Starring and written by Jack Roberts, the movie centers on an aspiring musician who moves to Tulsa to make it big singing karaoke. Naturally, the soundtrack dishes out a heavy dose of Oklahoma indie-rock heavyweights, and the album is a solid showing of all the talent the state has to offer.
Ryan Lindsey’s airy, acoustic ditties — “Summertime,” “My Place in the Hills” and “Open Late” — are among the brightest, although Sherree Chamberlain does equally impressive work with “Help Me,” “Circus Dear” and “Windmill Wings.”
Colourmusic adds a needed punch with its trio of tracks (“Put in a Little Gas,” “The Gospel Sing” and “Someday Speaks Loudly”), but a pair of Tulsa artists threatens to steal the show. Atmospheric pop quartet Ithica launches the disc in a totally different direction with “Broken Kaleidoscope,” a textured, electronic symphony that would do TV on the Radio proud. Right after comes Johnny Polygon with “Ebonics,” which, again, sends the soundtrack sprawling with a soulful, funky crunch straight out of a blaxploitation flick.
Although cobbled from original albums now more than a few years old, the Duncan Christopher disc is a strong reminder that hearing good indie rock from Oklahoma artists is no Dream. —Joshua Boydston
Hey! Read This:
• Colourmusic interview
• Ryan Lindsey interview
This article appears in Jun 6-12, 2012.