On the Oklahoma Rock Show, we comb through dozens of songs every week. They're country and folk, rock and punk, hip-hop and EDM, and everything in between. Below, you'll find 10 songs we've really been enjoying over the past month or so.
Annie Oakley - "Hey Honey Hey"
Although the members of Annie Oakley are still considered teenagers, their keen insight into the world of women is as worldly as it gets. In their newest track, “Hey Honey Hey,” they take on the kind of cat-calling and micro aggressions that young women experience every day, which is a global problem that places women as the target of unwelcomed comments about their appearance or public demeanor. This song is for every girl who’s ever been told to “smile” by a complete stranger, and is a sweet, harmonious musical middle finger in response to being told what to do or how to act or the idea that anyone “asks for it” by how they choose to present themselves. - Grace Gordon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncygpj7JBo8
Celadon City - "Earth 2"
The psudeonym of 21-year-old Edmond musician Ethan Strange, Celadon City is spearheading a movement of electronic musicians in Oklahoma. Strange created the Safari Collective as a means to reach out to other like-minded electronic producers across the state. Now, he's making his biggest leap forward yet. In February, Celadon City released his new album Earth OST on Hush Hush Records, a Seattle boutique label run by KEXP DJ Alex Ruder. The lead track is "Earth 2," an ambient daydream that will send you floating. - Ryan LaCroix
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuersKnIy7I
Lincka - "Wonder Woman"
Lincka is one of those artists who you hear for the first time and instantly like. There is something indisputably alluring about her lush Norah Jones-esque vocals layered over snappy pop instrumentals. But unlike straightforward pop music, Lincka’s songs don’t go where you expect them to, but dip and swerve over tinny high-hat triplets, looping harmonies, and electronic synth elements. On her recently released debut No Shoes EP, her track “Wonder Woman” is especially empowering. - Grace Gordon
Skating Polly - "Oddie Moore"
Although Skating Polly recently relocated to Tacoma, Washington, "Oddie Moore" proves the Oklahoma City natives to be as ferocious as ever. Peyton Bighorse takes the vocal lead on "Oddie Moore," a rip-roaring song whose lyrics Bighorse says are "terrifying" to be made public. The teenage stepsister duo is set to release a new album, The Big Fit, on March 25. And, they will return to Oklahoma on April 23, playing the main stage at Norman Music Festival 9. - Ryan LaCroix
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLpbf2kBZhQ
Miillie Mesh - "I Rock Gold"
Nicki Minaj is forever going on about how she’s the best female emcee in the game, but clearly she hasn’t met Miillie Mesh. The Oklahoma City rapper gives Nicki a run for her money with vocal dexterity demonstrated by her ability to alternate swiftly between squeaky, valley girl delivery to rapid-fire flow. In her latest track “I Rock Gold,” Mesh’s feminist confidence blazes over a beat that could easily have come out of OVO’s camp, but was actually constructed by local producer Jotti Notch. - Grace Gordon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYqfmWhI5Oo
TJ Mayes - "Short Fuse"
One of the few musicians carrying the torch for rockabilly in the state, TJ Mayes is as authentic as they come. A devoted collector of old 45s of Oklahoma music, Mayes released From the Plains to the Piers via Wild Records in December. "Hey Little Diddle" and "Silhouette" are standout tracks on the record, but "Short Fuse" is the one that really sparked my interest. A raucous track that barely stretches past two minutes, it's a crowd pleaser for any age. - Ryan LaCroix
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkheCDSUMkc
Samantha Crain - "Cold Hands"
The fact that Samantha Crain’s “Cold Hands” – which was recorded for her new album Under Branch and Thorn and Tree – never made it onto the album should tell you the excellent caliber of songs that did make it onto UBATAT. “Cold Hands” is a remarkable indie folk song which starts off with sparse guitar-driven instrumentation before breaking into an up-tempo beat supported by soaring violin melodies before slowing back down. This technique is quite brilliant as it mimics the story told by Crain’s lyrics, which depict a struggle against unseen forces like self-doubt. Supported by the ebb and flow of the song’s tempo, Crain paints a powerful picture of trying and failing and picking yourself up and trying again. - Grace Gordon
LTZ ft. Cooki Turner - "Hit Me On My RAZR"
LTZ has piqued my interest at several points in the past few years, notably with songs like "Pep Rally" and "MF TeaZee." But, things have really seemed to coalesced around his last two releases—2015's Barcelona '92 and the concept album, Singles Awareness Day II. "Hit Me On My RAZR" is the final track on the latter album, which 'explores his break up timeline.' More of a dance song than anything else, the track is elevated even further with the vocal performance of Cooki Turner. Now, your task: find TeaZee's Simpsons reference. - Ryan LaCroix
School of Seven Bells - "Open Your Eyes"
In 2014, Alejandra Deheza of School of Seven Bells lost her band partner and best friend, Benjamin Curtis to T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma. He was only 35-years-old when he passed away. However, his diagnosis in 2012 compelled the band to complete the album, SVIIB, they were working on during Curtis’s final year, and Deheza in particular focused on pouring her soul into the album in order to tell the world the story of her shared history with Curtis. It sounds like heartbreaking fodder, but early tracks from the impending album are surprisingly uplifting. In “Open Your Eyes” Deheza’s rapid, staccato delivery is not unlike what you’d find in rap, but her pretty voice soars over looped electronic beats instead of booming 808s. This track is not only addicting to listen to, but it’s also a tender memorial to love and loss. - Grace Gordon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hemIjEd9CYk
Trap Queen - "Nothing to Say"
Move over Fetty Wap, there's a new Trap Queen in town. These Oklahoma City punk rockers dropped a two-song release in January that blew us away. "Nothing to Say" is the gem here - a rapid-fire, guitar-blistering track that you'll have on repeat. - Ryan LaCroix
