Check out this upbeat, poppy ditty from Oklahoma City-native Allie Lauren.
Lauren is living in Arkansas but she’s still determined to play at home. She’s even got a gig this week at RAW: Oklahoma City.
We promise her performance will be twice as infectious and fan as her kazoo solo.
Imagine a runaway train barreling toward you.
Now what if that same was mewing?
That’s sort of how the VDub crew felt when Black Canyon hopped into the Spy Van.
Known for rowdy and raucous live shows, the OKC-based band is no stranger to volume. Frontman Jake Morisse’s hearty laugh is evidence enough.
So, we were pleasantly surprised to hear a softer side to Black Canyon. “Weary Hands” is as warm and genuine as the scratches in your favorite record.
Black Canyon will turn things up this Saturday as they release a new album alongside Beau Jennings & The Tigers.
Don’t miss out.
If your ears haven’t found Cusp yet then start dewaxing them and give this a look/listen.
Taylor Rapp and company belted out a soulful rendition of “Shivers.”
Although the OKC-based folksters performed a solemn track, their glowing and warm demeanor were more than enough to keep winter’s bite at bay.
You can find “Shivers” on the 2012 album “Nothing Proper.”
We found some new friends in the Nashville-based touring band Kopecky Family Band.
Three family members played a cut off of their 2012 album “Kids Raising Kids.”
Honesty is her best policy.
Seconds after Ali Harter finished playing a new song in the Spy Wagon, she blurted, “I fucked it up, but I don’t care.”
That’s enough to make Honest Abe blush. Shortly after, she went on to say that she knows the song will eventually get better.
And we believe her.
Harter is an Okie musician that’s been crafting her acoustic ballads for several years.
Her songs have taken her around the world and landed her on prime-time television.
Lucky for Oklahoma, the new mother hasn’t slowed down her musical prowess and continues to make the rounds in local venues.
Take a couple minutes to get to know Harter because she’s the kind of artist that won’t stick around forever.
That’s the honest truth.
What do you get when you mix a dog, a fiddle, an upright bass and a Purcell-native named Parker Millsap?
Well, the session above should give you a pretty good hint but we can make it easy on you.
The answer is hot sauce.
We couldn’t be happier to invite the red dirt talents of Millsap into the van to play an unrecorded, new song.
If you enjoy this session then you’ll be pleased to know Milsap and bassist Michael Rose will be performing at The Blue Note Lounge on Friday.
Now, grab your dog and start dancing.
Check out some stills from the session after the jump…
We wouldn’t be surprised if Colin Nance dreams in zeros and ones.
Nance is a mainstay in the Okie electronic band The Gentle Art of Floating and his recent solo projects are like a one-man band M83.
So, it didn’t come as a surprise when Nance hopped into the Spy Van with an iPad and a boombox in tow.
The combination of cassette tape and his friend Pilar Pueyo made for one of the most inventive sessions we’ve had to date.
Check out some stills from the shoot after the jump…
Phillip Danner is an artist with a knack for texture.
Little did we know that he wanted to create textures inside the Spy Van with office tape, spray paint and even fire. The only thing hotter than the cruel July sun was Danner’s art as he took one of his older pieces and transformed it into something new. This doesn’t come as a big surprise because the artists working at The Society are quite the creative whizzes.
It has been a couple months since we’ve had an Okie artist jump into the van for an Artist Interview Session, but we hope this episode starts another wave of sessions at Live on the Plaza. If you’re unfamiliar with Live on the Plaza then please check into the free art and culture explosion that takes place every second Friday of the month.
Keep on trucking, readers and watchers.
Check out some stills from Danner’s session after the jump.
Tyson Meade doesn’t write songs.
He writes postcards.
We’re not saying that because Meade spends most of his time pursuing music adventures in Asia. It’s because his songs capture a time and place. Meade’s lyrics tell stories like an old, dusty postcard message would. They have a rambling start, descriptions that make you wish you were there and they finish with a warm goodbye.
We felt lucky to catch Meade in Oklahoma and have him share two songs with us. It’s not often that he makes trips to the U.S. and when he does it’s usually for not very long.
The Bartlesville-native singer/songwriter not only lent us his songs but also his stories. He talked about falling in love with China and the new album he’s working on with students throughout Shanghai. Indie director He remembered working with Spike Jonze on the director’s first music video. Meade has lived a very rock and roll lifestyle.
“Some people have acid reflux,” he said in the van. “I have acid flashbacks.”
Sounds like a story fit for a postcard.
Be sure to check out Meade in Tulsa this week. He’s performing a show at Dwelling Spaces on Thursday.
Also, Meade has a Kickstarter. Help him make more tunes like these.
Check out some stills after the jump.
When Josh Roberts isn’t busy recording in Nashville or touring throughout the country, he finds some time to land back in Oklahoma.
We managed to catch him last October for a quick session.
Stay tuned for a new episode next week with Tyson Meade of the Chainsaw Kittens.
Check out some stills after the jump.
THE VDUB SESSIONS 