Thursday 20 Jun
 
 

Kanye West — Yeezus

Try as you might, but there’s no escaping Kanye West. Turn on the TV, radio, computer — hell, take a stroll downtown and you might see his mug projected on the side of a building. It’s an undeniable fact of life in 2013: Kanye West is bigger than Buddha, Krishna and The Beatles (today, anyway) and he’ll be the first to let you know about it.
06/18/2013 | Comments 0

John Moreland — In the Throes

With the soul of a poet and the look of a Sons of Anarchy extra, Tulsa’s John Moreland has been gifted the sort of gravely, booming voice that does Bruce Springsteen proud and a similar understanding of the universal human experience. It’s made for some fantastic records — both as a solo artist and with his dissolved Black Gold Band — and In the Throes is his best yet.
06/19/2013 | Comments 0

Jumpship Astronaut — Lights Burn Out

Oklahoma has never been the haven for electronic rock music that it is for country, folk and, as of late, psychedelic pop, but from the sound of Lights Burn Out, Oklahoma City upstart Jumpship Astronaut seems intent on changing that.
06/12/2013 | Comments 0

Various artists — Reaching Out

Like so many Oklahomans, the local music scene has responded with generosity and grace in the wake of last month’s tragedy in Moore. In the weeks since, droves of local musicians have banded together for benefit concerts and radio marathons to raise funds for the relief effort, and with extraordinary results.
06/04/2013 | Comments 0

Progress in Color — Get Well

It’s been a long, bumpy ride for Glenpool’s Progress in Color, which saw a record deal with Epic evaporate before even one record could come of it, but it’s led the outfit to where it was supposed to be.
06/04/2013 | Comments 0
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Music

Soundcheck: 'This Machine'


OCCJ adopts the message of Oklahoma's greatest folk singer to fight injustice.

Matt Carney August 31st, 2011  

Woody Guthrie didn’t die in 1967.

Well, yeah, he did. But his legacy carries on well after Huntington’s disease claimed his body on Oct. 3, 1967, and not just in the folk genre he mastered. His legacy is one that was hell-bent on tearing down authoritarianism and replacing it with tolerance and understanding.

“Woody was a social conscience as much as he was a musician, songwriter or poet,” said Russ Florence, who’s helped to coordinate the “This Machine” public service project for the Oklahoma Center for Community and Justice. “The music was the vehicle to tell a broader story and speak on behalf of people overlooked/left out.”

These days, the OCCJ has picked up where Guthrie left off by incorporating many of Oklahoma’s best musicians with photographers, web designers, video producers and media professionals to produce a series of public service announcements. The music provides the muscle in the organization’s never-ending fight against bias, bigotry and racism.

“It’s definitely a grassroots movement,” Florence said. “All the people involved in this effort see the need for this message to be delivered to Oklahomans.”

While stylistically different, each artist’s message and painted guitar is clearly rooted in Guthrie’s vow that “This Machine Kills Fascists.”

Last year, the campaign produced concerts, ads, a website and a social media campaign. Keep your eyes open for a couple of TV spots premiering this month to mark the campaign’s re-launch. For more information, visit occjrocks.com. —Matt Carney

 
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