John Moreland is from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.  The Black Gold Band calls Tulsa, Oklahoma home.  So it isn’t that surprising that the Endless Oklahoma Sky sounds like a piece of heartland Americana rock. What is surprising is that it peels the paint off the wall and makes John Mellencamp sound like Olivia Newton John.  These guys take their cues from the likes of Springsteen, Lucero, and Steve Earle.  Like Lucero, the Black Gold Band got their start in hardcore bands and also like Lucero gravitated towards a more roots rock sound.  Harmonica accentuates several songs including the stand out rocker “All I Knowâ€. Keyboards are also used sporadically in a very Springsteen like manner, which works well distinguishing several songs, and helping with continuity. But, most of the songs begin and end with jangly electric guitars and Moreland’s plaintive voice that evokes the best of Jay Farrar or Steve Earle.  The lyrics seem directly personal, yet universal.  Moreland sings of life, love, whiskey, and living in Oklahoma.  Like Ben Nichols or Patterson Hood, Moreland manages to write lyrics that seem intertwined with a specific geography, yet appeal to a wider audience of punks, cow punks, and Americana fans. If life is fair (and I ain’t saying it is), these guys should see a wider audience outside Oklahoma soon.  Check them out on myspace here http://www.myspace.com/blackgoldband
About the author: Specializes in Dead, Drunk, and Nakedness..... Former College Radio DJ and Current Craft Beer Nerd