Wednesday 22 May
 
 

IndianGiver — Plafond EP

If you were to peruse the “About” section of IndianGiver’s Facebook page, you’ll notice how the instruments attributed to each of the Oklahoma City band’s five members are described with downright flippancy: Dylan Jordan plays “sticks & animal skins,” while Jazzton Rodriguez earns his keep with “shanties & loud noises,” and so on.
05/22/2013 | Comments 0

Various artists — Never Give Up: Celebrating 10 Years of The Postal Service

Few indie bands have had the impact on current music that The Postal Service has. Even fewer have done so with only one album.
05/15/2013 | Comments 0

Big Worm — Bench All-Stars

Fans of the comedy classic Friday may recognize the name Big Worm, but the Big Worm behind Bench All-Stars is rooted not in South Central L.A., but on the streets of Oklahoma City.
05/08/2013 | Comments 0

Code 22 — Going Soft: The Acoustic Album!

The guys of Oklahoma City’s Code 22 seem like a likable group of fellas. Their latest release, Going Soft: The Acoustic Album!, is likable enough as well — so likable that on first listen, I took its clean, acoustic sound and clear, unstressed vocals as an alternative praise-and-worship band.
05/08/2013 | Comments 0

Eureeka — Polysynthetic Fields

It’s always refreshing to hear music that embraces its own eccentricity, yet presents it in an accessible and meek fashion. Eureeka — the Norman-based duo of Jordan Vargas and Devin Wahl — has tapped into this rarified air on its self-released EP, Polysynthetic Fields.
05/08/2013 | Comments 0
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Norman Beatles experts focus on instruments


Michael Franco February 22nd, 2007

Among the speakers at The Beatles Weekend in Norman in February were author Andy Babiuk and collector Russ Lease.   Babiuk wrote the definitive book on The Beatles' instruments, "Beatles Gear: All the...

Among the speakers at The Beatles Weekend in Norman in February were author Andy Babiuk and collector Russ Lease.
 
Babiuk wrote the definitive book on The Beatles' instruments, "Beatles Gear: All the Fab Four's Instruments, from Stage to Studio." Lease is one of the foremost collectors of the band's memorabilia.
 
MUSICAL LEGACY
While researching his book, Babiuk befriended surviving Beatle Ringo Starr after using photos to reassemble some of the drummer's original kits that were thought lost.
 
"He had no idea what he had (in storage). He was so happy that he invited me to visit him," Babiuk said.
 
Babiuk focused on their instruments because of the band's enormous musical legacy.
 
"We can study Chopin, Bach or Beethoven, and how they wrote their music," he said. "The Beatles are the pop icons of our time. A hundred years from now, Lennon and McCartney will be looked at as great writers of pop music."
 
LASTING IMPACT
Lease owns some of the items detailed in Babiuk's book, including the bass drum head Starr used during the band's legendary appearance on Ed Sullivan.
 
"Because of that one being the Sullivan head, it's the Holy Grail," he noted.
 
When it comes to the band's impact, Lease agrees with Babiuk.
 
"I think Lennon and McCartney will go down as the Bach and Beethoven of their generation," he said. "They're being taught in a serious, scholarly way." "Michael Franco
 
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