Saturday 18 May
OKG Newsletter
Stephen Carradini
Thursday — No Devolución
An impressive first stab at something more than thoughtful screaming
Alison Krauss and Union Station — Paper Airplane
It's good. But you probably knew that already
Tiny Animals — Our Own Time
So pop it hurts. Draw your own conclusions.
Pop
Stephen Carradini
The All-American Rejects’ self-titled 2003 release is one of my favorite pop albums ever.
Hafdis Huld — Synchronised Swimmers
Gorgeous pop that should take America by storm
Pop
Stephen Carradini
She may come by it honestly, but I would not be surprised if I heard that Hafdis Huld’s sound was scientifically crafted to perfectly zeitgeist indie music right now.
Generationals — Actor-Caster
Glorious summer music
Indie
Stephen Carradini
Old cars don’t have MP3 hookups, and those radio receivers always dissolve into static.
Of God and Science — Black Rabbit
A uniquely varied and genuinely enveloping indie rock album
Indie
Stephen Carradini
Every now and then, I’ll get an album that promises something along the lines of an “AM radio” experience. This is usually a signifier that the disc in hand is a jumbled mess of genres and moods.
L’Altra — Telepathic
Stately pop tunes turn to mush in the brain
Rocky Business — A Rebel's Roar
A good taste of what the rap/pop duo can do
Hip Hop/Rap
Stephen Carradini
It’s a hard balance to strike between “masses-pleasing nonsense” and “critically pleasing art.”
GDP — Useless Eaters
He hates everything; listeners win
Hip Hop/Rap
Stephen Carradini
Here’s a partial list of things that rapper GDP is angry about: rampant drug use, alcoholism, loose sex, children as a result of that loose sex, corporations running everything, excess destroying the environment, aimless youth, cult of celebrity, posers and even rappers.
Lenka — Two
Pleasant pop songs that don't ask too much of you
Pop
Stephen Carradini
Lenka’s “Two” is a pleasant little release that doesn’t ruffle any feathers and may produce a couple of radio hits.
All Tiny Creatures — Harbors
A blissful experience for fans of optimistic prog-rock
Mansions — Dig Up the Dead
Band doesn’t focus on its strengths
Rock
Stephen Carradini
Artists can do whatever they want. But that doesn’t mean they always do what’s best for them.
Hipper than now?
While the overall genre is fraught with battles, local rap and hip-hop artists realize working together will strengthen their scene.
Music
Stephen Carradini
Jay-Z may have 99 problems, but the Oklahoma City rap scene has only one: fragmentation.
O yeah!
We made local folkies O Fidelis answer our questions with an iPod set to ‘shuffle.’ May the best completely random title win.
Dressed to thrill
With nothin’ to lose, Faux Kiss pays tribute to a ’70s rock legend, and local audiences are licking it up.
Music
Stephen Carradini
It’s midnight in El Reno, and Gene Simmons is spitting blood at Gilmore’s Pub.
