Kiss usually plays arenas, of course, but Faux Kiss plays anywhere and everywhere. The year-old, Oklahoma City-based tribute band is not comprised of the original rock ’n’ roll soldiers, but the band is having a blast playing as the real thing; the crowds are just as enthusiastic. “We were at the El Reno show, and […]
Stephen Carradini
Posted inArts & Culture
Shutter sounds
Picking up his new book, “Adventures of a Rock Photographer,” will get you stories and pictures from one of rock music’s most fertile periods: 1976-1986, with 165 of its 200 pages dedicated to 1977-1980. To illustrate just how top-heavy the era was in good music, consider Gowdy’s first assignment as a photographer at the University […]
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Hipper than now?
But that’s changing, as the metro’s diverse strands of hip-hop slowly unite into a community. “We’ve identified 600 acts statewide,” said local rap promoter Marcus Hayes. “There’s a good culture and community that is growing.” That group doesn’t just include black males, either; Hayes noted the growing prominence of female, Caucasian, Hispanic, American Indian and […]
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Woody would pick ’er
BEST IN ROCK The Non The Non describes itself as “experimental,” and obviously, its four members’ willingness to stretch boundaries has paid off. That the band does it without words — being instrumental — makes it all the more amazing, crafting melodic soundscapes that move listeners’ minds as they quicken the pulse — from 2007’s […]
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Buried Beds — Tremble the Sails
Buried Beds accomplishes the former on “Tremble the Sails,” but the latter has struggles. Rare is the group that can have it both ways. Buried Beds relies on piano to carry their poppy side and guitars to carry their darker ideas. That’s enough to throw red flags up in my mind; something about a house […]
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These Magnificent Miles: On the Long Road with Red Wanting Blue
Rock band Red Wanting Blue has put out eight totally independently. They’ve also played more than 2,000 shows in 14 years. People all over the country know their songs and sing them back at shows. Why has this band not gotten signed? (It’s not for lack of trying.) First-time documentarian Ken Davenport’s “These Magnificent Miles” […]
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No One Knows About Persian Cats
And if the authorities had their way, there wouldn’t be any. “In Iran, there are laws against blasphemy, free speech and rock and roll,” screams the opening card of the trailer for “No One Knows About Persian Cats,” the lauded feature film/documentary from Iranian filmmaker Bahman Ghobadi. The incredible film shows exactly what Iranians are […]
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Unwritten Law — Swan
The guitars were as much inspired by modern rock and metal tones as they were pop-rock, and that fine balance of heavy and pop intrigued me. Unwritten Law was in that mix as well; where other bands have hung up their laces (or, in the case of Blink, tossed their shoes around in the air […]
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Elbow — Build a Rocket Boys!
So when the band’s new album, “Build A Rocket Boys!,” showed up with a bunch of mushy, mid-tempo pop tunes, I was very, very confused. There is nothing on “Boys!” that even suggests that this is the same group of “Grounds for Divorce.” There are string-laden arrangements, maudlin lyrics, weird arrangements that include steel drums, and […]
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Lelia Broussard — Masquerade
Lelia Broussard’s “Masquerade” is an unassuming, bouncy, acoustic-based female singer/songwriter record that I unabashedly love — even though there’s absolutely nothing unique about it. It’s an inversion of Adele’s “21”: While Adele is working hard to take the world by storm with her gravitas and emotive power, Broussard will soon be breezing through the indie […]