Albuquerque, N.M.'s Soular has spent a lot of time in Oklahoma " the band has recorded in Norman, and even played Tulsa and Tahlequah, but never has played Oklahoma City.
That all changes Friday when the quartet arrives at the Belle Isle Brewery with Oklahoma City's Luma and Fayetteville, Ark.'s spiritual power popper Benjamin Del Shreve in tow.
INFLUENCES
Soular often gets compared to Spiritualized or Radiohead, but keyboardist/vocalist Marsh Shamburger said the true genesis of the band's atmospheric, dreamy sound goes back to touchstones such as The Beatles, Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, Queen and the like.
"I think almost all rock bands get compared to Radiohead these days, but our influences go back earlier than that," Shamburger said.
The group also counts 19th-century Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninov as an early influence, which is reasonable given the band's big, billowing romantic arrangements.
TOURING
Soular's fourth disc, "Love Crash Heal," is its first full-length album. After two months of chart success on College Media Journal's Top 200 list with "Time & Space" in 2004, Soular made the new album with touring, developmental support and a larger audience in mind.
"It's time to play some of these places that have played our records," Shamburger said.
Soular's been doing a lot of roadwork for the last couple of years, averaging about 15 dates per month.
"We all dress in chain mail and medieval gear when we prep for a show," he said. "Tory Troutman
