Need Something To Do?

The Oklahoma City Community Foundation is presenting Free Museum Sundays as a part of "Downtown in December". It's a great way to see some of the really incredible museums the city has to offer. Of particular interest to music fans is the new Oklahoma Banjo Museum located in the heart of Bricktown on 9 E. Sheridan. I can't say that I'm a huge fan of banjo music; but if its a free chance to what all the museum offer, that's hard to turn down. The museum will be open from 1-6. The incredible Gaylord-Pickens Oklahoma Heritage will be free next Sunday, the Oklahoma City Museum of Art will free the following week, and to cap it all off the three aforementioned museums in addition to Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum will all be free to everyone. This is another one of the great things about OKC.

Information courtesy of Wimgo (still don't know WTF Wimgo is)

Oklahoma Banjo Museum

People You've Never Heard Of

I really enjoy finding new music and conversely sharing new music with others. So I'd like to introduce a new series "People You've Never Heard Of". This week I'll be bringing you two "electro-pop" artists. Tell me what you think of them.

First up is Blood Orange, a electro-pop "one man band" from Brooklyn. The catchy songs have a unique blend of electronic beats and string instruments.
Take a Listen:
"I'm Sorry We Lied"(Demo) Blood Orange [MP3 link]
(Via THE MIXTAPE)

Miike Snow is a new favorite of the music blogosphere. This Swedish pop band has been called a mix of "a-ha meets Animal Collective" by the British paper The Guardian. In addition to making brilliant, fun original pop songs, Miike Snow has remixed everyone from Vampire Weekend to Peter, Bjorn and John.
Here's one of my favorites:
"Black and Blue" Miike Snow [MP3 link]

World AIDS Day

Started in 1988, World AIDS Day is a day to remember those who have died from and suffer from HIV/AIDS. This terrible disease has taken an estimated 25 million lives since 1981, and to this day more than 33 million live with the disease. We have to educate others about the devastating impact of this largely preventable disease. Equally important is fighting for the rights and dignity of those who suffer from HIV/AIDS. The epidemic affects all of us; its likely someone you know has been affected by HIV/AIDS. We're all in this together

I thought this song sums it up pretty well.
"One" U2 feat. Mary J. Blige [MP3 link]

Interesting Point of View

I just got my "Not This MAPS" t-shirt and it inspired me to share this video with you. This woman is not the most eloquent speaker, she doesn't have a fancy title, but what she is saying is real. I think it takes an incredible amount of courage to stand in front of the mayor and city council and really let them know what you think



Give involved in politics. Stay informed; most importantly vote and make your voice heard.

Covers

Covers fascinate me. Good covers anyway; good covers reinterpret the original and bring something new to the table. "Sweet Dreams" is decent pop song; overly reminiscent of a Rihanna song and is filled the brim with synthy pops and breaks. Big Pink takes this song and makes a beautiful lo-fi cover. The song is the complete opposite of Beyonce's version; its all sparse acoustic guitar and some unique atmosphere background elements. Simple but more than adequate.

Take a listen

"Sweet Dreams" (cover) Big Pink [MP3 link]

(via Vinyl & Vodka)

Cold War Kids

The Cold War Kids are back; after experimenting with a more low-key sound, the hard driving piano beats and drums return. "Audience of One" brings back to mind some of my favorites like "Hospital Beds".

Take a listen

"Audience of One" Cold War Kids [MP3 link]

Just for nostalgia

Tis the Season #1

December, already?! As Christmas fast approaches us, I'll be bringing you Christmas songs every so often (intentionally vague); some famous, others not so famous. Here's the first, "Star of Wonder" by Sufjan Stevens.