Throughout the first day of the winter solstice, the streets of Kansas City glazed over with ice and various events around town were canceled. While much of Westport and surrounding areas were relatively desolate, a healthy-sized crowd gathered at the recordBar to pay tribute to the music, the work, and the life of Abigail Henderson.
It’s one thing to cover the music of a musician whose work you respect. It’s another thing to cover the music of a musician you know personally whose work you respect. It’s yet another thing to cover the music of a musician whose work and life was esteemed by every person in the room, from those who knew her best to others who had possibly not even met her. Though this was quite the challenge for each musician who took the stage, each one honored Henderson’s music in his or her own way.
The audience was somewhat subdued when The Clementines stepped up to the stage, perhaps fully beginning to grasp the fact that they would be hearing these songs live for the first time since Henderson’s passing. But as soon as the first note of “Gods, Guns, and Glory” (an early Gaslights tune) kicked in, a collective smile swept over the room. Throughout the band’s five-song set, Nicole Springer captured everyone’s attention with a vocal inflection and country twang very akin to Henderson’s. Her charismatic control over Tiny Horse’s “Ghost” and confident command over “Last Dollar” (The Gaslights) was reminiscent of Henderson’s range.
Katie Gilchrist picked up right where Springer left off, evoking the late singer’s grit and tenacious attitude with “15 Hands” (The Gaslights). Vi Tran Band interpreted some of these songs in a different way, with slightly different arrangements to highlight Gilchrist’s voice or to emphasize the weight of the words Henderson wrote—for instance, the band performed acoustic versions of “One Trick Pony” (Tran on lead vocals) and closed out the set with “Galveston” (Gilchrist on lead vocals). On Atlantic Fadeout’s “Better Run of Bad Luck,” Gilchrist channeled the brazenness of her friend, providing one of the many musical highlights of the evening.
Where the previous two frontwomen amazingly called upon Henderson’s voice with their similar vocal deliveries, the remaining acts put a different spin on the music. Power trio Not A Planet injected its own melodic, punctuated rock ‘n roll style into songs of a more country/Americana nature. Nathan Corsi proved that his own vocal pipes could stand up to the fiery deliveries of Springer and Gilchrist through Gaslights’ tunes like “Red Dirt” and “Wicked Love.” The band reinterpreted Tiny Horse’s “Ride” with a boldness that emphasized the story of the song and a delicateness that honored the song’s memory.
Next up was The Oil Lamps, a supergroup of Henderson’s friends and former bandmates with featured guests. The main band included the event’s co-founder Bill Sundahl, Mike Alexander, John Velghe, and Mike Meyers. Howard Iceberg appeared on guest vocals for "Lines and Wires," (The Gaslights) delivering his own punk rock resolve to the tune. Amy Farrand, who was the drummer for Atlantic Fadeout, stepped into the forefront to sing the band’s tunes “Blood and Bone” and “Break Your Heart.”
But one of the most compelling performances of the night was the band’s performance of "On the Market," featuring Steve Tulipana on vocals. This was a Gaslights tune that Henderson sang in a quieter, more melancholy register than most of the band’s work, perhaps more reminiscent of her vocal work in Tiny Horse. Tulipana turned this into a heart-clenching tribute, channeling the intensity of Tom Waits and Joe Cocker, each word calculated and phrased to drop like an atom bomb.
Finally, Sister Mary Rotten Crotch (pictured above) took the stage, a perfect choice to end a cathartic evening. The tears that had been shed throughout the night ceased when Liz Spillman Nord started spitting lyrics from old Gaslights’ tunes. Her fierce punk vocals turned up to eleven put a completely different spin on Henderson’s music, but kept in step with the late singer’s intrepid spirit. By the end of the evening, the tight-knit crowd was at the edge of the stage pumping fists and singing along with the band on tunes like “Sundays and Interstates” and “Old Blue Love.” The night ended on a high, celebratory note, preserving the memory and honor of an individual that helped bring the Kansas City music community closer.
Saturday’s show also kicked off the beginning of the voting period for Boulevard Brewing Company’s 10% of KC campaign. The campaign continues through December 31 and includes three area charities—one being Midwest Music Foundation. Visit www.voteformmf.com to vote for one of the charities, once per day, per IP address.
Many songwriters (and other artists) say the process of creation is a sort of archaeological dig. They tend to describe it as exposing a shape that was already there—it’s more like sculpture, where the old joke is that you chip away everything that’s not a statue. Not so much like, say, ceramics, where everything is built up from scratch.
In any case, there’s an excitement to the process, and a song demo can be literally a demonstration of that excitement. Fluffed chords, a scratchy throat, even a cough in the middle of a section—none of those really matter. They’re little stumbles that happen while trying to catch lightning in a bottle. Some might say they’re the flaws that make it all real.
Jules Shear, a revered songwriter, if not all that well-known these days, may have been the first to play with this idea, in his 1985 album Demo-itis. It was a collection of song demos with a certain spark that the "actual" songs (some of them big hits) never quite regained.
The case in point here is a new collection of song demos, Homesongs and Lullabies, by David Burchfield. Some of the songs, mostly recorded alone late at night, are the original versions later fleshed out and released by his band The Great Stop. Others are reworked and rearranged versions of those songs, proving that the creative process isn’t necessarily over when the song has been released.
Of course, it takes a lot of nerve to do this. The emperor may have no clothes, but it’s quite another thing when he deliberately disrobes. As Burchfield explains on his website, "the recordings are uncut, unproduced, and messy…. [S]omething about that vulnerability sounds really good to me."
The sound? Well, it’s not polished. These are probably boombox or recordings, mostly just a single guitar and voice, and "lullabies" is an apt description of the relentlessly down-tempo mood. But the thoughts and heartfelt melodies that come just before bedtime rarely make for a party scene.
There are some lovely moments here, particularly in the full band’s rehearsal take of "Rite Two," a song that appeared on the recentalbum Perseids. The demos of "Embers and Ash" and "By the Coast," in particular, struck me as perfectly viable in this stripped down form. Mostly, though, this collection is the sound of vulnerability, a soul laid bare.
Burchfield, in an email, said this release is mostly for the fans, to add another layer of meaning to songs they already know well. For anyone, though, it could be a welcome accompaniment to the winding down process at the end of the day. And who knows what dreams may come as a result?
Burchfield returns to Kansas City for the holiday (he recently moved to Colorado) and will be performing with The Great Stop this Saturday, December 21 at The Brick, with special guests Attic Wolves and Devon Russell (of The Natural State/The Great Stop). Facebook event page.
—Pat Tomek
Pat currently plays drums for the Rainmakers, Howard Iceberg & the Titanics, and Deco Auto. He also records songwriters and bands at Largely Studios.
There was Bassoon Club and the Society for Trombonists.
But what about rock and roll?
UMKC transfer student Hannah Copeland asked herself this question while combing the university’s Student Involvement website. She was looking for a group that supports the kind of music you wait in long lines for, cram yourself into basements for, and go out every week searching for like it’s your job. With no such organization—but undoubtedly a niche for one—Copeland and her friend Kevin Coon founded Sonic Posse: a UMKC student music collective.
Sonic Posse exists as a resource to unite the talents and passions of local musicians and fans at UMKC, as well as the KC community. The club plans monthly concerts and puts together compilation albums every semester. Sonic Posse continues to gain momentum by holding weekly meetings to plan concerts and discover up-and-coming talent.
At Sonic Posse’s very first concert on Friday, December 6, an attentive crowd huddled together at FOKL Center—partly because the DIY venue was literally freezing cold, but mostly because of the music.
UMKC music therapy student Tarissa Keating kicked off the show with eclectic renditions of acoustic pop songs. After her set, Keating beamed at the warm applause she received from playing her first ever “real show.” Singer/songwriters Max Griffith and Tornado Head (Joshua King) carried on the show with their own original music. Though the first three acts were acoustic soloists, each show was a refreshing reminder of just how diverse sounds can be depending on who holds the axe.
Making certain every minute was filled with quality music, K-ROO student radio DJs Laura Hopp and Brian Will spun vinyl between acts, the familiar vinyl crackle warmed the air. Closing the evening was post-rock band Riala. The members’ Conservatory background shined through with their talented use of instrumentation along with a spirited stage presence.
Sonic Posse meets every Monday to discuss its next monthly event. To gather more campus exposure, some concerts will be held at UMKC; others in various Kansas City venues. Copeland has made plans with City Ice Arts for an outdoor music festival in May 2014. For this event, Sonic Posse aims to create a lineup of popular KC bands and talented UMKC student bands. If you have any questions or suggestions about Sonic Posse, send them an email at sonicposse@gmail.com or catch them on their Facebook page.
What’s in a name? A name can be something to hide from (case in point: A Boy Named Sue), something that builds an enigma around you or describes something perfectly, leaving no room for speculation. For Lawrence band Müscle Wörship, the name tips a hat to punk rock, where uncomfortable names like The Circle Jerks were often used and the muscle and power that inspired them, while the lyrics and music hearken to bands like Gang of Four, Fugazi, The Cure, and the jittery, off-kilterness of Bloc Party and Sunny Day Real Estate. The name could very well be nod to any number of ‘90s underground bands that had the strength to stand by their musical convictions.
This Thursday, December 19, Müscle Wörship (comprised of singer/guitarist Sean Bergman, bassist Anthony Piazza, and drummer Nathan Wilder) will celebrate the end of a two-week long tour that took them from Brooklyn to Moline, Illinois, and many a place in between. The show—a homecoming extravaganza at the Replay Lounge—will undoubtedly see the bar packed from pinball machine to the sidewalk as the band do their best to blow out speakers (I’m told they are the loudest band in Kansas) and convert the non-believers, the unsure, the ones not yet basking in the warm, deafening glow that is Müscle Wörship.
Formed by members from Paper Airplanes, Ad Astra Arkestra, Volara, Proudentall, and Ricky Fitts, Müscle Wörship pushes boundaries of melody and speaks about the human condition as they blast out one post-punk-colored gem after another. The band’s eponymous album is a testament to growing up in the ‘80s and ‘90s: there is melody and joy hidden among stilted rhythms and powerful guitars, emocentric vocals with a backbone. No tears to make the mascara run, just powerful words laced within great music. So kids, do yourself a favor and join the welcome wagon; come make it a night that the conquering heroes will not soon forget.
Danny R. Phillips has been reporting on music of all types and covering the St. Joseph, MO 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.
I am an absolute whore for woo-hoos. I’m pretty sure I always have been. I would assume it goes back to the steady diet of Oldies 95 I had growing up. Those two hooky syllables, three chords, a juice box and some chuggy guitar, and Zach is a happy boy. It is for this sole reason that “Rocket to Knowhere,” the opening track off Man Bear’s most recent EP Power Slop, surprisingly caught my ear.
I say surprisingly as I will admit I have not always been a fan of Man Bear. Their previous efforts (such as Feeling Kinda Lo(Fi) and Infinity Cat are absolutely fine and dandy in their own right, just were never this reviewer’s thing.
But Power Slop ironically shows a real escalation and tightness for the KC area trio. The songs are more intricately arranged and envisioned. The instrumentation is quirky, yet purposeful, varied and appealing. The performances seem taut and dutifully prepared. By the end of this review I found myself thinking “Man, they really do sound a lot like They Might Be Giants at times,” which happens to be one of my all-time favorite bands. So, much to the excitement of many of my friends that have always dug them, it seems as though I have been converted.
This lo-fi, five-song pop/punk effort comes in at just under 12 minutes. Fans of The ACBs’ most recent LP Little Leaves will really enjoy what Man Bear is offering here. The aforementioned opener powers through a quick ninety seconds with a Presidents of the United States of America straight beat groove, simple contrasting guitar work, and strains of forced, airy vocals. The choices of instrumentation in “Bass Revenge” really shimmer, the guitar work on the choruses especially. The band seems to have a good thing going pairing the stodgy acoustic guitar sound on one side with the more distorted, reverb-laden lead sounds of the other. It’s an age-old home studio trick, but Man Bear seems to have mastered it to great effect.
“Oh Well, Whatever” is quick slice of slightly off-kilter, high-energy pop punk, featuring a just-diverse-enough off-time riff structure (and another nod given for the effective use of woos). I appreciate their use, not abuse, of the all-powerful triplet. Dare I say that the last track “Fast Asleep at 10 PM” is a delightful throwback acoustic number reminiscent of a time where hair metal power ballads ruled the airwaves? I guess I just did.
They may call it Power Slop, but especially compared to their previous efforts, it is anything but. I am happy to see the sonic progress this band has made in a relatively short amount of time. Well done, Man Bear. Keep wooing in this direction.
–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 and Drew Black & Dirty Electric, as well as contributing to various other Kansas City-based music, comedy, and art projects.
It’s been a hot minute since I have come across a live album from a Kansas City local act. In all actuality, I haven’t come across many. Sure, a live track here and there, a live demo album, and so on. But a real, full-length live album? If there had to be one to listen to, it would be from local emcee Reach.
I have only seen Reach perform live on one occasion—last year at the Midwestern Audio Vol. 1 release show at recordBar, where this live album was recorded. During the set I saw, Reach played with jazz group Diverse backing him—something that is entirely different than hip-hop artists, who often perform with just a DJ. Reach’s Live at recordBar album is similar to his Midwestern Audio performance. Having a live jam band—Mouth—and adding three talented backup singers (Schelli Tolliver, Vance Ashworth, and Sausha Brooks) and DJ Ataxic sets Reach apart from the rest.
Right off the bat you are hit with the feeling that you’re actually standing in recordBar. Reach introduces his band to you, the eager showgoer, before seamlessly sliding into “Burnin,” the opening track of his just-over-an-hour performance. The 21-track, 1.2-hour-length album is quite impressive when taking into consideration the amount of energy the emcee exudes. The tempo set by the band gives no hints that the set is mellow, and Reach has a persistent energy through the duration of the album.
High-tuned, riffy guitar sets the mood of each song. Sometimes jazzy, sometimes urban, sometimes unbelievable drums build the backbone, while plucky and prominent bass lines fill out the body. The ambiance created is done with the work of the backup vocalists, beautifully harmonizing and occasionally soloing. Everything is stitched together with the flawless flow coming from Reach himself.
The sounds and content of the songs seem to take you back to the original hip-hop ethic. Selfless lyrics about trying to support his child and live life as humbly as possible fill out his repertoire. Reach writes lyrics about earning his respect, and proving that he has worked for what he has. He doesn’t get caught up discussing his swag or his game; they are occasionally mentioned, but the majority of his songs are light-hearted, with tinges of seriousness.
Emcee Reach’s flow is undeniable. He doesn’t miss a single beat while performing his extensive set. Slow songs, fast songs, and even a freestyle are not too much for Reach. The participation of the crowd drives the energy of the album throughout.
–Steven Ervay
You can catch Reach at recordBar once again on January 8, where he will host the second installment of Let The Beat Build, a collaborative, improvisational urban jam session. The opening session will include Approach, Lou Rip, Les Izmore, Brad Williams, Nate Holt, and Reach, and the following two sets will be open to the public. This is a great opportunity for artists of different styles, from emcees to poets to musicians. Facebook event page.
David George has amassed an all-star team of Kansas City musicians to be a part of his Christmas single “Tonight’s Child,” which is released today.
The composition, originally written by George for his niece and nephew, also features Shay Estes on vocals, along with Johnny Hamil (upright bass), Giuliano Mingucci (drums), Mark Lowrey (piano), Betse Ellis (violin), Ben Byard (viola), and Christine Gross (cello). String arranged by Ellis. The song was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Duane Trower at Weights and Measures Soundlab.
The single is available for $1 through Bandcamp. All proceeds until Christmas will go to the Coats For Kids Foundation.
Next Sunday, December 15, George and friends will take over recordBar for a benefit show for Coats For Kids. The show will kick off at 7 p.m. with A Crooked Quartet (Gross, Ellis, Hamil, Byard) and vocalist Melissa Bollman. At 8:00, The Crooked Christmas Band will perform a few holiday songs. David George & A Crooked Mile will hit the stage at 9:00. Tickets are $10 adv/$15 day of, half-price with the donation of a new or used coat. Facebook event page.
Another Murder Ballad Ball has come and gone, leaving a ghostly smile playing about the lips of those who attended that will be a source of puzzlement well in the coming week to those we come in contact who didn’t attend.
Saturdaynight, The Verdict, was seven hours of music by some of Kansas City’s best musicians performing at The Living Room Theater. The music got started at 6:00 with A.J. Gaither doing a one-man set playing his homemade cigar box guitars and a kick bass, doing mostly original material, except that gospel number he snuck in there because hey, the crucifixion is the most famous murder of ’em all, right?
Next up was perennial KC bluegrass favorite Loaded Goat, romping through a five-song set that had the crowd that was starting to trickle in and fill up the place on their feet and dancing from the first notes of “John Hardy” to the final notes of “Six Feet Down.”
Next up was David George and cellist Christine Gross doing a stripped-down six-song set of Crooked Mile tunes that had the crowd that was ready to ride off and rob the Glendale Train with Loaded Goat a few minutes before paying rapt attention so as not to miss any of his subtle turns of songwriting phrase.
The fourth act of the night was Damon Parker who did a solo-set—just him and his electric piano—reminiscent of Dr. John and New Orleans. His rendition of “Seven Spanish Angels” gave me goosebumps, and the strains of “Night Train” hung in the room long after he had left the stage and the next act was setting up.
Mikal Shapiro put together an all-star ensemble for her set, with the one-and-only Betse Ellis on bass, Amy Farrand on drums, and Chad Brothers on lead guitar. Her set opened with a version of “You Are My Sunshine” that my Nana never sang to me, moved into her original song “Technicolor,” followed by “Dublin Reds,”(her interpretation of Townes Van Zant’s “Dublin Blues”)and they finished their set with the timeless Leonard Cohen classic “The Future.” Here’s hoping we see more of this project in the new year—these musicians just jell when they come together. Each and every one of them is absolutely fabulous in their own right, but never has the phrase “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” been more fitting.
Anthony Ladesich—Kansas City’s answer to Steve Earle—was up next, and he played seven original songs, each one a narrative, and each one a true murder ballad. His set started with “To Vanish and Fade,” a haunting tale of a man who kills the banker who comes to foreclose on his home, then segued into the even more haunting “Down Bellfontaine,” about a serial killer stalking and murdering his first victim. The tune that stuck in my head was “In the Cut”: “we’ll get in quick and get out quicker, we’ll get high when we get done” about two guys who rob a liquor store, but it’s a double cross, and one of them kills the other one—but he got high when he got done.
Kasey Rausch, who never disappoints, delivered a knock-out set with alternating supporting musicians. Her first song was “I Used to Love Her,” sang with her sister Kim Rausch McLaws; the sisters delivered some of the tightest harmonies you’ll ever hear this side of the Ryman. She finished her set with the Rural Grit All-Stars doing another superb rendition of “Seven Spanish Angels.”
The Rural Grit All-Stars have been holding the fans of roots music in thrall for years. I worked for Roger Naber at the Grand Emporium when the Rural Grit Happy Hour got started, and when the news spread through the music community that he had sold the bar, the most common question I got was, “What’s going to happen to Rural Grit?” (It has had a couple of homes since then, but it’s still going strong, Monday nights from 6:00-9:00 at The Brick, and the cover is still only three bucks.) The All Stars performed their own set, and its various members performed with other acts throughout the night, especially Betse Ellis. She was, without a doubt, on the stage more than anyone else. It seemed like she played with more acts than she didn’t; this is not a complaint, it is simply an observation, smug and self-satisfied in a my-town-is-better-than-your-town-for-live-music sort of way.
The Silver Maggies are always great, and always loud, and Saturday night was no exception. They brought their “A” game to the Ball and crushed it with a wall of sound.
The Philistines were the penultimate act, kicking their set off with the original number “Stygia,” then following it with a few covers, the first one ‘80s college-rock classic by Adam & The Ants, “Killer in the Home.” That was followed by Neil Young’s “Revolution Blues.”Cody Wyoming and Kimberly Queen, the couple that makes up the beating heart of The Philistines, are huge fans of ‘80s college rock, and they went back to that well for “Killing and Arab”by The Cure, and finished the set with “Para” by Calexico.
Since Murder Ballad Ball is the brainchild of Cadillac Flambe (pictured above)frontman Kristopher Bruders, they took the stage last and played until closing time, holding the rapt attention of the die-hards who were still hanging in there at 12:30. Once they got the technical issues with the piano resolved, they blew the roof off the joint. Havilah Bruders has a voice so powerful it can make the hair on the back of your neck stand up when she belts out a murder ballad, and no drummer has ever had more fun with a kit than Michael Payne, but bassist Dave Duly gives him a run for his money. For all intents and purposes, when they’re playing, the Cadillac Flambe rhythm section is like kids at recess.
Much appreciation to The Living Room Theater for the use of the space and to their staff for putting up with a bunch of rowdy music fans, to the tireless efforts of both Rhonda Lyne and Sondra Freeman who work non-stop to make sure every Midwest Music Foundation event comes together seamlessly, to all the vendors who donated items for the raffles and silent auction, and to the talent for showing up and entertaining us and bringing us together for such a good cause…the health and well being of Kansas City musicians. As I like to say, before the country had Obamacare, KC’s musicians had Abby Care.
Some music moves you and some gets you moving. Attraction by The Noise FM is definitely music to move to. I’ve been listening to this for the last few days while working and it’s impossible to not tap a foot or bob my head.
The album opener, “Ghost in the Microphone,” is a great overview of what to expect for the rest of the album, starting with some ambient noise and moving to a jerky drum fill, then into a driving rock song.
“Crooked Smile” augments the pop-rock feel with a mid-tempo groove pushed by a nicely syncopated muted bass and a punchy four-on-the-floor drum beat.
The album continues with and alternation between poppy, sometimes airy, gentle sections followed by a guitar heavy movement. The arrangements are evocative of Jimmy Eat World or The Foo Fighters all sent through a dance rock filter.
The genre-bending songs are given great treatment with the mindful production. The sounds feel carefully tailored to each section. The fast, harsh reverb on the drums in “The Attraction” aren’t used on “Scam Artist,” which benefits from the drier, closer sound. Densely layered vocals are the norm throughout the entire album—it’s a rare moment where a voice is presented alone. Many times the harmonies blend in to the keyboards and are only noticeable when they diverge into separate parts.
The band’s tag line—“Chicago indie-rock by way of small town Kansas”—is fitting for anyone familiar with the music that comes from the Midwest: Hard, dissonant, poppy, and atmospheric all in one piece of music.
One of the newer additions to Kansas City’s musical family, The Philistines are making themselves heard on the strength of a playlist in which you can hear sounds inspired by the Velvet Underground, the Black Angels, and Calexico, among others. If bands aim to be greater than the sum of their parts, The Philistines will have their work cut out for them, as this sextet includes some of KC’s most well-known and experienced players. The Deli KC would like to know more …
The Deli: Give us a thumbnail description of the sound of The Philistines.
Cody Wyoming:Psychedelic rock. Sometimes heavy, sometimes dreamy.
Kimberely Queen: Go-go acid pop.
Steve Gardels: Loud, drippy ’70s-era psych with a ’60s pop attitude.
Rod Peal: Psychedelic pop stoner rock, the best of all my favorite genres.
The Deli: How did the band come to be?
Cody: While we were cold and snowed in last winter, we started making music and writing songs together. Then we did a few live shows as a duo and quickly decided that we needed to expand.
Kimmie: I wished REAL hard.
Steve: I found myself bandless after 4 years with Appropriate Grammar. Cody sent me a message about jamming together, and I wound up with an unexpected day off. I headed down to Midwestern Musical Co., jammed through a couple of things and decided to see where it went. Next thing I know, they’re packing out the roster with talented people and I started to fall in love with the songs. Pretty cool for an informal afternoon jam!
Rod: Just sort of happened. Cody said he had something cooking he thought that I would like. It’s all been very natural, unlike any other project I’ve been in.
Michelle Bacon: Cody approached me shortly after we played the Rolling Stones tribute (in our respective bands), and I jumped at the chance to work with him and Kimmie, not knowing who else was in the project. Judging from how well the six of us have meshed in a pretty short time, he has a great sense of putting different levels/types of ability and personality together to make a band work.
The Deli: At your debut show at The Brick last month (which was excellent, by the way), it seemed that psychedelic-influenced sounds were the main path that you will follow in the future. What is it about that genre that’s so appealing?
Cody: I’ve always been in to psychedelic music, but for some reason its influence never showed itself in my original work. Since I took a turn down this path it’s like a dam broke. Both the quality and volume of my output has increased enormously. I like psychedelic music for its transcendent qualities. That’s kind of the point of it. To help you get “out there.” When done right, it works on you on a very subconscious level. I hope I do it right.
Kimmie: It’s just what’s been speaking to me the clearest artistically in music, film, and design.
Steve: I’m a metal head! I’m a big fan of anything dark or heavy, and what we play tends to do both; even at the same time! I find myself taking apart and repurposing licks from Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath a lot. The great thing about this is that everyone in our band has broad musical tastes, so I hear new stuff every week and try to take home things I like and see if I can’t work them in to my parts.
Rod: It’s everything I want wrapped up into one package.
Michelle: I love the groove, weight, and atmosphere of psychedelic rock. Really, I just love playing gritty, unapologetic rock ‘n roll, and it’s new and exciting to me because I’ve only played bass in one other band.
The Deli: Who influences your music?
Cody: The Flaming Lips are a big influence, but also The Velvet Underground, Love and Rockets, Mazzy Star, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Jesus and Mary Chain, and Black Sabbath. But hidden under the feedback and reverb, there’s some pretty basic early rock ‘n roll and even girl group influences. There’s some Buddy Holly and Elvis in there as well as The Ronnettes and the Crystals.
Kimmie: Love and Rockets, the Velvet Underground, The Jesus & Mary Chain, Sabbath, and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club are probably the most obvious influences. Some others are Italian and British horror cinema of the ‘60s and ‘70s, Hugh Hefner, and The Monkees.
Rod: Queens of the Stone Age, Kyuss, Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, The Beatles, The Stones, The Sonics, The Stooges, Expo ‘70.
The Deli: Everyone in The Philistines either is or has been involved in other projects as well; does having so much going on outside the group make it easier or more challenging to create new music?
Cody: I have always had a short attention span, musically speaking. I’m interested in a lot of different and sometimes seemingly disparate things, and I feel that I need to cultivate them all. Sometimes it leaves me a little scattered. But I think it’s important to explore your interests. I’m glad everybody in this band does other things; I want everybody in my band to be as creatively fulfilled as they can be. I never want somebody to get resentful of the band because they’re feeling stifled or something.
Steve: The other groups I’ve played with are SO different from what we do that no one is in direct competition with another. I learn new tricks at each practice, so I get to apply things across all of my bands to see what works. I’m broadening my abilities as a drummer and learning new styles at the same time. It’s pretty wonderful.
Rod: I’m one of the only ones that hasn’t had a project recently. I think that everyone else’s projects have been an attribute to this one.
Michelle: All of my projects teach me different techniques and allow me to express a different part of myself. None of them interferes with one another. It certainly keeps me busy, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything else.
The Deli: You’re a new band trying to get gigs; obviously most of you are already well known in the music community and have name recognition, so how much does that help when it comes to finding places to play?
Cody: Yeah, fortunately we all independently have fairly good reputations and relationships with venues. And obviously that helps immensely. But since we’ve only played a couple gigs so far, only time will tell.
Kimmie: Yes, I guess we are all well-known in certain circles. Which means we all work really hard towards our interests. It’s a product of our time, work, and efforts if anyone wants to beef over it.
Steve: I’m happy to say that we have no problem finding shows as a result. We’ve only played three, but we seem to get great lineups at cool venues with little to no difficulty.
The Deli: Cody, what’s it like to be in a band with Kimmie? Kimmie, what’s it like to be in a band with Cody? Everyone else, what’s it like to be in a band with Kimmie and Cody?
Cody: It’s a blast. I’ve never worked creatively with a significant other before. It presents its own sets of rewards and challenges. Because Kimmie is so damned talented and she’s also my best friend, the rewards significantly outweigh the challenges. But also challenges are bitchin’, because overcoming them is how you learn. I love collaborating, and I think we collaborate well together.
Kimmie: Being in a band with Cody is like being on the Zipper at Santa-Cali-Gon with my best friend who I have a big crush on. Being in the band with the rest of The Philistines and Cody is like being on the merry-go-round with the Lost Boys.
Steve: They’re adorable. And smart. And hilarious. I’ve gotten to know them a lot better over the last few months and they are great friends and walking encyclopedias of cool stuff. They demand nothing less than the best, but they make us want to put it forward. It’s a really great and creative working environment with a family atmosphere.
Rod: Cody and Kimmie are the duke and duchess of the Kansas City music scene. They are pure, 100% unadulterated rock ‘n roll.
Michelle: Cody and Kimmie make me pop all of my Latenight Collars. Their collective energy and musical abilities simultaneously challenge me and make them a blast to work with. Same thing goes for Josh, Rod, and Steve.
Note: Josh Mobley is the band’s keyboardist, and was unable to participate in this interview.
The Deli: With whom would you like to work in the future, locally or otherwise?
Cody: There’s a lot of great psych stuff going on in the area these days. I’m a big fan of The Conquerors, Bloodbirds, Expo ’70, and Monta At Odds, among many others that we would love to play with. But I’m always thrilled to share a stage with any kind of good music and I’m a big fan of diverse bills. I’d love to share a bill with a sword swallower, a DJ, and a string quartet.
Steve: BLACK MOUNTAIN. Or Nick Cave. The Conquerors. Snake Island!… It’s really hard to make a short list because there’s just so much cool stuff going on around KC as well as coming through. The possibilities are endless! I’m just excited to see who we wind up with and where. 3 shows out and we’re playing with bands that I LOVE seeing live. Here’s hoping for a continuing trend of badass rock and roll.
Rod: I owned a store called Halcyon and met almost everyone in this music scene through that experience. There are very few that I would not like to work with. But in particular I’d like to work with Justin Wright of Expo ‘70, Jeremiah James of Redder Moon, and Dedric Moore of Monta At Odds.
The Deli: This goes out to whoever is brave enough to answer: what’s your musical guilty pleasure?
Cody: This is kind of a copout. But I refuse to feel guilty for anything that I like. But I do feel a little occasional twinge for Sting’s work in the ‘90s.
Kimmie: ‘80s Casio funk.
Rod: Yacht rock. In particular, Loggins and Nicks duets.
Thank you to The Philistines for taking some time for The Deli KC. Best of luck in your future endeavors!
At this point, it seems impossible for Lawrence band Black on Black to make a bad record, at least not in this reality. With its latest album Get On With It, Black on Black has completed its climb to the top of the heap as King Shit of Rock n Roll Mountain. It stands—in my opinion—as the best band in town, in the state, in the region, bar none. Many try gallantly and come close, but few have the realism, the emotion, or the genuine aggression that lives between the lines of every song Black on Black delivers.
The album blasts out of the gate with 2 minutes and 32 seconds of power on “Fork In The Road.” It changes speeds, throws the listener off center, and blows minds. With this album, Black on Black has managed to make their best, most powerful, grittiest music of its thus far short but stellar career. This is the band’s crown jewel of a record exploding in 12 minutes; that’s right—five songs in 12 minutes, and nary a repeated word or laziness in a chorus. Songs are written by cutting the fat, removing all bullshit, and making a punk rock record devoid of gimmicks, full of conviction and gnashed teeth spirit.
On “The Good Fight,” frontman Wade Kelly spits “I’m at the end of a short leash / I keep running,” and this is the perfect analogy for the life of Black on Black. From Help Yourself to Let’s Get Cynical and now, Get On with It, Black on Black has chiseled away at a world that tries to pigeonhole musicians, molds them for MTV, and throws them away after the powers that be tell their automatons to grow tired of their music and move to the next big thing.
With Get On With It, there seems to be no agenda other than to rip rock a new asshole. Aaron Riffel’s bass, John Benda’s drums, and Kelly’s guitar work come together in a dog fight on “Car Fire,” each trying to outdo the other while the vocals are distorted at times beyond clarity, collapsing in a pile of spent fury. As with Help Yourself and Let’s Get Cynical, pop melody does exist sporadically on Get On With It but only to push the songs deeper into your head; their catchiness deceives you, like the Serpent in the Garden, lulling you to peace, calling you to taste the fruit before you.
Black on Black has taken everything it has done in its previous EPs and mixed it all, roughed the already splintered edges, threw in influences like Death, Fugazi, Sunny Day Real Estate, Jawbreaker, Bad Religion; and what comes pouring out is genuine, fierce, intelligent, and incendiary. While some punk bands leave me cold in my old age, getting by on regurgitated stuff to live in the shadow of perceived cool, Black on Black rings true. It’s a group that clearly does not care about being cool, but only cares about rock ‘n roll.
Danny R. Phillips has been reporting on music of all types and covering the St. Joseph, MO music scene for well over a decade. He is a regular contributor to the nationally circulatedBLURT Magazineand 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.
