Patrick Coman

Patrick Coman is a singer/songwriter from Tulsa Oklahoma. His new EP An Audience Of One, features 5 original songs. Patrick has been involved in music and bands since the age of 17 and lists his musical influences as, Bob Dylan, Ryan Adams, Josh Rouse, The Black Crowes, Gram Parsons, Drive-By Truckers, Rolling Stones, and Noel Gallagher.

This release takes more of a hard edge then his previous acoustic work. The first four songs found on, An Audience of One, are filled with lively guitar parts and steady drumbeats. The vocals are gritty and emotional dealing with the down and dirty side of life while still keeping a slight glimpse of optimism in them.

Patrick (guitar, vocals) is also joined by Erin Nelson (drums, vocals) and Nashville veteran Steve Goodie (upright bass) on track-5 "Maria."

While the first four tracks are more rock-flavored track-5 "Maria" goes more of folk/rock ballad ala Bob Dylan for its sound.

This release has that little extra musical swagger to it that starts right from the release's cover that is a picture of an outdoor show with only one fan in the audience whipping the bird.

I like my music with a little side order of grit and gumption ala Steve Earle so Patrick Coman's An Audience of One EP hit the right spot for me. - Indie Music Stop

Tulsa Rising
They might go on to Nashville, Austin or LA, but meanwhile, create a Tulsa Scene. One artist at a time with the Tulsa Music Compilation.
BY GARY HIZER

Let’s face it, everyone falls into a rut now and again — even me. Where we eat, what we watch on TV, where we hang out, and what we listen to: you know the drill. While there’s nothing wrong with having a comfort zone to fall back into, it’s also good for us to change things up on occasion.

That’s especially true when supporting local bands. Yes, everyone needs a loyal fan base that they can count on to always be there, but they need exposure to pick up some new fans as well.

The question on the listener’s side of the stage is a matter of picking whom to try next. After all, if you’re a pop fan, you probably don’t want to stumble into a death metal show unaware, or as a hip hop fans you’re not likely to enjoy the second coming of the Dixie Chicks.

So where to start? Local musicians have long been trying different ways to network and reach more music fans, using a variety of methods, especially online. One local music website, Tulsa Music Pulse (www.tulsamusicpulse.com), started up roughly three years ago and was particularly active, mostly with the message board and interplay between musicians and local “scene-sters”, before slowing down to a slow fizzle.

TMP has recently gotten a facelift, including a fairly up-to-date show calendar listing on the main page, and the forums/message boards have come back to life a bit, even if activity on them seems to be a little sporadic. Still, it’s a good place to stop in and see what local shows are going on.

In the interim, another group, Tulsa Original Music Coalition, spun out of the TMP crowd and started its own myspace page (www.myspace.com/localmusictulsa) as a way to network between bands and try to reach a new segment of listeners.

Established last June, one of the group’s primary goals was to create a free CD sampler of local bands that would be made available at strategic locations to reach open minded (and cheap) music fans.

Just a couple of weeks ago, the first such project finally hit the shelves of select local establishments and I must say, the group has done a nice job of showcasing a good cross-section of hometown artists and styles. Tulsa Music Compilation, Volume 1 gives listeners a little taste of rock, hip-hop, singer-songwriter pop and Americana.

The highest profile acts on the disc are PDA, with “Get Together” (the single that’s been dominating Homegroan since the fall), and Brandon Clark Band with “San Antone”, which give the disc a country flavored cut but isn’t most representative of the band’s current sound.

Optimistic to a Fault has also been playing enough recently to establish its identity and “Pride of Youth” is representative of the groove-oriented material on the band’s current EP, even if OTF delivers it’s material a lot heavier live than the CD suggests.

The real victory of the disc is the fact that it is creating some exposure for a number of otherwise unknown or under-appreciated artists from the area.

The band Esther opens the disc with “Big Screen TV”, a catchy garage-rocker, and Waiting on One makes a solid case that straight-forward rock & roll isn’t dead with “Mystery”.

As a key artist on the disc, Shannon Thomas’ songwriting finally takes front and center as “Always Never” showcases her Vanessa Carlton/Michelle Branch style and impressive vocals.

Other featured acts are acoustic-folkie Ira Burton (”Extinction”), experimental and indie rockers Plastic Souls (”Someone”) and Neverdyingsummer (”Still in Love”), and acoustic pop singer Patrick Coman (”Little Girl”).

The most impressive of the unknown quantities, however, are Tim Casey and Kawnar. Casey’s “Take It” is an electronic-ambient instrumental that draws inspiration from Tangerine Dream, Yellow and Kraftwerk and steps outside of what most people have come to expect from local music.

Meanwhile, Kawnar’s “Cocaine” is the surprise treasure of the bunch. Grounded by slick beats and a simple, yet catchy guitar sample, Kawnar’s slick rhyming immediately evokes Speech, Young MC, and early US3 as he declares that “Myspace is starting to become my cocaine…”

If you want to check out a few new and different local acts, Tulsa Music Compilation Vol.1 is on display and available for free at the following locations: Starship Records (13th and Lewis), Under the Mooch (15th and Harvard), Lee’s Records (61st and Sheridan), and Guitar Center (71st and Mingo).

A couple of the locations have already gone through the first batch of discs, but they should be restocked this weekend with a second printing, so check back in a couple of days if you can’t find it immediately.

While you’re at it, don’t hesitate to check out www.myspace.com/localmusictulsa and Tulsa Music Pulse to find the latest online listings for local shows and browse your way to finding even more local music.

Of course, UTW will continue do its best to keep you informed, but there’s always more out there — you just have to go find it. - Urban Tulsa