Saturday 25 May
 
 

IndianGiver — Plafond EP

If you were to peruse the “About” section of IndianGiver’s Facebook page, you’ll notice how the instruments attributed to each of the Oklahoma City band’s five members are described with downright flippancy: Dylan Jordan plays “sticks & animal skins,” while Jazzton Rodriguez earns his keep with “shanties & loud noises,” and so on.
05/22/2013 | Comments 0

Various artists — Never Give Up: Celebrating 10 Years of The Postal Service

Few indie bands have had the impact on current music that The Postal Service has. Even fewer have done so with only one album.
05/15/2013 | Comments 0

Big Worm — Bench All-Stars

Fans of the comedy classic Friday may recognize the name Big Worm, but the Big Worm behind Bench All-Stars is rooted not in South Central L.A., but on the streets of Oklahoma City.
05/08/2013 | Comments 0

Code 22 — Going Soft: The Acoustic Album!

The guys of Oklahoma City’s Code 22 seem like a likable group of fellas. Their latest release, Going Soft: The Acoustic Album!, is likable enough as well — so likable that on first listen, I took its clean, acoustic sound and clear, unstressed vocals as an alternative praise-and-worship band.
05/08/2013 | Comments 0

Eureeka — Polysynthetic Fields

It’s always refreshing to hear music that embraces its own eccentricity, yet presents it in an accessible and meek fashion. Eureeka — the Norman-based duo of Jordan Vargas and Devin Wahl — has tapped into this rarified air on its self-released EP, Polysynthetic Fields.
05/08/2013 | Comments 0
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Music

The mod couple


The members of Viva Voce aren’t just married to their music, but each other.

Joshua Boydston March 9th, 2011  

Viva Voce with Damien Jurado
9 p.m. Saturday
Opolis 113 N. Crawford, Norman
opolis.org 820-0951
$10 advance/$12 door

Kevin and Anita Robinson definitely fall into the “so cute it makes you sick” couples category.

They’ve been married for more than 10 years, after meeting in their native Alabama. They were introduced through mutual friends at a small music club, then fostered a relationship by exchanging mixtapes. They decided to start playing music with each other, and got good enough to release some albums and tour the country together in a tiny tour van.

They had no intention of ever settling down in any one place, before relocating to their adopted home of Portland, Ore., where they will surely live happily ever after, writing and recording music in their home studio.

Ready to gag yet? Anita Robinson used to be worried you would.

“I used to be cautious about that. I didn’t want people to think we were bubblegum, lovey-dovey, cutesy sort of stuff,” she said. “I wanted to be tough and cool and a serious musician. Now, I’ve lightened up. Sure, some of songs are love songs, but so are they for a lot of bands. I don’t think we could avoid it even if we wanted to.”

Although their psychedelic indie music has always been kind of adorable, with shared vocal duties and oft optimistic nature, Viva Voce generally shied away from the gimmicky nature of marrieds making music by adding a sometimes heavy, darker tone.

But the two seem to be embracing it more than ever presently, sort of realizing the treasure that it truly is.

“It always sucks to leave your loved ones behind when you go out on tour, but we don’t have to be lonely and heartbroken like most of our friends who play in bands,” she said, before pausing and laughing. “I feel like I’m rubbing it in.”

Viva Voce’s chemistry might be especially evident during Saturday’s stop at Opolis, the venue the couple consciously sought to return to because it reminds them of their first encounter.

“We met a place a lot like Opolis. It was a big deal for people like me; there was no way to see live music unless it was some bar band doing covers or big, expensive arena shows,” she said. “That’s why we play there: It’s supporting the same thing that was important to me and him.”

The duo will introduce songs from their forthcoming record, “The Future Will Destroy You,” set for a June release. Although the record was completed about a week ago, they can hardly wait to unleash it.

“It’s so new, I can’t even begin to try to describe it or even listen to it with any objectivity yet. It was relatively painless,” Anita Robison said. “Well, it was painless for me. It just occurred to me that if you asked Kevin that same question, he would have said the exact opposite. That’s how it goes when you are married.”

 
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