Listening to Horse Thief’s previous release — the haphazardly melodramatic Grow Deep, Grow Wild — felt like a chore. Whatever potential the Oklahoma City folk-pop act demonstrated on the EP was obscured behind a formulaic, contrived and ultimately hollow cloud. But it at least offered a glimmer of promise for a band consisting of, frankly, […]
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Colourmusic — May You Marry Rich
The Stillwater-based psychedelic act closed the curtain on last month’s Buffalo Lounge events at South by Southwest with a dazzlingly deafening set of material new and old, raising the already-high bar for one of Oklahoma’s most established and prodigious acts. Thankfully, May You Marry Rich — the band’s third studio album — by and large […]
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The Postman Always Rings Twice
Most of the sordid story unfolds at the Twin Oaks Tavern, a sparsely attended roadside diner owned by a Greek man (John Colicos, The Changeling) whose prized possession is either the place, his record player or his much-younger wife, Cora (Lange, TV’s American Horror Story). Much bored, she perks up when Frank (Nicholson) drifts in. […]
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Willis — The Understanding
From the opening R&B samples and powerful horn section that triumphantly blasts the arrival of a new hero on the scene, Willis’ The Understanding perfectly captures the inner-city swagger of a blaxploitation movie icon. Strutting through these dirty streets like he is God almighty, Willis unashamedly kicks the doors in and sits at the head of […]
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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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Somerset West — Black Cloud
Coming off a lengthy hiatus, the band’s passionate take on rock music (lining up neatly alongside acts like Brand New, Taking Back Sunday and Manchester Orchestra) is back in vogue, thanks to the “emo revival” now in full swing. Black Cloud brings most of the same touchstones found in its 2010 release, The Golden Land, […]
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Tonk-adile Dundee
Even with the rise of such Aussie superstars as Keith Urban, the country music scene down under is still a burgeoning one. It was for this reason that Tasmania native Audrey Auld made the move to Nashville a decade ago and finally found her niche. “I’ve lived in America 10 years now, and I think […]
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Resolution
Resembling Wolfman Jack as a hobo, Chris refuses. With the help of a taser and handcuffs that attach to a pipe running along the exposed wall, Michael puts Chris on an involuntary, seven-day detox. As his friend experiences withdrawal, Michael comes across some tweakers and members of a religious fringe group, but these weird people […]