Music reporting
i came here to eat danishes and write about music... and i'm all out of danishes.
RECENT WORK
You can currently find my music writing in UMAmi, a local zine by the Metropolitan Library System. UMAmi covers local music, punk culture, DIY spaces, and more. Its name is a play on "umami" and refers to the punk scene. It originates from the Underground Music Archives (UMA) in the library's Special Collections Department. The zine includes a monthly music calendar and is available at Metro Library's 19 locations and various shops and venues like Resonant Head, Ponyboy, Dig it!, Empire Slice House (Plaza location), Factory Obscura, etc. Previous issues are also accessible online! Read on to find more of my longer form stories!
October’s zine includes my “spooky-inspired” playlist featuring local Halloween-centered songs like “Vampires (Get Lonely Too)” by stepmom, “Our Spooky Song” by Keathley, and “Scream Queens” by Bad Athlete!
December 2023’s zine features my interview with Oklahoma pop star Kat Lock about her new single “Next Christmas.” The song blends upbeat and melancholy tones, addressing capitalism, chronic illness, and the holiday season, elevated by Lock’s musical theatre background and piano and horn accompaniment. We discussed the song's inspiration, mental health ties, and more.
Truthfully, this might be some of my best work yet. For the February 2024 issue of UMAmi, I organized Oklahoma love songs from Most In Love to Least In Love. Read on to see where "Spinning" by Maddie Razook and "You for Leaving Me" by Colourmusic fit.
For the May 2024 issue of UMAmi - a locally grown playlist featuring the wonders of spring with the likes of “Be My Wildwood Flower” by Carter Sampson,” “Bloom” by Graveyard Party," and more!
November’s zine reviews Keathley’s “Boots By My Boots,” a new, romantic track with fresh vulnerability. It follows her Spring single “Frostbite.” The issue also profiles Indigenous Oklahoma musicians and covers Horton Records’ all-Cherokee album “Anvdvnelisgi.”
Cautious Optimism
In celebration of the new year, I created a playlist in the vein of “cautious optimism” for January 2024’s issue of UMAmi, including “When This Blows Over” by John Calvin Abney and “Boomer” by Bartees Strange.
In March 2024’s UMAmi, I reviewed 10:10 by LABRYS, a raw, introspective masterpiece exploring addiction and life's struggles with haunting, guitar-driven sounds and raw lyrics. Penny Pitchlynn of Broncho delivers a captivating exploration of the human condition. It was an honor to review this incredible album.
For June 2024’s UMAmi, I reviewed a show at Resonant Head with LABRYS, Friko, and Water From Your Eyes. Friko stole the show with their standout track "Cardinal." Their song “Where We’ve Been, Where We Go From Here” was later named Paste’s top release of 2024. These guys are going to be huge.
Alison Sloan’s third studio album, “Fate,” explores the seven deadly sins through her genre-bending and emotionally rich songwriting. The album features Sloan’s raw authenticity and intricate musicality, blending themes of vulnerability and religious imagery. Following her previous concept albums, “Mindbody” and “Headspace”, “Fate” delves into sin and redemption with lyrical depth and allegorical storytelling. Sloan, recovering from personal struggles and a creative block, found new strength in creating this album. *Fate* reflects her journey of vulnerability and healing, offering listeners a glimpse into her emotional and artistic evolution.
The new six-track mixtape cassette captures a journey of raw emotion through the changing seasons and pairs beautifully with the immersive art experience.
Oklahoma is home to some of the most talented artists in the world, and when Okie artists come together, magic happens. Factory Obscura’s Mix-Tape Vol. 2 is just one example of this collaborative magic.
Factory Obscura is a multi-disciplinary artistic collective in Oklahoma City that creates hand-crafted, immersive art experiences that transcend reality. Its latest installation is a physical interactive art exhibit in Automobile Alley called Mix-Tape.
When a person listens to this mixtape, even if they didn’t grow up during the era of personalized cassette tapes, they feel like a kid again, exploring and wondering about the world, just like stepping foot into the magic of Factory Obscura’s exhibit. This mixtape has the ability to make the listener feel re-engaged with the world.
Alison Sloan is sending a much-needed message of transparency about mental health and room for healing with her single “Alive.”
She defies labeling and genre in her sound and lets the emotional weight of her message guide her art. She strikes a balance of musical harshness and lightness, playing with different tempos, styles, and instruments. Her influences range from jazz to emo to ballad, and she has no hesitancy about breaking boundaries with her sound.
Sloan’s music is a marriage of rebellion and sentimentality. She captures a childlike curiosity narrated by the bearer of a newfound maturity.
Sloan creates music for anyone who gets lost in daydreams, finds freedom in vagueness, uses art as rebellion, feels at home with worlds they’ve built in their minds, and anyone who needs to hear that they’re not alone. Her newest single, “Alive,” is no exception and delivers a message about just how hard it can be to keep going through the motions in the recovery process. Through that pain, though, Sloan shines with a certain maturity and sentimentality.
from the vaults
Scott Booker is nothing short of an expert in the music industry, but he doesn’t claim to know everything. We sat down with Booker in his office at ACM@UCO to chat about his history in music and gather his thoughts on music business.
“It was kind of weird to think, for a brief moment I was suspected of possibly murdering Elliott Smith.” - Scott Booker
Stephen Salewon is sipping from a matcha latte at Classen Coffee Company, speaking over the sound of soft indie music, indistinct chatter, and the whir of espresso machines. He’s intentional with his words, both in conversation and in songwriting.
Salewon’s music is exactly what you’d hear in a coffee shop like this, chill, contemplative, and comforting. We spoke with Salewon about his newest EP, “All Around,” which was released August 25.
John Calvin Abney is sitting at a table at Scottie’s Deli on 23rd Street in Oklahoma City, reminiscing over a black bean sandwich and pasta salad, wearing a black T-shirt and a flannel with a hole in the elbow.
He’s taking a short break after soundchecking for his record release show at the Blue Door, talking about life on the road, missing Oklahoma, and the future ahead of him.
Mad Honey is a dream pop/glitter rock band from Oklahoma City, and they’re makin’ waves in the music scene.
I chatted with the Mad Honey gang at Whole Foods about their influences, their vibe, and what they’re excited for in the future. To set the scene, picture retro eyeglasses, a ‘90s windbreaker, lactose-free coffee, and sea salt and tangerine-flavored kombucha.
Everything Kat Lock does starts ironically. This includes her musical career.
After training classically in Broadway and Opera, Lock was the only one of her friends who didn’t play an instrument. One day, when Lock was 18, a friend of hers (Ian Burns from GWIZ) thought it would be funny to teach her one song on guitar – “Hey Ya” by Outkast.
This was the beginning of her music career.
Munching on some snacks in the lead singer’s living room, the NTZ dudes chatted about how they formed as a band, their favorite moments, and how thankful they are for each other.
Becoming involved in the local music scene can be so rewarding, but sometimes it’s hard to know where to start. Follow these three tips to find some rad tunes and support local music!
Go to shows, listen to the music, and get familiar with local tastemakers.
Oklahoma is packed with dedicated sound engineers who will do anything to get the right sound. From cozy home studios to spunky hidden gems, here are three recording studios who are really makin’ a name for themselves in Oklahoma.
Tyler Garcia is a sound engineer, ACM@UCO professor, producer, and event promotion expert. Basically he does a little bit of everything. We chatted with him about his work with 33rd Street Studioand Upstage Promotions and about his passion for Oklahoma music.
The Paramount Room in Film Row is the ideal spot if you’re looking for a space that’s historic yet reimagined, quirky yet classy, and high-production yet intimate. It’s the perfect juxtaposed venue space.
John Calvin Abney’s full-length album “Safe Passage” comes out Sept. 27, and I am beyond excited to hear it in its entirety. Abney said this album will have some of the most hopeful songs he’s ever written.
OKC Mayor David Holt is doing the most for the Oklahoma music scene. Back in May, he launched “City Hall Sessions,” a local concert series in which Oklahoma artist perform right in Holt’s office in front of a small audience.
Lunar Music Supply in Moore is connecting the local gear industry with the national one. The aesthetic music store has an international eCommerce presence and provides the local scene with unique, custom gear from across the nation.
There are thousands of music tastemakers, photographers, videographers, writers, superfans, and activists who are changing the Oklahoma music scene. Here’s just a little taste of some of the people who are really rockin’ and rollin’ - Desiree Yearby, Ryan Lacroix, Evan Jarvicks, Elecktra Stanislava, and Nathan Poppe.
A bunch of teenagers gather in a living room inside a 900 square foot house in Norman. There’s a bowl of macaroni sitting by a drum set and a Grand Theft Auto game case sitting by a houseplant named “Palm McCartney.”
This is ska punk band Irrational Consumers.
Sophia Massad is on a journey of finding her individual sound, which is a little bit jazzy, a little bit folk-inspired, and a little bit rock n’ roll. Her music is getting a lot of attention, and Massad said she’s excited about what the future holds.
Ska is a unique genre of music, and (at the risk of sounding too hipstery) not a lot of people know about it. However, the Oklahoma ska scene is actually fantastic, so we would like to take the time to introduce you to some of the bands.
I spoke with local ska bands the Big News, LFNC, and Stinky Gringos about the growing Oklahoma Ska scene.
Oklahoma City’s music scene is quickly growing, which is why local venues like the Tower Theatre are so important in building live music culture and supporting local artists. The Tower Theatre on 23rd Street has gone from a dormant theater to an Oklahoma City staple for live music and film screenings. We talked with Tower Theatre’s Chad Whitehead about why the OKC music scene needs the Tower, why independent venues are so vital to local scenes, and how people can support the Tower in bringing music to the people.
Paxton Pennington Explores New Music and New Opportunities
Paxton Pennington is a singer-songwriter born and raised in Oklahoma. He recently released his newest single after putting out two other EPs. Pennington studies entrepreneurship and finance at OU, and he’s excited and nervous to see what happens with his musical career after he graduates in May.
Annie Oakley has been in the Oklahoma Folk music scene for years, making a name for themselves as Americana badasses. Now, they have a full length album to show for it. It’s sentimental, and it’s bold. It’s like a warm cup of tea – comforting, but it packs in a whole lot of flavor. “Words We Mean” is a delicate and deliberate musical experience from three Oklahoma gals (along with some stellar featured guests) who know how to get their message across.
The Hip-Hop scene in Oklahoma City is growing and poised to explode. Here are three artists to listen to in 2019 - Jacobi Ryan, Millie Mesh, Jabee.
Oklahoma has some dang good country. Here are three Oklahoma country artists to keep an eye on in 2019 - Parker Millsap, Tanner Fields, John Moreland
Erica Ray-Maynord is creating music that exudes peacefulness, mindfulness, and intentionality. This is the music you listen to on a long night-time drive when you’re thinking about life. Elorah is a new electro R&B project featuring 23-year-old vocalist Erica Ray-Maynord.
To build music culture in a city, it takes more than musicians, more than music professionals. It takes a whole team of businesses and supporters to build local music and provide opportunities for local musicians. We’ve decided to highlight five unexpected businesses – a brewery, a bank, a car dealership, a burger shop, and a tech start-up – in Oklahoma City who make a huge difference in the scene.
Bad Jokes’ music has a lot of unique elements, but one thing rings true – it makes people happy.
When the band was asked to describe the vibe of their music, they said it’s like cruising with the windows down, during through the mountains with the sun shining, carefree and relaxed. On their Bandcamp, they list their genres as “Punk, Blues, Soul, Rock and Roll baby, Whatever, and Who Cares,” if that gives you an idea.
When you go to a Bad Jokes show, everyone is movin’ and groovin’ and having a grand ole time, and that’s just want they want to see.
Every now and then an event comes along that reminds you how full of talent OKC really is. Plaza Fest was one of those events.
Plaza Fest celebrated its 20th anniversary Sept. 29, and people are still talking about how amazing the experience was. With incredible local musicians, phenomenal local artists, delicious food trucks, and positive vibes all around, Plaza Fest was an all-day-long party with things to do, sights to see, music to listen to, and friends to boogie with.
We sat down with the Plaza crew to talk about what made it so special.
Sanctuary Barsilica is a church-themed bar that is not only one of the coolest hangs in OKC, but it’s also changing live music culture in Oklahoma City.
Play it Loud is a captivating, intimate and sentimental video series from the mind of Chad Mathews, hosted by Adam Hampton. Play it Loud is all about exploring Oklahoma music, and it features two main segments – a live performance and an interview with the artist.
Me Oh My is starting a new chapter in their music with a new groovy sound, a funky music video, and a fresh new EP entitled “The Best is Yet To Come.” Me Oh My lead singer Megan Wiggins called this “phase two of Me Oh My.”
Wiggins described Me Oh My’s sound as “futuristic space aliens.” It’s hard to place, but it’s somewhere between the Flaming Lips and Alabama Shakes.
“I don’t want people to expect us to be who we were. We’re evolving, and there’s so much to look forward to.” - Megan Wiggins
Guestroom’s mission statement is “getting good music to the people who want it.”
Sowers and Searle met living in the dorms at OU, bonded over their shared music fanaticism, and worked up the business plan for Guestroom while driving pizza for Pizza Shuttle. Sowers said he decided at the age of fifteen that he wanted to open a record store, and Searle shared his vision.
“Insomnia” is daringly sentimental. There’s never a dull moment in the record, pulling from several different genres and samples from current newscasts.
It’s like if you took angsty 2000s punk rock (think like Anthony Raneri from Bayside) and put it in a blender with Ben Folds style piano melodies, threw in some jazz, added in some smooth orchestral elements, and sprinkled in a little Rufus Wainwright for good measure.
“Insomnia” is piano-rock meets ska meets Sufjan Stevens. Imagine this – it’s PBR music and earl grey tea music at the same time.
Oklahoma indie rock musician Sophia Massad recently released her single “Alone at Night,” and it’s incredible.
The song starts with a thought-provoking lyric, “drink to remember or drink to forget,” which sets the tone for the rest of the song, a song about introspection.
“Nighttime is kind of the rawest time for someone, and, when you’re really alone in your bedroom, and you just kind of find the deepest, darkest parts of you, it can just be really hard to just lay in bed and focus on yourself for some time.” - Sophia Massad
Did you know there are venues in OKC in which you can find pie fights, clowns, and a giant tree?
This article covers the coolest little venues from cozy coffee shops to underground punk clubs, hookah lounges, listening rooms, jazz clubs, and record stores! OKC is a neat little city.
2019 has been a huge year for Oklahoma music. Festivals, releases, new artists, and tons of enthusiasm for the local scene. I put together a list of some of the top releases of 2019 so far! And I’m barely scratching the surface.