Oklahoma Rock Newsblog

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)

Purchase: PayPal

DOWNLOAD: “New York City Girls”

“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”)

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The Rounders have been spreading their web of tightly woven bluesy-rock across Oklahoma for several years. Known for their soulful and engaging live performances and skilled musicianship they have developed a solid reputation and reasonably substantial fan base. Now, after releasing their first album on a label (I Wish I Had You on Blind Pig Records), the band has decided to part ways.

Graham Lee Brewer spoke briefly with guitarist Ryan Taylor about the band’s decision to go their separate ways:

You guys recently put out an album. When you were making the album did you already know it would be your last?

No, we had no idea while we were recording our last album, that we would eventually be breaking up. In fact, that period kind of represents the apex of our career as a band. We were hoping to use the momentum from releasing an album on a record label to land a booking agent, but that wasn’t the case.

This is an obvious question, but tell me why you guys have decided to disband.

We have disbanded as a result of several factors, none of which are all that interesting. My standard line about this is, “oh you know…that damn subprime mortgage crisis.”

Is anyone in the band going to be pursuing other music projects?

I would like to think all of us would continue to play music in some capacity, since it has been such a wonderful and interesting experience. But you just never know. I can only speak for myself, and I plan on trying to write and release material for as long as I’m physically able.

Is there anything you would like to say to your fans or about your experience as a musician in Oklahoma?

We consider ourselves very fortunate to have hailed from the Sooner State. There is much to offer in terms of talent, diversity, enthusiasm, etc. And above all, there is an awesome sense of community in the OKC music scene. Did I say community? I’m sorry. I meant backstabbing cut-throat competiveness that has aged us way beyond our years.

SHOW INFO:
• What: The Rounders’ FINAL SHOW!
• Where: The Conservatory, 8911 N. Western, in Oklahoma City.
• Time: 9pm
• Cost: $5

- posted by Graham Lee Brewer

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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:

DOWNLOADS:
Adam Lopez Band - “Eureka”
Ali Harter - “Hold On A Little Tighter”
Christopher Wray Quartet - “It’s You”
Colourmusic - “Circles”
Colourmusic - “You Can Call Me By My Name”
Colourmusic - Yes!
Elliot the Letter Ostrich - “Out Come The Vampires”
Evangelicals - “Here Comes Trouble”
Evangelicals - “Another Day”
Forty Minutes of Hell - “6 on 7″
Forty Minutes of Hell - “Fuck It All”
Forty Minutes of Hell - “Satisfaction Never”
KC Clifford - “Find My Way Home”
Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey - “Sean’s Song”
Leon Russell - “Same Old Song”
Luma - “Wake Up”
Mayola - “Portrait of an Artist as a Foaming Deathmonger”
Stardeath And White Dwarfs - “Chemical”
Starlight Mints - “Pumpkin”

After the jump, get your hour-by-hour band schedule, which should come in handy.
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Here’s The Rounders‘ first music video, “Let Me Talk at You”, directed by Dylan Chaufty and edited by Kevin Barker.

The track is off their latest album Wish I Had You (Blind Pig Records), available at the-rounders.com or iTunes.

Gene Triplett had a good article on The Rounders’ upcoming national release, Wish I Had You in The Oklahoman last Friday.

Be sure to check out their CD Release show tonight at The Conservatory and pick up their new CD before it hits stores on January 30.

The Rounders’ ‘not strictly blues’ style shows on national release
By Gene Triplett
Entertainment Editor

The Rounders have been taking the blues out for a ride in new directions for seven years now, exploring alternative routes much like The Black Keys, Jimbo Mathus and the fledgling White Stripes have charted in recent times. Still, the Oklahoma City-based quintet never loses sight of its more traditional influences in the rearview mirror of its musical journey.

On the band’s first national release, “Wish I Had You,” the steaming locomotion of “God Knows I’m Trying” and “Through No Fault of My Own” would please even the most Southern-fried, hard-nosed purist, while the lean, clean guitar interplay and minimalist percussion of “You Know Better Than That” and “Oh, My Dear Mind” tread a new middle ground somewhere between Oklahoma Opry-style cowboy jump and the pared-down country-punk of Jason and The Scorchers, with a little jug-band bounce thrown in for good measure.

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Congratulations to The Rounders!

From BlingPigRecords.com:

The Rounders Sign With Blind Pig Records
Blind Pig Records has announced the signing of The Rounders.

The band has released two CDs on their own label, Little Bitty Can Of Worms and Now-A-Days Songs, the latter becoming a staple on college rock radio and XM satellite radio. They were voted the “Best Unsigned Band” by the Oklahoma Blues Society and sponsored to compete in the Blues Foundation’s International Blues Challenge in Memphis in 2002. They also won the “Underground Talent Search” contest sponsored by a local commercial rock station, competing against a number of alternative rock bands.

On signing with Blind Pig, the band said, “We are very much looking forward to our first national release with a label. This is a goal we’ve been working towards since we first formed the band. The prospect of putting out our record on a label like Blind Pig is both exciting and humbling in a way. There have been a lot of great artists on the label, and we hope to add something new to the body of recordings they have. The folks at Blind Pig seem to understand and appreciate what we are trying to do with our music which, as an artist, is all you can really ask for.”

Label president Edward Chmelewski said, “Signing these guys was a bit of a departure for us, but we were so taken by the creativity and freshness of their music. We immediately heard something new and distinctive here, imbued with an infectious energy and enthusiasm that puts a smile on your face.”

The band line-up consists of guitarist Michael Stone, guitarist Ryan Taylor, who also pens most of the group’s songs, singer Brian Whitten, drummer Stu Williamson, and bassist Dave Spindle.

The first CD for Blind Pig, entitled, Wish I Had You, will be released in late January.

Every Friday, we bring you Local Band Q&A via The Oklahoman.

This week, its The Rounders.

Local Band Q&A: The Rounders

• Why: The music of The Rounders (Brian Whitten on vocals, Ryan Taylor and Michael Stone on guitar, Dave Spindle on bass and Stu Williamson on drums) captures much of the essence of great old blues, country, folk and ragtime recordings while simultaneously bringing something wholly unique and fresh to the table. Though often considered as such, they are more than simply a blues band, and their eclectic sound defies easy categorization. They have received thunderous acclaim for their efforts, and The Rounders’ highly anticipated third full-length release, “Wish I Had You,” their first with Blind Pig Records, is set for release Jan. 30.
• When: 10 p.m. Saturday.
• Where: VZDs, 4200 N Western.

You recently signed with Blind Pig Records. Tell me a little about what led to your decision to sign with that label?

Stu Williamson, drums: Well, we had been working with Chris Hardwick at Southern Artist, based out of Norman, and he’s worked with a lot of people in the blues world. He pitched us to several labels, and we had two that were seriously interested, and we were weighing the pros and cons between them. One of the main things that separated Blind Pig was, you know, that they came out to actually see us, and they took the time to give us a call and talk to us about what’s important to us. And one of the reasons that they signed us is they were wanting to do something different. We kind of both recognized that and could kind of be on the same page about doing something different in what has become a fairly limited genre. And I know, to their mind, the age barrier of a lot of the people that made the blues great are dead now, sadly, and so trying to reach a younger audience is important to them (Blind Pig).

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