Listening to Horse Thief’s previous release — the haphazardly melodramatic Grow Deep, Grow Wild — felt like a chore. Whatever potential the Oklahoma City folk-pop act demonstrated on the EP was obscured behind a formulaic, contrived and ultimately hollow cloud. But it at least offered a glimmer of promise for a band consisting of, frankly, […]
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The Hangover Part III
In response, for this summer’s The Hangover Part III, director Todd Phillips and the gang did something totally different. Complained the multiplex populace, “It’s not enough like the first one!” America, you fickle, fickle bastard. What’s funny about the whole thing is that both sequels are, well, funny. Yet The Hangover Part III just can’t […]
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SXSW 2013: Zach Winters / Parker Millsap
The Norman man’s voice is a high, yearning one, perfect for injecting a sense of longing into a tune. He also had three female vocalists with him, and their vocals added a unique dimension to Winters’ sound. A drummer, hand percussionist, bassist and electric guitarist filled out the rest of the band, which gave Winters’ […]
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Laura Leighe — The Laura Leighe EP
But it’s not like there isn’t good pop music being made, and one of the brighter spots is the angel-faced and -voiced Duncan native Laura Leighe, who seems more concerned with connecting to her listeners than selling them a product. Her EP’s opener, “Find Me,” is a saucy and masterfully produced single with a clever […]
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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 […]
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The Campaign
After helming two fact-based political dramas for HBO in Recount and Game Change, director Jay Roach must have found the opportunity to poke fun at the circus irresistible. I’m glad he did. In North Carolina’s 14th congressional district, the four-time incumbent is Cam Brady (Will Ferrell, Casa de Mi Padre), a shoo-in for a fifth […]
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Zach Winters — They Were Longing For a Better Country
No, Mumford & Sons hasn’t released their second album yet. Norman singer/songwriter Zach Winters’ fourth LP, “They Were Longing for a Better Country,” blends all the aforementioned into a haunting, but peaceful work that’s more personally convicting and beautifully recorded than what you’ll typically find in the local coffee shop after hours. “Country” is rich […]