Kuebler first surfaced as a member of the Baltimore indie crew Roads to Space Travel, which released a couple of records on the Amish label as well as a 7" through Washington, D.C.'s DeSoto. When the band dissolved, Kuebler began to assemble what would become the Oranges Band: ex-Wrong Button drummer Dave Voyles, guitarists Daniel Black and Virat Shukla, and bassist Tim Johnston, who had played guitar in Brickhead.
The Oranges Band debuted in April 2000 with The Five Dollars EP on Morphius, and almost immediately began touring. It was a conscious choice; idealistically, the band members believed in the immediacy and momentary grace of music, and felt that touring was the best way to access that.
A year later, another EP appeared on Morphius, Nine Hundred Miles of Fucking Hell. Around this point Kuebler fit in a collaboration and tour with Baltimore's punk combo The Thumbs. As the Oranges Band focused on writing and practicing new songs for an eventual full-length, Kuebler left again, this time as the touring bassist for the Austin, TX-based Spoon. The Oranges Band finally finished a round of demos in April 2002, which caught the ear of Lookout! Records, which quickly snapped them up. An introductory EP for Lookout! entitled On TV appeared in late 2002; the debut full-length All Around followed in April 2003, The World and Everything In It in 2005. Shortly after, Tim Johnston left the group and Faye Malarkey formerly of Sick Sick Birds stepped in on bass.
In 2008, with a new lineup that included Patrick Martin on bass and guest guitarist Doug Gillard, the band released their third full length The Oranges Band are Invisible.
OK Apartment
The Oranges Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It looks just like your apartment
With four walls but two times all the space inside
And the space between all these high-rise apartment buildings
And the windows in your apartment building are televisions
And they collect the images from far and wide
I'm in the air all around while your cable's under the ground
Look out, I'm on TV
These gray boxes, well, they're OK computers
But they'll keep me inside nearly all of the time
Singing "don't ever leave me, lover"
The Oranges Band's song OK Apartment is a commentary on modern urban living and the paradoxical desire for both space and connection. The song opens with the singer describing their apartment, which is just like their companion's in structure, but feels larger due to the vast space between the high-rise buildings. Through this observation, the singer suggests that even though modern apartments may be physically limited in space, the environment can make them feel more expansive.
The second verse of the song highlights the role of technology in contemporary life, particularly in urban environments. The windows of the apartment buildings serve as a way for people to connect with the outside world, but this connection comes at a price. The "gray boxes" in the apartments are referred to as "OK computers," which is a reference to the Radiohead album of the same name. The suggestion here is that while technology offers us many wonderful things, it can also be a trap. The singer seems to be lamenting the fact that the use of these technologies will keep them inside for most of the time. And yet, through the power of television, the singer can be "in the air all around" even as their companion's cable signals are buried underground.
The repeated refrain of "don't ever leave me, lover" at the end of each verse adds a note of sadness to the song. The singer seems to understand that the world they live in requires them to be isolated and alone, but they cannot help but mourn the loss of deeper human connections. The song's gentle, melancholic melody amplifies this bittersweet feeling, ultimately offering a poignant reflection on modern urban life.
Line by Line Meaning
My apartment
The singer is referring to their own apartment.
It looks just like your apartment
The singer's apartment is not unique; it is quite similar to other apartments.
With four walls but two times all the space inside
The dimensions of the apartment are such that there is more space inside than it appears from the outside.
And the space between all these high-rise apartment buildings
The area surrounding the buildings is cramped due to the high concentration of high-rise apartment buildings.
And the windows in your apartment building are televisions
The artist can see the outside world through the windows, as if they were watching it on a TV.
And they collect the images from far and wide
The windows allow the singer to see beyond their immediate surroundings.
I'm in the air all around while your cable's under the ground
The singer is above ground level, whereas the cables providing TV signal are buried underground.
Your wires in the trees
The cables providing TV signal are strung up on trees.
Look out, I'm on TV
The artist recognizes that they can be seen from outside via the windows of the apartment building.
These gray boxes, well, they're OK computers
The artist is referring to the electronic devices in their apartment as 'gray boxes' that are just acceptable.
But they'll keep me inside nearly all of the time
The singer is likely to be using their electronic devices for most of their free time.
Singing "don't ever leave me, lover"
The artist could be seen as pleading to their electronic devices to keep them occupied and to not fail them.
Contributed by Jeremiah B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.