Okie singer Ryan Lawson apparently has been hanging out with the slowcore psych-rock dudes from The Purple Church. It’s a cool collaboration — Lawson’s voice alters from his usual straightforward, distinct folk style to something more strained and animal-like.

Back in July, Louisiana Afrobeat/indie-pop goobers Givers swung by Bob Boilen's office for one of the better Tiny Desk Shows we've seen in a while.

More recently, they laid down an exuberant rendition of "Meantime" in the back of the namesake of The Black Cab Sessions, which has hit the States for an American tour in promotion of a recent documentary about American music. Watch below. And don't forget to catch the band when they swing through Stillwater to play College Days with Cold War Kids, Delta Spirit, Colourmusic and a handful of other local indie bands.

Givers from Black Cab Sessions on Vimeo.

Oh, my.

For those of you who recall their performance at this year’s Norman Music Festival, Japanese anime/cartoon/metal-ish band Peelander-Z provided a batshit-insane hour’s worth of crowd-interactive entertainment that included human bowling, a giant squid and choreographed dancing. It was hilarious and somewhat terrifying.

Opolis announced Peelander’s mighty return to Norman yesterday on its Facebook page. I tremble at the thought of those three little men performing in a tiny, enclosed space so close to my home.  The show’s set for Sept. 10th. You can watch the band’s “interview” at NMF3 below. Also be sure to check out the end of the songs “Tacos, Tacos, Tacos” and “So Many Mike.”



In the words of Samuel L. Jackson: “Hold on to your butts.”

It’s not very often you get to see a soul legend sing an all-time great cover song accompanied by the front man of the biggest indie band to ever get buzzed. That happened this last weekend at Outside Lands when Mavis Staples brought Win Butler of Arcade Fire on to sing “The Weight,” The Band’s great contribution to planet Earth. Enjoy.

This comes at you courtesy of @indielawyer, better known as Josh Welch, Oklahoma City criminal defense attorney and personal friend of Wayne Coyne. Welch’s kids apparently have an ongoing YouTube series involving their Mario and Luigi dolls, and in this episode, they’re lucky enough to get to interview The Wayne.

What I love about this is how earnest and silly Coyne is with these two boys, and that behavior isn’t even slightly different from any other interview I’ve ever seen him in. Watch for yourself:

You could argue that punk is inherently unambitious music, but hardcore sextet Fucked Up’s recent expansive rock opera, “David Comes to Life," convincingly argues that it can aim high. Watch as David and his gal pal, Veronica, get stalked by a creepy-looking Mad Hatter-in-real-life character while the band walks around on railroad tracks all hipster-like. The track’s called “The Other Shoe.”



Check out the album’s first video, “Queen of Hearts,” for further viewing/listening. “David Comes to Life” is probably going to wind up near the top of most folks’ best-of lists this year, I’m thinking.

Mastodon’s “The Hunter” comes out Sept. 27 on Reprise Records and the band’s done all the marketing it needs in the form of the ridiculously awesome titles it’s given each one of the album’s 13 tracks (15 on the deluxe edition!).

Here’s “Curl of the Burl,” which, if you’re unaccustomed to spinning and zooming through forests in unpredictable directions, might make you vomit.



The video’s a little boring, but thanks to it, we get to hear a new Mastodon song. I don’t like it quite as much as the first single, “Deathbound,” whose video also blows this one away. In fact, you probably just ought to watch it again.

“I can see for miles, miles, miles,” Justin Vernon coos three different times during “Holocene.” Director Nabil first syncs this line up in the below video with a beautiful wide shot of what seems to be Icelandic landscape. Everything seems infinite in that little moment.

Watch as a bucktoothed kid in a hooded sweater explores the beautiful country outside of his home.