Over the next couple of weeks, we will be counting down the Top 100 Oklahoma Albums of the 2000s. Every weekday, we will unveil another ten Oklahoma albums that helped shape the way Oklahoma music is heard by the outside world.
We asked three dozen musicians, fans and journalists for their opinions on the top albums of the past decade. With their guidance and our own opinions, we compiled what we hope is a decent and fair list.
Hopefully, there’s a good bit of reflection, discovery and enjoyment when listening to these albums through Lala (when available). Enjoy!
40. Matthew Alvin Brown - Rainbow Around the Sun (2006)
“Regardless of what one thinks of concept albums, Brown’s first solo outing, “Rainbow Around the Sun,” is not pretentious. It is track after track of engaging and colorful pop songs that guide the listener through a story, rather than dragging them.” - Charles Martin (Oklahoma Gazette contributing writer and author of “The Dominant Hand”)
Knowlton and bassist Jonathan Martin have formed a new group, The Pretty Black Chains. They will play their first show (FREE!) this Friday at The Electro Lounge in Oklahoma City. The Oklahoma Gazette’s Charles Martin says their sound resembles ‘the ear-catching and aggressive pop-rock of Hot Hot Heat.’
Do yourself a favor and get in on the ground floor of The Uglysuit; this little band from Oklahoma is going to be HUGE.
- Lost At Sea
…The Uglysuit have stumbled across something truly unique here. Alternately blissed-out and ragingly psychedelic, luminous and dreamlike, melody-based and unabashedly instrumental, this debut is one of 2008’s most promising records.
- AllMusic
This is an album that feels like love, like infatuation and like a breezily beautiful autumn day.
- Adult Contemporary Essentials
…it’s a gloriously textured and self-assured effort blending shoegaze guitar layers and shimmering melodies into refreshingly inventive compositions.
- Inland Empire Weekly
The comfort and ease The Uglysuit shares in performing together is evident in the direction each song takes. Some start as one thing and end as something completely different, but in a way that fits together perfectly.
- InSound
The first day of DFest 2008 was jam packed with good bands and good times. I did more show bouncing this year than last. At almost every turn, I had a dilemma on which band to see. This is a very good problem to have.
The newest signing to Doghouse / Edmond Records played to a crowd of 300+ in the sweltering hot sun. The City Lives features an up-tempo power pop sound that will be a hit with listeners (”Bad Enough” is a sure-fire hit). And lead singer Chase Kerby will beis a hit with the females, aiming his lyrics straight to their swoons. Members of The Uglysuit and Edison Glass were in attendance, while Edmond Records co-owner Mike Kennerty (of The All-American Rejects) could be seen smiling and bouncing backstage like a proud papa.
I knew very little of Black Swan the week leading up to DFest. On a couple recommendations, I checked out their myspace and fell in love with a couple of their songs. Their super-energetic live show did not disappoint either. Sometimes, you know you’re going to have a good time after the first song — this was one of those shows. Scanning the audience, you saw all smiles from the receptive crowd, which included Ty Kamm of Klipspringer. While I foresee some unfair comparisons to Bloc Party in their future, Black Swan is a true original and an ultimate fun show.
I thought I saw energetic with Black Swan. I had no idea what energetic was until I saw Mayola live. Unbelievable. The stage presence, the crowd interaction, the showmanship are heads and shoulders above most other bands — it simply could not be better. Mayola has really matured as a band in recent years, slowly evolving their sound into this interesting “vaudevillian Built to Spill fronted by a deranged Tom Waits” band. Members of Colourmusic, Hush Hush Commotion, The Non and Taddy Porter, as well as Acoustic Ross and P.D.A. stuck around to enjoy the set.
There’s a lot of well-deserved buzz currently surrounding Tough and Go Records’ newest signing. The band’s smooth sounds exploded into a fury early on, setting the tone for the show. Switching between moments of beauty and moments of ferocity in the sweaty “Home of David Cook”, the band elicited a great reaction from the crowd. It’s reassuring to see the band is really in-tune with one another on stage. Members of Glister, Colourmusic, Mayola, The Stock Market Crash and Rainbows Are Free packed the venue to catch a glimpse of The Uglysuit.
It had been a couple of years since I had seen Mama Sweet, but it was just like old times. The very Oklahoma-sounding band was ever tighter and more polished than I remembered. Their explosive set was led by Aron Holt’s strong vocals and Alan Orebaugh’s outrageous guitar skills. I demand that someone find out why this band isn’t bigger on the red dirt circuit.
Who knew Tulsa was full of so many ravers? The smoke, lazers and dancy-pop from the Austin band turned Tulsa into Dance Party USA. Thousands of people were dancing along with members of Mayola, Crocodile, Black Swan, The Stock Market Crash and Ghosts.
I don’t know if anyone around does classic 50s-style rock and roll better. There’s just a level of musicianship in The Starkweather Boys that isn’t seen in lot of bands. This was the only show of the weekend where I actually saw couples dancing. Members of Glister, Rainbows Are Free, Philip Zoellner and The Oh Johnny! Girls stayed to enjoy the set.
Blake O. leans to the Uncle Kracker / Kid Rock side of rap-rock that some people just love. I’m not one of those people. Different strokes for different folks, right? Let me say this though — is McNellie’s douchebag central or what? Nothing but fauxhawks and drunk girls in summer dresses dancing on chairs, shouting “IT’S MY BIRTHDAY!!” I didn’t stay long.
TSMC put on a good show like always. At this point, there isn’t a lot more you can say about them — if you haven’t seen them live, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Members of El Paso Hot Button, Callupsie, The Romantic Disaster, Unmarked Cars, Glister and Mama Sweet lined the audience.
A sparse crowd watched as GPS destroyed everyone’s hearing within a mile radius. Members of El Paso Hot Button, Callupsie and Rainbows Are Free stuck around late to enjoy some GPS.
Day 2 Recap coming soon, as well as a DFest review in pictures and video.
The first day of panels at DFest 2008 is wrapping up. In lieu of seeing keynote speaker Martin Atkins, I’m relaxing in my hotel room before heading out for the night.
For those of you that cannot make it, we hope to provide you a glimpse into the world of DFest. Throughout the coming weekend and into next week, we plan on bringing you recaps on the conference and the festival, Q&As and pictures.
To get your ears ready, here’s a slew of free mp3s from DFest 2008 artists:
Advanced two-day wristbands good for both days cost $30 online, and standard two-day wristbands cost $40 at the gates. Badges are valid for the conference as well as the festival. Early-Bird Advanced Badges cost $50 online and are available until May 30. Advanced Badges cost $100 online, and Standard Badges cost $150 the day of the event. Standard service fees apply.
According to the Oklahoma Gazette, some The Stock Market Crash demos recently caught the ear of ex-4 Non Blondes frontwoman Linda Perry (Pink, Gwen Stefani, Christina Aguilera). The group will head to California this spring to work with Perry.
And although yesterday was Valentine’s Day, TSMC still has plenty of love to spread around, as they play their first live show in six months tonight. Limited-edition hand-painted valentine CDs containing five new songs will be given away at the show.
Day 1 of DFest 2007 is over. My body feels like I’m 50, my feet feel like they were put through a meat grinder and I still had a fantastic time.
We arrived to the conference a bit later than we wanted and missed the keynote speech of Ken Abdo of the Grammy Foundation. I caught portions of various panels — none of which were really for me, but could be real informative for musicians. None of the panels were greatly attended, but those that did attend took away some good advice.
After waiting entirely too long for dinner, we headed out to catch some bands. From about two blocks away, we heard what sounded like ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ coming from the main stage. As we got closer, we heard the fun and lively sounds of Colourmusic. A crowd of 350-400 were enjoying the band’s music, as bouncy balls and streamers were constantly being thrown at them by the band’s dancing helpers. To say Colourmusic’s set was colourful would be dumb and trite. But when you combine their bouncy, infectious sounds with the yellow, white and red backdrops and corresponding band member t-shirts and shorts, it’s hard to describe it as anything else. Colourmusic takes a page out of The Flaming Lips’ guide to live shows in creating an experience, not just another show.
For the nine o’clock show, we headed to the second stage to see the dancy-rock of The Stock Market Crash. A crowd of 200-250 took in the band’s solid Killers-esque set of fast-paced, pleading, love songs. Constant touring has fine-tuned this little Oklahoma band into a band primed to break into the next level. They have the look, they have the sound and they have the drive to get there.
The First Street Lofts Lounge was hot. Extremely hot. And it wasn’t just because Forty Minutes of Hell was playing. Having heard an advance copy of their upcoming CD, Gimme Some Delay, I knew the crowd was in for a treat. FMOH was tighter (and louder) than I’ve seen them in a while and firmly established their spot as one of Oklahoma’s elite live bands. Although singer Brandon Kistler sometimes mistook his longneck bottle for the microphone, he still delivered a raucous performance. Drawing the spot immediately before the big performance of the night was a tough one, but for the 60-70 festival-goers that took part, FMOH delivered.
Entering the main stage’s fenced-in area minutes before the start of The Flaming Lips‘ set was overwhelming. Thousands of fans stood on the hot asphalt, staring at the stage and eagerly anticipating the carnival-like show on the Lips. Few things can be said about their show that haven’t already been said — they were all that you’ve heard described and more. Anytime the Lips play their home state, a profound Okie-proud crowd reaction is guaranteed. Their DFest performance was no exception.
Here’s a few clips of The Flaming Lips’ DFest performance, shot by Cameron Buchholtz:
Wayne Coyne’s Space Bubble Entrance at Dfest
Flaming Lips - “Kashmir/Taps” (Live at Dfest)
Flaming Lips - “The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song” (Live at Dfest)
Thousands of musicians and fans converge on downtown Tulsa this weekend for the seventh (and strongest) edition of DFest.
Yours truly will be there with the missus. I expect to see many of your faces there as well. (Wristbands are only $20!)
For those of you that cannot make it, we hope to provide you a glimpse into the world of DFest. Throughout the weekend and into next week, we plan on bringing you recaps on the conference and the festival, Q&As and pictures.
To wet your appetite, here’s a boatload of free mp3s from DFest 2007 artists:
