OC Times

Review: 'Destinations' is the second well-crafted album by Lead Sean Devine (formerly of one of our favorite groups, the Alley Cats), Tenor Shawn York, Baritone Patrick Claypool and Bass Cory Hunt of Orange County, CA-based OC Times. When we reviewed their debut album 'Let's Fly' they had just won Silver (2nd Place) medals at the 2007 SPBSQSA International Quartet competition in Denver. We called them 'the fast-rising future of Barbershop,' and we were so right, in 2008 they won Gold! After that came a national and international tour that covered 33 states and 9 countries, from Madrid, Spain and St. Petersburg, Russia to Helsinki, Finland and Aukland, New Zealand. Returning home, OCT made their next Destination a recording studio to record their 14 favorite tunes, most arranged by their friend Aaron Dale. Some favorites are Freddie Mercury of Queen's 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love,' a pair by Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, 'Surfer Girl' and 'Fun, Fun, Fun;' Howard Steiner/Buddy Kaye's 'Don't Be a Baby, Baby,' William Trader's 'Fool Such As I,' Randy Newman's 'I Will Go Sailing No More,' Billy Rose/Mabel Wayne's 'It Happened in Monterey,' Alan & Marilyn Bergman/Marvin Hamlisch's poignant 'The Way We Were' and the live cut 'I Want You, I Need You, I Love You' by Maurice Mysels/Ira Kosloff. Each of these cuts is a little Barbershop masterpiece, brought home to us by consummate entertainers OC Times, and 'Destinations' is big fun from beginning to end!

Songlist: Oh Look At Me Now, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Surfer Girl, Fun. Fun, Fun, Don't Be a Baby, Baby, Be My Baby Tonight, Dream a Little Dream of Me, You Belong to Me, Fool Such As I, I Will Go Sailing No More, It Happened In Monterey, The Way We Were, Unbelievable, I Want You, I Need You, I Love You

Review: Tenor Shawn York, lead Sean Devine (of the Alley Cats), baritone Patrick Claypool and bass Corey Hunt, all talented young men from Orange County, CA, proved with their 2nd place medal at the recent SPEBSQSA competitions in Denver that a far-from-quiet young revolution is happening in the Barbershop world. The quartet, also members of Chorus Gold medal-winners (and youngest-ever choral entrants) Westminster Chorus, rose from 46th place to 18th in 2004, to 5th place in 2005, and in 2007 second only to supergroup Max Q. 'Let's Fly' is 15 innovatively-arranged (by group arranger Aaron Dale), flawlessly performed winners, from OC standards 'Good Luck Charm,' 'Put Your Head On My Shoulder,' 'Honey (Open That Door)/Hey Good Lookin' Medley,' 'Love Me,' and 'Come Fly with Me,' to new winners 'Teddy Bear,' 'Drivin' Me Crazy,' 'So Much in Love,' a brilliant 'Stormy Weather,' 'Anytime at All,' 'You're 16, You're Beautiful, and You're Mine' and the last cut, 'Save the Last Dance For Me/Sway Medley,' this collection impresses at every turn. Audiences call them 'fresh,' 'cutting edge,' 'pushing the envelope'-but listen to 'Let's Fly' for yourself, hear the fast-rising future of Barbershop, and come up with your own adjectives!

Songlist: Good Luck Charm, Teddy Bear, Love Me, Drivin' Me Crazy, Put Your Head On My Shoulder, Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident), Honey (Open That Door) / Hey Good Lookin' Medley, Grow Old With You, So Much In Love, Stormy Weather, Come Fly With Me, Anytime At All, You're 16, You're Beautiful, and You're Mine, What a Wonderful World, Save The Last Dance For Me / Sway Medley