Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks @ Urban Lounge 04.03 with Speedy Ortiz

Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks stage set.

Let me hit you with some cold, hard SLUG truth: Stephen Malkmus looks like the lovechild that Peter Murphy and Aaron Carter spawned after a heady night of blazin’, snackin’ and talkin’ sports. Goofiness aside, The Jicks and openers Speedy Ortiz entertained a packed crowd of seasoned slackers and young fans alike at Urban Lounge last Thursday night. … read more

LA FEMME @ Urban Lounge 04.05 with JAWWZZ!!, Koala Temple, DJ Matty Mo

Members of La Femme.

On any given night, one can expect something completely different to be put on at Urban Lounge. Tonight’s festivities could only be described as a sort post-punk, new wave dance party, put on with a certain bit of French flair, courtesy of La Femme, whose male members could be seen hanging around the venue in motorcycle jackets with their emblem painted on the back. … read more

BE MORE EXTREME: INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR LANCE OLSEN

Lance Olsen

Lance Olsen is the literary astronaut we dreamt of being as children—turning far-out worlds abuzz with the difficult imagination, surviving re-entry with stories to share. Author, traveller, and teacher of narrativity and innovative writing at the University of Utah, Olsen wonderfully shares what it means to be alive now, here. SLUG spoke with Olsen about recent projects and the secret handshake ecology of innovative writing practices … read more

Miniature Tigers @ The Shred Shed 04.01 with Total Slacker, Flashlights and Michael Gross & Statuettes

It wasn’t until halfway through their second song that I started feeling a little hot in the face; it felt as though the band was undressing the crowd with their eyes. Were they flirting with an entire room of people? Brand kept referring to us all as “Babies”—yeah, he was definitely flirting. … read more

April Fool’s Xanadu: Sirens of Steel vs. Daughters of Anarchy @ The Hive 04.05

On Saturday, April 5, the derby warehouse known as the Hive drew in crowds better than a real honey hive draws in bumblebees. The event, christened “April Fool’s Xanadu,” was an excellent bout. According to the dictionary, a Xanadu is a word “used to convey an impression of a place as almost unattainably luxurious or beautiful.” And beautiful is exactly how I would describe the incredible skating of the Sirens of Steel and the utter ballsy attitude of the Daughters of Anarchy. … read more

Caravan Palace @ Urban Lounge 04.08 with Jesse Walker, Johnny Pepp

The band’s manouche jazz stylings fit eerily well with the overwhelming power of the electronic drum and bass, and at times their organic instrumentation served as the rhythmic counterpoint to a driving dance beat. The six members of their group took up the entire stage with their equipment, with virtually everyone rotating through an impressive arsenal of instruments. … read more

“Female DJs” Shouldn’t be a Weird Term: an Interview with Heartwreck

Clayton’s work in producing began purely out of a passion for creativity, not a desire to be liked. We talked with her about everything from her recent EP release to how she feels about being a working woman in the electronic world. Clayton’s interview will be the first in a mini series dedicated to highlighting women who produce music or DJ professionally. … read more

Just An Oklahoma Boy: An Interview with JD McPherson

JD McPherson poses with guitar

“People like Wanda Jackson, Chet Baker, Charlie Christian and even Eddie Cochran was originally an Oklahoma cat. When Eric Clapton quit Cream, his whole band was recruited out of Tulsa. So I was surrounded by music growing up, by pickers out in the sticks, and my parents were really into music as well. People ask me all the time and seem to expect me to pick [up] and move to some place like Chicago or L.A., but I’m happy to stay here in Oklahoma.” … read more