Roughly eight years ago, The Red Dirt Radio Hour got its start on KVOO-FM 98.5 in Tulsa. The program specialized in spotlighting Oklahoma bands like the Red Dirt Rangers, whose unique sound can best be described as a mash-up of rock, folk, country and blues. Rangers member John Cooper helped found the program. However, he […]
country
Posted inMusic
’Wood burning
A lot rides on a debut album: It’s the first — and sometimes only — chance to tell the world what you’re all about. Ramsay Midwood did just that with 2002’s spectacularly named Shoot Out at the OK Chinese Restaurant. “There were a lot of gunfights in Chinese restaurants in California … too much MSG […]
Posted inNews
Blake not-so-placid
Credit: Brad Gregg Nope, it was because Shelton dared suggest that today’s young listener doesn’t want to listen to old records. Gasp! Shock! Heresy! Sayeth the Shelton on the Great American Country network’s Backstory documentary TV series, “Country music has to evolve in order to survive. Nobody wants to listen to their grandpa’s music. And […]
Posted inMusic
At bat
Curtis Grimes’ life reads like your classic country narrative: A promising baseball prospect ditches his chance at a shot in the big leagues for a girl, only to come away heartbroken a short while later. But instead of picking up the bottle, he picked up a guitar, and what sounds like the character in so […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Big Jim
From Jim Halsey’s collection are guitars signed by Bob Dylan and Paul McCartney. You may never have heard of Jim Halsey, but surely you’ve heard of the acts he’s discovered, managed or guided the careers of: Wanda Jackson, Roy Clark, Hank Thompson and The Oak Ridge Boys, to name just a few. Chances are, without […]
Posted inMusic
Listen up again
Following up our list of 2012’s best local albums, here are our picks for the 10 top singles. 1. Sooner the Sunset, “All Because of You”If there is a formula to writing the perfect folk pop song, Graham Colton clearly has it, and to give him an equally formidable singer-songwriter to play off of (Lindsey […]
Posted inNews
Friends in high places
Credit: Brad Gregg Brooks told the Sun, “It would be amazing if it works out with Scorsese. I’m not confirming or denying that.” Our hope is that the 70-year-old Scorsese, arguably America’s greatest living director, won’t waste his time with someone who peaked 20 years ago. Then again, some of Scorsese’s strange-sounding projects pan out […]
Posted inMusic
Do you hear what we hear?
Kyle DillinghamA Very Kyle Christmas Oklahoma’s Musical Ambassador, Kyle Dillingham, doesn’t fiddle around on his Christmas disc, as the album is no mere novelty. Solid musicianship abounds on this intimate, acoustic affair, whose 14 tracks — a couple of which are originals — come decorated with interesting instrumentation not relegated to his signature violin. “Shall […]
Posted inMusic
Toby Keith — Hope on the Rocks
For many years, on my late, lamented Colorado-based radio show, Damaged Hearing, whenever I felt like especially annoying the decidedly unpatriotic community-radio audience, I would sing along, loud and proud, to Oklahoma-born Toby Keith’s “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue.” Of course, the more I would sing along to the song, the more I […]
Posted inNews
Just push play?
Credit: Brad Gregg According to a Yahoo! report, the guest spot didn’t sit well with any band member who wasn’t Tyler. Recalled rhythm guitarist Brad Whitford, someone said, “Wait a minute: So this is an Aerosmith album, right?” Perhaps that objector was lead guitarist Joe Perry? Quoted in Yahoo!’s article, he didn’t sound all too […]