This information was first published in KOSU’s music newsletter, The Spy Bulletin. You can sign up to receive local music news, ticket giveaways and concert listings in your inbox every Wednesday.
Gene Triplett, a Hall of Fame journalist and longtime entertainment editor at The Oklahoman, died on June 6 at the age of 77.
I never met Gene, but I read his work. He did plenty of other entertainment coverage in film and the performing arts, but I’d like to focus on his music writing here.
Gene was a champion of The Flaming Lips, when they were still very outside the mainstream. Giving shine to the band in the state’s largest newspaper led to many suburban normies — including myself — to discover the band for the first time. He did the same for Chainsaw Kittens, Starlight Mints, The Mimsies and more.
In the early 1980s, he thoughtfully explained the genre labels of ‘punk’ and ‘new wave,’ addressing some negative connotations while giving readers an entry point to discover new music.
In a concert review of punk band X in 1982, his words captured the look, sound and feel of The Bowery in OKC: “The sweaty throng seemed to be an even balance of conventionally dressed music lovers and those decorated more appropriately with spiky, close-cropped hair, leopard-skin pants, black Spandex, battered leather, bizarre makeup, etc. Men and women stood side-by-side on chairs and all along the railing surrounding the crowded dance floor, bruising each other with their hips and steadying themselves by hanging onto the flimsy metal framework of the ceiling…”
He also gave insight into what music sounded like in album reviews, like this 2003 review of Infinite Keys by Tulsa band Ester Drang: “The crystalline instrumentation of the piano-laced “I Don’t Want to Live (in a World of Infinite Keys)” and the catchy-yet-gentle sway of the guitars and variety of keyboards on the beautifully bittersweet “No One Could Ever Take Your Face” are more conducive to introspective gazing at one’s footwear than to bouncing off one’s walls.”
A good music writer takes you places you’ve never been and piques your interest in sounds you’ve never heard. Gene did both well and his readers were better for it.
Keyland is the latest Oklahoma artist to be featured in Rolling Stone, thanks to writer Josh Crutchmer. The short article dives into the new album Knuckle Sandwich and frontman Kyle Ross’ other career as a high school football coach. It also previews some of Keyland’s plans for the summer, which include tour dates with Uncle Lucius.
Oklahoma songwriter Brett James will be honored posthumously with the ACM Poet’s Award at the 19th annual ACM Honors on August 19 in Nashville. The award “recognizes a country music songwriter whose work has had an enduring impact on shaping the country music genre with exceptional lyrical and musical contributions.”
Billy Bragg and Wilco have rarely performed songs from their collaborative album Mermaid Avenue since the first volume’s release in 1998. The album features previously unknown lyrics by Woody Guthrie put to music by the collaboration. They will perform songs from the album together at the Solid Sound Festival in Massachusetts on Friday, June 26. Hear Bragg talk about the album and more on NPR’s Here & Now.
A custom guitar crafted from original maple studio flooring of The Church Studio in Tulsa will be raffled off to raise funds for The Church Studio Music Foundation. Guitarist and luthier Seth Lee Jones hand built two guitars — one for the raffle and another for the studio’s collection. Raffle entries are accepted through June 30 and the winner will be announced on July 2.
Kyle’s Rad Amplification, a “small mad-science tube amp conversion operation” in Norman, is having a big sale on guitar amps, converted PA heads, mic preamps, compressors and mixers. The sale at 119 N Crawford Ave. in Norman (next to The Opolis!) is on Saturday, June 27 between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. More info and photos are here.
The Spy added new songs this week by POND, Lily Seabird, Alicia Blue, SOAK and more. Listen on Apple Music, Spotify or thespyfm.com.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.kosu.org ’
