Wednesday 19 Jun
 
 

Kanye West — Yeezus

Try as you might, but there’s no escaping Kanye West. Turn on the TV, radio, computer — hell, take a stroll downtown and you might see his mug projected on the side of a building. It’s an undeniable fact of life in 2013: Kanye West is bigger than Buddha, Krishna and The Beatles (today, anyway) and he’ll be the first to let you know about it.
06/18/2013 | Comments 0

John Moreland — In the Throes

With the soul of a poet and the look of a Sons of Anarchy extra, Tulsa’s John Moreland has been gifted the sort of gravely, booming voice that does Bruce Springsteen proud and a similar understanding of the universal human experience. It’s made for some fantastic records — both as a solo artist and with his dissolved Black Gold Band — and In the Throes is his best yet.
06/19/2013 | Comments 0

Jumpship Astronaut — Lights Burn Out

Oklahoma has never been the haven for electronic rock music that it is for country, folk and, as of late, psychedelic pop, but from the sound of Lights Burn Out, Oklahoma City upstart Jumpship Astronaut seems intent on changing that.
06/12/2013 | Comments 0

Various artists — Reaching Out

Like so many Oklahomans, the local music scene has responded with generosity and grace in the wake of last month’s tragedy in Moore. In the weeks since, droves of local musicians have banded together for benefit concerts and radio marathons to raise funds for the relief effort, and with extraordinary results.
06/04/2013 | Comments 0

Progress in Color — Get Well

It’s been a long, bumpy ride for Glenpool’s Progress in Color, which saw a record deal with Epic evaporate before even one record could come of it, but it’s led the outfit to where it was supposed to be.
06/04/2013 | Comments 0
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Home · Articles · Music · Music · Norman band uses element of...
Music

Norman band uses element of surprise during live performances


Charles Martin January 8th, 2009

MySpace junkies who found Early Beat online and perused the Norman band's songs before committing to a live show might be in for a surprise Friday night. The online tracks were taken from the group'...

earlybeat024

MySpace junkies who found Early Beat online and perused the Norman band's songs before committing to a live show might be in for a surprise Friday night.

The online tracks were taken from the group's self-titled debut, which simmers with ambient, jazz-tinged indie rock. Onstage, however, Early Beat is a wellspring of presence and boundless energy, particularly at a performance at the Opolis in October where the act roared through a quick and chaotic set that served as stark contrast to its studio persona.

Live, Early Beat tapped into its inner Who, including a set-ending Nirvana freak-out where bassist Sean Barker got so caught up bashing his bass guitar that he collided with lead singer Michael Loveland's guitar, leaving a gash on Barker's forehead. Barker is the band's comedic foil and was sporting daisy dukes, a cowboy hat and Loveland's girlfriend's black bra at the October show. He said the difference between live and recorded isn't intentional, or even really apparent to the group.

"Not so much a style, more of a flow," Barker said, summing up the band's live energy. "It's an archaic feeling out of existence. It's the pure energy of four strapping lads standing side by side."

RETOOLED LINEUP
The recordings are more of an exploration as the newly retooled lineup works to find itself. The current incarnation has existed less than a year and began recording after only two months due to bursts of creativity that resulted in large caches of material.

 "We worked to give each song its own unique personality," said guitarist Patrick Roberts. "All these songs that we are playing, we are really comfortable with, and once we had enough songs, we decided to make an album."

The band is already injecting fresh batches of songs into its live show, and members are unsure if several anticipated recording projects will resemble the debut album. Early Beat returns to Norman's Opolis, 113 N. Crawford, for a 9 p.m. Friday show with El Paso Hot Button and The Blacks. Tickets are $7. Call 447-3417. "Charles Martin

 
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