Photo: Moses Namkung Some bands rue the day where they play in massive arenas and amphitheaters instead of midsized concert halls. Folk rock’s The Avett Brothers, however, relish it. “We have more tools at our disposal than we ever have. There’s been a gradual progression, watching the size of the rooms we were playing in […]
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Jon Lyle Williams and the Bravest Retreat — Jon Lyle Williams and the Bravest Retreat
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal;mso-outline-level:1″><span style=" Times New Roman” ,”serif”;mso-fareast-times=”” new=”” roman”;=”” mso-font-kerning:18.0pt;mso-fareast-language:es-bo”=””> I assume Jon Lyle Williams and the Bravest Retreat miss it, too, because their self-titled album seems like an ode to the decade with a certain affection for their Oklahoma roots thrown in for good measure. Williams’ voice is a husky and powerful […]
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Harp dreams
It’s been a long music career for Oklahoma City songstress Camille Harp — one that’s lasted as long as she’s been alive, really. “I was born into it. It was never having to decide if I was going to do this or do that,” said Harp, born to country-musician parents. “I’ve been asked when I […]
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Thinkin’ about Woody
Photo: Robin Carson / Woody Guthrie Archives No one disputes that Woody Guthrie is the most significant Anglo-American folksinger, period. He merged the British ballad musical and storytelling tradition with African-American blues; added the incisive and humorous sociopolitical commentary of Will Rogers; and became the emblematic folk-music spokesperson for the downtrodden, beat-up, misused and abused […]
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Chelsey Cope — A Deeper Root
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal;mso-outline-level:1″><span style=" Times New Roman” ,”serif”;mso-fareast-times=”” new=”” roman”;=”” mso-font-kerning:18.0pt;mso-fareast-language:es”=””> Much like Samantha Crain and Sherree Chamberlain, Cope’s voice and arrangements are both undeniably Southern, if tailored, sophisticated and modernized enough to avoid be cloyingly so. It’s just the right touch of twang, layered between airy indie harmonies and enchanting melodies. Wipe away […]
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Horse, of course
Credit: Doug Schwarz Few bands have the sense of state pride as Horse Thief. The outfit’s sound is the perfect intersection of the dusty country-folk Oklahoma long has been famous for — presently encapsulated by Other Lives — and the quirky, psychedelic noise preached by the likes of The Flaming Lips, Starlight Mints, Evangelicals and […]
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The gap
Credit: Nathan Poppe Although less than two years old, the Oklahoma City Southern folk act Black Canyon already is a whole new beast. “Black Canyon has changed a lot over the past six months,” front man and founding member Jake Morisse said. “Things are getting a lot louder.” There’s a fairly simple explanation: Founding member […]
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Vesper recipe
With two albums surveying themes of hope, redemption in Jesus, and supernatural healing to their name, it’s no surprise that The Vespers are a band of Christians. But are they a Christian band? A closer look at the college-aged siblings’ output and business acumen suggests they’re aiming for the former. “When we got together, we […]
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Evolution theory
Denton, Texas-based singersongwriter Sarah Jaffe broke through in 2010 with her first full-length album, Suburban Nature, boasting a beautiful sound, charming voice and lyrical wit, all evidenced by the single, “Clementine.” It won her spots playing shows with Norah Jones and The Old 97’s, so she could have just leaned on that sound for a […]
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The Moody muse
It only makes sense that Australian-born, Canadian-raised singer-songwriter Ruth Moody has enjoyed her illustrious career, filled with Juno Awards (Canada’s answer to the Grammys), Billboard-charting albums and more than a dozen appearances on A Prairie Home Companion. After all, she’s been groomed for it since birth. “When I was growing up, there was music everywhere. […]