The University of Central Oklahoma Jazz Lab is doing its part to keep jazz in the public eye and foster young talent. Currently, the Edmond-based venue is undergoing renovations and continues to bring in big-name talent. It will celebrate its fifth anniversary in March. EDUCATE & ENTERTAIN“We are consistently making money on our […]
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R.E.M.-And I Feel Fine: The Best of the IRS Years 1982-1987
Capitol/I.R.S. This latest collection of R.E.M.’s catalogue before its jump to major label Warner Bros. has it all, from “Gardening at Night” to the always-impressive “It’s the End of the World as We Know It “¦ and I Feel Fine.” What’s most interesting is what R.E.M. defines as hits; “Feeling Gravity’s Pull” might leave one […]
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Rockabilly singer enjoys impersonating Elvis in OKC
At the Jan. 8 Elvis Presley impersonator contest at Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar and Grill, Brian Dunning proved he was the complete package, having: ” the moves, ” the look, ” the attitude and ” the pipes of the young Elvis. His hair blown back in a tall pompadour and dressed in […]
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Punk rocker The Queers plan OKC performance
Since 1982, Joe Queer has been a part of the punk rock underground as leaders of The Queers. Today, after being cited as a major influence by Green Day, My Chemical Romance and Blink-182, he wonders where the fun has gone. “Calling yourselves The Queers is a gateway to comedy,” Queer explained. “That’s […]
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Don Peris – Go When the Morning Shineth
From Pennsylvania came the cold and The Innocence Mission. “Bright As Yellow” on the “Empire Records” soundtrack may have been the highest level of notoriety the dream-folk band achieved since beginning in the late Eighties. The band fell somewhere between adult contemporary and cult status with classic-rooted compositions tailor-made for NPR segues. Today, from a […]
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Tom Brosseau-Grand Forks
L oveless Tom Brosseau’s fifth release is a thematic tribute to the Grand Forks, N.D., which flooded in April 1997, displacing some 60,000 residents; 10 years later, Brosseau mourns for his hometown’s suffering while celebrating its elasticity. It’s an honorable effort, and his heart is in the right place. If only it weren’t so understated. […]
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New Edmond-based record label aims to prime bands for stardom
Scott Booker’s long experience managing bands ” not the least of which is The Flaming Lips ” makes him uniquely qualified to run Great Society, his new record label. Warner Bros. Records is on board with his latest imprint, in no small part due to his years with the Lips. “They already knew, […]
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Tulsa’s Harmonious Monk specializes in jazz, optimism
Tulsa-based jazz band Harmonious Monk is spreading the good vibes of God, Miles Davis and the hippie nature of wonderment. “When we play, what is most important is that we are brothers sharing time and thoughts,” explained drummer Andrew Owen Bones. “Jazz might crawl up inside itself like a Gollum to speak about nothing […]
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OKC’s The Stringents rock out with classical instruments
While artists such as Elvis Costello and Sting recently have dabbled in classical music, four classically trained Oklahoma City musicians have joined forces to form what they call a “rock string quartet.” The brainchild of longtime friends Sarah Wilhite and Jenn Mills, The Stringents came to life in 2006 and quickly began winning over […]
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Norman venue Studio 360 hopes metal music is here to stay
Studio 360 is Norman’s home for metal: grindcore, death metal, heavy metal, black metal, thrash and anything heavy enough to which one can start a bar brawl. Originally doubling as a private-party venue and recording studio, Studio 360 became a venue when co-owner Vance Phillips recruited Ryk Weston to promote and book bands heavy […]