Sometimes it's ironic how things unfold. Even before I'd written my column last week or openly expressed my jones for some good punk music, my phone started ringing.

Apparently the dead of winter is a good time for punk bands to shake off the cold and rock out. Not only is last week's spotlight act, The Decomposed, brushing off the dust, but one of my personal favorites, First Lady Assassins has exited the studio with an EP's worth of new material that I'm sure I'll get to discuss in the near future. Perhaps more interesting, however, is a call I got from Ryan Lindsey's camp.

For those who aren't familiar with Ryan Lindsey, he's recently emerged as something akin to Oklahoma's indie rock golden boy. He's got an innate and uncanny sense of melody and songwriting that rarely misses the mark. Whether working with indie/art rockers Starlight Mints, (whose last album was in my opinion, the band's best and most focused), or focusing on immaculate pop hooks and songwriting with his own material, Lindsey's been on a serious roll during the past couple of years.

For the most part, however, I've always known Lindsey for his innate pop sensibilities. I found it rather intriguing then to hear that his latest project, Broncho, is a punk band. Yes, you (and I) heard that right: a punk band.

This isn't just any throw off punk act either, mind you; it's a trio that matches up Lindsey with Johnathan Ford and Nathan Price, allowing the three a new outlet to shake off the pop and rock out.

Lindsey was as gracious and humble about his latest endeavor as always, almost playing down this latest project. Despite his humility, however, Lindsey's joy and excitement with this latest project shined. It seems that Broncho is something of a serendipitous project.

You see, following the success of Lindsey's work on the soundtrack for American Teen, he was called on to write songs for another, undisclosed movie project. It just so happened, however, that the movie called for a handful of punk songs.

When asked about the writing process and if it was any different or if he had to change his mindset when writing, Lindsey said that it wasn't really the case. In fact, he revealed that he actually had a few songs that he was working on for his next solo album that didn't quite fit.

Once he was called on for this project, though, he saw that the tunes made more sense stripped back and turned up in this format. And although some people might feel like this is a departure that could distract from Lindsey's solo work, that's not the case--if anything, he said that it helped him focus and streamline his latest solo album.

When discussing Broncho, however, he said that after the songs were written and recorded, it only felt natural to take them out and play them live--that's when the band really came to life. Once the decision was made, bassist Johnathan Ford made a couple of calls, and the band quietly (or perhaps, raucously) made its official debut at Crystal Pistol just a few weeks ago on Jan. 17.

Before jumping out in public, however, Lindsey called a few friends over for an impromptu house party the night before to iron out the wrinkles and see what the response might be.

Lindsey said that the friends that came over didn't know what to expect. In fact, only a limited few had even heard any of the new tracks, so it was kind of a case of experimenting on friends--and while nearly all were surprised, they also responded enthusiastically.

In turn, the response at the Crystal Pistol show was remarkably similar--perhaps a few blank stares and awestruck glances at first, but by the time the band had powered through a quick set, the audience was fully involved.

Getting the band formed to get to the set wasn't too much of a hassle either.

"Ryan called and said 'I'm forming a punk band, and I'd love you to play bass,'" said Jonathan Ford about getting involved in the project. "He's a great friend, so it was a no-brainer. Plus, he sent me the songs, and I thought they were awesome."

We also discussed the expectations that come with Lindsey's work and even Ford said, "Honestly, this was kind of a curveball for me, too. This isn't the first thing I was expecting, but the thing is--the more I listen and play it, the more it makes sense to me. No matter what it is: Pop or quirky indie-rock or punk, Ryan just writes great songs."

At the end of the day, that's what it's all about anyway, right? As Ford said, it doesn't matter if it's punk, indie rock or pop (or any other style, for that matter)--a good song is a good song. Sometimes it's OK to strip things back, turn up the volume and let it ride. In fact, sometimes it just makes it more fun.

And fun is what Broncho is really about at this point. While he agreed that the audience was kind of taken by surprise at both the house party and Crystal Pistol debut, the response was overwhelmingly positive. Perhaps most importantly, however, he said, "This is the most fun I've had on stage for 13 years. It took me back to my younger days and I'm having a blast."

If you haven't heard Broncho yet, you can get a very brief preview via the pair of cuts the band has posted online at HYPERLINK "http://www.myspace.com/bronchoband"; myspace.com/bronchoband, or you can just head out this weekend and take it all in with no preconceived notions. Broncho will be helping fill out the bill for the Independent Cause show at Eclipse Saturday night, Feb. 6. The show is a launch party for Tulsa's latest music blog, Independent Cause, which can be found at HYPERLINK "http://music.tulsaproject.com"; music.tulsaproject.com and all proceeds from the show will go to the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

The show starts at 8pm with a line-up that includes La Panther Happens, Faiwna Forte', Broncho, GHOSTS and The Televised. In addition, select local artists have donated their work to be sold with those proceeds going to the designated charity as well.

If you're looking for something fresh and unexpected, check it out this weekend--not only will Broncho blindside you with a quick barrage of energetic punk tunes, but you'll also be able to catch Forte's new material (she was just wrapping up recording last week) and get up-to-date with another recent Soundcheck artist, The Televised. Cover is only $5, so I'll see you at the show.

Weekly Roundup

Weather might have ruined your plans to go out last week, but things should be defrosted and back to normal, albeit wet this weekend, and I'm sure we're all a little stir crazy and ready to get out. It's a busy week and you've got plenty to choose from, so here are the highlights.

On Thursday night, Feb. 4, you can dance bounce between standing gigs like Cairde na Gael at Arnie's, DJ Sweet Baby Jayzus at Soundpony or Higher Education at Eclipse. If you want to get your blues rock fix, however, your best bet will be Chris Duarte with Dustin Pittsley at Flytrap Events Center.

Friday, Feb. 5, is when the calendar really packs up, however. The prime local shows include Eric and the Adams with Dante & the Hawks and Motive for Movement at Bob's, Red Dirt Rangers at Mercury Lounge and Paul Benjaman Band at The Colony.

It's also a great weekend for Christian music fans as Casting Crowns returns for an arena show with Kutless and Caleb at Spirit Bank Event Center. Fans with a bit heavier taste, however, will want to cross town for hometown boys Pillar co-headlining the "Nothing and Everything" tour with Red at the Otherside. Openers include The Wedding and Me In Motion, with $15 advance tickets and a 6:30pm show time.

Of course, if you're looking for a different take on the classics, you might want to check out "The Tulsa Sound Meets the British Invasion" at the Tulsa Jazz Depot on either Friday or Saturday night as John Wooley walks the audience through Oklahoma's music history with The Brady Street Orchestra and an additional set of orchestrated British Invasion tunes. See page 42 for more details.

The biggest of Saturday's local shows is easily the aforementioned Independent Cause event at Eclipse with Broncho, Fiawna Forte and the rest, but that's not the only gig in town. Phil Marshall returns to Tulsa for a show with Nothing More, Odis and Pillow Talk, while DanceRobotsDance fills the floor at Soundpony and Poor Paddy keeps the Irish spirits flowing at Arnie's. My personal pick of the evening, however, will be Corey Smith with Sam Thacker for a night of great music and songs at Cain's Ballroom.

As always, things slow down a bit heading into the early part of the week, but there are a few shows to keep your eye on. On Sunday, Feb. 7, Bob's (Cain's side stage) hosts the Waka Winter Classic with a mix of bands competing for a slot on the Wakarusa Festival lineup on Tuesday, Feb. 9.

Finally, Wednesday night sees Ali Harter, John Moreland and Evan Felker turn Soundpony into a songwriter's haven for an evening. Just down the sidewalk, a blast from the past sees near-legendary (within the scene) Christian metal act Living Sacrifice returns to action at The Marquee with War of Ages, Shai Halud, Lionheart and The Great Commission opening. If you're a Christian metal and hard rock fan, you won't want to miss it.