You might have noticed a super subtle theme to our cover art this month.
Three years ago this month we started publishing the monthly library zine you hold in your hands!
So with the confidence of a small child, here’s our birthday wishlist: We really do love your scribbles, playlists, and submissions to the zine! We would also really like show photos, flyers, zines, and anything else that shows the awesome creativity of our local scene for the archive. Support the library and indie artists! Hydrate, take your meds, and be kinder to yourself and others.
-UMAmi Roadies
Rebel Rockers
by Granny Anarchy
America250..Freedom 250...America's birthday celebrations seem to be confusing this year. But most people can agree that America annually acknowledges its independence from England. Some time later, America and England birthed rock and roll, then the punk movement. In the past Granny has profiled several notable figures in music, so I'm hoping not to repeat myself. Instead, I'm offering overviews on British, Irish and American artists who encapsulate the “Spirit of ‘76” (to quote The Alarm) – who “shook the world” and got themselves some independence, carved out a future with their bare hands despite a life that can be “cruel and so unkind.” I am especially highlighting those who, at the same time, made the community better in the process.
Fiona Apple pledged two years of royalties from media use of “Criminal” to assist refugees via the While They Wait Fund. In 2020, the fund reported $90,000 had been donated. Also in 2020, Apple pledged two years of media royalties from the song “Shameika” to The Harlem Children's Zone and narrated a 2020 video to educate immigrants about ICE. In 2021, Apple began volunteering for Courtwatcher PG, led by formerly incarcerated Black women.
Alice Bag's determination helped shape the early Los Angeles punk scene. The daughter of Mexican immigrants, Alice was bullied for her appearance during her school years. She grew up listening to Bowie, Queen, Mexican ranchera, and soul. Alice co-founded The Bags in 1977. The band's aggressive sound helped inspire hardcore. When the group disbanded in 1981, Bag performed in a plethora of other groups. Her lyrics often focus on social and systemic issues such as oppression and abuse, and her activism has particularly impacted the LGBTQIA+ community and people of color.
Honeychild Coleman formed the blues-rock band The 1865 with Sascha Jenkins. The 1865 explores post-Emancipation America with an uncompromising attitude and stony strength.
Jello Biafra was born into a secular Jewish family as Eric Reed Boucher in 1958. He helped form the San Francisco-based band Dead Kennedys in 1978. The DKs became extremely influential due in part to Biafra's satirical lyrics, many of which focused on capitalism and consumer culture, corruption, poverty, systemic violence and war and the abuse of power. The DKs disbanded in 1986; Biafra continued as a spoken-word artist, prankster, political activist and independent record company owner. He's currently recovering from a March 2026 stroke and appears to be touring.
Jarvis Cocker of Pulp penned the lyrics to the British working-class anthem “Common People.” In addition to being the only consistent member of Pulp, Jarvis writes and acts. Although some of his life choices may be questionable in hindsight, he has consistently backed pro-Palestinian causes for over a decade.
Evan Greer is a transgender activist and writer as well as musician. In the early-to-mid 2000s, Greer fought for net neutrality and the release of whistleblower Chelsea Manning. She has recently campaigned against surveillance capitalism and bathroom bills.
Grace Beverly Jones worked as a renowned model before beginning a music career in 1977, settling on an avant-garde, post-punk style. She also pursued a career in acting and has been a muse, icon and inspiration to many. Her bold, androgynous style has been influential in many explorations of gender expression and identity.
Love her or hate her, Courtney Love’s independence and rebelliousness made significant impact in music, specifically for women.
In 1979, Keith Morris formed Black Flag with guitarist Greg Ginn, leaving shortly thereafter and forming The Circle Jerks. He's also been involved with Off! Keith is of Jewish descent. He is politically aware, often engaging with his audience and trying to encourage them to register and to vote.
Patricia Morrison formed The Bags with Alice Bag in in 1977, leaving a year later. She's most known for her time in The Gun Club (1982-1984), Sisters of Mercy (1986-1989) and The Damned (1996-2005). Her resilience has made her an enduring goth icon.
Sinéad O’Connor was an Irish singer and activist. In 1992, O’Connor famously tore a photo of Pope John Paul II on Saturday Night Live to highlight and protest the Catholic Church’s involvement in and cover up of sexual abuse. O’Connor was passionate about child abuse, human rights, racism and women’s issues.
I’d hate to include anything touching on United States independence without a nod to the original residents of this land. The Dead Pioneers’ frontman Gregg Deal is from the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe. His lyrics blend punk sensibility with indigenous pride and resistance.
Bob Vylan is a British punk rap duo whose lyrics focus on homophobia, racism, and sexism. Bobby Vylan and Bobbie Vylan speak against issues such as the war on Palestine, toxic masculinity, the surveillance state, mental health, institutional racism, fascism, the environmental and economic impacts of capitalism and technology and English class culture.
Celtic punk band The Dropkick Murphys began in 1996 and have had many lineup changes over the years but remain a vocal political band supporting the working class and veterans, unions, and immigrants.
IDLES is a political rock band with lyrics about class, feminism, immigration, toxic masculinity, and white privilege.
The Lambrini Girls release singles and EPs with lyrics about capitalism, feminism, LGBTQ+ issues, and (white) male privilege. They also speak out about current events, including ICE, free speech and the war on Palestine.
The Linda Lindas, an all-Asian American girl band, formed in 2018 and later that year released their single "Racist, Sexist Boy,” cementing their status as intersectional feminist icons.
We also salute: Billy Bragg, Kurt Cobain, Laura Jane Grace, Kathleen Hanna, PJ Harvey, Shirley Manson, Tom Morello, Karen O, Eddie Vedder, Jesse Welles, Neil Young, Frank Zappa, Bad Brains, Bad Religion, Bratmobile, The Cramps, Kneecap, L7, the MC5, NOFX, Parquet Courts, the Sex Pistols, X and so many more! This article was trimmed to fit, read the full original here:
Monthly Collaborative Playlist
This month’s prompt: Now We’re Cookin’
Listen Here:
Next month’s prompt: Pencil Me In
Ask for a collaborator link, send us your picks for either playlist, or drop us a line via IG (@MetroSpecialCollections), FB (the OK UMA group & Metro SCR page), or email at Oklahoma.UMA@gmail.com
We‘re only mid-way through the year, and it has already been an insane run for horror.
Please note that these are major theater releases, not representative of all indie horror released this year. If you have horror recs, send them to us!
Obsession
Literally no notes. This is the film of the year from director Curry Barker. The film follows Bear, who has a crush on his friend Nikki. He makes a wish on a magical toy to make her love him more than anything else in the entire world, making things pretty unbearable for both parties. What follows is a psychological nightmare exploring what it means to force someone into a relationship against their will and unpacks the true differences between love and obsession. This movie puts an end to the debate of which is worse: the man or the bear?
28YearsLater:
TheBoneTemple
I don’t think I registered that this movie just came out this year until I was making this list, but, indeed, this instant classic from Nia DaCosta came out this January. And if you’ve spoken with me any time since from January, you have definitely heard me yap about this movie. This is the next installation in the “28 Days Later” universe, which tells the story of a “rage-infected,” postapocalyptic world. This film continues to follow young boy Spike as he falls into the clutches of a satanic cult led by Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal (who you might recognize as Jack O’Connell, the lead vampire from “Sinners.”) The film also follows Dr. Ian Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) as he navigates the research of the rage-infected Samson. But, above all, what this movie does beautifully is uncover the humanity, its ugliness and its beauty alike, that survives even at the end of the world.
Hokum
From director Damien McCarthy (who also directed “Oddity”), comes a supernatural horror that really goes back to the roots of horror. Staring Adam Scott, the movie follows a novelist who retreats to an old hotel to work on his writing and ends up entangled in a mystery disappearance of the hotel staff. It’s not a haunted house horror exactly, but it does have that closed universe haunting to it with some pretty horrifying visuals and an overall growing anxiety that forces us to face the darkest parts of ourselves.
Backrooms
I will be honest and say that this one didn’t live up to the hype as much as I hoped, hence why it’s only earning three and a half stars. But the set design itself was so good that it still earned a place on this list. From director Kane Parsons comes the encapsulation of all of those reddit threads of liminal spaces that you get sucked into at like 3 a.m. Its endless hallways and vaguely familiar emptiness creates an evergrowing displacement. The internet lore is made personal through protagonist Clark, who discovers the portal in his furniture store’s basement, going deeper and deeper into the backrooms until warped and twisted horrors await.
Honorable mentions: I’m hesistant to label 2026 release “Forbidden Fruits” as a full horror, as it’s more a dark comedy, but there are some horror elements. That being said, it’s an easy five stars. Plus, this year we got the “Ready or Not” sequel. I would give that a good four stars, as far as horror sequels go - still worth checking out if you’re a fan of the first one.
And just one more thing before I go: did you see Lee Cronin’s “The Mummy?” What about “Passenger?” “Whistle?” “Scream 7?” Too much horror and not enough time. Feel free to share your thoughts at oklahoma.uma@gmail.com. PS - horror not your thing? That’s okay! This year has also brought us Boots Riley’s “I Love Boosters” and “Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die.”
AMA, Roadies Edition
Favorite Summer Food?
Give me fresh produce and I will chow down like Cookie Monster. There’s nothing like picking + eating blueberries or okra right off the plant. -Jackalope
Mangos! -Zoe
I love berries, cherries, fruit popsicles, ICED matcha lattes (instead of hot, haha!) mango slushies, raspberry tea (no sugar) and my latest obsession is Braum's Spicy Mango Raspberry Fiesta sherbet (I make floats by adding Fresca.)
- Granny Anarchy
During summer, I get really big into Smoothies and salads. Food is too hot and heavy. Strawberries, mangos, grapes, blackberries, and raspberries are so exciting to come across. And iced chais of course! -Jackalope
