Brand New Music from a Brand New Band

If you’ve been with us for a little while, you’ll remember the mention of the band, Lookouts, in our Annihilation interview with Hoarseman. The band consists of Camilo Gonzalez and Hoarseman’s Quinton Hoagland, and it has been around for a lot longer than their music has been out.

The group initially began when Gonzalez contacted Hoagland with a piece of instrumentals. After voicing his approval of the composition, Hoagland offered to work with Gonzalez. They spent the summer dividing their attention between this project and their other various musical involvements.

On September 25, Lookouts released two singles: “Can You Take It All Away?” and “Spinning.” The songs are just a taste of what is to come – the band is already hinting at an upcoming album.

Both songs give off serious coffeehouse vibes. Soft piano music is accompanied by light strings and melancholy harmonies; all of this creates a sad, romantic nostalgia that settles in your chest. The vocals hold theatrical elements that underline the show business experience both members hold.

The singles are unlike anything we’ve seen from either of the two musicians. They wield a reflective undertone that is missing from the two’s previous projects. While I won’t say which project is better (each has its redeeming qualities), I will say that the differences are refreshing.

Lookouts plans to have their album out by early next year. They also anticipate adding several performances around the same time.

Be sure to follow Lookouts on all social media and music streaming sites, and look out (pun intended) for mentions of their upcoming album. Listen to their new music below:

Have an opinion on Lookouts and their new music? Want to tell us about your favorite local musician/band? Comment below or email us at starcatchermagazine@gmail.com!

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On Holiday Performs at Punk Rock Social

Last week (Sunday, September 22), On Holiday ended their tour at 89th Street in OKC with a killer lineup. The Punk Rock Social Mini Fest included the bands Irrational Consumers, Ben Quad, On Holiday, Cliffdiver, When the Clock Strikes, and The Big News, in that order.

On Holiday is a self-described punk/rock/ska band. The three-piece includes guitarist and vocalist Aaron Miller, bassist and vocalist, Skyler FlyingOut, and drummer Jon Michael Jackson. The group had an EP called Going Mad come out back in March, and they recently released a new single, “Arizona,” on September 13.

On Holiday frequently tours, so having them back in OKC so shortly after their new song dropped was a special treat.

From the beginning of their set, it was like they came alive on the stage. Friends in the crowd catcalled and cracked jokes with the band members throughout the performance, keeping the atmosphere fun and friendly.

They started the show with their song, “Fuck If I Know.” In that moment, it was clear that this was the ultimate rock show. The air was electric with people bouncing and dancing in the crowd – the band wore huge grins as they moved onstage – it was brilliant. And it stayed that way through the rest of the performance.

The songs, in order, were as followed:

  1. Fuck If I Know
  2. Seattle to Chicago
  3. Arizona
  4. Rock Show (Blink 182 cover)
  5. Hey Look
  6. Ska Song
  7. Better Than This
  8. Going Mad

The music itself was good, but the energy was what made it great. This wasn’t a show where everyone knew every word to every song; there were six bands, and all of them attracted their own fans. Still, everyone sang along to their cover of “Rock Show,” and the band managed to get the crowd to sing “whoa” at the end of “Hey Look.”

While the audience may not have had On Holiday’s entire catalog memorized, they definitely enjoyed the music. Some overzealous fans took advantage of an empty space at the back and danced along wildly in an non-choreographed fashion.

All in all, it was a great show. Once the last song ended, and the band started taking down their equipment, the crowd began to sing “Happy Birthday” to drummer Jon Michael Jackson.

I spoke briefly with members of the group after, and the show was schedules specifically for his birthday. He chose the bands because they were personal favorites – he claims, “It was a birthday present to myself.”

Check out On Holiday on all social media and music streaming sites. Be sure to catch them at a performance near you – you won’t regret it.

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Hoarseman Talks “Notre Dame is Burning”

Not long after Annihilation hit the streets on May 10, Hoarseman began the countdown for his next collection, Notre Dame is Burning, releasing it on July 31.

The speed at which he put out his third record (in not quite three months) was already impressive – then, not five minutes after he sat down to talk to me, he revealed that it was actually ready for release on July 4. Technical difficulties involving the distributor set the record back almost a month, but the songs were already recorded and mastered by the beginning of July.

There was a reason for the quickness, as Quinton Hoagland of Hoarseman explained. With Annihilation, the main concept involved the catastrophic end to a long relationship. Notre Dame is Burning contains a few songs that are also about that same relationship; these were leftover from the Annihilation era that just didn’t fit with the others.

Hoagland is ready to move on from that relationship, though. In fact, he has moved on – the ill will he had felt is long gone. So, in order to fully transcend into the next era, he released Notre Dame is Burning as soon as he possibly could. The next album, he says, will not be for awhile because he is writing completely new material with completely different themes.

As happy as we are that he is moving on from the heavy themes in his last couple of albums, we have to admit that those emotions produced some great songs.

The album begins with the title track – and the theme is set. Rather than the arc of his last couple of albums, where the songs fall into a pit of despair and then climb out, he begins with destruction in the first song.

With its catchy hook and woeful concept, the song is the kind that will stick in your head for days on end.

The next couple of tracks (“Counterfeit Love” and “Crown of Thorns”) continue this gloomy outlook, pairing depressing lyrics with spunky tunes that remind you of a rotting Jack-o-lantern (dead inside with big carved-out grin).

There’s anger and spite and frustration bleeding into each note. “Counterfeit Love” demands an answer to the question of “how could you?” “Crown of Thorns” paints a clear-cut victim. With “Change Me,” blame is cast.

Then comes the implosion of “Granite House.” Suddenly, the weight of everything hits and blame shifts. It becomes a question of “how could I?” rather than “how could you?”

This brings the next block of inner hatred. The songs (“The Road” and “Hammock”) careen down the rabbit hole as they become more defensive and bitter. They’re plucky and messy, feelings spilling like marbles rolling across the floor.

Then, there’s the finale. The finale is “You’ll Never Change,” and it is a tearjerker. All of the songs in this album are broken ballads, but this one is different. It’s less woe-is-me and more… resigned. Finally, there’s acceptance.

Every song on the album is artfully crafted and infused with raw emotion. There’s drama and exaggeration, but there’s also a dash of realism. This is something understandable; it’s something with which people can relate.

Check out Hoarseman on all social media and music streaming sites. If you happen to be in Tulsa tomorrow (September 26), be sure to stop by the Vanguard to see Hoarseman and the Heard in action.

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Star Catcher Summer Send-Off

Summer 2019 was a busy one for Oklahoma musicians. In our Mid-Year Update, we shared some of the amazing things these artists were working on in the beginning of the year through the beginning of the summer. Since summer is officially over today, September 23, here’s how it ended:

July 2019

  • Kat Lock brought us the wonderful EP that was You Again on July 12.
  • Lately. put out their debut single “Shaky” on July 12. Tulsa-based magazine, Variance, premiered it on July 15, giving the band some extra buzz.
  • Poolboy released their single, “Players Club,” on July 18, just over a month after their self-titled album dropped. The song (and album) earned them a spot on the Make Oklahoma Weirder favorites list.
  • One Two Ten unveiled “Heathers” on July 26 and premiered it at Hollywood Corners in Norman the next night. (Check out pictures from the show in our gallery.)
  • Westering debuted their self titled EP on July 27. What began as a side-project for the members quickly hastened into the main act with this release – the band has spent the last couple of months promoting their music at a smattering of performances.
  • Hoarseman gave us Notre Dame is Burning on July 31, only a couple of months after their previous album, Annihilation. The speed at which the new album was produced did nothing to diminish the excellence of the release.

August 2019

  • Hookup started off August on a high note with the release of their single, “In the Morning” on August 2.
  • The Odyssey book-ended their summer season on August 9 with “Fresh Air.” The band headlined at the Vanguard that night with Hoarseman and the Heard, Jaguarandi, and McAllister; the show, in the words of the masses, “slap[ped] way too hard to not to be mentioned.” (Check out pictures of the performance in our gallery.)
  • Free Association unveiled the self-titled album they had in the works for about a year on August 16.
  • Weston Horn and the Hush released their second album, Vol. II: Don’t Give Up on August 17, further solidifying their spot as a Tulsa favorite.
  • Brooding and Ben Quad made a two-song split called Forever on August 20.
  • Lately. put out their second single, “Feels Real Nice,” on August 22. This summer-soaked song caught the attention of Variance Magazine once again, and a review of it was posted on September 17.
  • Husbands brought us their track, “Mexico,” on August 27. The first single off of their upcoming second EP, the song gave us serious vacation vibes.

September 2019

  • Foxburrows premiered their single, “Shedding Season,” on Friday, September 13. Their performance the next night at The Jones Assembly provided the perfect platform for celebrating the song.
  • Lunar Division launched their self-titled debut album on Friday, September 13. The album featured their previously released single, “In the Dark,” as well as nine other jams.
  • On Holiday dropped their newest single, “Arizona,” on Friday, September 13. Despite the band’s absence from Oklahoma while on tour, On Holiday got to celebrate their song in their home city on September 22 at 89th Street with a stacked lineup.
  • Shoulda Been Blonde released their album, Worth, on Sunday, September 15, after playing at the much-loved MisFest in Tulsa.
  • The Shelter People gave us new music on September 19. Their release of “My Darling Girl/Smokestack Lightnin'” features the blues rock elements the band is known for – and the action of putting out this new single excited many Tulsa fans who had believed the band to be discontinued.
  • Alexis Onyango had us dancing to “Skin Off My Back” on September 20. She threw a release party that night at the Vanguard to celebrate with Saturdaze, Graveyard Party, and douglas.
  • Florence Rose put out their single, “Same Friends,” on September 20. An intense techno-pop track bemoaning the trials of staying friends with your ex, “Same Friends” shares a similar energy with their popular self-titled debut album that was published on April 26 this year.
  • The Sweet Talkers‘ single, “Mixed Signals,” officially graced our ears on September 21. Later that night, the band celebrated it at their release show featuring The Odyssey at The Paramount Room in OKC.

Do you have a favorite that didn’t make our radar? Let us know! Comment below or send an email to starcatchermagazine@gmail.com.

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Introducing Brand New Music From Lunar Division

On Friday, September 13, OKC band Lunar Division released their self-titled debut album.

This four piece rock band from Oklahoma City put out their first full length album last Friday. The album features their single, “In the Dark,” released on August 30. The album marks the entirety of their music catalog, as the band hasn’t been a part of the scene for very long.

Each song from the album is infused with rock influences. Grinding instruments and growling vocals make the genre clear from the start. The songs also contain the well-known themes of rebellion and dissent; lyrics that highlight these themes are prevalent in each song. Topics like feeling caged or moving in the dark make multiple appearances in support of the centering element of dissent.

Ten songs make up the track-list, each one a complement of another. By the end, the album leaves behind a feeling of empowerment; after hearing the sometimes dark, sometimes hopeful feelings of the band, and mixing it with the upbeat rock tones, you can’t help but feel rejuvenated and connected to the band.

Each song combines the telltale rock elements with the distinct personality of the band to form the unique album, Lunar Division. There’s no other description needed – it’s an album you just have to listen to in order to understand.

Lunar Division will be performing at Your Mom’s Place in OKC on Friday, September 27, with Prismatics and Shoulda Been Blonde. Check them out on all social media and music streaming sites, and be sure to listen to their new album.

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