Johnson has four decades of experience in the music industry.
Eclectic
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Aisha Eustache — Love & Addiction
Where are the chanteuses who once graced the charts, like Betty Wright, Roberta Flack or The Three Degrees? Where are the beautiful declarations of love and fidelity? The soul-stirring rock-bottoms of heartache and loneliness? A return to honest, resonant emotion? Those questions are answered with the five songs of Love & Addiction, the debut EP […]
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Nina Medley — Red Dirt Redemption
Well, I can say that I’m pretty sure she’s found it. Her smoky, soulful vocals slink around the archetypal blues riffs, but beneath every song is that homegrown, Red Dirt, roadhouse rocking ’n’ rolling that draw immediate comparisons to Janis Joplin. “Drive Right Through Memphis” has a down-and-dirty groove that’s as playful as it is […]
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Various artists — Support Local Heroes: Vol 1
But music has more to offer than just fun and games. And with the sting of May’s natural disasters still weighing heavy on Oklahomans, Support Local Heroes: Vol 1 — a 10-song compilation of Chevy Music Showcase artists benefitting ongoing disaster-relief efforts — seeks to provide both spiritual and financial aid for those affected by […]
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Various artists — Reaching Out
Much in the same vein, Reaching Out is a $7 compilation of 22 Oklahoma artists available on Bandcamp, with all proceeds going directly to the American Red Cross tornado-relief fund. The music itself could easily be overlooked with an undertaking this significant, yet the diverse cast of musicians is more than enough to satisfy. Songs […]
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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 […]
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Good King Friday — Good King Friday
Good King Friday is the product of a collaboration between OU music professor Christina Giacona, some childhood friends in Los Angeles, former OU students Patrick Conlon and Audrey Snyder (hailing from Canada and Chicago, respectively) and lyricist Matt Kolbet, the brother-in-law of bassist Nathan Caswell. It’s remarkable that an album by such a far-spread ensemble […]
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Big Fresh — Moneychasers
Employing the talents of 10 musicians, this Kentucky indie ensemble handles pop, rock, reggae, ska and everything in between. The problem is, it loses its identity in the process, forsaking accessibility for technicality. The single, “Rumours,” features the most restrained use of horns on the album, as well as a quirky piano accompaniment and the […]
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Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of The Police / Def Leppard / Van Halen
In the meantime, however, I’m already learning that I’ll likely come to embrace the kiddified pop culture that surrounds modern child rearing, thanks to these three CDs from the “Rockabye Baby!” crew, whose previous instrumental-only work has covered everybody from Smashing Pumpkins and Led Zeppelin to Björk and The Flaming Lips. Most songs are as […]
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Steven Boone — Rockabye Baby!: Lullaby Renditions of The Flaming Lips
New to the former is Steven Boone’s “Lullaby Renditions of the Flaming Lips.” It is just that: instrumental covers of the Lips catalogue, but played largely on a calming, tinkling vibraphone, and slowed to a soothing pace that’ll relax even those of us who have mastered the art of not peeing our pants. As someone […]