On the other, the fact that a 32-year-old band is writing relevant music is kind of amazing and deserves more props than the first line gave it. I suppose it matters if you’ve heard Social Distortion before: If you’re a fan of their music, “Hard Times” will be nothing but exciting to you. New listeners […]
rock
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Cold War Kids — Mine Is Yours
The Black Keys proved you could play smart rock/blues/soul music (and people would eventually take notice with their monumental 2010), but Cold War Kids opted for the Kings of Leon route, dumbing things down in hopes of netting a bigger crowd. It worked for them, but it’s clearly going to be a bigger struggle for […]
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The Del Toros — Come Down
Informed equally by ’90s rock and modern pop, Tulsa-based The Del Toros infuse each of the 10 tracks on “Come Down” with a sharp sense of melody and a clear vision. Each of the songs is incredibly friendly to the ear, which is good — you’ll have them with you for a while afterward. The […]
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The Morning After Girls — Alone
Instead of using it for chillwave or dream-pop, The Morning After Girls go back to 1991 and stomp their pedals to make shoegaze. They do a good job of modernizing the sound; it’s not the genre that’s off-putting about “Alone.” The band cleans up several of the trademark moves of shoegaze for a modern […]
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Exit Calm — Exit Calm
The reverb-laden guitar cacophony, buried vocals and mood emphasis of the former were swapped out for focused distortion, pop melodies and distinct song structures of the latter in listeners’ minds. Shoegaze never recovered. If Exit Calm had appeared in 1993, shoegaze might still be going strong. Armed with ear-splitting waves of reverb-heavy guitars that came […]
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British Sea Power — Valhalla Dancehall
If you didn’t catch them at Norman Music Festival 1, check out their Wikipedia article, which details their antics. Despite their wild stage presence, their music has never been incredibly confrontational or extreme; they’ve more often than not cranked out solid rock music and called it a day (see title and music of previous release, […]
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Willie do it?
Willie Stradlin with Hellcat SusieFriday Wormy Dog Saloon 311 E. Sheridan www.wormydog.com 601-6276 $5 Arkansas-based band Willie Stradlin makes no effort to hide its inspirations, taking its name from Guns N’ Roses guitarist Izzy Stradlin and country music icon Willie Nelson. The act formed six years ago when front man Heath Molton was asked to […]
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Games afoot
If video killed the radio star, many of today’s video games seem determined to bring him or her back. Since several musically inclined game titles may be on your loved ones’ lists this Christmas, I enlisted my kids to help tackle a couple, pre-Yule. First up? “Rock Band 3,” the latest in MTV Games’ venerable […]
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Lola Ray – Liars
Lola Ray‘s debut album, 2004’s “I Don’t Know You,” proved the musicians weren’t content to be another pop-punk act. With hints of Eighties new-wave woven throughout their songs, the bandmates showed they know how to play melodic leads as well as bang out the power chords. “Liars” is further proof that Lola Ray wants […]
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Red City Radio’ Spinning in Circles Is a Gateway Drug
Right now, Oklahoma City punk outfit Red City Radio is making its way down the East Coast, gigging from Pennsylvania to The Fest, a three-day music festival in Gainesville, Fla. Vinnie Fiorello, drummer and founding member of hit Florida ska act Less Than Jake, caught the band’s performance at The Fest last year. After Red […]