It’s no secret that Oklahoma spawns talented musicians. Month after month, new bands form around us and solo artists strengthen their craft. We would be amiss to meet and discuss online culture and influence without paying homage to some of the art that makes the chaos of the internet bearable. Our soundtrack for Confluence 2013 will feature some of the best acts in the OKC area.
Em and the MotherSuperiors bring roots music and meaningful songwriting to a brilliant, energetic crossroads. Emily Alexander of Oklahoma City turns out melodies bluesy enough to be born of a crossroads bargain. Her beau Scott Wade straps on his semi-hollow body electric, and the pair produces the type of musical love story that can only be the product of a match made in Memphis (err, heaven). Framing the sound are Miguel Correa on saxophones, Nathaniel Alexander on bass, and Paulo V. on drums. You can get an intimate look into the band’s behind the scenes by checking out this photo montage or catching them at a live show around town. Keep an eye out for their album, Churches into Theaters, scheduled to drop January 2014.
Matt Stansberry keeps the soul alive with his lipstick-red guitar and smoky vocals. Surrounding himself with the funkiest jazz musicians in town (The Romance), Stansberry couldn’t miss a beat if he tried. He recalls from an early age, “I found myself locked away in my room playing for hours on end – not leaving me much time to impress the girls, which oddly enough, was the reason I started playing in the first place”. Check out the latest music video from Matt Stansberry & The Romance for, “Let’s Brighten It Up,” and you’ll probably be singing the chorus throughout the day.
Horse Thief is a genre-defying musical force from Oklahoma City. The band paints a sound canvas with psyche-rock tones and saturates it with the soaring folk singing and songwriting of frontman Cameron Neal. With band chemistry this thick and combustible, you’ll need to wear safety goggles at their live shows. The energy from Alberto Roubert on drums, Cody Fowler on bass, Zach Zeller on keys, and Alex Coleman on guitar is dangerously creative. Horse Thief hit the studio this summer and is preparing to release their next album in early 2014.
Kacey Walkingstick sends her musical inspirations from her mind straight down to her fingers as she writes at the piano. With influences from Beach House to Ben Folds to Beethoven, Kacey’s style is wonderfully eclectic. Whether she’s performing around town with her band or going solo, Kacey’s songs will keep you coming back for more. She is also becoming quite the Etsy star with her signature items, the Chevron Tie Guitar/Keytar Strap and Triangle Deco Earrings. Also in the studio this summer, Kacey Walkingstick will release her next album later this year.
HUSBANDS is truly an online band: each song travels thousands of miles before it reaches its delicious fruition. Originally Oklahoma friends, Danny Davis and Wil Norton now trade tracks back and forth between DC and OKC as they write.
The only thing that can limit their creativity is their bandwidth. Calling their own sound Lo-Fi Pop, HUSBANDS combines tasteful beat and music samples with luscious guitar and vocals. With its psychedelic lo-fi sound, the music could be a glitch radio transmission of the human race as received by inhabitants of a distant planet. HUSBANDS aims to publish a new song every week for you to download and enjoy at whatever price you’d like.
Sugar Free Allstars has the best bio lede in the business:
“Imagine that Deep Purple and Sly and The Family Stone had a love child that grew up in New Orleans listening to Ray Charles, Black Sabbath and Booker T. That love child would be the Sugar Free Allstars.”
Chris “Boom” Wiser and Rob “Dr. Rock” Martin are a dynamic duo with the energy of 8 caped crusaders. Wiser manages to lay down bass and keys on the Hammond, sing funky-fresh vocal lines, and get down on wind instruments from the saxophone to the kazoo – while Martin is grooving so hard on the woods and skins that he commands your feet and hips to move. Pioneering ‘Kindie’ family funk in the state, Sugar Free Allstars hardly had the time for their 2012 Grammy award to collect dust before they organized (and rocked out) Oklahoma’s first Kindie Rock Festival, Wiggle Out Loud earlier this summer. Check out their video for “Gotta Get Up” with hilarious stop-motion antics from video guru Kyle Roberts.
Confluence Conference promises to rock your mind this year, and you now have the musical tools to help hype yourself up before we get this show on the road!
