Guitarists Marc Miller and Natalio Fowler, along with drummer Christopher Freeland, formed as Oxes in Baltimore at the tail end of the 1990s, quickly becoming aligned with the so-called math rock tendencies of bands like Don Caballero. But the instrumental trio primarily gained a reputation for their sense of humor and proclivity for pranks. Their shows were often performed atop black boxes or directly in front of audience members with wireless guitars, and they generated publicity around fake protests incited by their 2002 OXXXES LP. However, their most significant attention came in 2006 (four years after their last full-length), when the group sued Old Navy for copyright infringement after a t-shirt with an Oxes concert flyer was reproduced without permission.