“A lot of these cats, they come with premeditated stuff, but I come with the essence of true battle rap,” said Nymasis (pronounced “nemesis”). “There’s no one here who can mess with me.” The rapper, legal name Anthony Tee, recently proved his words with a win in Oklahoma City’s “Hottest on the Scene MC” battle. […]
Stephen Carradini
Posted inMusic
The Other guys
Do the math: Other Lives does not equal Kunek. Songwriter Jesse Tabish, a member of both projects with cellist Jenny Hsu and drummer Colby Owens, is quick to point out that the beloved Stillwater band Kunek and newer group Other Lives aren’t exactly the same thing. “It was mutual parting with another member. It wasn’t […]
Posted inMusic
Chris Bathgate — Salt Year
It’s a mellowing experience, one that makes a sleepy day seem bearable. The folky tunes don’t have an underlying layer of misery that marks Bon Iver’s output, and that’s all the better for just watching life go by on a lazy afternoon. If you’re lazy, you can just put “No Silver” on repeat and drift […]
Posted inMusic
Snow & Lace — Mixtape One
Be not fooled. Although Snow & Lace’s debut is titled “Mixtape One,” this isn’t rap. Instead, it’s 30 minutes and 30 seconds of chilled-to-the-max ambient music, split evenly into two parts, aptly titled “Movement One” and “Movement Two.” The Oklahoma act lets one musical idea slowly unfold into the next, creating a flowing mood. “Movement […]
Posted inMusic
Walk to remember
In 11 years as a band, The Walkmen has never had a man walk. “It’s a band. It’s supposed to be a group of people doing something, not just a business or a name. If one of us left, it wouldn’t be the same thing,” said Peter Bauer, pianist and organist for the New York-based […]
Posted inMusic
The 411 on NMF4
MAIN STAGE Saturday’s Main Stage sees more indie rock and less diversity than in previous years, with Oklahoma City instrumental wunderkinds The Non; San Franciscan garage-rocker Ty Segall; Austin, Texas-based indie-dance crew Foot Patrol; and New York City’s harsh/beautiful indie rockers The Walkmen all gracing the spot. Local folkster Penny Hill Party will open the […]
Posted inMusic
Urban renewal
The Neighborhood has some good neighbors. The Norman four-piece broke up a couple years ago, easing to a halt after the release of its excellent debut album, “Our Voices Choked with Fireworks.” It wasn’t apparent whether the group would ever play again, as members got busy with other projects, moved to far-off places and got […]
Posted inMusic
Superchunk — Here’s Where the Strings Come In
I was about to write that Superchunk’s solid, if unexceptional 1995 release, “Here’s Where the Strings Come In,” is pretty much only for fans of the band and devotees of the genre, totally forgetting for the moment that they used to be all who cared about indie rock. The re-release of the album, which hit […]
Posted inMusic
Ponytail — Do Whatever You Want All the Time
Having a singular vision is difficult, especially when it’s so singular that listeners don’t get it. Ponytail’s “Do Whatever You Want All The Time” follows its title a little too closely, featuring eccentric tunes that lost me. While the dual guitar work here is impressive and occasionally interesting, it often takes a backseat to the […]
Posted inMusic
Piano man
“The last time I did improvisation in public was in Carnegie Hall, a long, long, long time ago,” McEvilly said. As part of the Metropolitan Library System’s “Noon Tunes” series, he will bring his variations on Mozart’s works at 11:30 a.m. Thursday to the atrium of the Downtown Library, 300 Park Ave. If you’re interested […]