How many times have you looked around and wondered about the quality of music in your local area? Most people are content with the artists they hear on the radio or after watching MTV, and buy and promote only those well-known musicians. Many of these musicians do deserve the praise they get, but, just as in the local scene, many do not. If the radio or MTV seems so tedious and repetitive — which I know it is for me — shows at local bars and other venues can provide you with a new lust for music, opening your mind to new sounds and new faces that you would otherwise be unaware of. Although the “state” of music in Oklahoma is often under fire from people in other locations of this country, the music scene may come to surprise you.
The first great sound coming from the experimental side is Techix, http://www.techix.com. Justin Jones is an amazing violin virtuoso and talented guitar player who weaves his beautiful melodies in and out with synth drum beats and some really great effects. His songs range from pure melody trance into some that sound like you are at a techno gypsy carnival. Visit the Web site and download Tear of Dust. The haunting beauty and melodic composition will make you unsure whether you should feel hopeless and sad or look forward to the future.
Another single artist that you should check out is The Gray Field Recordings, www.ethedrone.com/grayfieldrecordings. Legends Magazine recognized Rebecca Loftiss before in 2002 and has made a large impact with the other local musicians in this genre. Her combination of great vocal harmony, meaningful lyrics, and versatile musical ability make her music a definite listen. So much meaning can rest in the slightest pluck of her guitar strings, a loneliness that is both inescapable and, yet, comfortable. Even her Web site evokes the same feeling of bittersweet emotion, which may make that alone worth the time. Go to http://www.besonic.com and look for Gray Field Recordings, or check out her site, which links directly to her music profile. Top pick: “Passiflora.”
If you are interested more in a spooky, Nick Cave/Frank Black and the Catholics sound, then you should check out Stephen J, www.stephenjmusic.com. This collective band, with not a single member named Stephen J, combines beautiful drumbeats with some great guitar rhythms and low-volume, deeply entrancing vocals. Samples seem to play loosely in the background, though not enough to distract you from the original intent and beauty of the music. Matt Carson, vocals and acoustic guitar, is the founder of the group, though he has had many special guests and collaborators from the area involved. Listen to the song titled “Big Blue House” to get a real taste of what these cats have to offer.
The last stop on our tour of ‘experimental Oklahoma’ is a band that has removed the tranquility from the music that the above artists put into the term ‘experimental.’ Gravity Propulsion System, gravitypropulsionsystem.com, is a band much unlike other bands in the area, combining an organized noise pollution with heavy drum beats, fast paced guitar, and lyrics as forceful as Mount Vesuvius itself. It has an old Jane’s Addiction meets Sex Pistols feel, and puts you in the mood to mosh with the nearest unsuspecting square in the room. That old punk feeling, combined with the latest in noise production equipment, gives this band just what they need to stay both experimental and cutting edge. Track to listen for: “Solvent.”
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