released him on $1,000 bail, after reports he allegedly spray painted a wall.
"
I find it kind of ironic that Saint Petersburg, FL, home to the Salvador Dali museum, could be so insanely uptight about spray painting," says
Necro. "
In some areas Graffiti is regarded as a form of art worthy of display in galleries and exhibitions, but obviously the state of Florida feels differently."
California rock-reggae five piece OPM recently released the track "Tell Me What You Want" featuring Big B online at Myspace.com from the group’s upcoming new album "Golden State Of Mind", which will see release through Suburban Noize Records on September 2nd, 2008. The album will feature guest appearances from reggae legend Pato Baton, Cypress Hill's Sen Dog, Jim Perkins from Dumbluck and Suburban Noize alumni Big B, DJ Product (HedPe) and Johnny Richter (Kottonmouth Kings).
"With our last record we went in a direction that down played the hip hop aspect a bit and I think that Golden State of Mind is a bit more back to our original roots of incorporating all of our influences from hip-hop, punk-rock, reggae and rock and roll," says frontman John E Necro. "I think with Golden State of Mind we got a good balance of what we liked about both of those records. Lots of live performances from everybody, but we still found places for the big beats to fit in. Every album you do you get to learn from the last one. I think this one is the natural progression."
OPM's laid back hybrid style of rock mixed with hip-hop and reggae has racked up more than 1 million units sold worldwide. Their debut album "Menace To Sobriety" stormed rock radio with the international skateboarder's anthem, "Heaven Is A Halfpipe", which became the #1 most requested track on LA's Kroq and won the highly acclaimed Kerrang "Single Of The Year" award. Since then the band has cultivated a grass roots with the release of 2004’s underground classic "For The Masses" and 2006’s "California Poppy" following that has put them in league with the likes of Sublime, 311, Pepper and Slightly Stoopid.