Wade Ed Stanley is determined to demonstrate just how much talent is simmering in Oklahoma City. To make the case, he produced "Mr. Leghorn Presents Music "¦ Volume I," a compilation of singles from young locals whose fan bases have yet to reach drinking age.
Most of the songs are low-fi concoctions, ranging from brash punk and snarky singer-songwriter to synth-pop and bombastic metal. The recordings capture a vibrant scene that declares local rock will live on for yet another generation.
In a letter accompanying the sample disc sent to Oklahoma Gazette, Stanley said the compilation will come priced just high enough to recoup production expenses. The compilation will be debuted by Plaid Rabbit, Vultures of Culture, Psychotic Reaction and Motown Blood during an 8 p.m. Friday show at Book Beat & Co.
"I tried my best to produce the CDs cheaply so that I can distribute it for a mere three bucks," Stanley said. "I know many of the kids who will be purchasing the discs, and trust me, they don't exactly have enough cash to throw down a dollar a song."
DIY LOOK
The DIY look is fitting, however, and gives a street-level view of the city's indie scene. Stanley admitted that some of the bands featured on the disc have already flamed or fizzled out, but he thought the music was interesting enough that it still warranted inclusion.
There are 14 tracks in all, featuring a wide spectrum of styles. The Freudian Slip's "Don't Ignore the Wolves" should win over fans of the Atari-driven Canadian rockers Crystal Castles. Anyone with a love of distortion will dig Psychotic Reaction's haunting swamp blues track, "Your Mind Is a Haunted House," which brings to mind Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. "Do You Believe" by The Crazy Diamonds sounds like a lost John Lennon track, and Motown Blood spits furious punkabilly in "She Thinks She Is Lucky."
Stanley included a track from his own band, Mr. Leghorn and the Ass-Eaters, titled "Chris Farley," which is a blistering acoustic number calling out various dead or soon-to-be-dead celebrities.
There are a lot of keepers on the compilation, which could serve as a roadmap to bands that are often tacked onto lineups as openers for bigger, more known names.
"The attention these bands receive goes unnoticed because the fans are just teens," Stanley said. "Some of these bands are very good when you take into account the fact that they are just using basic equipment that can be found almost anywhere. Their songs are music at its purest form without any added technological devices." "Charles Martin
