While his fellow students spent a week recovering from their rowdy spring breaks, Oklahoma City emcee Damon Johnson spent that time recording his debut mixtape, titling it 7 Days, of course. “I got back from spring break and told everyone I was going to put out a mixtape in a week,” Johnson said. “Starting that […]
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Ellis county
As a tried and true blues guitarist, Tinsley Ellis holds no delusions of taking the world by storm. Besides, the workman musician — who just turned 55 — already gets to enjoy something just as good. A father figure of sorts in the genre, he helped spawn the career of a young Derek Trucks, who […]
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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. […]
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A crappy show
Austin, Texas-based garage musician Orville Bateman Neely stays busy. He produces records for the likes of The Strange Boys, drums for A Giant Dog, co-fronts Bad Sports and runs sound at Austin venue Beerland. Oh, and currently on its first national tour, his own band, OBN IIIs, plays 10 p.m. Saturday at The Blue Note […]
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Barry spritzer
Rock has The Beatles, jazz has Miles Davis, rap has Tupac, and adult contemporary has Barry Manilow. The man who became an icon for molding “Mandy,” “Copacabana (At the Copa)” and “Can’t Smile Without You” into chunks of pop-culture history is a natural showman with a gleaming voice, penchant for flashy stage attire and a […]
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Simply Red: Live at Montreux 2003
That was then; this is now. I no longer own Simply Red — in any format — so it’s only with sheer nostalgia that I gave the group’s Live at Montreux 2003 a spin. The Blu-ray presents a live concert of 18 tracks of jazz- and soul-inspired pop (and then seven more from a 2010 […]
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The SweetWater — Moonshine
The final product is ’90s rock in Wrangler jeans and cowboy boots, something that fans of Taddy Porter and Kings of Leon will appreciate. Much like The Avengers, each member is given the chance to play the hero over the course of the 10-track effort. Singer Adam Banner lets his pipes roar in opener “Get […]
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So and so good
Credit: Stephanie Bassos When Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s emerged in the mid-2000s with the brilliant chamber-pop record The Dust of Retreat, major labels saw the band as the next Arcade Fire, The Shins or The Decemberists. Too bad chief songwriter and lead singer Richard Edwards never planned on sticking to one sound, […]
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To the ’core
Credit: Ross Adams Alex Barnard loves the hardcore scene, its DIY aesthetic and underground culture, but he aspired to play for rooms with more than a dozen people in them. He found like-minded, longtime Oklahoma City musicians in Daniel Weaver, Billy Reid and James Hammontree; together, they formed Chud. “All of us have played in […]