ADDverse Effects, a new collective based out of Norman, offers something fresh to the growing hip-hop scene in Oklahoma. Drummer Boyd Littel came up with the idea after a last-second gig he played with vocalist Joshua “Fiji” Rehanek and a couple other musicians. With that show’s success, he recruited the current lineup, and the band […]
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The Grown Ups — Dark Hearts
Take “Catalina,” for example: the consummate portrayal of the group’s strengths. The song’s first half consists of a hushed guitar strum, sparkling piano and a steady, mid-tempo rhythm to guide them. It’s morose and contemplative in a way that’s almost reminiscent of the dampened grandeur Modest Mouse perfected on The Moon & Antarctica. Yet at […]
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Cave in
“They say no news is good news,” sing The Caves, and given the six-year gap between the Kansas City, Mo., band’s loose formation and the release of its first record, Duplexiaville, maybe they’re right. The Caves find its players abandoning their earlier ties to harder rock, instead spending their lengthy off-season honing sweet harmonies, subtle […]
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Road to everywhere
His trio, Horseshoe Road, has been chosen as one of 12 ensembles to partake in a monthlong international cultural exchange tour as part of the American Music Abroad program. Nearly 300 groups nationwide auditioned for the program, which is administered by American Voices on behalf of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and […]
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‘Tik Tok,’ Russell
But Oklahoma City Thunder star Russell Westbrook definitely tunes into her. The point guard not too long ago was caught jamming out before a game to the music of Ke$ha, who performed in Houston last night as part of the NBA All-Star Game festivities. “It was the cutest, hottest thing ever to see a basketball […]
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Tangled web
The site in question, zooamp.com, was set up by Howard Pollack’s company, Facilities Management Group (FMG), which had managed the Zoo Amp from 2003 until last summer, when the Oklahoma City Zoological Trust awarded the venue’s management contract to another company. The parting between FMG and the city was acrimonious, with both sides exchanging barbs […]
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Not amused
I don’t know Walt Strony, but I’m sure his talent does not deserve to be trivialized in some lame and juvenile attempt to be funny. Clearly, you have no respect for quality in either music, humor, or journalism. At the very least, you owe Mr. Strony an apology for your tastelessness. —Rosemary Brown, Oklahoma City
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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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Amanda Earhart — Tell Me What You Want
Her debut EP, Tell Me What You Want, is characterized by funky, bright instrumentation with a mellow groove that harkens back to an age before Auto-Tune. Born and raised in Oklahoma City, Earhart shows off an impressive vocal range throughout the six songs. Whether she’s singing low and level, like in “Tell Me What You […]
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Lotus flowers
Photo: Tobin Voggesser American music’s evolving scope hasn’t played into the hands of many bands as well as it has for instrumental act Lotus. The collective of Deadheads with penchants for Aphex Twin and The Orb has ridden the rise of electronic dance music to sold-out tours and high-profile festival slots. “When we first started […]