Horse Thief is not a psychedelic folk band, like its members want you to believe; the Oklahoma City quintet plays trendy indie pop with some earthy guitar tones and lyrics that occasionally make mention of geography. Self-affixed or otherwise, labels aren’t necessarily indicative of artistic worth, yet framework and context are crucial in determining whether […]
folk
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Mulling it over
Shawn Mullins Photo: Michael Wilson When a musician is widely known for one song and one song only, the relationship can be complicated. Folk rocker Shawn Mullins’ Grammy-nominated track “Lullaby” was inescapable as soon as it debuted in 1998, and he hasn’t had another song approach that level of success … but he loves the […]
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Songs of the South
The Kamals Photo: Stephen Carradini Taking place March 12-17, the event’s switch from the single-story Friends Bar to The 512, a two-story location, allowed for two stages without too much noise interference, which is almost always a problem at SXSW. The open-air upstairs stage had a bit of peripheral sound invasion, but even during Samantha […]
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SXSW 2013: OK Sweetheart / Defining Times / Samantha Crain
OK Sweetheart knows how to write a pop tune, whether it’s a slow ballad or a peppy, full-band sing-along. The Tulsa quintet showed both sides of their prowess during its set. The latter were marked by enthusiastic clapping from the band and audience. This energy carried over to the songwriting, as the bass lines were […]
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SXSW 2013: Zach Winters / Parker Millsap
The Norman man’s voice is a high, yearning one, perfect for injecting a sense of longing into a tune. He also had three female vocalists with him, and their vocals added a unique dimension to Winters’ sound. A drummer, hand percussionist, bassist and electric guitarist filled out the rest of the band, which gave Winters’ […]
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Samantha Crain — Kid Face
Likewise, her music sounds like the kind of earthy Americana that could have emerged from any of the last five decades. Both her vocal efficacy and reverential know-how have been and remain a testament to the uncommon maturity of her skill set. But if anything was holding the Shawnee native back, it was her aversion […]
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Sam I am
Photo: Keisha Register They say home is where the heart is. For musicians, however, the grind of touring often can be a blessing — an escape from personal demons or the perils of comfort and complacency. But if you’re anything like Samantha Crain, life on the road is just a desire coming to fruition. Crain […]
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Mumford’s the word!
Guthrie is one of only five cities in the world — three in the United States — that will host the tour. The mini-festival will span two nights, with Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros performing Friday, Sept. 6. Other confirmed featured guests are Alabama Shakes, The Vaccines, Willy Mason, Bear’s Den and Half Moon […]
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‘Circus’ folk
Singer-songwriter Rebecca Loebe rarely feels right at home on the road as she does when she plays The Blue Door, as she will Thursday. The Atlanta native cut her teeth in Georgia’s famed Eddie’s Attic, the club that helped foster the careers of Indigo Girls, Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles and The Civil Wars, among others. John […]
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Parker Millsap can’t lose
Parker Millsap is a classic case of a voice not fitting the person from whom it emerges. Slight, squeaky-clean and still somewhat baby-faced, Millsap is a sharp dresser — often sporting a bow tie, button-down shirt and cardigan — and near-constantly shadowed by his rambunctious, black-and-white mutt, Mavis. It’s the sort of dapper wholesomeness of […]