John Mellencamp, Arlo Guthrie to headline Tulsa’s Woody Guthrie Centennial Celebration in March
Woody Guthrie (AP file)
The L.A.-based Grammy Museum, in conjunction with Woody Guthrie Publications Inc. and the Woody Guthrie Archives, announced today details about their plans to commemorate the life and career of Oklahoma folk music legend Woody Guthrie in Tulsa.
Designed to celebrate Guthrie’s extraordinary body of work and impact on American music, Tulsa’s Woody Guthrie Centennial Celebration will take place March 5-11 and will include an exhibition, educational programming, a conference at The University of Tulsa and a tribute concert headlined by John Mellencamp and Guthrie’s son Arlo Guthrie.
Arlo Guthrie (Photo by Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman Archives)
Tickets to the concert, which also will feature The Flaming Lips, Hanson, Rosanne Cash, Del McCoury Band, Old Crow Medicine Show, Tim O’Brien and Jimmy LaFave, will go on sale Saturday, Feb. 4.
Special exhibition
Kicking off the Tulsa celebration is the launch of the new exhibition “Woody at One Hundred: The Woody Guthrie Centennial Celebration 1912-2012,” sponsored by the George Kaiser Family Foundation.
Curated by The Grammy Museum and the Woody Guthrie Archives, the exhibit will open at Gilcrease Museum on Feb. 5 and remain on view through April 29. The exhibition will consist of a broad array of Guthrie’s lyrics, journals, original artwork and ephemera from the Okemah native’s life, according to the announcement.
As part of the special exhibit, Guthrie’s original draft of the alternative American anthem “This Land is Your Land” will be on display for the first time in Oklahoma. Additionally, a week-long series of educational programming, produced by The Grammy Museum, will support the exhibition.
As a special addition to the programming, the cast of the musical “Woody Sez” will perform at Tulsa elementary schools throughout the week.
“We are delighted that Gilcrease Museum has been selected as the venue for the debut of the exhibition celebrating the life and body of work of Woody Guthrie. The exhibition will offer the public its first glimpse into the Guthrie Archives recently acquired by the George Kaiser Family Foundation,” said Duane H. King, Ph.D., Executive Director of Gilcrease Museum, in the announcement.
The George Kaiser Family Foundation, a Tulsa-based charitable organization, purchased the Woody Guthrie Archives in 2011 from Woody Guthrie Publications in New York and plans to create a permanent home for the archives and make Guthrie’s collection available for research and education in downtown Tulsa.
Educational Conference
“Different Shades of Red,” the March 10 University of Tulsa conference, will explore Woody Guthrie’s Oklahoma roots. It will feature three panels, each with three speakers. The panels include “A Culture of Protest,” which examines the political and cultural environment that shaped Guthrie’s views; “Red Dirt Roots,” which considers Guthrie’s musical influences; and “Echoes of Woody,” which addresses Guthrie’s legacy as it pertains to the Dust Bowl and Depression-era Oklahoma.
“For far too long, Woody Guthrie’s contributions have not been fully appreciated in his home state of Oklahoma. Now, 100 years after his birth, we are able to honor his musical legacy, explore his societal contributions and truly appreciate this iconic piece of state – and national – history right here in the Heartland. The University of Tulsa is thrilled to kick off this yearlong celebration of Guthrie’s multifaceted life,” said Brian Hosmer, H.G. Barnard Associate Professor of Western American History at TU, in the announcement.
For more information and to register for the conference, go to www.utulsa.edu/guthrie. Registration is $40 and includes lunch. National radio commentator and bestselling author Jim Hightower will deliver the keynote address. Students may register for $15 and must show a valid ID at check-in.
Tribute concert
The apex of the Tulsa celebration will take place on Saturday evening, March 10, with
John Mellencamp (AP file)
the first installment of “This Land Is Your Land ~ The Woody Guthrie Centennial Celebration Concert” at the historic Brady Theater. John Mellencamp, Arlo Guthrie, Rosanne Cash, Del McCoury Band, The Flaming Lips, Old Crow Medicine Show, Hanson, Tim O’Brien and Jimmy LaFave will perform classic Woody Guthrie songs at the star-studded event.
Ticket prices range from $45 to $250 and will go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, at www.protixonline.com.
People who register for the March 10 TU educational conference by Friday, Feb. 3, will have a special opportunity to purchase advance tickets to the benefit concert.
“The goal of The Woody Guthrie Centennial Celebration is not just to pay tribute to Guthrie’s obvious contributions to American music, but to also broaden the national understanding of his cultural impact,” said Grammy Museum Executive Director Bob Santelli in the announcement. “The lineup scheduled for the Brady Theater show in Tulsa speaks volumes about Guthrie’s influence. It’s truly an honor to be producing this all-star event.”
Woody Guthrie was born July 14, 1912, in Okemah. The prolific songwriter, folk musician and crusader for social justice died Oct. 3, 1967, from complications of Huntington’s disease but not before having a vast impact on American music and culture.
The Woody Guthrie Centennial Celebration is one of the largest and most comprehensive centennial celebrations ever staged for an American music icon. For the most up-to-date information and a complete schedule of events for the nationwide Woody Guthrie Centennial Celebration, go to www.woody100.com.
-BAM
Wednesday Video Spotlight: Flaming Lips and Nels Cline cover The Beatles at Oklahoma City’s New Year’s Eve Freakout #5
The word “epic” gets tossed around a lot these days, but I can’t just think of a more appropriate adjective to describe this 17-minute cover of The Beatles’ awesome blues-rocker “I Want You (She’s So Heavy),” which The Flaming Lips and Wilco guitarist Nels Cline performed during the Lips’ New Year’s Eve Freakout #5 at Oklahoma City’s Coca Cola Bricktown Events Center.
Thanks to George Salisbury and the visual geniuses at Delo Creative (including one-time BAM’s Blog contributors Nathan Poppe and Matt Carney) for sharing the video, since it absolutely made my day.
Besides the obvious musical value, Poppe promises that if you watch the entire 17-minute epic, you get to make a wish at the end. No wishing for more wishes ’cause that’s just copying me.
-BAM
New releases: Grammy nominees, “Chimes of Freedom,” Tim McGraw, “50/50,” “Real Steel,” “Taken”
Blake Shelton’s Grammy-nominated chart-topping ballad “Honey Bee” is among the 22 tracks on the “2012 Grammy Nominees” compilation album, out today.
Blake Shelton (AP file)
The Ada native is nominated for best country album for “Red River Blue” and best country solo performance for the album’s chart-topping first single “Honey Bee.” The Tishomingo resident’s No. 1 hit “God Gave Me You,” written by contemporary Christian singer Dave Barnes, also earned a nod for best country song, an award presented to songwriters.
The 54th Annual Grammy Awards air live from Los Angeles on Feb. 12 on CBS.
Other stars with songs on the “2012 Grammy Nominees” album include Adele, Bruno Mars, The Black Keys, Bon Iver, Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj, Skrillex, Coldplay, Foo Fighters, The Band Perry and Tony Bennett with the late Amy Winehouse.
Shelton’s fellow “The Voice” judges Christina Aguilera and Adam Levine of Maroon 5 also have their hit “Moves Like Jagger” on the Grammy compilation.
Maroon 5 also is among the high-profile, wide-ranging musicians covering Bob Dylan on “Chimes of Freedom,” a tribute to the folk legend with proceeds going to Amnesty International. The four-CD collection also music from Patti Smith, Pete Townshend, Diana Krall, My Morning Jacket, Sting, Lenny Kravitz and many others.
In addition, country music superstar Tim McGraw has at long last released “Emotional Traffic,” his final album for Curb Records. Look for my review in the coming days.
Among the movies, the father-son robot-boxing drama “Real Steel,” which today garnered an Oscar nomination for best visual effects, is new on DVD and Blu-ray. To read my review, click here. And the cancer comedy “50/50,” which was surprisingly snubbed in every Academy Awards category, also is available for home viewing.
In the books section, Robert Crais, 2006 recipient of the Ross Macdonald Literary Award, has released his latest Elvis Cole album, “Taken.”
Here is a list of this week’s new CDs, DVDs and books, from Amazon.com and VideoETA.com:
CDs
Tim McGraw, “Emotional Traffic.”
Various artists, “2012 Grammy Nominees.”
Various artists, “Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan.”
Celtic Woman, “Believe.”
The Doors, “L.A. Woman (40th Anniversary Edition).”
Rodrigo y Gabriela, “Area 52.”
Kellie Pickler, “100 Proof.”
Dion, “Tank Full of Blues.”
Scorpions, “Comeblack.”
DVDs
50/50
Another Happy Day
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century: Season One
Few Options
The Lie
Real Steel
Revenge of the Electric Car
The Whistleblower
The Woman
Books
Taken by Robert Crais
Inside Apple: How America’s Most Admired–and Secretive–Company Really Works by Adam Lashinsky
Fairy Tale Interrupted: A Memoir of Life, Love, and Loss by RoseMarie Terenzio
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain
Strategy For You: Building a Bridge to the Life You Want by Rich Horwath
Sweet Designs: Bake It, Craft It, Style It by Amy Atlas
-BAM
Video: Avett Brothers cover Bob Dylan, plan Tulsa show
The Avett Brothers performed Bob Dylan’s “One Too Many Mornings” Thursday on “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.”
The folk-rock band recorded the 1964 track for “Chimes of Freedom,” a four-disc set of Dylan covers due out Tuesday. Proceeds from the release will benefit Amnesty International.
The Avett Brothers will perform in concert April 13 at the Brady Theater in Tulsa, the venue announced today. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. next Friday, Jan. 27. Prices are $30 and $35.
For tickets and information, go to www.protix.com or www.bradytheater.com.
-BAM
Carrie Underwood and Steven Tyler to play “CMT Crossroads” live special from Pepsi Super Bowl Fan Jam
In this April 3, 2011, photo, singers Steven Tyler and Carrie Underwood perform at the 46th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas. Tyler and Underwood are teaming up for a special CMT Crossroads the night before the Super Bowl. "CMT Crossroads: Steven Tyler & Carrie Underwood Live from The Pepsi Super Bowl Fan Jam" will air Saturday, Feb. 4. (AP file)
Checotah native and 2005 “American Idol” winner Carrie Underwood and Aerosmith frontman and current “Idol” judge Steven Tyler and will share the stage in a “CMT Crossroads” special airing live from Indianapolis on Feb. 4, the night before Super Bowl XLVI.
“CMT Crossroads: Steven Tyler & Carrie Underwood From the Pepsi Super Bowl Fan Jam” will take place at the Pepsi Coliseum at the Indiana State Fair Grounds, reports CMT.com.
The concert is a private event.It will premiere live at 10 p.m. Feb. 4 on CMT.
As Aerosmith’s frontman, Tyler established himself as one of rock music’s most popular vocalists with hits such as “Sweet Emotion,” “Dream On” and “Last Child.” After winning “Idol” in 2005, Underwood has sold more than 14 million albums and won five Grammys, seven CMT Music Awards and six American Music Awards. She is a two-time winner of the Academy of Country Music’s entertainer of the year award and a three-time winner of both the Country Music Association’s and ACM’s female vocalist of the year award.
Tyler and Underwood previously performed together in 2011 at the Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas. The duo brought the arena crowd to its feet and wowed millions of viewers at home performing Underwood’s No. 1 song “Undo It” followed by Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way.”
-BAM
RIP Etta James
Legendary blues singer Etta James died Friday (today) at Riverside Community Hospital in California from complications of leukemia, with her husband and sons at her side, according to the Associated Press. She was 73.
“Etta James was a pioneer. Her ever-changing sound has influenced rock and roll, rhythm and blues, pop, soul and jazz artists, marking her place as one of the most important female artists of our time,” Rock and Roll Hall of Fame President and CEO Terry Stewart told the AP.
“From Janis Joplin to Joss Stone, an incredible number of performers owe their debts to her. There is no mistaking the voice of Etta James, and it will live forever.”
Best known for the standard “At Last,” James — born Jamesetta Hawkins — was born in Los Angeles to a mother whom she described as a scam artist, a substance abuser and a fleeting presence during her youth, according to the AP. She never knew her father, although she was told and had believed, that he was the famous billiards player Minnesota Fats.
She was raised by Lula and Jesse Rogers, who owned the rooming house where her mother once lived in. The pair brought up James in the Christian faith, and as a young girl, her voice stood out in the church choir.
Bandleader Johnny Otis (“Willie and the Hand Jive”) found her singing on San Francisco street corners with some girlfriends in the early 1950s. After forging her mother’s signature on a note claiming she was 18, the then-15-year-old James accompanied Otis to Los Angeles to record and then tour with him. Otis, a legend in his own right, died on Tuesday.
In 1959, she signed with Chicago’s legendary Chess label, began cranking out the hits and going on tours with performers such as Bobby Vinton, Little Richard, Fats Domino, Gene Vincent, Jerry Lee Lewis and the Everly Brothers.
James recorded a string of hits in the late 1950s and ’60s including “Trust In Me,” ”Something’s Got a Hold On Me,” ”Sunday Kind of Love,” ”All I Could Do Was Cry,” and of course, “At Last.”
In 1967, she cut one of the most highly regarded soul albums of all time, “Tell Mama,” an earthy fusion of rock and gospel music.
Her professional success, however, was balanced against personal demons, particularly drug addiction, according to the AP.
She was inducted into the Rock Hall in 1993. She earned a Grammy in 2003 for best contemporary blues album for “Let’s Roll,” one in 2004 for best traditional blues album for “Blues to the Bone” and one for best jazz vocal performance for 1994′s “Mystery Lady: Songs of Billie Holiday.” She was also awarded a special Grammy in 2003 for lifetime achievement and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Her health went into decline, however, and by 2011, she was being cared for at home by a personal doctor. She suffered from dementia, kidney problems and leukemia, according to the AP.
In October 2011, it was announced that James was retiring from recording, and a final studio recording, “The Dreamer,” was released, featuring the singer covering classic songs, from Bobby “Blue” Bland’s “Dreamer” to Guns N’ Roses “Welcome To the Jungle”
Our thoughts are with her family, friends and fans.
-BAM
Flaming Lips collaborative album to include Bon Iver, Nick Cave, Yoko Ono and more
The Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne performs at the New Year's Eve Freakout #5 at the Coca Cola Bricktown Events Center in Oklahoma City. (Garett Fisbeck, The Oklahoman)
Oklahoma City-based psychedelic rockers The Flaming Lips are bringing the collaborative spirit they embraced in 2011 into the New Year.
Lips frontman Wayne Coyne tells Rolling Stone that the band is finishing up a new album that features collaborations with a dizzying array of musical stars.
Yoko Ono performs at The Flaming Lips' New Year's Eve Freakout #5 in Oklahoma City. (Garett Fisbeck, The Oklahoman)
The band already has recorded collaborations with their hometown New Year’s Eve Freakout #5 cohorts Yoko Ono and the Plastic Ono Band and Neon Indian. They’ve also already recorded with Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros.
Coyne tells the magazine the Lips also have been in contact with Australian musician Nick Cave and have already sent him a track to work on.
In addition, Coyne says the band definitely will be working with Grammy-nominated indie folk band Bon Iver. Coyne says the Lips expect to receive two tracks from Bon Iver singer-songwriter Justin Vernon any day now.
The Lips are still trying to get Ke$ha, Lykke Li and Erykah Badu on board for the project, says Coyne.
In addition, Coyne gushed about the New Year’s Freakout, the band’s two-night musical extravaganza that this year featured Yoko Ono and took place at the Coca Cola Bricktown Events Center:
“It was better than I could have dreamed of,” he tells Rolling Stone. “[Ono] was wonderful and gracious.”
For a possible preview of the upcoming collaborative album, check out this video of the Lips performing with Neon Indian at the New Year’s Day Freakout in OKC:
-BAM
Wednesday Video Spotlight: Van Halen’s “Tattoo”
Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Van Halen released Tuesday the music video to their new single “Tattoo,” the first single from their upcoming album “A Different Kind of Truth.”
“A Different Kind of Truth,” Van Halen’s first album of new material with original frontman David Lee Roth since 1984, is due out Feb. 7.
The band is planning a tour in support of the new album that will include their first show at Tulsa’s BOK Center on May 1.
Ticket prices and sale date for the Tulsa show have not yet been announced, according to an arena spokeswoman. R&B group Kool & the Gang will be special guest for the Tulsa date.
Van Halen is legendary for its multiple personnel changes, and its lineup has featured two other lead singers: Sammy Hagar (1985-96) and Gary Cherone (1996-99).
Like the band’s 2007-08 trek, this tour will feature three-fourths of the original lineup: Roth, guitarist Eddie Van Halen, his drummer brother Alex Van Halen, plus Eddie Van Halen’s song Wolfgang Van Halen on bass. Original bassist Michael Anthony was dropped from the band in 2006.
For more information on the Tulsa show, go to www.bokcenter.com.
-BAM
Red Hot Chili Peppers’ OKC, Tulsa shows postponed after frontman Anthony Kiedis undergoes foot surgery
Anthony Kiedis, right, and Flea, left, from the U.S rock band The Red Hot Chili Peppers perform at a central London venue, Monday, Nov. 7, 2011. (AP Photo)
The Red Hot Chili Peppers have postponed their U.S. tour after Anthony Kiedis sustained multiple foot injuries and had to undergo surgery.
Here is the announcement that was released to the press today:
Red Hot Chili Peppers regret to announce that they must postpone the start of their upcoming U.S. tour due to multiple foot injuries sustained by Anthony Kiedis. Anthony recently underwent surgery to remove a crushed sesamoid bone and correct a detached flexor tendon in his foot and is expected to make a full recovery.
The 2012 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees were set to kick off their U.S. tour later this month and perform March shows at Oklahoma City’s Chesapeake Energy Arena and Tulsa’s BOK Center.
The Oklahoma City show has been rescheduled for Oct. 22. Tickets are on sale through www.chesapeakearena.com, Ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations including participating Homeland stores and by phone at (800) 745-3000.
The Tulsa date will now be on Oct. 24. Tickets to the Tulsa show are on sale at www.bokcenter.com, Arby’s Box Office, all Tickets.com outlets, or by calling (866) 726-5287.
Ticket prices for both Oklahoma shows are $57.50 and $37.50. Tickets for the original dates will be honored on the rescheduled dates.
The band’s tour is planned in support of its new album “I’m With You,” which recently earned a 2012 Grammy nomination for best rock album. Released in August, the band’s 10th studio effort debuted at No. 2 on the multi-genre Billboard 200 charts.
“I’m With You” is the band’s first album since 2006′s “Stadium Arcadium” as well as the first to feature new guitarist Josh Klinghoffer after John Frusciante left the group in 2009.
Likewise, the new tour is the first outing for the rockers since their huge “Stadium Arcadium” trek ended in 2007.
Formed in 1983 in Los Angeles, the Red Hot Chili Peppers were one of the barrier-busting bands of the ’80s, coupling a dynamic stage show with a sound fusing funk and punk rock, along with hip-hop and psychedelic rock flourishes.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers have sold more than 60 million albums, five of which were multi-platinum LPs. They have won six Grammy Awards including best rock album for “Stadium Arcadium,” best rock performance by a duo or group for “Dani California,” best rock song for “Scar Tissue” and best hard rock performance with vocals for “Give It Away.”
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame recently announced that its 2012 class of inductees will feature the Red Hot Chili Peppers, hard rockers Guns N’ Roses, hip-hop trio Beastie Boys, Scottish folk-pop troubadour Donovan, the late singer-songwriter Laura Nyro, Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood and influential British rock group The Small Faces/The Faces, which included Rod Stewart.
Other inductees include guitarist Freddie King for early influence; rock promoter Don Kirshner, who died earlier this year, as the recipient of the Ahmet Ertegun award; and Tom Dowd, Glyn Johns and Cosimo Matssa for musical excellence.
The Rock and Roll Hall of fame induction ceremony is set for April 14 in Cleveland, where the rock hall is based.
-BAM
BAM’s all-Oklahoma top 10 albums of 2011
A version of this column appears in Wednesday’s Life section of The Oklahoman.
BAM’s top 10 albums of 2011
Column: Oklahoma recording artists from across the musical spectrum made beautiful music and reached impressive milestones in the year just past.
For fans of Oklahoma music, it’s hard to imagine a more exciting year than 2011.
Tulsa Sound pioneer Leon Russell finally made it into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and then the Songwriters Hall of Fame for good measure, Owasso-based country star Garth Brooks joined Uncle Leon in the songwriters’ club, and Chockie ranch girl Reba McEntire and Pauls Valley native Jean Shepard were ushered into country’s hallowed hall.
Tishomingo denizens Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert squeezed in their wedding between his reality TV breakout on NBC’s “The Voice” and the release of his latest LP and her launch of side project Pistol Annies and work on not one but two albums. On the red dirt scene, Cody Canada & The Departed arrived to soothe those saddened by the breakup of Cross Canadian Ragweed, while The Great Divide reunited after more than eight years after the original lineup split.
Maud native and rockabilly queen Wanda Jackson teamed with White Stripe Jack White to make a barn burner of a comeback record, former Tulsan Ronnie Dunn made his solo debut after two decades with country duo Brooks & Dunn, and teenage Internet sensation Greyson Chance of Edmond and country duo Thompson Square, featuring Miami, OK, native Keifer Thompson, released splashy debut albums.
Oklahoma City-based rock ’n’ roll mad scientists the Flaming Lips experimented the year away, recording six- and 24-hour-long songs; releasing music on USB drives encased in gummy fetuses, $5,000 real human skulls and strobe-light gizmos; and finally inviting Yoko Ono and Sean Lennon to ring in 2012 at their fifth annual New Year’s Eve Freakout.
With all those milestones, the decision to make my top 10 albums list of 2011 an all-Okie affair was easy. Figuring out who would make the final cut, now that was hard.
1. Miranda Lambert “Four the Record” (RCA Nashville) and Pistol Annies “Hell on Heels” (Columbia Nashville)
The Texas native not only fired off a fourth solo album even better than its Grammy-winning, game-changing predecessor (2009’s “Revolution”) but also lit the fuse on a doozy of a side project with her all-girl trio Pistol Annies. Between the two albums, she wrote or co-wrote 14 songs and cut a total of two-dozen, matching her impressive output with prodigious quality.
On “Four the Record,” she confidently covers a wide range of topics, emotions and musical styles, from the blazing bad-girl anthem “Fastest Girl in Town” and the galloping breakup freakout “Mama’s Broken Heart” to the affectionate celebration of diversity “All Kinds of Kinds” to the gorgeous ode to her adopted home state “Oklahoma Sky.”
With their first effort as the Pistol Annies, Lambert and fellow singer-songwriters Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley ignited the country charts with their old-school sound, sharp songsmithing and take-no-prisoners attitude. They’re pretty, they’re smart, and they’re going to say and do whatever they want. And they’re coming for you.
2. Cody Canada & The Departed “This Is Indian Land” (Underground Sound/Apex Nashville)
I can’t think of a better entrance for a new band so rooted in Oklahoma’s red dirt scene than this homage to the state’s songwriting greats. The Departed — former Cross Canadian Ragweed singer/songwriter/guitarist Canada, ex-Ragweed bassist/singer Jeremy Plato, Texas guitarist Seth James, Tulsa keyboardist/organist Steve Littleton and Yukon drummer David Bowen — tunefully pay tribute to the finely crafted story-songs of Tom Skinner, Bob Childers, Greg Jacobs and more with a debut that leaves you eager for more.
3. Wanda Jackson “The Party Ain’t Over (Nonesuch/ Third Man Records)
As he did with Loretta Lynn on her 2004 album, “Van Lear Rose,” producer/guitarist Jack White — the rocker best known for fronting The White Stripes — again demonstrates his masterful knack for celebrating a veteran performer’s storied past while still pushing her out of her comfort zone. This “Party” celebrates Jackson’s rock ’n’ roll trailblazing with smoking covers of Johnny Kidd and the Pirates’ “Shakin’ All Over” and Bob Dylan’s “Thunder on the Mountain” and recalls her country and gospel days with a funked-up version of “Dust on the Bible” and a stripped-down rendition of Jimmie Rodgers’ “Blue Yodel #6.” At 74, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer is still “the sweet lady with the nasty voice.”
4. The Damn Quails “Down the Hatch” (598 Recordings)
After just two years of making music as a duo, Norman-based singer-songwriters Bryon White and Gabriel Marshall earned national and international acclaim with their debut album, which features a rootsy sound both distinctly Oklahoman and uniquely their own. As each of the 14 earthy tracks comes “Down the Hatch,” it becomes increasingly clear the fertile Oklahoma music scene has nurtured a pair of exceptionally talented country-folk performers. Get the binoculars; you’re going to want to watch these birds.
5. Broncho “Can’t Get Past the Lips” (self released)
Here’s what I love about Oklahoma music: It turns out The Damn Quails weren’t the only Norman-based upstarts who released a standout debut record in the year just past. Broncho, the side project for Starlight Mints keyboardist Ryan Lindsey, forcefully declared that punk was not dead with its brawny, frenetic “Can’t Get Past the Lips.” As a bonus, the manic standout track “Try Me Out Sometime” deservedly made NPR’s list of five garage rock favorites from 2011.
6. Stoney LaRue “Velvet” (B Side Music Group)
Warm, smooth and surprisingly mellow, the red dirt star’s long-awaited second studio album fulfilled the promise of its luxurious title. The follow-up to “The Red Dirt Album,” the Edmond resident’s 2005 debut studio effort, “Velvet” was more than worth the wait, showcasing a more mature, finely crafted sound that maintains its rootsy authenticity.
7. Other Lives “Tamer Animals” (TBD Records)
After 14 months of painstakingly sculpting their sophomore album in their Stillwater studio space, the orchestral pop-rockers were richly rewarded for the elegantly lovely fruits of their labor: The band toured with Bon Iver in 2011, and they are joining none other than Radiohead on the road in February. Catch them in concert Jan. 26 at Tulsa’s Fassler Hall or Jan. 27 at Oklahoma City’s Blue Note Lounge because we will soon be forced to love Other Lives and their evocative music from afar.
8. Colourmusic “My __ is Pink” (Memphis Industries)
Like Other Lives, experimental rock quartet Colourmusic spent months in its Stillwater recording lab conjuring up its second album. With “Pink,” the neo-psychedelic wizards tried out a distinctively different sonic formula from their fantastic 2008 debut “F, Monday, Orange, February, Venus, Lunatic, 1 or 13.” Although their sophomore effort featured a much tougher and more aggressive sound, it maintained those beautifully mesmerizing melodies. I still get goose bumps on my goose bumps hearing their 10-minute epic “The Little Death (In Five Parts).”
9. Vince Gill “Guitar Slinger” (MCA Nashville)
The Country Music Hall of Famer was never going to match the scope and audacity of his four-disc, 43-track box set “These Days,” which won the 2006 Grammy for best country album and earned an overall album of the year nomination. But the Norman-born, Oklahoma City-bred singer/songwriter/guitarist didn’t disappoint with his 12-track follow-up, which channeled Motown with “Tell Me Fool,” memorialized Billie Holiday on “When the Lady Sings the Blues” and passionately pondered life and mortality on the Grammy-nominated first single “Threaten Me With Heaven.”
10. St. Vincent “Strange Mercy” (4AD)
The Tulsa-born singer/songwriter/guitarist also known as Annie Clark continues to make music reminiscent of a diamond-bladed scalpel: The otherworldly vocals and lush melodies possess a delicate beauty, but St. Vincent’s pointed lyrics and finely honed guitar hooks will cut you open as ruthlessly as the “Surgeon” she pleads with on her third album.
-BAM
