After making a name for himself in the Oklahoma music scene as a solo act, Kyle Reid returns to the stage with a toe-tappin’, finger-snappin’ brass band. They have crowned themselves the Low Swingin’ Chariots, and it has become a project that Reid can’t believe took him so long to get to. “I saw a […]
album”
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Dreaming big
Guitarist Tony Smith and drummer Justin Wilson — founding members of alt-rock outfit Sleeper Agent — found that they lacked a spark after a couple of lackluster gigs around their hometown of Bowling Green, Ky. But upon discovering dynamo frontwoman Alex Kandel at an open mic night singing Adele covers, Sleeper Agent soon became the […]
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Straying from the norm
Photo: Doug Seymour Don’t bother asking The Stray Birds how they came up with their beautifully evocative name. Even they’ve forgotten by now. “We were trying to name the project and felt like we should be some kind of bird. Obviously, The Byrds is out,” said Oliver Craven, the band’s jack-of-alltrades. “We travel around a […]
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Honey, I’m home
Heavy, the debut album of Oklahoma folk-rockers Honeylark, will premier to much fanfare with its Saturday release show, featuring a rare performance from Oklahoma music legend and the Queen of Rockabilly herself, Wanda Jackson. Other collaborations include local favorites Fiawna Forte, The Wurly Birds, Em and the MotherSuperiors, Feathered Rabbit and a three-piece horn section. […]
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Apocalyptic — Wisdom Mixtape Vol. 1
In 2012, Robbie “Apocalyptic” Carpenter, former member of the legendary OKC rap collective Exodus, released the 20-track underground masterpiece Literary, a collection of sanctified hip-hop that was as rapid-fire with the rhymes as much as he is on fire for his Lord and Savior. It turns out it’s Carpenter’s mission to have the listener believe […]
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Bottle shock
Photo: Chris J. Zähller To the general public, the current face of country music is dominated by GQ models with chiseled, square jaws who are more proud of their frosted tips and designer Western-wear than their music. But not the outlaws of Norman’s Empty Bottles. Not now, not ever. “As a personal preference, I just […]
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Soul Williams — Love, Soul: The Musical Letters Collective, Part 1
With a humble swagger and beats that could knock down the walls of Jericho, Williams’ newest album fills the pews with a low-down gospel message that, refreshingly, isn’t afraid to pull out a whip and strike down the false prophets crowding the temples of the holy. For example, the second track, “Revolutionary Minds” — co-written […]
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Colourmusic — A Very Special Colourmusic Christmas: Vol. 1
The band calls A Very Special Colourmusic Christmas: Vol. 1 “the indie reponse to Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s ‘Wizards in Winter.’” And while that’s most certainly an apt description, it feels even more like the soundtrack to a lost How The Grinch Stole Christmas! sequel — a whimsical, colorful collection of songs whose quirks are only matched […]
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Poolboy — Soda Kids
Guitarist Michael Loveland, bassist Sean Barker and drummer John Calvin are no strangers to the local scene, nor are they, apparently, strangers to good, old-fashioned rock ’n’ roll. The band’s debut EP, Soda Kids, clocks in at less than six minutes, with four capricious and impassioned tracks that mimic a bygone golden era of punk […]
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Batteries plus
If it’s not broke, don’t fix it. That’s the belief punk rock band Alkaline Trio has held steadfast in since forming in the mid-1990s, and nearly two decades later, it’s one that has paid dividends. While most of the outfit’s contemporaries have long since burnt out, Alkaline Trio is playing to the same devout fans […]