Recent weeks have seen some big releases from some of Oklahoma’s heaviest hitters and brightest rising stars, with an explosive new offering from Samantha Crain, Broncho’s triumphant return to the scene, buzzmakers Bee & The Hive dropping their full-length debut, and Beau Jennings readying a new release.
But if you turn your attention a little further off to left field, you’ll also find some genre-straddling, wonderfully esoteric new short-form releases from some of the most interesting names in Oklahoma indie.
These unexpected EP drops run the whole stylistic gamut from glitchy chill-hop to full-on, fuzzed-out rock wailing, sometimes all on the same release.
So if you’re looking for some new local music that’s a bit further off the beaten path, here are three new local EPs to check out.
Late Night Messages – ‘Imposter Syndrome EP’
The quietly prolific Late Night Messages has existed in some form or another for a few years now, turning out a handful of singles and releases awhile back before going quiet while leader/mastermind Jonathan Martinez worked on fleshing out new songs and a new, full band lineup.
But on May 16th, they’re back with the new “Imposter Syndrome EP,” a four-track excursion down practically every major “Millennial indie” avenue, from sad electro-pop to overdriven post-punk.
The indie-pop of opener “Mass Hysteria” sets the scene, but even as the digitized pianos and looping trance beat become wistfully hypnotic, it never feels sterile or mechanical. You can feel the human hands on the song.
That human touch only grows on the funky pseudo-rap of “Crybaby” and through the unmistakably Franz Ferdinand-style guitar-rock of finisher “Something Else,” with each track cutting a sharp left turn into some different sonic territory, but always feeling like they’ve spilled out of Martinez’s own musical interests and instincts.
Lead single “All a Dream” is the standout here, bringing together all of the different styles at play – the intertwining guitars and keys, the hip-hop backbeat, the airy, indie-gaze production – into a singular sound that bodes very well for the future of Late Night Messages.
“Imposter Syndrome EP” by Late Night Messages drops on streaming services Friday, May 16th with a full release show planned that night at Resonant Head alongside Sophia Massad and Cherry Laurel.
Funny Dog – ‘The Invisible Hand EP’
Wacky rock newcomers Funny Dog hit the ground running earlier this year, but they’ve already dropped this five-track debut collection that shows off the full spectrum of their alt-rock abilities.
Kicking off with the previously released “Hunting Season,” the band shows their penchant for adding a little groove in underneath the grungy guitar work and their ability to build and evolve a song toward a massive climax.
But the following track, “Crossroad Killing,” still comes out of nowhere with its unhinged screaming and distorted riffing to tell a brief tale of samurai brutality in the 1500s before another total one-eighty in the chill funk ballad “Flowers in Antarctica.”
Throughout, there’s always a wholly compelling, confounding air of theatricality, easily recalling weirdo-rock heroes like Faith No More, with each track allowing singer Ashley Munson to explore a whole range of personalities and attitudes with a vocal character that rivals Billy Corgan and occasionally comes intriguingly close to Geddy Lee.
“The Invisible Hand EP” by Funny Dog is available on streaming services now.
Everywhere, Constantly – ‘New Shapes EP’
The personalized musical outlet of writer/producer David Joachims, Everywhere, Constantly has grown into something particularly exciting in the realm of electronic ambient-glitch.
This four-track EP clocks in at just around seven minutes and almost plays out more like one long, segmented track, but that only adds to the infinite replayability of this choppy, contemplative new release.
Everything is chill and awash in electro atmospherics, but it’s all then chopped and stitched back together like a collection of half-remembered fever dreams or bleary-eyed late-night memories.
Throughout, fleeting vocal parts and sliced-up sung lines weave in and out like the early deconstructionist work from James Blake, and hazily philosophical spoken samples and interview passages form a grounded, human center, in particular a great bit of insight on artistic growth from actor Ethan Hawke.
It’s a great bit of intellectual, glitchy rumination that bears a deeply welcome resemblance to one of my favorite purveying acts of electronic experimentalism, Inventions.
“New Shapes EP” by Everywhere, Constantly is available on streaming services now.
You can find out about local music and performance happenings in the OKC metro weekly in this music column by Brett Fieldcamp. | Brought to you by True Sky Credit Union.
Brett Fieldcamp has been covering arts, entertainment, news, housing, and culture in Oklahoma for nearly 15 years, writing for several local and state publications. He’s also a musician and songwriter and holds a certification as Specialist of Spirits from The Society of Wine Educators.
