Since its release at the end of September, John Fullbright’s long-awaited The Liar has carried avid word of mouth amongst loyal fans and genre listeners. Its 12 songs have gotten good marks in online music magazines, and the consensus is clear. Even though it’s been eight years since his last album, a practical eternity in […]
Evan Jarvicks
Posted inArts & Culture
Fringe Flicks
“It gives me chills,” Lucas Dunn said. As film programmer for Ponyboy’s Mondo Mondays, a weekly series of cult cinema screenings, Dunn has seemingly seen it all. From questionable bare-budget schlock to esoteric works by underground auteurs, he has curated a startling array of obscure picks since launching the program in early 2020. The one […]
Posted inMusic
Soundcheck: LRYN – HERE4EVER
LRYN is not an acronym, but if it was, it might stand for Low-key Rekindling Your Night. The project’s pop/R&B music wears a sound palette suited to a sensual evening of flirtatious conversation. With slick beats, smooth key synths, and smoky vocals, LRYN understands that a delicate touch applied to a few sweet spots can […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Community Comida
An assortment of baskets adorn the ceiling of Azteca Mexican Grill’s dining room, all turned upside-down. It is a striking part of the family-owned Oklahoma City restaurant’s ever-changing interior which boasts authentic Mexican artwork, handcrafted goods, and rotating seasonal themes in decor. Like everything about Azteca, the baskets carry a special meaning that represents the […]
Posted inMusic
Soundcheck: Alison Sloan – Fate
With wine bottle, cellphone, guitar and more sprawling out from her being in swirls of Blue Willow china inkwork, a hand-drawn Alison Sloan rests comfortably on the cover of her new album. If her eyes were open, she would be looking directly at the viewer, but her mind is elsewhere, finally finding an inner peace […]
Posted inMusic
Subculture sanctum
Like a flower blooming from a cracked sidewalk, Oklahoma City’s DIY scene has always found a way. The last few years have seen a pandemic decimate the live music world, and when compounded with the usual punk community struggles (house venue regulation crackdowns, threadbare economics, etc.), OKC has been a particularly inhospitable place for a […]
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Soundcheck: Chat Pile – God’s Country
Picture — or don’t — a poisoned, discolored body collapsed on concrete, convulsing into an early grave as horrors flash before its blurred eyes. This is the essence of Chat Pile. Drawing metaphors between cinematic body horror and the death throes of late-stage capitalism, the decidedly pessimistic quartet of Oklahoma City musicians has no shortage […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Auspicious spices
Even with a recipe, measuring spoons and a well-stocked spice cabinet, those untrained in the culinary arts can find seasoning a self-cooked meal from scratch a daunting notion. Too much of one spice or not enough of another can ruin a dish, and the thought of all of those extra steps alone can be enough […]
Posted inMusic
Soundcheck: Chelsea Days – Chelsea Days
For such a breezy, feel-good band, Chelsea Days sure seems to be haunted by mortality. On track after track of its self-titled studio debut, sunsetted memories and future ghosts swirl in shimmering depths of existentialism. The songs are never outright depressed, but neither do they ever quite find joy. They simply swim with the tide, […]
Posted inMusic
Soundcheck: Primal Brain – It’s Still All a Game
Parsing through Primal Brain’s music is like trying to analyze graffiti on an empty billboard. Bordering on incomprehensible without the aid of a lyric sheet, its furiously fast-paced punk songs are brash and forceful in their rebellion. Within the noise are messages of anarchy that never beat around the bush. They are exactly what they […]