NMF Class of 2009 Awards

Most Likely to Succeed: Here Is There

            Playing to a criminally under attended morning crowd, the band made lemons into lemonade, shimmying through a powerful set filled with guitar solos and pulsing percussion. With their brand of boxed in chaos, and average age of 19, I am sure we will be hearing much more from them in the future.

 

Best All-Around: Mayola

            The most energetic set of the entire festival, Mayola blended the perfect amount of musicianship, showmanship, and local flavor. Bassist Antonio Laster’s crowd interaction made everyone feel like they were part of the show; what more could you ask for at a music festival?

 

Class Clown: Man Man

            Their loud, crazy, dysfunctional set left the crowd on the brink of insanity. Pounding, screeching, smacking, and thumping for a chaos-filled hour, Man Man locked in everyone’s attention like the most bizarre court jester there’s ever been.

 

Best Dressed: Of Montreal

            Of Montreal’s feathered shoulder pads, smoking suits, purple velvet, boas, and Coldplay-esque orange suit had the band making fashion statements galore. I have never seen anyone make a tiger mascot head look so chic.

 

Best Hair: The Uglysuit

            With long flowing locks, ponytails, feather swept bangs, and something that I can only compare to the mane of Sonic the Hedgehog, the Uglysuit not only blew the crowd away with their gorgeous indie pop ballads, but also with their impeccable hair. 

 

Most Likely To Make You Smile: Hush Hush, Commotion

            Blasting catchy honest power pop throughout the Sooner Theatre, Hush Hush’s solid set left the crowd grinning like fools, impressed with their old classics and remarkable new tunes.

 

Best Personality: Sugar and Gold

            Getting the crowd moving and grooving in the late afternoon, Sugar and Gold was the most pleasant surprise at the festival. Their cheeky, fun show was highly entertaining and was the perfect warmup to the chaos that was fixing to ensue.

NMF Preview: The Uglysuit

Colin Bray from the Uglysuit talks about meeting Sigur Ros, loving life, and shaking what your momma gave you.

How would you describe your sound?

Cerebral opti-rock seems fitting, or so we've heard.

 

Why should we go see you at Norman Music Festival?

Depending on who else is playing, I might not say you should. Otherwise, if you like "happy feel good" music, come. Be prepared to be compelled to shake what your momma gave you!

What makes your live show special?

Feeling. Energy. Emotion. Joy. First and foremost though, letting go, giving yourself to your eardrums, and the sounds surpassing them.

 

How’d you settle on the band name?

It’s a story still being lived out.

 

What plans do you have for the future?

To try and do whatever we can to keep playing music, we're writing for a new album now. It’s exciting to be back in the process, which really the process is something that never ends. Also, we're hoping for shows and tours to keep happening regularly. We'll be working hard for that.

 

What other bands influence you the most?

That’s the hardest thing for us to answer. You can get answers ranging from every spectrum of music. Literally, anything from trance/house music, to Coldplay or Sigur Ros, to the Gorillaz.

 

Who else will you personally be seeing at Norman Music Festival?

Hopefully a lot of things. Other lives, Mayola, Man Man, The Mints, Of Montreal, of course, and more I’m sure.

 

Any memorable concert/tour stories/moments?

There are so many. Probably either pulling into New York for the first time. I'm driving (our full size conversion van and trailer) mind you. We pull into the Lincoln tunnel at like 4:58 pm, on a weekday afternoon!!! The traffic was so bad. Lanes went down from 7 to 2. We had to skip across 4 to make it. The dudes were all freaking out, we ended up making it, just a nice stressful happening in NYC. Quite funny, told them I had it.

Or our first show in Europe, Milan Italy to be exact. The people all totally shut up when as soon as we took the stage; we're used to places here, not that its a bad thing, but people party, loudly. Everyone there was focused on what was happening. We loved that very much.

 

Best moment in band history?

Some friends of ours saw Sigur Ros in Kansas City one night. The next night drove on over to St Louis, since it wasn't must farther, to see us play with Iron and Wine. They’re hanging out down the street from the venue we were playing and they run into 3 of the 4 members of Sigur Ros. We find out, go find them, and start chatting them up. They asked if we could get them on our list for our show; we laughed and didn't think they'd come. They were their before our set even started, and afterwards they came and hung out with us back stage for hours. That my friend was for sure, our greatest moment, I'm sure we'd all tell you many great things have happened, but that was amazing.

 

Favorite Norman restaurant? 

JUSTIN"S BAR & BISTRO!!! haha It’s a family business.

 

Favorite band as a kid? 

Pink Floyd

 

How was SXSW? 

Amazing. Exhausting. Met so many cool people. Saw so many good bands.

 

If there is anything else you want to say or add just go ahead!

Love life. Love people. Love music.

Norman Music Festival Guide

I'm really looking forward to a Saturday filled with great music, good food, feathers, and face paint.

Last year's inaugural Norman Music Festival was fantastic: Octopus Project was phenomenal, British Sea Power put on the one of the best live performances I've ever seen, and the Polyphonic Spree capped off a great evening.

And yet this year is shaping up to be even better, with the kooky Man Man, local favorite Starlight Mints, and outlandishly great Of Montreal.

But the headliners aren't the only great bands playing, and throughout the week I'll be showing little previews for the national and local bands hitting the stage at NMF2

For now I will be putting up my personal picks throughout the day:

11am: Ford Chastain- Sooner Theatre

This kid is young, but his talent goes well beyond his age.

Psychadelic, poppy folk

For Fans of: Belle and Sebastian, Albert Hammond Jr.

12pm: Here Is There- Sooner Theatre

This Tulsa band knows how to put on a show.

Groovy rock that unfolds like a much more melodic Mars Volta that makes you want to  dance

For Fans of: Mars Volta, Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band, Radiohead

12:50pm: Student Film- Main Stage

A great warmup to Man Man and Of Montreal later on in the day

Weird in all the right ways.

For Fans of: Flaming Lips, Modest Mouse

1pm: Dead Sea Choir- Opolis

I'll probably be leaving Student Film a little early to catch this Tulsa band as well

With their big, atmospheric, dreamy sound; they represent their name well.

For Fans of: Radiohead, Coldplay

2pm: Gentle Ghost- Opolis

I plan on checking this band out for a little while after Dead Sea Choir.

Minimalist pop that will provide the break I need for the chaos of the bands later.

For Fans of: Ryan Lindsey, Zookeeper

3pm: Mayola- Opolis

A local band that I have been dying to see but never managed to.

Fun, diverse, unique rock that will satisfy any taste

For Fans of: Modest Mouse, Fleet Foxes

3:45pm: Other Lives- Main Stage

Simply beautiful, gorgeous, introspective vocals and melancholic piano and strings

For fans of: Deer Tick, The Boxer Rebellion

4pm: Locust Avenue- Opolis

A little old fashioned grungy rock and roll sounds great on a mostly laid back and/or 

indie afternoon.

For Fans of: REM, the Who

4:45pm: Stardeath and White Dwarfs- Main Stage

Obvious Flaming Lips influence; cousins in fact

"I Can't Get Away" is simply amazing, make sure to check them out

For Fans of: Flaming Lips, Passion Pit

5pm: Hush Hush, Commotion- Sooner Theatre

Melodic power pop that is impossibly catchy

These guys don't get enough credit for crafting such stunning songs

For Fans of: Everybody Else, Limbeck

6pm: Sugar and Gold- Main Stage

See funkier Of Montreal

Sure to get you dancing and grooving

For Fans of: Of Montreal, !!! (chk chk chk)

7pm: the Uglysuit- Sooner Theatre

The Oklahoma band with probably the most potential to break through the national ecclaim (along with Evangelicals who are in this process)

Come see what the buzz is all about, I promise it will put a smile on your face

For Fans of: the Broken West, The Boy Least Likely To

7:30pm: Man Man-Main Stage

This years candidate for most exciting NMF performance (going to British Sea Power for last year's)

Their music is otherwordly, and they are well known for wacky onstage antics, white

jumpsuits, and face paint. You don't want to miss this.

For Fans of: Gogol Bordello, Deerhoof

8pm: Pretty Black Chains-Coaches

I think these guys are worth leaving Man Man just a bit early. 

Fun garage rock and an energetic live show.

For Fans of: Riverboat Gamblers, Locksley, the Hives

9pm: Starlight Mints-Main Stage

Jazz rock at its best

Come see some true musical expertise with a set everyone can enjoy.

For Fans of: Apples in Stereo, Elf Power

10:30pm: Of Montreal- Main Stage

What can I say, you'd be a fool to miss Of Montreal live....for free.

They are known for their unpredictable performances; don't you want to say 'you were

there?'

For Fans of: Animal Collective, the Unicorns

Some live videos below: