Silver Medals are a brand, spankin’ new outfit here in Tulsa. They are made up of David Bynum (Bass, Keys), Sterling Williams (Drums) and Stuart Dervish (Guitar). They had their debut show at Free Tulsa, and I just happened to stumble across them. Boy, was I happy I did. Their sweet-but-articulate brand of electro-pop is fun, dance-y and heartfelt.

I felt kind of like a dope for thinking about the similarities between Silver Medals and Aqueduct. Turns out, Medals’ frontman David Bynum is a former member of the ‘duct. I’m not sure who learned from who, but this sound is working for them both. The Medals’ lyrics are quippy and sometimes happily unexpected; “She starts to blush when I touch her face, but the girl’s got every single hair in place / Nothing’s complex with her complexion, Girl’s headed in the right direction.”

Catch them if you can for a dreamy, electronic love story. Keep it up boys, you’re headed in the right direction.

“Like” the Silver Medals here for updates on shows and recordings.

Newbies

Brother Rabbit – (Claremore, OK) Listening to Brother Rabbit is like listening to early religious folk music on a transistor radio. The languid banjo and guitar chords blend so well with the harmonicas and the sweet female vocals. This music is great to enjoy with a hot day and a lemonade. 6:00, Friday July 30th — Hunt Club

Milos Fare – (Tulsa, OK) This female fronted rock band will deliver on your hankerin’ for well executed solo-heavy rock-n-roll. With vocal chops similar to Pat Benatar or The Heart Sisters, Sarah Dickenson provides the perfect balance for this alternative group. Don’t worry guys, flowery she isn’t. You won’t have to feel like a sissy just because you went to see a “girl band,” the guys in her band are just as qualified and their guitars will melt your faces off. You will be seeing more of Milos Fare, trust me. 9:30,  Saturday July 31st — Marquee Stage

The Del Toros – (Tulsa, OK) This indie pop foursome follows the traditional line up, four boys on two guitars, bass and drums, but they bring a sophisticated and fun songwriting dynamic. The rhythm and lead guitars play off each other in a dreamy way. The lyrics are unexpected and thoughtful. I am really looking forward to their set. 7:30 Friday, July 30th — Crystal Pistol Stage

OK Sweetheart – (Tulsa, OK/San Francisco, CA) Erin Austin, soon to be a permanent resident of Tulsa, is the front-woman for the group OK Sweetheart (a lot of awesome women making a showing at FreeTulsa, Huh?). Erin’s voice has that old-world Billie Holiday quality, which is one of the reasons she’s so popular on the coasts. Her vintage sound paired with 60’s girl-pop motifs makes her irresistible. 9:00 Friday July 30th — Bob’s Stage

Next, here are some bands you won’t want to miss. These bands rarely play in Tulsa, and have really unique and impressive performances.

Veterans

Aqueduct – (Seattle, WA via Tulsa, OK)For me personally there is a lot of nostalgia in seeing Aqueduct play. They are the first band that got me into local music. Of course I was a bit too late, they had just decided to move from Tulsa to Seattle to get their music careers off the ground. Since then they’ve played national tours and been featured on car commercials. But, their live show is still one of the most fun shows I’ve ever been to. Dave Terry has the unique ability to connect with his audience through his self depricating humor, and his amazingly catchy pop songs. A must see. 12:00 Friday, July 30th – Hardwork Stage

Recorder – (Tulsa,OK) Recorder’s Robotronica music tops itself every time. This band takes painstaking measures to make the most amazing costumes every show. They’ve gone from boxy robot costumes to skin-tight spandex droid costumes. The robot love story is somehow more human than a, well, human love story. Incredible. 11:15 Friday, July 30th — Hardwork Stage

Audra Mae – (Los Angeles, CA) Audra’s music sounds like an old vaudeville act, complete with muted accordions and a smooth chanteuse that will seduce you with every note. This is a combination of sounds you don’t hear often. Combining narrative song structures, with fables and anecdotes that always end with a lesson. Audra’s music is very unique and refreshing. 8:00 Saturday July 31st — Hardwork Stage

The Pretty Black Chains – (Oklahoma City, OK) I can’t speak from experience, but the Pretty Black Chains have a huge following in OKC. Their Strokes-esque brand of beat music is fast paced, fun and danceable. Chunky guitars and hollow tom beats compliment the quick paced and quippy lyrics of singer Kellen McGugan. Check them out for sure. 12:00    Saturday, July 31st — Crystal Pistol Stage

Enjoy your festival, Tulsa!

Photo by Jeremy Charles

Last night marked the last show for one of Tulsa’s longest living bands, Wighead. Founding member Chris Rusk is moving to

Chris Rusk and Evan Inman-Butts

New York City, and leaving his band of quirky musical miscreants behind. Rusk and band co-founder Evan Inman-Butts started Wighead when they were 14 years old. By my estimates thats about 11 years of rock’n'rolling together. In the world of musical collaborations, 11 years is nothing to sneeze at. The band has had many incarnations and several members can say they shared the name Wighead.

One of the hallmarks of a Wighead show has always been fun. Props, confetti, spaghetti, costumes, and bullhorns; this band has never shied away from spectacle. The audience never knows what to expect from a Wighead show, and in fact, they may leave covered in glitter. It’s certain that Tulsa will miss it’s quirk-rock quartet, but hopefully fellow remaining members will find other ways to express their musical creativity. Their last show was a fun reminder of why they will be missed. Rusk and Inman-Butts serenaded the audience with the first song they ever wrote together, Banana Flavored Apple Pie. It was a nice way for the band to come full circle. Good luck to Chris as he embarks on the Big Apple, and good luck to all the other members of Wighead. You will not be soon forgotten!

That being said, about 10 years ago, when I was a wayward teen, I wandered into a coffee-shop/venue called The Loft. It was on 18th and Boston, and is now known as Doubleshot. I had never been, but a friend brought me to watch an Emcee battle with the infamous Johnny Polygon. There wasn’t, and still isn’t, a huge pool of talented rappers here in Tulsa–but the packed venue and swaying patrons told me that there was something to this “Polygon” character. Now, more than a decade later, Johnny has several albums and is being produced by DJ Green Lantern out of LA. Last May, Johnny had his birthday party at none other than the Cain’s Ballroom.

Johnny’s music varies from rap dominated tracks, to melodic singing laid over dance beats. There are a lot of 80’s inspired, synth parts mixed in with Johnny’s quippy, over confident yet self deprecating lyrics (“I’m sayin’ that I’m different, normally conformity’s the bain of my existence, If you’re a label you’re my enemy, actually I’m just thankful that you’re into me”). Johnny walks a fine line between cocky and self conscious, which makes him a really likable narrator.

When reading an interview with Johnny, I found it interesting that he credits Tulsa for making him the Emcee he is today. He says, “it gave me a lot of identity from jump street. It was one of those things where the confidence came through because there were not a lot of people that were really good at rapping so as soon as I started rapping I was the best rapper around, so it was just really natural.” It’s true, many Tulsa bands find its easier to get noticed here before they move to a bigger city, and performing to adoring hometown crowds can boost your confidence before entering the national stage.

Johnny’s newest album, Rebel Without Applause, came out in March of this year and its available on iTunes. Here’s Johnny’s video for ‘The Riot Song,’ to give you a taste of his hip hop/indie/electro sensibilities.

This is Fiawna’s first video release off her new album Transitus. Directed by Sterlin Harjo.

(1) Sound Pony – 8:00 AM – (Estimated 25 Mile Ride)
(2) 41st Plaza on Riverside – 8:45 AM (Estimated 20 Mile Ride)
(3) 96th and Riverside – 10:00 AM (Estimated 15 Mile Ride)

There will be a return ride the next day starting at 3pm. The grounds are located in Broken Arrow at 2555 East 111th Street, 1 mile South of NSU Broken Arrow. If you are over 21 you can bring your own alcohol, but there will be no alcohol sold onsite. There’s yoga, art, food and all proceeds benefit the Tulsa Area Red Cross! Tickets are $15.00, or $10.00 for bike riders. I like that they are encouraging alternative transportation!

Here’s the line up, you can be sure that most of these bands focus around the Jam Band/Instrumental Genre. Guardant is a fun electro-pop outfit. The Moai Broadcast are a fun mashup of Jazz rhythms, Island beats and a throaty/bluesy vocal vibe. These are two bands I wouldn’t want to miss.

-2:00 PM – Dylan Angleton
-3:00 PM – FYN
-4:30 PM – The Move
-6:00 PM – Guardant
-7:00 PM – Evening Yoga
-7:45 PM – Paul Benjaman Band
-9:15 PM – The Panda Resistance
-10:00 PM – The Electric Forest in The Electric Forest
-10:45 PM – The Moai Broadcast
-12:30 AM – Heady P.
-01:30 AM – Bassmeant

This looks like a really fun event, great to bring kids to, and a great way to get in some new music and some exercise. Enjoy the Tulsa music scene outdoors this summer! For more info, visit this link, to RSVP go here.

Sadly, as with many Tulsa bands that have potential, they felt they needed to move to a bigger city to really get noticed on the national stage (See also: Black Swan, Cheyenne, and Aqueduct). Not all the band’s members could commit to a move, so that was the unofficial end of Ester Drang. Jeff Shoop and James McCallister went on to play on Sufjan Stephen’s album Illinoise, and McCallister was a frequent stand in for Pedro the Lion.

Well, good news is afoot for Tulsa fans of Ester Drang. The band will be reuniting for one show coming up this summer. Ester Drang will play their first show under that name since 2007. There are no official plans for the band to reunite for good, but they are playing the FreeTulsa festival on July 30th and 31st. It’s a great opportunity for them to play some old favorites, remind their old fans of why they loved them so much, and introduce their music to a whole new generation of Tulsa music fans.

Stay tuned to www.okkle.com for an official schedule of the bands playing FreeTulsa, and make sure you catch Ester Drang while you’re there, you won’t be sorry.

This video was directed by Sterlin Harjo, Oklahoma based director of Barking Water. It also stars the band Frontier Ruckus.