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Album review: Diverse – Our Journey

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If you’re looking for a Thelonious Monk reincarnate jazz style, you’ve found it in Diverse’s Our Journey.
 
Hermon Mehari’s raw trumpet, Ryan Lee’s toe-tapping drums, and Ben Leifer’s soulful bass all create a groovy, vibrant experience. This album is a serene soundscape of honest-to-roots swing jazz, while incorporating a soulful Kansas City 18th and Vine roots heritage. It’s a technical collection and in some ways experimental. Also on the album are pianist Tony Tixier (from Paris) and alto saxophonist Logan Richardson. It was recorded by Andre Charlier in Paris, mixed by Brendan McReynolds, and mastered by Mike Nolte. Our Journey is a follow up to Diverse’s first self-titled album released in 2009.
 
Take a breath and listen to this wise and prophetic classical jazz journey. It’s like walking into true legendary jazz at The Blue Room or Green Lady Lounge, a more recently opened downtown hot spot. So while you’re at home cleaning the dishes, playing with the cat and relaxing, take the dazzling ride and listen to this album. Let it take you. It begs to be seen live. Before you know it, you’ll be sitting at the back of the Foundation catching a whiff of Kansas City tradition. 
 
Because I wanted to get a sense of how the album was recorded, I asked McReynolds what direction Mehari gave him when mixing the album. According to McReynolds, his motivation was “to just mix it like it was a jazz club in Kansas City. Very intimate and very tight. It’s like walking into a place you have never been before and feeling comfortable.”
 
Whether it’s the time signature changes and beautiful technical work, or the sometimes wildly manic nature of jazz itself, each track is an imminent adventure. “Motherland” is a spirit awakening exploration. It’s a night dressed to the nines at a martini bar probably, having the time of my life, or maybe a night spent writing by the light of the moon. The final track on the album, “Rest in Peace,” offers a unique two-stick lassoing of the beat and melancholic trumpet. A funky groovy bass line bathes the soul with a warm dance to permeate the senses.
 
Our Journey is a testament to Kansas City’s rich jazz and blues culture and connects with a wide range of audiences. Choose your own journey with this album. It is a must listen.
 
—Chris Wenske
 

You can catch Diverse at The Riot Room on Thursday, September 4. Reach will be DJing the first set, followed by Diverse, and then New Orleans duo Hildegard, led by Cliff Hines. Doors open at 7:00.

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Album review: The Sluts – Loser (EP)

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(Photo by Todd Zimmer)
 
Lawrence, Kansas (affectionately to be referred to henceforth as LFK) continues to be a source of the kinds of music that I want to hear more of and know more about. One band in particular has really caught my ear of late with a sound that’s raw, dirty, energetic, and undeniably attention-grabbing: The Sluts, a bare-bones twosome consisting of Kristoffer Dover on drums and Ryan Wise on guitar and vocals. Two musicians, no more, no less … but as the sounds you’ll hear on their new EP Loser will demonstrate, two musicians is plenty when it comes to making a substantial sonic statement.
 
Their mix of garage, punk, and grunge kicks things off with the opener, “Let Me Go,” as The Sluts tear things up with a grimy bounce firmly entrenched in 4/4 time. “Loser” starts with a tip of the cap to upbeat new wavey rhythms, but 25 seconds into the track, the boys re-establish the power presence that is their raison d’etre (how’s THAT for some damn NPR-speak, kids?). “Green” and “Linger” wrap up the four-track, barely-more-than-ten-minute EP with the sound that I’ve most commonly described as “Nirvana without Krist Novoselic,” as Wise’s sneering vocals and snarling guitar combined with Dover’s relentlessly on-point percussion give the music just a bit of Bleach-era homage while sounding very much of the present day.
 
I had the honor of introducing The Sluts during this year’s Midcoast Takeover at SXSW; they were on the roster of the I Heart Local Music / Whatever Forever day-party that featured more examples of LFK’s finest (Black on Black, Shy Boys, Josh Berwanger Band, and Oils/CS Luxem). After a couple long days of music and food truck fare and drinking, the abrasive grind of The Sluts was a much-needed Brillo pad to the brain. Give Loser a listen, and keep an eye out for this band.
 
Love me some dirty, filthy, nasty The Sluts. Awwww yeahhhhhh.
 
-Michael Byars
 

Michael can use the phrase “raison d’etre” in the same review as the phrase “awwww yeahhhhh,” because that’s how he rolls. 

 

 

 

 
Editor’s note: Loser was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Joel Nanos at Element Recording. Photos taken at Element by Todd Zimmer.
 
 

Catch The Sluts this Friday at Liberty Hall; they’ll be playing #ASSJAMZ: Bands That Will Make You Dance, along with Approach, Paper Buffalo, and Spencer Brown. Show starts at 8 pm. Facebook event page. If you’re in KC, see them this Sunday at Vandals. They’ll be joined by fellow LFKers Mr. and the Mrs., Mannequin Pussy (NYC), and KC’s Anson the Ornery. Facebook event page. 

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Artists on Trial: Captiva

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Though they’ve only been a band for under a year, Captiva is already playing shows at larger venues and getting attention for its cool indie funk/folk approach. We talk with the guys to find out more about them and what they have in the works.
 
The Deli: Down and dirty: 1 sentence to describe your music. What is it?
 
Captiva: Our music is phunky fresh yet lavish indie rock.
 
The Deli: Give us some background on the band.
 
Captiva: Captiva has been together for about 9 months now. Pat McQuaid and Jackson Ries met while in high school, and began writing some soft, "poppy" kind of tunes. Once we had begun the process of producing our first album, we discovered Hank Wiedel, who brought us into the music scene and has been booking/co-managing the band ever since.
 
The Deli: What have been your biggest accomplishments as a band?
 
Captiva: Our greatest accomplishments so far include landing a show with co-headlining The Granada, performing on live TV/radio, releasing our first album, planning our first tour, and finding what exactly makes us who we are as musicians and friends. We’ve experienced a lot of success since our arrival in the music scene, and it’s all been pretty quick, but we’re most pleased with how true we have stayed to ourselves. Through all of the traveling, performing, recording, and promotion, Captiva has managed to stay a strong family.
 
The Deli: You recently released your debut album. What can people expect from it?
 
Captiva: We just released Basement Creations this summer. We are back in the studio, and plan on releasing a series of singles, including “Floatin’ on Sound,” “Mid-Wild West.”
 
The Deli: What does supporting local music mean to you?
 
Captiva: Supporting local music is everything to us. It’s a blessing to be surrounded by a music scene that is so talented and professional. It’s not hard to find an act that is, first and foremost, true to their music, unlike half of the top artists today.
 
The Deli: Who are your favorite local musicians right now?
 
Captiva: Our favorite local musicians right now include La Guerre, She’s A Keeper, Katy Guillen & The Girls, Rev Gusto, and Not A Planet. All of these bands are so kick-ass. We’ve gotten to perform with La Guerre recently, and she completely blew us away.
 
The Deli: Who are your favorite not-so-local musicians right now?
 
Captiva: We truly love The Lonely Biscuits, AER, New Madrid, and Twenty One Pilots. We really dig Dirty Heads… They’ve got a unique sound that is super easy to listen to.
 
The Deli: What is your ultimate fantasy concert bill to play on?
 
Captiva: Twenty One Pilots, AER, The Lonely Biscuits, and us.
 
The Deli: A music-themed Mount Rushmore. What four faces are you putting up there and why? 
 
Captiva: Tyler Joseph of Twenty One Pilots is a huge influence on our live performance. Gene Simmons… I mean he’s from KISS. Shouldn’t that be enough? Jimmy Page is without a doubt one of the best names to ever be associated with the word guitar, and Grady Wenrich of The Lonely Biscuits knows how to keep it gravy. We like that. We like that a lot.
 
The Deli: What other goals does Captiva have for 2014?
 
Captiva: Our main focus is to establish a strong, diverse fan base in Kansas City and in Lawrence. Also, we’re hoping to release a new EP sometime before the new year!
 
The Deli: Where can we find you on the web?
 
Captiva: You can find us literally everywhere.
Twitter: @CaptivaTweets
Instagram: Captivamusic
Snapchat (Why not?): Snap-tiva
 
The Deli: Always go out on a high note. Any last words of wisdom for the Deli audience?
 
Captiva: Make sure to see us at The Granada with Matt Easton on September 10! It’s our biggest show yet, we’ll be playing a lot of new music and making some pretty big announcements, and the tickets are going fast! And, lastly, ~Stay Buzzed~
 
Captiva is:
Pat McQuaid: guitar
Jackson Ries: vocals
Hank Wiedel: drums
 
https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xap1/t1.0-9/10462526_1469202269990727_1191350553764965726_n.jpg
 

You can catch Captiva at Czar Bar next Wednesday, August 27, with Acidic. They’ll also be back at The Granada on September 10 with Matt Easton. Facebook event page.

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Artists on Trial: Morningglories

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(Photo by Roshelle Hudson)
 
Morningglories is one of the newest bands in Kansas City. A four-piece with talented, experienced players, the group is evolving as a garage punk/pop force with thunderous grooves. The band’s primary songwriter, Alex Dunsford, talks to us a bit about what Morningglories has up its sleeve.
 
The Deli: Down and dirty: 1 sentence to describe your music. What is it?
 
Alex Dunsford: Punk rock garage pop—kicking out the jams.
 
The Deli: Give us some background on the band.
 
Dunsford: Morningglories is me, Alex Dunsford, Tom Hudson playing the drums, Meredith McGrade also playing guitar and singing, and Steve Gardels playing bass. It’s fun to have Steve back on bass and out from behind the kit; it’s been a long time since we’ve played together guitar/bass. The last time was probably the short lived but profound jam sessions of Methamphetaminefield.
 
The band is about groove-centered rock ‘n roll. The rhythm section does all the work, and Meredith and I layer over those rhythmic hooks with harmonies and sounds. But we all like to play with some speed and intensity, so it takes the outward form of garage punk. I want to make music that has a lot of physical drive and makes people feel like moving around and having a good time. I want to distill pure enjoyment down to a distorted waveform and wash people over with it.
 
The Deli: You recently released your three-song EP debut, Wilderness Songs, in June. What should people expect from it?
 
Dunsford: You can expect the songs and style that define this first stage of the band’s existence. I love this record because we made it immediately upon forming, before we even played our first show. Working on recorded music is one of my favorite parts of being in a band, and I think it really shaped the way we play together to start on this type of project from the very beginning; even when we were still writing the songs, we were planning them out to be recorded.
 
We captured a really raw and exciting moment in our time together—the irresponsible and irrational exuberance of a new project, before any serious obstacles can make it too real. I think that mindset of optimism and rock n roll magic comes through on the record. We had so much fun making it. Johnhenry Grothaus actually plays bass on the recording, before he moved and Steve became the final piece of the puzzle.
 
We owe a lot of that experience to Duane Trower at Weights & Measures Soundlab, who not only is a brilliant recording and mastering engineer, but has created one of my favorite environments to work in. The space seems to have a natural bristling of energy that makes it very satisfying to make music there. Lots of YJ’s coffee may also contribute to that.
 
The Deli: What shows do you have coming up?
 
Dunsford: We play next at Vandals Summer Kamp Fest, which is looking to be one of the coolest parties for punk and independent music that we’ve had in a long time. They’re hosting 19 out of town bands, from different states all over the region. I’m incredibly impressed and very happy about all the effort that so many people in so many different music styles are putting out to make Kansas City a music hub and destination spot. It couldn’t happen without the strength of the local music community, though, to keep the lights on when the touring bands are away.
 
After that, on October 17, we’ll be playing at Coda with The B’Dinas, who just released their first full-length album, Fruitcakes. It’s probably too much of a pun to describe it as “delicious,” but it contains some tunes that should be a part of your life. The B’Dinas have some of the best musicians in KC right now, and if you’ve never seen them, you’ll be impressed.
 
The Deli: What does supporting local music mean to you?
 
Dunsford: Supporting local music is not only about attending shows but about the personal relationships you form with the other people who are involved. The scene needs to exist 365 days a year, not just during the festivals and events, so encouraging and being helpful and positive to each other is how we sustain ourselves day to day, so that we have the strength and inspiration to make things happen.
 
The Deli: Who are your favorite local musicians right now?
 
Dunsford: Katy Guillen, Claire Adams, and Stephanie Williams of Katy Guillen & the Girls; Ryan Shank of Outsides (everybody in that band, really, they’re all good); Josh Berwanger of his namesake band, Steve Tulipana of everything ever, and Britt Adair, Caitlin Curry, Breaka Dawn, and George Magers from The Bad Ideas. There’s no way to list everyone who’s making great music right now. It’s a good problem to have.
 
The Deli: Who are your favorite not-so-local musicians right now?
 
Dunsford: James Kelly (WIFE, Altar of Plagues), St. Vincent, Josh Homme, the one and only Valient Himself, Josh Freese, Steve Earle, Brent Hinds and Brann Dailor, Carrie Brownstein, everyone in Fucked Up, Laura Pleasants.
 
The Deli: What is your ultimate fantasy concert bill to play on?
 
Dunsford: Hot Snakes, Valient Thorr, Queens of the Stone Age.
 
The Deli: A music-themed Mount Rushmore. What four faces are you putting up there and why? 
 
Dunsford: Steve: Ozzy, George Harrison, Joe Strummer, Keith Moon.
Alex: Kirk Hammett, Thurston Moore, David Gilmour, John Fogerty.
Meredith: Joan Jett, Jimmy Page, Iggy Pop, Patti Smith.
Tom: Thom Yorke, John Bonham, David Bowie, Dave Grohl.
 
We couldn’t come to a consensus, so we’re going to have to use more than one mountain to put all these faces up.
 
The Deli: What other goals do Morningglories have for 2014?
 
Dunsford: Our goals for 2014 are to write and rehearse new songs. Our set at Summer Kamp will have new material, and at Coda we’ll have even more. I never want to play the same show twice. We’ll also be planning some out of town gigs in the region, and starting to lay the foundation for more recording next year.
 
The Deli: Where can we find you on the web?
 
Dunsford: Obviously the Facebook page, the workhorse of the web crew. What’s more interesting is our Bandcamp page, where the EP Wilderness Songs is available for pay what you want download. I’d love to see more people on the page with the music on it than liking a facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/mglories
 
The Deli: Always go out on a high note. Any last words of wisdom for the Deli audience?
 
Dunsford: Fender guitar saddles aren’t all the same size. Make sure you measure the screw spacing before you buy new ones.
 
Morningglories is:
Alex Dunsford: guitar, vocals
Steve Gardels: bass
Tom Hudson: drums
Meredith McGrade: guitar, vocals
 
 

Morningglories will be at Vandals for the Summer Kamp Fest this Sunday on the indoor stage at 9:45 pm. You can see them and 30 other bands for only $10 each night. Facebook event page.

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August Artist of the Month: Ay MusIK

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(Photo by Malachi Lee)

Congrats to Ay MusiK, our August artist of the month! This four-piece group, led by AY himself, is making waves in Kansas City and around the country. Often performing on street corners and venues across the country, Ay MusiK has made a name for itself, now opening up for national acts like T-Pain and Aaron Carter. AY tells us more about the band in this Q&A. 
 
The Deli: Down and dirty: 1 sentence to describe your music. What is it?
 
AY: Music that keeps dreaming alive.
 
The Deli: Give us some background on the band.
 
AY: I’ve been doing music for over 4 years now. I was on The X-Factor back in 2012 and got 4 yeses from celebrity judges LA Reid, Britney Spears, Demi Lovato, and Louis Walsh. Although my audition never aired, I learned a lot from the experience and publicity.
 
We are a four-piece band. Our lineup is Daniel Cole (D Cole), Hailey Canalas, Ralph Jackson, and myself!
 
D Cole has been doing professional music for awhile and drums for national recording artist XV. He has also toured behind B.O.B, T.I., Big Sean and more. Hailey Canalas, our lead vocalist, has been singing for over 10 years, and Ralph has over 10 years of experience as well.
 
We’ve been together as a group for over a year now. The story of how we starting doing music together isn’t that exciting. I never got booked much around Kansas City and I felt my music didn’t reach enough people. I wanted to really get out there and #SayHey to the world with my music. Hailey was already singing with me at the time so I messaged D Cole about an idea I had for a self-made tour called #BatteryTour. I wanted to set up on street corners all over America (starting in KC) and perform my music right to the people. That’s how we started. Ralph came shortly after seeing us performing on the Country Club Plaza!
 
The Deli: So, you do shows on the Plaza?
 
AY: Everyone is welcome to see our FREE #BatteryTour shows we do WEEKLY at the Country Club Plaza or in Lawrence on Massachusetts Street. If we’re not performing at a venue, we’re on the street performing for the people!
 
The Deli: What have been your biggest accomplishments as a band?
 
AY: I think our greatest accomplishment so far would be this #BatteryTour. Without any backing, label or outside investors we’ve toured and performed in Atlanta, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Iowa and more! It’s been amazing to accomplish national touring so early in our careers. Landing on the upcoming MTV show Made once they spotted us on the corner last year was pretty awesome as well. We can’t wait to see the episode when it’s finally released to the public.
 
The Deli: Tell us about your latest EP, Above and Beyond.
 
AY: After 3 years of hard work our first EP just released a few months ago. It’s called the Above and Beyond, and includes our singles "Say Hey" (over 20,000 Youtube views) and "Creep Creep (The Anthem).”
 
The Deli: What does supporting local music mean to you?
 
AY: Supporting local music means the world to me because I’m a local artist. Honestly I would be nothing without LOCAL support. The only reason I’m able to travel the country is because of tips/donations when we street perform. I understand that support can help boost you through to your dreams and goals. Therefore I try my best to support others.
 
The Deli: Who are your favorite local musicians right now?
 
AY: I love Captiva! One of the best local bands in Kansas City, hands down!
 
The Deli: Who are your favorite not-so-local musicians right now?
 
AY: Twenty One Pilots. High-energy, heartfelt performances and perfection in every lyric.
 
The Deli: What is your ultimate fantasy concert bill to play on?
 
AY: This will change day by day. But right NOW…I’d say AY MusiK would open, Ed Sheeran would take the stage after, Twenty One Pilots would rock out after Ed, Justin Timberlake with a legendary performance after, and Coldplay would close out the night! My #DREAMSHOW.
 
The Deli: A music-themed Mount Rushmore. What four faces are you putting up there and why? 
 
AY: Michael Jackson has to be my first face. Michael plainly WAS the essence of music itself. It wouldn’t be a Rushmore without Michael.
 
Honestly, one of the faces would be the many faces of past and present backup singers. I watched a movie called 20 Feet From Stardom recently. Millions of people know their voices, but no one knows their names. Many of these backup singers are behind some of the greatest musical legends of the 21st century.
 
The third face for me would be Prince because, well, Prince is freaking amazing.
 
The last face wouldn’t be a face at all! It would be a computer screen! And on the screen would be chiseled images of hundreds of musicians and artists. I’d do this to symbolize how the Internet has changed music and has made it possible for anyone to have a successful musical career. The global shift in labels, music and the independent artist must be documented as a huge notch in time.
 
The Deli: What other goals does Ay MusiK have for 2014?
 
AY: I want to ink a national booking deal with a major booking agency. That would be awesome. I dream of the possibility to #SayHey to the world while opening up for a major artist on a major tour. We work very hard to position ourselves for this to be a possibility; it’d be amazing if it happened. Lastly, I plan on working on my album and developing more of my own ideas. I also work with friend and partner Thomas Jackson (Tomajack), one of the best producers in the world, and he’ll assist on the album.
 
The Deli: Where can we find you on the web?
 
AY: We try to be everywhere! You can hear or buy our music anywhere digital music is sold. (iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Soundcloud, etc). You can also visit us at AYmusiK.com, Twitter/Instagram @AYmusiK, and facebook.com/AYmusiK.
 
The Deli: Always go out on a high note. Any last words of wisdom for the Deli audience?
 
AY: You can do anything you set your mind to. Never let anybody or anything stop you from whatever your dreams or goals may be. I started street performing because I felt like I had to go #AboveandBeyond to #SayHey to the world with my music. Now I’m being interviewed by a magazine I’ve always looked up to and discussing a self-made national tour. Music was my dream. Find yours and do whatever it takes grab hold of yours.
 
Ay MusiK is:
Hailey Canalas: lead vocals
Daniel Cole: drums
Ralph Jackson: keys

AY: vocals, keys 

  
Ay MusiK’s next show will be next Thursday, August 21, at recordBar, with special guests Grooms & Katie. They have big things coming up; they’ll be opening up for T-Pain the next night at CrossroadsKC, also playing Crossroads Music Festival on September 6 at The Brick, and opening up for Aaron Carter at The Granada on October 10. Ticket link.

 

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Album review: Riot! Riot! Riot! – Dispenser (single)

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Just as the sounds of popular music go through various phases and trends, so too do band names. One such example is the combination of repetitive words and exclamation points, a standard with many examples: the New Zealand noise-pop of Die! Die! Die! … the noisy Italian rawness of Tiger! Shit! Tiger! Tiger! (a personal favorite of Chris Haghirian’s) … the California dance-punk of !!! … and many others. We now have a new entry into this field: Riot! Riot! Riot!, featuring members and ex-members of such noted KC soundcrafters as Dolls on Fire, The Hillary Watts Riot, and Drew Black and Dirty Electric. The band’s debut is a two-song effort that shares the same energy and aggression as its exclamation-pointed kin. The production is raw and DIY, which serves its three-chords-and-turn-it-up-loud mission statement perfectly.
 
“Dispenser” features Zach Hodson’s abrasive guitar and emotive vocals, supported by a thunderous drum-and-bass combo of Sergio Moreno and Mark Johnson, treading the line between hard rock and punk. “So Lost In Love, My Love” starts out as a jaunty little number (yes, a band with exclamation points in its name can do jaunty) that ultimately descends into muddy, grimy depths.
 
Will Riot! Riot! Riot! be worthy of all those exclamation points? I’d like to think so, but ultimately it’s a question Mark, Sergio, and Zach will have to answer. Period.
 
And you can “quote” me.
 
—Michael Byars
 
Michael is sparing with his usage of exclamation points, but when he does, he means it! OMGRLY!
 
 

Tonight, July 30, you can catch the Riot! Riot! Riot! boys at—where else?—The Riot Room. They’ll be playing with The Summit and Trapdoor Social (LA). Show starts at 9 p.m. Facebook event page. 

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Album review: Mr. and the Mrs. – A Tale of Two Eyes (EP)

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At times, I think rock is a beast destined for extinction, killed mercilessly by indie bands with strong ‘80s dance pop fetishes and singers with somewhat misguided longings for Adam Sandler character vocalizations. There are a few Kansas City/Lawrence area bands that are putting in their due diligence to bring rock back to the surface. To draw it away from the dark corners of the basement, free from the shackles that fickle fans have thrown upon them, to let it roam among the living, ready to regain its rightful place upon the throne. Black on Black, The Sluts, and All Blood are putting all of themselves into the fire, trying to resurrect rock and it seems, for the time being, to be working.
 
One of the most interesting bands in the mix is Mr. and the Mrs. Their latest release, A Tale of Two Eyes, shows a band fully capable of kicking down the garage door with the tried and true guitarist/drummer 1-2-combo knockout punch. They stand as a band truly giving no shits about what people think, making the racket they want to make and at a ridiculous volume.
 
There is no pretense with A Tale of Two Eyes. They clearly do not care to be the coolest band in the land, have no interest in recycling Misfits’ riffs or snagging all the groupies. Mr. and the Mrs. released a four-song EP, cut to a limited vinyl run of 20 discs on a 1940s record lathe, not because it’s cool but because that’s what they wanted to do. Period.
 
A popular local spectacle, Mr. and the Mrs. have successful reproduced their live sound on Eyes. Coming on with the sound quality of a live show recorded to an Emerson boom box at a punk club in 1980, the tunes on Eyessound like The Cramps, Nirvana, Minor Threat and a garbage disposal having sex; a wild and reckless noise that shouldn’t, in theory, sound so good but it does. “Pink Eye” has a vaguely Detroit Cobras ass shakin’ vibe while “Dead Eye” sounds like a totally stoned out Sid Vicious manhandling the mic while covering The Vaselines’ “Molly’s Lips.”
 
Mr. and the Mrs. have taken the minimalist approach (guitar and drums) and stripped punk/alternative music down to molecular level, in the process touching on something that most certainly isn’t for everyone. However, for those of us who “get it”, it will be the saving grace, a music free of the “cool,” free of self-consciousness and a need to be accepted, replacing it with power and sincerity.
 
—Danny R. Phillips
 
Danny has been reporting on music of all types and covering the St. Joseph music scene for well over a decade. He is a regular contributor to the nationally circulated BLURT Magazine and his work has appeared in The Pitch, The Omaha Reader, Missouri Life, The Regular Joe, Skyscraper Magazine, Popshifter, Hybrid Magazine, the websites Vocals on Top and Tuning Fork TV, Perfect Sound Forever, The Fader, and many others.
 
 

Mr. and the Mrs. will be playing tonight, July 30 at The Bottleneck, along with Ex-Bombers and Something & the Whatevers. Show starts at 9 p.m.

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Album review: Claire and the Crowded Stage – Kamikaze

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Sometimes a gimmick can trample upon the art. We have all seen it. Some band who may or may not be creating something special, only to let it take a firm back seat to a schtick. Perhaps it is an elaborate super shiny multimedia extravaganza. It might come in the form of a five-person, multi-tuned cowbell section and/or audio samples from Dr. Strangelove. These are the kinds of bands that leave the soundman sorely exclaiming, “How many mics and DIs do you need again?” before sulking off and muttering under his breath a filthy slew of words only known to the hardiest of sailors.
 
With a live set up that features up to double-digit members playing various strings, percussion and woodwinds, it would be easy for Claire and the Crowded Stage to suffer this pitfall. Thankfully, on the new album Kamikaze, the band shows masterful control of how to question the integrity of a stage’s weight limit in a way that is truly synergistic to a great whole.
 
The range of tones and sounds featured throughout make it almost unclassifiable, a truly wonderful sideshow of pop music. Kudos to the arranger (and sound engineer) for creating a roadmap and space for each part to shine in just the right way. The instrumentation is woven with a delicate and deft touch. At any given time, the listener can focus upon any of the various elements and clearly decipher what dish it brings to the dinner table. It is a symphony of rock music, like a progressive new high school band teacher fresh out of grad school choosing to close his first spring concert with a version of “Helter Skelter.”
 
At times, it is almost a rock music bait-and-switch. During the proggy break in “Songbird,” the usual scathing guitar takes a back seat in the rhythm section to let the clarinet champion the solo with splitting vigor. The single reed’s moment in the spotlight works especially well in tandem when it returns to its more traditional floaty place on the following “Night Owls,” whose side-to-side head bob groove sounds like the perfect sound track for a Tootsie Roll pop commercial. Extra points for the delightfully arbitrary reprise outro.
 
Other strong moments include the Avett Brothers-go-to-Disneyland sounds of “Tower of Babel” and the prohibition jazz speakeasy slice of noir in “Technicolor.” “I Saw it All” is perhaps the best use of the symphony style arrangement on the record, growing from simple ukulele to full orchestra pit and back again. “The Nightside of Day” finishes off the record as a delightful denouement with joyful-sounding, yet stormily-themed sock hop flair.
 
Fronting this well-oiled juggernaut is the powerfully voiced Claire Adams. Her affected vocal stylings pierce the ear in a beautiful misfit manner, ranging from a very airy and playful Regina Spektor to the soulful belt of Neko Case. Much like the success shown by the orchestra beneath her, she shows great discretion on when to play the sweet little skipping girl with cartoon hearts in her eyes and when to let fly the tortured, broken soul inside. The often-paired harmony vocals add a further power and intrigue in all the right spots.
 
As if it needed yet even another cylinder to fire upon, the lyrics are often nothing short of poetry. Lines such as:
 
Oh, I’m a boat of awkward, sinking in the shifting waters of our chemistry (from “Kamikaze”)
 
It’s been a long grey time, rhymes in red, blue and yellow fighting to flash well, nobody’s talking trash just pass the hat ’til someone steps up to bat sayin’ I know something you don’t know  (from “Technicolor”)
 
I watched the sun it rose, standing on my tiptoes to catch the moment when the day broke in halves as people live straining to love and give, it’s just another tower of babel falling (from “Tower of Babel”)
 
… are just a few examples of the impactful wordsmithing flexed throughout.
 
All put together, it ends up being one damn fine record that should definitely be added to your collection. Having been fortunate enough to catch Claire and the Crowded Stage a few times in various haunts, the live show is equally as impressive. Make sure you check it out and get your own copy of Kamikaze.
 
–Zach Hodson
 
Zach Hodson is a monster. He once stole a grilled cheese sandwich from a 4-year-old girl at her birthday party. He will only juggle if you pay him. I hear he punched Slimer right in his fat, green face. He knows the secrets to free energy, but refuses to release them until Saved by the Bell: Fortysomethings begins production. He is also in Dolls on Fire,Drew Black & Dirty Electric, and Riot Riot Riot, as well as contributing to various other Kansas City-based music, comedy, and art projects.
 
Claire and the Crowded Stage will be commandeering the recordBar stage this Saturday, July 26, to celebrate the release of Kamikaze. Ali Holder & Christy Hays and Bearing Torches will open the show at 10 pm. Facebook event page.
 

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Album review: The Oldfield Victory – A Thousand Doors (EP)

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Once upon a time, as many a story begins, there was a legendary beast that trod upon this great land. Across mountains and over rivers (wait, across rivers and over mountains; yeah, that’s it), all bowed before its grandeur and omnipresence … particularly human males between the ages of 18 and 34. What was the name of this benevolent and decadent entity, you ask?

Rock and roll.

 
Back in the ‘70s, when FM radio was becoming more of a force and big rock bands were strewn all across the dial, there was a particular guitar sound that dominated the airwaves: monstrous chord structures and tight riffs that had that the perfect combination of strum and crunch and buzz. There’s probably a better way to describe them, or even to explain how they were created, but you’d probably have to be a guitar player to do so—and since I am not, I must use words like “strum” and “crunch” and “buzz” to get my point across. An even better way to understand said point, however, would be to listen to the music of The Oldfield Victory, a newly-minted band that has recently released its newly-minted EP debut, A Thousand Doors.
 
This formidable foursome (Jon Freeman – vocals and guitar; Paul Hagedorn – lead guitar; Dave Tanner – bass and backing vocals; and Casey Wallace – drums) wastes no time getting down to business; “Wrecking Ball” is fast, loud, and has a nasty snarl, as all good rock ‘n roll should be. The EP’s title track is an instant audio time machine that takes the listener back to 1976, when The Oldfield Victory could easily have shared the Kemper Arena stage with Sammy Hagar, Triumph, Judas Priest, Spinal Tap, or any of the other legends of the day. The rest of A Thousand Doors, particularly “Built for Speed” and “She Disappears,” continues down that path, filled with the big drums, fat-bottom bass, razor-sharp guitar leads, and raucous vocal blends that made music fans from back in the day gas up their Camaros* and head to Sandstone or Arrowhead Stadium to KY102’s latest SummerJam.
 
Sometimes music does more than simply entertain—sometimes it just makes you feel like things are right in the world. This six-track EP hearkens to a time when rock was king, with willing subjects from coast to coast. Count me in as one of them, then and now. Long live The Oldfield Victory.
 
*author’s note: I did not have a Camaro back in those days. I had a Pinto. Not exactly the same thing … especially to the ladies. Awwww nooooooo.
 
—Michael Byars
 
Michael is fooling you—he probably had the coolest Pinto on the block. And $240 worth of pudding. Awwww yeah.
 
 

The Oldfield Victory has a big rock show planned this Friday, July 25, at The Scene KC Rock Bar in Independence, with Federation of Horsepower, The Heroine (San Antonio), and Bad Wheels. Check it out, and bring earplugs. Facebook event page. 

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Album review: Attic Wolves – Volume and Boldness (EP)

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An introduction made by a banjo at one point in time may have thrown listeners off. But with the recent revival of the rootsy instruments in mainstream music, the banjo has become just as welcome as the drum kit. Kansas City’s Attic Wolves have taken all of the soul from roots music and molded it into their own brand of powerful and emotional folk. Attic Wolves hold the title of The Pitch’s Best Local Album of 2012 (their debut EP, Carry Us On) and now, Volume and Boldness is every bit as good.
 
Channeling all that soul that is carried in folk tunes, Attic Wolves hit the listener with “Here’s To Looking Back.” A catchy guitar ditty and smooth, mellow vocals serenade the listener. A story of sorts about two people growing close, then falling apart. The song explores how people change and how life is never constant. Though the message is a bit melancholy, the song finishes strong with a positive spin; the old mantra “so it goes” is in full effect.
 
Volume and Boldness is comprised of five tracks that completely blow you away not only in the sense of the musical composition, but the lyrical heaviness as well; an album to help heal the hurt heart. “Safe and Sound” explores unconditional love. “It’s Not Over” deals with the things in life that are out of human hands. “Leave Me Be” is a heartbreak and a half of a song. The outro song, “I Know Who You Love,” looks into unwanted love from one party to the next, and again, the songs hints that everything will be okay.
 
The album title is taken from the band’s personal traits, explained in its bio: “[It] reflects what we believe is required of us as a band in order to succeed. Volume and Boldness is our way of doing business.” That statement is ever so true. All the listener has to do is dissect the lyrics to understand.
 
—Steven Ervay
 
Steven is an all-around awesome dude who works tirelessly for the KC music community.
 
Editor’s note: Volume & Boldness was recorded at Mammoth Cave Recording Studio in Denver, produced by Tim Gerak.
 
 

Attic Wolves will celebrate the release of Volume and Boldness with a party at Czar Bar this Monday, July 21. Akkilles and The Papers (Chicago) will also be playing. Tickets are $5 presale or $7 at the door, 21+. Ticket link. Facebook event page. 

 

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Album review: Jorge Arana Trio – OSO (EP)

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In some way, cognizant or not, we all have a sense of rhythm and melody. A sense of timing and movement. Syncopated patterns and angular guitar lines run amok on the latest release by Jorge Arana Trio, OSO. The rhythms and melodies are complex while still maintaining a sense of empathy. I find myself dissecting each song, counting and searching for the root, which inevitably changes right when I think I’ve found it.
 
While you might not find this trio in the more frequented jazz houses of Kansas City, you will find them in every other venue—including house parties and DIY clubs, maintaining a level of energy and expertise leading whatever room they occupy.
 
OSO opens with a wacky, groovy, psychedelic track called "Foredoom" that illustrates the extent to which the trio can roam. "Kallisto" reminds me of music I might hear at a late-night club in the basement of an abandoned building. Aggressive, but still retains a sense of true jazz musicianship and syncopation. On this track, the trio locks into some deep grooves. It’s short and sweet and gets right to the point. 
 
"Crime of Passion Fruit" amazes me how it rolls over half step variations and moves in quick succession. Let the reverb reign! 
 
"Old Bamboo" keeps the energy rolling with surfesque lead lines by Arana, while drummer Josh Enyart and bassist Jason Nash tear through patterns and rhythms without missing a beat (literally). 
 
"Banished to Siberia" is my favorite of the five-track EP. This song, to me, exemplifies the trio’s expertise in experimental/psychedelic/jazz rock. If this song where a dish, it would be some kind of unique soup that has healing powers only served to the bravest of eaters. I feel cleansed of all things boring and/or monotonous after hearing this track.
 
Jorge Arana Trio has proven through relentless live shows, and most recently on OSO, that experimentation and writing outside the box is something we can all relate to. Please indulge in this release. You will not be disappointed and will surely expand your groovy senses.
 
OSO was engineered by Joel Nanos and Vincent Lawhon, and mixed/mastered by Nanos at Element Recording. The album has been released by Haymaker Records.
 
 
 
Make sure to show some love by attending their record release show this Saturday, July 19, at recordBar with David Hasselhoff on Acid, In the Shadow, and High Magic. Facebook event page.
 
—Josh Simcosky
 

Josh is a KC native that loves anything meat- or tube-driven related. He also plays guitar for Leering Heathens and Sharp Weapons. 

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Album review: Fake Fancy – New People (EP)

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Self-described as “a boy and a girl that met over their mutual love for hardcore evangelical conservative beliefs and tequila shots,” an admittedly tongue-buried-firmly-in-cheek wry ironic smile weaves itself in and out of the tracks that make up the new EP from Fake Fancy, entitled New People.

 
At its core, this is two-person, boy-meets-girl lo-fi garage pop, reminiscent of Kansas City area darlings Schwervon!, only featuring a much more prevalent electronic edge. The lazy comparisons of The Black Keys or The White Stripes could certainly be applicable as well, but there is a deeper range of tone and darkness that deserves being mentioned here. A real separation from those two aforementioned duos comes from the wholesome balance established between the melancholy David Byrne vocal stylings of John Elijah against the more pure and sunshiny Sheryl Crow sound of Katie Vah. Coupled with the witty and elevated lyrical prowess, Fake Fancy rises above being “just another two-piece indie rock band.”
 
The EP has a multiple personality disorder in the best of ways, featuring a stirring amount of variance amongst six songs that come in at a total of eleven minutes. The sweet afternoon breeze strains of “If A Man Made A Machine” and “Summer Hours” provide trancelike respites from the more avant-garde, chaotic moments in “I Have A Drum Machine” and “Mild Violence.” “We Hold Hands” and “Aqua Teen” show Fake Fancy at its best, with head-bobbing beats, tight harmonies, and accessible yet charmingly odd instrumentation firing on all cylinders.
 
Overall, this is a tidy little slice of pop music. With a sonic landscape that effortlessly bounces from Downy fresh to the kind of sticky grime you find in an old broken down engine block, Fake Fancy makes no efforts to pigeon hole itself into one kind of sound.
 
–Zach Hodson
 
Zach Hodson is a monster. He once stole a grilled cheese sandwich from a 4-year-old girl at her birthday party. He will only juggle if you pay him. I hear he punched Slimer right in his fat, green face. He knows the secrets to free energy, but refuses to release them until Saved by the Bell: Fortysomethings begins production. He is also in Dolls on Fire, Drew Black & Dirty Electric, and Riot Riot Riot, as well as contributing to various other Kansas City-based music, comedy, and art projects.
 
Fake Fancy will be on KKFI 90.1 FM tonight, on High Voltage Rock N’ Roll Radio Show to release the album at midnight. The band will be playing at Jackpot Music Hall on Thursday, July 31, with 2twenty2, Little Time Off, and Onward to Glory!. Check them out.
 
 
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