Wednesday 19 Jun
 
 
CD reviews

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

VOTD: Two Christmases!


Download two local holiday compilations! And watch an awesome in-studio video!

By Matt Carney December 5th, 2011

Remember last year when Fowler Volkswagen sponsored the totally free “Checking It Twice: The 2010 Nice People Holiday Companion” and gave out a ton of free copies of it, both digital and vinyl?

Well, this year, Norman’s Blackwatch Studios decided they wanted in on the action, so now we’ve got “A Blackwatch Christmas” (which Fowler is sponsoring) andThe 2011 Nice People Holiday Compilation” to soundtrack the annual festivities.

And in a move that surprised no one, they both feature Chrome Pony.

Both albums are currently available as free digital downloads below. There are 1,000 copies of the Blackwatch record (also free!) that will be available starting today at Fowler Volkswagen of Norman and several other locations throughout the OKC metro. Also, you can score the Nice People companion in cassette tape form in Norman in the coming weeks.

As far as the actual content and quality of the music on these, it’s definitely several steps above novelty, but still just as fun as any Christmas recording I’ve ever heard. On the Blackwatch compilation, several of the artists — especially Sam Crain and Ben Kilgore — stretch outside their comfort zones into cheesy pop or erratic indie-jams. There’s even a hilarious Beastie Boys-inspired thing, “Chris Cringle,” from something called Hector Camancho.

With Nice People, the goofiness comes in the zig-zaggy melodies and moods that alternate between true-to-the-band (Lizard Police’s “Xmas Song,” Depth & Current’s “Lonely Special Day”) and genuinely charming (Luna Moth’s “Winter Light,” The Wurly Birds’ “Way Up North” and Kite Flying Robot’s “On Your Merry Way”).

Watch Nathan Poppe’s expertly edited “Making of a Blackwatch Christmas 2011 Holiday Album,” which I helped shoot some footage for.

I can testify that it was as much fun hanging around inside the studio as it looked:





 
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