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Artists on Trial: Is Paris Burning

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We will be highlighting some of the artists playing The Deli KC’s showcase for Middle of the Map Fest next Thursday, April 3 on the Seen Merch Stage at The Riot Room patio. Today’s Artist on Trial is Is Paris Burning.
 
With a pop sound influenced by post-punk bands like The Smiths, Is Paris Burning brings an upbeat, driving indie rock presence to Kansas City music. We talk with frontman Neal Dyrkcaz to find out more about the band.
 
The Deli: Down and dirty: 1 sentence to describe your music. What is it?
 
Dyrkcaz: Do that thing with your guitar again…
 
The Deli: Give us some background on the band.
 
Dyrkcaz: Matt [Cole] and I jammed around for a bit a long time ago and were just trying to figure out a sound we both liked. We had some songs, jammed with some drummers, and even tried to record a small demo. Ultimately it fell apart and we let our music fall into the void. Through talking with Corey Vitt of Rooms Without Windows (who are also on our showcase!), he told us that Brian [Jewell] was looking around to jam with a band and told us to hit him up. So somewhere in the middle of 2012 we started jamming, and by the end of the year honed our sound and felt comfortable enough to record a single that we released for free at the beginning of 2013.
 
The Deli: What would you say your biggest accomplishments been as a band?
 
Dyrkcaz: Just being able to play and actually enjoying the music we make and getting excited to play our own music is an accomplishment to me. I also feel very humbled by the fact that blogs around the world have picked up our single and posted about it. It doesn’t matter how big or small the blog is—someone not within 1,000 miles of KC is hearing our music. That’s something to me.
 
The Deli: What do you have coming up?
 
Dyrkcaz: We are trying to find someone to record us! I am very picky about sounds and how a record sounds, and I am very weary of other people’s ideas of how our music should sound. So it’s a slow process for us.
 
The Deli: Who are you most looking forward to seeing at Middle of the Map this year?
 
Dyrkcaz: So many. Gary Numan, Ski Lodge, FanFarlo, William Elliott Whitmore… on and on and on. It’s going to be a grand time.
 
The Deli: What does supporting local music mean to you?
 
Dyrkcaz: I came up through the ranks of the Chicago/KC DIY punk/hardcore scene. So a lot of my local music support happens in basements, houses, and DIY venue shows. IPB is a much different sound than hardcore, but I feel my DIY spirit is rooted in its music and ideals. I’ll play anywhere. It would be cool to play a huge venue with our sound, but I feel right at home in a cramped basement that smells of beer, sweat, and piss.
 
The Deli: Who are your favorite local musicians right now?
 
Dyrkcaz: I’m way into stoner rock sooooo probably Keef Mountain and Blood Shaman. Matt and Brian are really busy right now so I don’t know what their answers would be, but KC has a very thriving local scene, and gets a lot of support.
 
The Deli: Who are your favorite not-so-local musicians right now?
 
Dyrkcaz: Honestly, I’m forced to help out at my girlfriend’s horse barn on my off hours….recently I have been listening exclusively to CCR. YES! Keep on Chooglin…
 
The Deli: What is your ultimate fantasy concert bill to play on?
 
Dyrkcaz: Concert bill? It would have to be a fest, too many to name! It would be a huge mashup of sounds.
 
The Deli: A music-themed Mount Rushmore. What four faces are you putting up there? 
 
Dyrkcaz: Van Morrison, Phil Lynott, Toni Iommi, Freddie Mercury.
 
The Deli: What other goals does Is Paris Burning have for 2014, and beyond?
 
Dyrkcaz: Singles, EPs, full-lengths, splits, aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
 
The Deli: Where can we find you on the web?
 
 
The Deli: Always go out on a high note. Any last words of wisdom for the Deli audience?
 
Dyrkcaz: Smoke Acid and Freak the Fuck out. (No one else in the band will probably like this answer.)
 
Is Paris Burning is:
Neal Dyrkcaz – bass, vocals
Matt Cole – guitar, vocals
Brian K. Jewell – drums
 
 
 
Don’t forget to check out Is Paris Burning at The Deli KC’s showcase at Middle of the Map Fest next Thursday, April 3. They will take the Seen Merch stage on The Riot Room patio at 8:00 p.m.
 
 
–Michelle Bacon
 
Michelle Bacon is editor of The Deli KC and plays bass in The Philistines and Dolls on Fire, and drums in Drew Black & Dirty Electric.

 

 

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Artists on Trial: Loose Park

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We will be highlighting some of the artists playing The Deli KC’s showcase for Middle of the Map Fest next Thursday, April 3 on the Seen Merch Stage at The Riot Room patio. Today’s Artist on Trial is one of the newest rock bands in Kansas City, Loose Park.
 
This three-piece project is something of a supergroup, with members from well-known KC bands such as Doris Henson, Soft Reeds, and In The Pines. We talk with frontman/guitarist Matthew Dunehoo, who recently moved back to KC from New York, starting the band less than a year ago. 
 
The Deli: Down and dirty: 1 sentence to describe your music. What is it?
 
Dunehoo: Friendship-based dreamtrashcore, a manic racket made in a panicked earth basement.
 
The Deli: All of you have come from successful local (and otherwise) bands. Do you think all of your previous projects contribute to the overall sound of Loose Park?
 
Dunehoo: We consider the band to be a working tribute to the living memory of Ben Grimes.
 
The Deli: What do you have coming up?
 
Dunehoo: We recorded with Joel Nanos (Element Recording) in January and have been mixing the record at home, juicing limited means to the best of our abilities and hope to have a full-length album out this spring/summer called Monstrous. In the meantime we’re writing the next record and staving off responsibilities galore.
 
As far as shows, the Loose Park KC Summer Tour 2014 is something we’re all very stoked about! The cake icing would be an actual concert in THE Loose Park:
 
May 2 at Czar: First Friday/Nanci Rush’s birthday party with Rohypnol Rangers and Voodoo Stew – 11/12pm (headliners)
May 31 at The Union outdoor stage with Poison and Skid Row (tentative)
July 18 at Czar with Kangaroo Knife Fight and Molehill (Chicago) (tentative)
 
The Deli: Who are you most looking forward to seeing at Middle of the Map this year?
 
Dunehoo: I hope to see Loaded Goat and Shy Boys, all locals and some friends I haven’t seen yet!
 
The Deli: What does supporting local music mean to you?
 
Dunehoo: Personally I’m just beginning to get a feel for how I can contribute musically to KC in 2014. I still think some of the basics are the same: Try to do something great, try to get people excited about it, try to make the time to get excited about what great things other people are trying to get others excited about. I think it means getting your butt out the door sometimes even when it feels "inconvenient." From what I’ve seen so far, there’s a lot of interest in having bands factor into the community’s identity and the "draw" to the urban core, with events such as the Crossroads block party and even that honking stage in Power & Light. How could we hijack that deal?
 
The Deli: Who are your favorite local musicians right now?
 
Dunehoo: I think the Golden Sound Records kids and their friends are sickly talented and prolific and I love that they’ve created a label. Ross Brown’s Fullbloods and Mat Shoare’s work at the top. David Bennett as Akkilles writes music that blew me away with its beauty on his debut album. And I’ve always been an Anna Cole fan, hoping to work with her somehow still. Megan Birdsall is so talented and her MBird project is great but they can’t play much because she’s so sick, which is terrible. Dominique Sanders (bass) and the groups I’ve seen him play with at Green Lady Lounge—including drummer Ryan Lee—kill me every time.
 
The Deli: Who are your favorite not-so-local musicians right now?
 
Dunehoo: NYC-based artist Lillie Jane Grey of Cellular Chaos and a project we have together called Ecstatics is someone who I adore and respect, musically and by her writing for theater. I lean on a ton of electronic music to keep me in good spirits, including Thomas Fehlmann, Loscil and Markus Guentner. Love the new Boards of Canada album. Beach House taps the blissful/melancholy vein like nobody’s beeswax. And Matther McConnaughey’s smoking voice in True Detective is a whole new genre of music to my ears.
 
The Deli: What is your ultimate fantasy concert bill to play on?
 
Dunehoo: Bill Ning.
 
The Deli: A music-themed Mount Rushmore. What four faces are you putting up there and why? 
 
Dunehoo: Joe Raposo and Jim Henson get a siamese head for putting some of the first songs in my green life. Then another siamese head for Anne Murray and John Denver, who, via album cover artwork, I had crushes on when I was 2 years old. I guess it could just be four heads then, leave well enough alone.
 
The Deli: What other goals does Loose Park have for 2014, and beyond?
 
Dunehoo: Ooooooohhhhhhh mmmmmmmmmm…… I imagine there will have to be a "punk Broadway musical" better than American Idiot penned at some point. Maybe during Loose Park’s ride I’ll finally "find myself’ as a song and dance man. I’d settle for getting [Beckie] Trost to sing with me more. And it would be good to get some music licensed and finally be able to own than rent something.
 
The Deli: Where can we find you on the web?
 
Dunehoo: Felchbook is where it’s at for now. Sorry about that. http://www.facebook.com/loosepark
 
The Deli: Always go out on a high note. Any last words of wisdom for the Deli audience?
 
Dunehoo: I had a dream recently that’s really stuck with me and if I think about it too much, I get tearful. I was looking down on this river valley from some suspended middle of the air position, and the sunlight was reflecting off of the surface of the river, brilliantly. In the water stood this hippopotamus, but it was only half of a hippopotamus, as someone or something had sliced it in half, horizontally, so that the top half of it was missing. It was like a hippopotamus bowl full of glistening intestines and organs. Slowly, I began to see other full-bodied hippopotami enter the river from the forest at the river fringes, cautiously approaching the body of their friend who was now only half there. They knew, and I knew that he had been left there like that, flayed and glistening, as a warning.
 
Loose Park is:
Matthew Dunehoo – guitar, vocals
Beckie Trost – bass
Mike Myers – drums
 
 
Don’t forget to check out Loose Park at The Deli KC’s showcase at Middle of the Map Fest next Thursday, April 3. They will take the Seen Merch stage on The Riot Room patio at 11:00 p.m. Facebook event page.
 
 
–Michelle Bacon
 
Michelle Bacon is editor of The Deli KC and plays bass in The Philistines and Dolls on Fire, and drums in Drew Black & Dirty Electric.
 

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Artists on Trial: Middle Twin

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We will be highlighting some of the artists playing The Deli KC’s showcase for Middle of the Map Fest next Thursday, April 3 on the Seen Merch Stage at The Riot Room patio. Today’s Artist on Trial is Lawrence’s own Middle Twin.
 
If you haven’t heard of Middle Twin yet, no doubt you will. The five-piece collective stemmed from the electronic DJ duo Brain Food, and is quickly gaining traction in the area with its dancey grooves and frontwoman Demi Renault’s striking vocals. We talked with keyboardist Joel Martin and guitarist Eric Davis to find out a little more about the group.
 
The Deli: Down and dirty: 1 sentence to describe your music. What is it?
 
Middle Twin: I think Ink called us “peculiar art rock.” We liked that. We have a lot of pop influence though, so we are peculiar art pop.
 
The Deli: Give us some background on the band.
 
Middle Twin: Joel started this project a couple years ago as a kind of a DJ-electronic thingy called Brain Food. Demi and Eric joined in November of 2012 and it became more of a band thingy. We then added Jonny [Fitzgerald] and Isaac [Flynn] and eventually decided to change our name to Middle Twin. We’ve been playing as Middle Twin for about 6 months now.
 
 
The Deli: What have been your biggest accomplishments as a band?
 
 
 
Middle Twin: Probably the time we drove all night from Austin to Lawrence and made it back in time to catch the India Palace lunch buffet.
 
 
 
 
The Deli: You are releasing your EP City of Gold this weekend. What can we expect?
 
Middle Twin: Seven unique, well-crafted songs with very high production quality. We had a lot of fun making it, so hopefully it’ll be a lot of fun to listen to.
 
 
 
The Deli: Who are you most looking forward to seeing at Middle of the Map this year?
 
 
 
Middle Twin: We’ll go with Gary Numan. I’ve heard his live show is crazy.
 
The Deli: What does supporting local music mean to you?
 
 
 
Middle Twin: Towns that have great local music scenes must first have great local bands. Bands need to prove themselves to get support, not the other way around. The best thing you can do is be aware of what’s happening in local music. If you think something’s good, for the love of God, tell people! High-quality local music is an amazing phenomenon. There are local bands making great music and they are doing it on practically no budget. Those musicians who achieve that deserve all the support possible.
 
 
 
The Deli: Who are your favorite local musicians right now?
 
 
 
Middle Twin: I’d like to give some love to two Lawrence bands that’ll be playing Middle of the Map and who a lot Kansas City folk might not know yet. Forrester and Psychic Heat are both incredible bands that put on amazing live shows and write really cool, interesting music.
 
 
 
The Deli: Who are your favorite not-so-local musicians right now?
 
 
 
Middle Twin: We’re all pretty into James Blake and Toro y Moi right now. A really sweet band from Montreal called TOPS came through Lawrence recently and we caught their show at Replay. We’ve been bumping their tracks for the past couple days.
 
 
 
The Deli: What is your ultimate fantasy concert bill to play on?
 
 
 
Middle Twin: Hmm… Let’s go with a bill with us, LCD Soundsystem, and Radiohead.
 
 
 
The Deli: A music-themed Mount Rushmore. What four faces are you putting up there and why? 
 
 
 
Middle Twin: Eric: Brian Wilson, George Martin, Thom Yorke, and Quincy Jones. I’m not sure if any musician can say they’ve never been heavily influenced (knowingly or unknowingly) by at least one of those men at some point in their lives.
 
 
 
Joel: James Blake, Damon Albarn, Steven Ellison, St. Vincent. For their beautiful music.
 
The Deli: Where can we find you on the web?
 
 
 
Twitter: @middle_twin
Instagram: middle_twin
 
 
 
The Deli: What other goals does Middle Twin have for 2014?
 
 
 
Middle Twin: I think our main goal is to keep improving as musicians and as artists. We’re constantly trying to improve our live show. I think the best thing we can do for 2014 is get back in the studio and get better and better at writing and recording music.
 
 
 
The Deli: Always go out on a high note. Any last words of wisdom for the Deli audience?
 
 
 
 
 
 
Middle Twin is:
Demi Renault – vocals
Eric Davis – guitar
Isaac Flynn – drums
Joel Martin – keys
Jon Fitzgerald – bass
 
 
 
Tonight, Middle Twin and Forrester will both be celebrating the release of their EPs at The Bottleneck, with a free show. The Phantastics, and Narkalark also play. Facebook event page.
 
 
 
 
If you want to catch them in KC, come by The Riot Room on Friday, where they will celebrate the KC release of the album with Antennas Up and Rev Gusto. Facebook event page.
 
 
Middle Twin will also be at The Deli KC’s showcase at Middle of the Map Fest next Thursday, April 3. They will take the Seen Merch stage on The Riot Room patio at 9:00 p.m.
 
 
Middle Twin recently released the video for “Savoir Faire,” from the City of Gold EP. It is directed by Weston Getto Allen (Getto Art). Watch it below.
 
 
–Michelle Bacon
 
Michelle Bacon is editor of The Deli KC and plays bass in The Philistines and Dolls on Fire, and drums in Drew Black & Dirty Electric.

  

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Show preview: Mustache for Music: Grow A Stache, Raise Some Cash at Czar, 3.29.14

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Base Academy of Music is holding a unique benefit show this Saturday at Czar Bar. Concert attendees will vote on their favorite mustache, and the winner will take home $100. Other door prizes will be awarded throughout the evening.
 
Run With It, Perpetual Change, and Project Mayhem will be playing the benefit show, which starts at 6:00 p.m.
 
Base Academy of Music is a nonprofit organization that benefits music education for all students, regardless of socioeconomic status. The organization teaches group music lessons to students in KCMO schools, and plans to offer private lessons and small ensembles in the future.
 

 


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Photos: Halfway To Winfield at Knuckleheads, 3.15.14

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While many Kansas City musicians and fans were visiting Austin during its big music fest, several others remained on the homefront and celebrated the halfway mark to the wildly popular Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas this coming September. 

Nine acts took the stage on a brisk-turned stormy evening on Knuckleheads‘ outdoor stage to a large, excited crowd of folk/Americana/roots devotees. Here are some shots by Jaime Russell of Anthem Photography of the show:

Old Sound

 

Tyler Gregory

 

Konza Swamp Band

 

Truckstop Honeymoon

For the full set of photos, visit Anthem Photography’s set on Flickr.

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Recap: MidCoast Takeover 2014

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It’s an ever-expanding, atypical tradition, five years in the making.

It might seem difficult to grasp the concept of traveling over 700 miles to see several bands you could normally see at a venue a couple miles away from home. But there’s much more to it than that.
 
Each year, thousands of people from around the globe descend upon Austin, Texas, for an annual music fest that—with each growing year—features bigger names and flashier advertisements. Fortunately, unofficial, free showcases are literally wall-to-wall along 6th Street. For the mere price of navigating through a sea of people and eating at a few taco trucks along the way [oh, and transportation and boarding], you can see hundreds of bands of varying genres and qualities. You might randomly stumble into a dive bar to hear a band you’ve been digging for a couple years, you might discover a band barely anyone else knows about. That’s all an important part of the experience. But for a couple hundred folks from the Kansas City/Lawrence area, the Austin experience holds a deeper meaning.
 
In its fifth year, last week’s MidCoast Takeover was bigger than ever, with over 100 bands on a giant outdoor stage and an indoor acoustic stage at Shangri-La on East 6th Street, an area just on the other side of the I-35 divide that has increased in foot traffic and event volume over the past couple of years. The bar itself is typically a popular haunt for Austin natives, with a huge outdoor patio that reached its 230-person capacity during the four-day showcase.
 
MidCoast Takeover is organized by Midwest Music Foundation, an organization that helps musicians with emergency health care, but also aims to be a voice for the music community. One way of doing this is with MidCoast, which places local/regional musicians on a national stage in front of hundreds, be it a random passerby, the drummer in your band, or Exene Cervenka (yeah, she stopped by).
 
A few of the MidCoast bands from the KC area were official showcase acts (including Radkey, Beautiful Bodies, Josh Berwanger Band, Pedaljets), stacked up with other notable-as-of-late locals (Shy Boys, Me Like Bees, Not A Planet, Katy Guillen & the Girls) and national bands (Not In The Face, Two Cow Garage, Sphynx), on one of the largest stages with one of the most impressive productions in all of downtown Austin. At any given time between Wednesday and Saturday, quality music emanated from Shangri-La, ranging from The Noise FM’s indie-rock dance party to Heartfelt Anarchy’s smooth hip-hop/jazz mashup to Jorge Arana Trio’s calculated noise-rock grooves. Let’s also not forget the acoustic stage, which featured poetic songs from Vi Tran; bluesy, emotionally weighted tunes from Gregg Todt (Federation of Horsepower); quirky dance numbers from Nan Turner (Schwervon!); driving but delicate harmonies from Clairaudients, among dozens of other artists who injected a special type of heart and personality into their deconstructed songs.
 
 
 

 

Still, this begs the question: Why would you go all that way to watch a bunch of bands, primarily from your hometown?
 
Perhaps it’s that notion of community that has been established in KC music and has found a resurgence over the past 5 years, due to MMF’s efforts. As MMF’s late co-founder Abigail Henderson pointed out to me in a 2012 interview, there is a strongly held belief that KC musicians do not simply make up a scene, but “a community that fosters itself—a thinking, doing community of people practicing an art.” So what comes out of this annual pilgrimage for the musicians and organizers is not typically a huge record deal or overnight worldwide success. Statistically for a band, it can result in nothing more than a few new Facebook likes, some t-shirt/album sales, and a whole bunch of poles and trash cans with your stickers attached to them. But in addition, it can be a nourishing, satisfying, proud experience to observe and participate in.
 
The sense of pride comes from witnessing the breadth and depth of music on each stage, in many cases being created by people you know personally. Watching the dedication of MMF/MidCoast staff—from sound engineers to promoters to stage managers—who work on this effort throughout the year and tirelessly run nonstop for a week to throw a party that has made several best unofficial showcase lists. Spending hours, even days with respected acquaintances that quickly develop into friendships, jam partnerships, and/or artistic inspiration. Watching each night close with a stronger fervency than the previous one. David Hasselhoff on Acid ended the first evening by melting eardrums and grey matter with its instrumental prog-rock onslaught. Not ones to be upstaged, The Architects rounded out night two with a raucous, tight set that one would come to expect and desire from a professional but unapologetic rock ‘n roll band. By Friday night, the majority of the KC contingent [and other festgoers] had arrived, poised and ready to celebrate a vacation weekend with several dozen friends. Of course, Hearts of Darkness was the ideal band for the task of charging an eager, over-capacity crowd with even more energy and jubilation. And on Saturday, in spite of a couple hours of inclement weather and resulting schedule changes, the showcase ended with a euphoric sonic inundation. Drop A Grand had the audience dancing and grinning along to its wacky brand of garage punk, and left them spellbound by ending the set with “Baba O’Riley,” featuring the fiddle-brandishing badassery of Betse Ellis. Maps For Travelers followed up in fine fashion, with the drive, the emotion, and the post-hardcore intensity that naturally led into the final act, Federation of Horsepower. The heavy-hitting rock machine punched that first power chord around 11:28 p.m., kicking the commencement into high gear. A raging crowd shook fists and banged heads, while others hugged, shook hands, and shed celebratory tears for a job well done.
 

 

That 700-mile trip teaches many of us that we co-exist in this microcosm with other like-minded individuals, some of whom we can forge genuine connections with, and some of whom can inspire us to delve deeper into our artistic passions. Whether it’s the veteran who’s played in dozens of bands since the ‘90s or the doe-eyed 19-year-old playing his first time out of town, there’s something to be learned and celebrated about each piece that fits into that puzzle.
 
Thank you to everyone who participated by playing, organizing, or just stopping in. We’ll see you next year. Same time, same place.
 
—Michelle Bacon
 
Michelle is editor-in-chief of The Deli Magazine-Kansas City and is a member of The Philistines, Drew Black & Dirty Electric, and Dolls on Fire.
 
 
 

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Album review: Maria the Mexican – Moon Colored Jade

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There are certain ways music reviewers and lovers describe bands to other people. They will often say, “It’s like XXX and XXX had a baby,” or “It’s rock/soul, etc.” This review will not include a sentence like that; I found myself dumbstruck trying to find points of connection for a stranger to understand the way Maria the Mexican sounds. It would take too many references to make sense. There are folk-pop songs, interpretations of traditional Mexican songs, and blues-driven numbers.
 
The debut record from Maria the Mexican, Moon Colored Jade, is full of super tight harmony from sisters Maria and Tess Cuevas. The Cuevas sisters bring experience from performing in Mariachi Estrella while they were growing up, an all-female mariachi band co-formed by their grandmother Teresa Cuevas. The album also abounds in beautiful bass lines supplied by Garrett Nordstrom, abundant and persistent horns, and forceful and delicate guitar by Jason Riley.
 
The album initially draws you in with its first track “Rock and Sway,” a folk-pop song with blues underpinnings courtesy of Nordstrom’s bassline. Lest you believe this is a folk-pop record, “Bring It On Body” weaves the sisters’ harmony through a strong R&B and funk vibe. Carrying on this note and bringing Patrice Pike in for good measure, I highly recommend listening to “Sigh.” Pike brings a low end to the harmony of the Cuevas sisters, and that depth lends a force and earnestness to the song.
 
The last type of song you find on this record is a reinterpreted traditional Mexican bolero as well as an original composition in Spanish influenced by the bolero. “Besame Mucho” is the probably the most recorded bolero of all time. Everyone from The Beatles to Connie Francis to Andrea Bocelli and Diana Krall have recorded the tune, but Maria the Mexican makes the version its own, with upbeat pop and mariachi influences. With Moon Colored Jade, Maria the Mexican has delivered something unique that keeps you listening.
 
—Angela Lupton
 
Angela is a co-founder and the executive director of Midwest Music Foundation.
 
 
Congrats also to Maria the Mexican on being The Deli KC’s February Artist of the Month!
 
 
You can catch Maria the Mexican at the final fundraiser for MidCoast Takeover, this Saturday at The Brick. The band will be performing at 12:30, after Chris Meck & the Guilty Birds, Katy Guillen & the Girls, and The Philistines. Show starts at 10 p.m., $10. Facebook event page.
 
 

 

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Bottle Breakers’ first KC show tonight

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Tonight, punk rockers Bottle Breakers will make their KC debut at Vandals (in the back room of Black & Gold Tavern) with support from Steady States and Bummer.
 
Bottle Breakers is a three-piece collective of St. Dallas & the Sinners’ frontman Chris Kinsley and drummer Nick Talley (also formerly of Gentleman Savage), rounded out by the low end of Mike Farren of The Big Iron. With a heavy emphasis on the massive rhythm section, ballsy punk progressions, and influences ranging from Chuck Berry to Social Distortion, an entertaining, raucous night is ahead.

Steady States recently released its latest album EEEPEETOO. Read our review on it here.
 
Bummer also recently released a cover of “Cars” by Gary Numan at Element Recording, and will be performing at Middle of the Map Fest in April.
 

The show begins at 8:00 p.m. Facebook event page. Don’t miss the debut; we hear they might have some pretty rad t-shirts for sale too. 

–Michelle Bacon

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Folk Alliance International Conference comes to Kansas City

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The Folk Alliance International has moved its annual conference to Kansas City, and it kicks off this Wednesday, February 19 with a full list of local bands and solo performers. The conference will be held at the Westin Crown Center Hotel.
 
On Wednesday, nine showcases will take place from 8:00 p.m. to midnight, including bands like The Grisly Hand, Jorge Arana Trio, Trampled Under Foot, and The New Riddim.
 
The conference runs through Sunday. It will feature bands and performers from around the world, with official and private showcases throughout the hotel. Graham Nash and Al Gore will be speaking at the event. Music workshops, jam sessions, and films will also be featured.
 

Tickets are $25 per night. Other information can be found at www.folk.org. 

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Rural Grit Happy Hour celebrates its 15th anniversary

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(Photo by Todd Zimmer)
 
Last Monday about 20 to 30 hearty souls braved the cold and the coming snowstorm to go down to the Crossroads and celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of that uniquely Kansas City jam of American music, the Rural Grit Happy Hour. 
 
The Rural Grit Happy Hour started in the winter of 1999 as Brother Ike’s Rural Grit Happy Hour ("Brother Ike" being frontman Ike Sheldon of The Wilders), and it was held on Monday evenings at the Grand Emporium. I worked at that fine establishment back then, and when the word spread through the musical community that Roger Naber had sold the bar, the most frequent question I got from people out in the community, wherever I went, was "what will happen to Rural Grit?" asked by people who were genuinely, painfully concerned. 
 
After the Grand Emporium, the Rural Grit Happy Hour found a home at Mike’s Tavern, the bar across Troost from Rockhurst University, where I learned a new definition of "awkward.” While my son and my money were going to Rockhurst, I walked into a Rural Grit one night to find a former colleague from the GE happily serving my minor son while he tapped his foot and bobbed his head in time to the music. Eventually, he felt the daggers I was staring at him and turned slowly to see me standing there cross-armed and fuming. He closed his tab and beat a hasty retreat across the street to his dorm.
 
A few years later, it was my turn to ask "what happened to Rural Grit?" with genuine concern, when that same son, now living in a house a couple of blocks from Mike’s, told me in a satisfied tone, that the bar had closed. "Don’t worry Mom. It moved to The Brick, and the Brick isn’t going anywhere. It’ll be there forever."
 
Here’s hoping, because looking at the slideshow of fifteen years of Rural Grit on Monday night, I sure did get nostalgic for those Mondays gone by.
 
 
 
—Tammy Booth
 
Tammy (AKA Blue Girl) also blogs for They Gave Us A Republic and Show Me Progress.
 
 
 
The Rural Grit Happy Hour happens every Monday from 6-9 p.m. at The Brick. Old Sound will be the featured artist at tomorrow’s show. If Mondays don’t work for you, you can catch the Rural Grit All-Stars at Halfway To Winfield 2014 at Knuckleheads on Saturday, March 15. Facebook event page. Purchase tickets online. 
 

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Album review: Steady States – EEEPEETOO (EP)

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(Photo by Paul Garcellano)
 
Apparently, I am now old enough for the sludge, stomp and insanity of my youth to come back around. Are The Melvins, Jesus Lizard, Shellac, Helmet and Young Marble Giants my classic rock? Are young bands claiming my freak-out heroes for their own now? Judging from what I hear on Steady States’ new EP, the answer is clear: the bands that I discovered as rebellion to the bullshit of ‘80s and ‘90s radio are now the template of rock ‘n roll. And I’m fine with it. The band (Joel Shields, Mark Lewis, Bob Comire, Kyle Anthony) flies in the face of what’s expected in “alternative rock” and spits into the wind with no regard of who will get hit in the back splash. I appreciate that approach.
 
From the opening chords of “Muzzle & Fitness,” the leadoff track, I hear the space between Scratch Acid and Jesus Lizard-era David Yow. Abrasive, chaotic, insane rapid-fire rock that, I suspect, was made for the sole purpose of pissing off those that are not already unacquainted with the asylum that is Steady States. I appreciate this approach; I myself occasionally start fires (figurative ones of course) just to see what burns.
 
Therein lies the beauty and the rub of Steady States: it is a band that clearly pushes what convention accepts as rock ‘n roll, and history has shown us that pushing boundaries doesn’t equal mass appeal. However, EEEPEETOO has no hopes of mainstream success; it will not get anywhere near the gated neighborhood that the mainstream comfortably occupies but they will find an audience, and I suspect, a rabid one at that.
 
“Happiness” comes on like a Helmet track, if guitarist Page Hamilton was blasted out of his gourd; it’s ominous, slightly off-kilter, mostly instrumental, the kind of tune a serial killer would love. The track “Mound City” is every bit as sludgy as Gluey Porch Treatments-era Melvins, but strangely has the most potential of all the songs to see even a second of radio time.
 
“White Caps” is almost bluesy, departing from the form of the previous tracks. The guitars of Shields and Lewis work perfectly within the bass and drums in a way that gets under your skin, stuck in like a splinter or a leech that refuses to let go.
 
I hate to use the word “refreshing” in any of my reviews but EEEPEETOO is refreshing, in that it ignores what many in music hold dear: mass appeal, widespread acceptance, and fame. Steady States is making the music it wants to make and throwing caution to the wind. The group strives, it seems, to not be like the rest and in that will be the weird, wild, and noisy beast.

EEEPEETOO was recorded, mixed, and mastered at Weights & Measures Soundlab by Duane Trower.
 
 
 
Catch Steady States as they celebrate the release of EEEPEETOO Saturday night, February 8, at Davey’s Uptown. Red Kate, Loose Park, and The Brannock Device will also play. Show starts at 9:00 pm, $8. Facebook event page.
 
 
–Danny R. Phillips
 
Danny R. Phillips 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.

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Me Like Bees: a Q&A with The Deli KC’s 2013 Readers’ Choice Winner

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(Photo by Todd Zimmer)
 
Me Like Bees is the winner of The Deli KC’s 2013 Readers’ Poll! The Joplin band has been making waves in the Midwest for a few years now, and has more recently found success by taking home the award for the Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands competition, earning them a coveted spot on Warped Tour and a three-song EP produced by Goldfinger’s John Feldmann. The four-piece group’s strongly developed indie rock sound draws comparisons to bands like The White Stripes and Modest Mouse, but Me Like Bees has cultivated its own melodic, quirky, upbeat style to stand on a national stage. We had a chance to talk with frontman Luke Sheafer and find out a little more about the band.
 
The Deli: Down and dirty: 1 sentence to describe your music. What is it?
 
Luke Sheafer: Sex and drugs in the trunk of Bill Murray’s ’87 Corsica.
A bagel with strawberry cream cheese in a world of doughnut holes.
Down and dirty? Up and clean! That’s two sentences. Three now. Four…
 
The Deli: Give us some background on the band.
 
Sheafer: We’ve been a band with our current and most active lineup for about three years. There isn’t a cohesive single event to attribute to our coming together, as each of our members came in years apart from each other. Pete started playing with a couple guys, Luke came in a couple of years later, Tim a year and a half further down the road, then finally Nick about two years after that. We’re sort of a hodgepodge. But we’ve been with our current lineup for almost two years now, and we are very comfortable with each other in a musical, family-friendly, completely innuendo-less sort of way.
 
The Deli: You guys hail from Joplin. How have you been able to find success outside of there, obviously being a bigger name in the KC area and also beyond?
 
Sheafer: We’ve put our nose to the grindstone. For example, taking gigs on a Tuesday night four hours away just to get our foot in the door of a venue. We pride ourselves on putting out a good product both in our recordings and on stage and we try to make the most of every good opportunity that’s been given us. We try to make our social media more about entertainment, rather than promotion, and gradually all these elements combined have worked for fostering a following in the surrounding markets (Also, we totes rawk soooo hard fo shoze).
 
The Deli: What would you say have been your biggest accomplishments as a band?
 
Sheafer: Aside from being the reader’s choice for best emerging band of 2013 by your readership, most recently we had the opportunity to play with three quality bands in the finals of this year’s Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands, and we were fortunate to be selected as the winner. Last year we released our first full-length album entitled The Ides, and we went on a Midwest/East Coast tour with Never Shout Never last winter.
 
The Deli: What do you have coming up?
 
Sheafer: We are playing Middle of the Map Fest this year, and also Midcoast Takeover in Austin! But before all that we have a show at The Riot Room in Kansas City on the 28th that we’re excited to play. Two of us are from Kansas City originally, so we’re always amped to play in front of family and friends.
 
The Deli: Tell us a little bit about the Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands competition you recently won.
 
Sheafer: The Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands is put on by Ernie Ball Strings every year. 25,000 bands entered this year for a chance to play on select dates of Vans Warped Tour. Four finalists receive the chance to play at a showcase in Hollywood for a grand prize of $15,000 to spend at Guitar Center, two weeks on Warped Tour, and an EP with producer John Feldmann. We were the winner this year. I look forward to playing shows in the blazing heat and making connections on Warped Tour. I feel like it’s basically going to be living out the Hunger Games for a couple of weeks.
 
The Deli: What does supporting local music mean to you?
 
Sheafer: It means building a community, and a home for local talent. We have found a home in several cities through others supporting us and we wouldn’t be in the position we are now without the support of our friends in Joplin and Kansas City.
 
The Deli: Who are your favorite local musicians right now?
 
Sheafer: This is a tough question because we play with and are friends with a ton of quality musicians. With that disclaimer out of the way, my favorite local band is called The Travel Guide out of Wichita. Very cool sound. You should look them up if you haven’t already. In Kansas City, it’s Not A Planet and Clairaudients. I was more recently introduced to Palace. They’re fantastic, and I’m hoping to see them live sooner rather than later. They remind me of another band I love out of St. Louis called Humdrum. Joplin favorites: Third Party, Carter Hulsey, The Too’s, and Caleb Denison.
 
The Deli: Who are your favorite not-so-local musicians right now?
 
Sheafer: Jack White, Arctic Monkeys, and Arcade Fire.
 
The Deli: What is your ultimate fantasy concert bill to play on?
 
Sheafer: My ultimate fantasy concert bill would be opening up for something like Jay-Z and Linkin Park in some crazy mash-up scenario, but there’s no way they would ever do that because it doesn’t really make any damn sense.
 
The Deli: A music-themed Mount Rushmore. What four faces are you putting up there and why? 
 
Sheafer: Jack White, Win Butler, Isaac Brock, and a two-headed monster consisting of Andy Hull and Jesse Lacy. I picked these because they have had the most influence on me as a musician and lyricist.
 
The Deli: Where can we find you on the web?
 
 
The Deli: What other goals does Me Like Bees have for 2014?
 
Sheafer: Continue to improve our live show.
 
The Deli: Always go out on a high note. Any last words of wisdom for the Deli audience?
 
Sheafer: You gotta know when to hold ‘em… (try not singing the rest of that classic in your head for the next hour!
 
Me Like Bees is:
Luke Sheafer – vocals, guitar
Pete Burton – guitar, vocals
Nick Bynum – bass, vocals
Timothy Cote – drums, synths, vocals
 
 
You can check out Me Like Bees next set in Kansas City on Friday, February 28, at The Riot Room. They’ll be playing with Not A Planet and The Electric Lungs. Facebook event page. They will also be playing at Middle of the Map Fest on Saturday, April 5.
 
 
–Michelle Bacon
 
Michelle Bacon is editor of The Deli KC and plays bass in The Philistines and Dolls on Fire, and drums in Drew Black & Dirty Electric.

 
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