Throughout rock and roll lore, there are stories of bands breaking away from familial bonds to create identities of their own. However, even though local freakout artists Stardeath and White Dwarfs are closely related to The Flaming Lips — lead singer Dennis Coyne is Wayne Coyne’s nephew — it’s a shadow that the band is more […]
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Jerome-coming
Gregory Jerome is quick to clarify that he’s not a typical rapper — instead a positive, thought-provoking hip-hop artist. He also feels that may be why, since returning to Oklahoma City five years ago after a stint in Nashville, his music has been ignored by the mainstream. “It’s not trendy music,” Jerome said. “It’s just like […]
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Honey, I’m home
Heavy, the debut album of Oklahoma folk-rockers Honeylark, will premier to much fanfare with its Saturday release show, featuring a rare performance from Oklahoma music legend and the Queen of Rockabilly herself, Wanda Jackson. Other collaborations include local favorites Fiawna Forte, The Wurly Birds, Em and the MotherSuperiors, Feathered Rabbit and a three-piece horn section. […]
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The Best Local Albums of 2013
10. Johnny Polygon — The Nothing 2013 belonged to the introspective rappers — the ones who found their strength in going soft and whose heads, hearts and souls lay open for listeners to poke around in. Tulsa emcee Johnny Polygon tips open his brain like a cap on The Nothing, baring weed-soaked nuggets of self-truths that are […]
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Magna Carta Holy Sh*t
The former is, of course, met with deafening applause, wild cheering and a palpable sense of excitement, as is the latter. But the icon is greeted with something more, this sort of split-second pause, wherein that uncontainable anticipation is temporarily supplanted with an awestruck, almost audible gasp of, “Oh my god. He is real.” That’s how […]
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Bottle shock
Photo: Chris J. Zähller To the general public, the current face of country music is dominated by GQ models with chiseled, square jaws who are more proud of their frosted tips and designer Western-wear than their music. But not the outlaws of Norman’s Empty Bottles. Not now, not ever. “As a personal preference, I just […]
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Don’t get it twisted
Twista — the rapid-fire emcee who once held the title of World’s Fastest Rapper — has kept relatively quiet lately. Born Carl Mitchell, the Chicago-based artist has been rapping for nearly 30 years, releasing his first album two decades ago and eventually finding widespread fame with his platinum-selling 2004 album Kamikaze and its smash single […]
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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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Inside Llewyn Davis
There are several shots in Joel and Ethan Coen’s latest that (intentionally) offer a similar imagery, only with one very significant difference: Its protagonist, Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac, Drive), is a lone wolf in the truest sense — aloof, misunderstood and tragically unsuccessful in his personal and professional endeavors. Set in 1961, the film opens […]
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Y’all, be nice. Seriously.
People are just so mean to her! Yeah, she’s a celebrity and all, but is that really a good reason to be a big, fat meanie-head about it? For instance, after starring in (and totally nailing her role in!!!) the recent NBC television special The Sound of Music Live!, so-called “critics” panned the vivacious starlet. […]