Imagine for a moment that you’re perched atop a pristine body of water. As you gaze downward, ripples contort the natural world, and all of your tangible surroundings seem strangely elusive and engulfed in fantasy. The other side of that reflection? The world in which Future Islands live. Appearing tonight at Opolis, the Baltimore trio […]
songs
Posted inMusic
Perfect situation
Haters will hate, but of bands established in the 1990s, Weezer remains one of the most recognizable due to its sound: wailing guitar solos, harmonies owing as much to The Beach Boys as punk rock, and lyrics dripping with all the nostalgia and self-obsession teenagers could possibly muster. If fans, however, would rather not drop […]
Posted inMusic
Ghost of a chance
Photo: Krista Spears Most parents aren’t thrilled about their kids playing in punk bands. The mother of Corporate Ghost drummer Max Harris, however, has fostered the entire underground scene by giving fledgling punk and garage rock bands a place to call home while honing their skill. “It’s provided a place for the punk and underground […]
Posted inArts & Culture
‘Poppins’ pops
Disney’s national touring production of the Mary Poppins musical is great, fun and colorful. Its cast is excellent, too, with one strange exception: Mary Poppins herself. As Mary, the magical nanny, Madeline Trumble was the only one who seemed overly showy, clearly putting on a performance, whereas the rest of the actors were much more […]
Posted inArts & Culture
The Phynx
To review the movie, I need only tell you what it’s about. The dictator of communist Albania has swiped dozens of United States “world leaders,” including Butterfly McQueen, Johnny Weismuller, Maureen O’Sullivan, Dorothy Lamour, Xavier Cugat, Col. Sanders, Busby Berkeley, the Bowery Boys, Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy. (Mind you, all of them appear as […]
Posted inMusic
Magnificent 7
Photo: Nathan Poppe Right in the thick of a deep run into the NBA playoffs, Oklahoma City came together earlier this year in not only a frenzy of fandom, but a dawning realization that this indeed is a major-league city and, by extension, state. Somewhere between the OKC Thunder sweeping the Dallas Mavericks and taking […]
Posted inMusic
Full ‘Circles’
Americana artist Greg Reichel describes his music as “very real and soulful.” And while many singer-songwriters typically use such terms to describe their sound, Reichel believes he goes out of his way to prove it. “I try to write with as much soul as I can, instead of just throwing a song together,” he said. […]
Posted inMusic
‘Free’ at last
Rap has long held domain over comedy skits between songs until country crooner Jerrod Niemann laid claim to them with his breakout 2010 album, Judge Jerrod & the Hung Jury. “We were just laughing, having a blast and couldn’t stop between takes,” said the self-described half-Oklahoman who grew up in Liberal, Kan. “We’d get these […]
Posted inMusic
The Man with the Iron Fists — Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
The compilation is packed with hip-hop heavyweights like Kanye West, Pusha T, Talib Kweli and Wiz Khalifa. Also making appearances are the remainder of the Wu-Tang Clan, R&B singers Corinne Bailey Rae and Mable John, and indie rock band The Black Keys. First things first: You can’t really go wrong with Wu-Tang, whether it’s a […]
Posted inMusic
Movin’ Melvins
The Melvins aren’t the household name they deserve to be. Hopefully, time will favor the American rockers, but if not, at least they will go down in the record books: Appearing Saturday at Opolis, the Melvins are in the midst of becoming the first band to play all 50 states (plus Washington, D.C.) in 51 […]