Oklahomans Swarm Rolling Stone Magazine

Oklahoma musicians can be found all over the April 30 issue (Issue 1077) of Rolling Stone.

Cover boys Kings of Leon have roots in Oklahoma, having either been born or lived in Oklahoma at some point. Their story begins on page 40, recalling memories of riding in the back of their United Penecostal preacher father’s purple Oldsmobile on the way to religious revivals throughout the southwest. The band also talks about their family reunions in Talihina, Oklahoma.

A video on RollingStone.com takes you behind the scenes of the band members’ lives. Jared talks about his superstition of watching OU football games at a 45 degree angle to the left corner of his flatscreen television.

I take a shot everytime they score a touchdown, so this past season I got fucked up. They’re the highest scoring team in history.

Later in the video, Caleb shows off his ‘farmhouse’ and plays some Roger Miller records.

Also featured in the current issue of Rolling Stone:

There is a picture of Wanda Jackson from her recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction on page 20, as well as quotes from her induction speech.

The supergroup Tinted Windows (fronted by Taylor Hanson) gets a nice feature on page 25, where the band members tell how the group came to be. The band’s debut album also gets a favorable review on page 61.

Samantha Crain & the Midnight Shivers‘ debut albumSongs in the Night also scores a favorable review on page 62.

Old pictures of Kings of Leon and read both album reviews.

Matthew Followill, age 11, with two broken arms and a now vintage OU t-shirt:

Caleb Followill, age 13, as a Warrior in Sperry, Oklahoma.

Samantha Crain and the Midnight Shivers
Songs in the Night
3.5 of 5 Stars
2009

“I will give in to the dark clouds/I will sing with the fog in my throat,” begins Samantha Crain on her debut LP. The line seems half-true. Her voice is gorgeously odd — all fulsome, shape-shifting vowels that do indeed billow like fog. But while her moody country rock is full of dark themes, she rarely gives in to them: Her band plays with jaunty sweetness, shuffling and bouncing through sorghum-sticky melodies. So a song about impending disaster feels like a lovers’ waltz, and the title track saunters into the honky-tonk with an Advent candle and a pocket full of hope, bad vibes be damned.

WILL HERMES
(Posted: Apr 14, 2009)

Tinted Windows
Tinted Windows
3 of 5 Stars
2009

It sounds like a guitar-rock Rotisserie-league team — Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne, Bun E. Carlos of Cheap Trick and James Iha of Smashing Pumpkins forming a band fronted by Taylor Hanson — but Tinted Windows actually exist. Packed with straightforward, girl-crazy power pop, the band’s debut isn’t quite as intriguing as you’d like. Hanson’s nice-guy come-ons are effective but don’t have a lot of personality. And though the songs recall the Fountains’ smart, well-crafted material, they lack that band’s detailed lyrics (typical line: “All I really want to say/Is I need you every day”). But these likable tunes usually hit their modest marks — the terrific Big Star rip “Nothing to Me” is prime road-trip material.

CHRISTIAN HOARD
(Posted: Apr 14, 2009)

from oklahomarock.com