(Photo by Michael Forester)

Tiny Horse, the dynamic duo of husband/wife team Abigail Henderson and Chris Meck is back at it again with a new single called "Ride," featuring Zach Phillips of The Architects, Matt Richey of The Grisly Hand, and Cody Wyoming. The single was recorded this week and mastered by Chad Meise.

The duo made its triumphant return to the stage back in April, and continues to go strong with intimate but powerful live shows, showing no signs of slowing down. This new single showcases Meck’s seemingly innate talent on the guitar coupled with Henderson’s unique, captivating voice. 

You can see Tiny Horse tomorrow (Friday, August 17) at The Brick as they perform with (of) Tree. 

–Michelle Bacon

(Photo by Steve Gardels)

The Quivers‘ new EP, aptly titled Gots To Have It!, serves up 13 minutes of raucous music that you can dance to, straight up!

Track 1: “Blue Light”
Abe Haddad’s push and pull Stratocaster guitar intro on “Blue Light” is like the turnover of an old dormant Studebaker that has finally been untarped for a summer of hot, late night love runs. Bernie Dugan’s backbeat sets the idle on this Midwestern tavern dance number that also reveals lead vocalist/bassist Terra Peal’s ability to blend her strong, soulful voice—which somewhat resembles Pat Benatar’s—with her patent banshee screams that could have crumbled the former Iron Curtain, had it not been for David Hasselhoff’s embryonic Berlin Wall performance…

Track 2: “He Had It Comin’”
With its reserved country pickin’, hip-poppin’ diner waitress vocals, and county fair carousel keyboards, “He Had It Comin’” will keep your feet movin’ and your hair swishin’ back and forth, even if the lyrics aren’t really appropriate for either. Haddad’s honky-tonk guitar work, Todd Grantham’s playful keyboard licks—all infused with traces of soul—make delightful, each time the refrain comes around so you can sing, “He had it comin’… He had it comin’…”

Track 3: “I Sleep Here”
“I Sleep Here” may musically sound like some kind of mash up of Huey Lewis, Booker T., and Tommy James & the Shondells, but it very much stands on its own as pure Quivers’ canon…and a song that you can’t help but grin ear-to-ear and wiggle to. Grantham sings lead on this ‘upbeat’ ballad, assuring us, “It’s pretty clear. I live alone with bravado, and ignore the phone.” And yes, that is Terra Peal growling out “Lordy, lordy!” in the background, tougher than Billy Idol ever was. That redheaded vixen sounds very much capable of damaging something if provoked.

Track 4: “What Went Wrong”
Peal struts her country vocal sensibilities to the pattering player piano saloon riffs in “What Went Wrong,” a song that will surely leave a dance floor full of boot scuffs and whiskey splatters. When Peal confesses, “I’ve been bad all my life,” it can make for some anxiousness, because her singing lends to many desires in the minds of many. Musically, perhaps the most contemporarily solid track on the EP, The Quivers show off their prowess and versatility, yet again.

Track 5: “Gots To Have It!”
“Gots To Have It!” bursts forth in purely fun, sock hop n’ roll fashion. Heavy snare hits (surely with some drumstick points toward the crowd), jogging keyboard chords, stacked vocals, and a tipsy rockabilly guitar solo that gets all up in your face and absolutely gets it done. This closing number burns a candle in the Church of Eighties Ending Credits Movie Songs … Wait. It didn’t appear at the end of a John Cusack movie? Well, it should have!

The Quivers play rock n’ roll that is sometimes soulful, sometimes rockabilly, sometimes country, sometimes…well—sometimes it’s hard to classify just what they do best! One thing is for certain; they are the perfect entertainers for pretty much any given night. You will smile, and you will quiver, when that band—the one straight from the garage on Sex Appeal St.— thrusts upon you when you – Gots To Have It!

You, too, can be rocked by The Quivers tomorrow night, August 15, at Aftershock for the KC Wednesday Night Jamboree. They’ll be performing with The Cave Girls. They’ll also be playing at Greaserama on Sunday, September 2.

–Christian Anders Liljequist

Share this story on Facebook

If you’ve been wanting to know a little bit about The Deli KC’s very own editor-in-chief, now’s your chance. Michelle Bacon shares with us her views on smiling, Phil Collins, and why she loves Kansas City’s music scene so much. Oh, and playing drums. Catch the beat right here!

On The Beat is a weekly interview brought to you by drummer Sergio Moreno (of Hillary Watts Riot and Alacartoona), and features some of the many talented drummers in the Kansas City area.

Share this story on Facebook

Have you heard The Mailbox yet? It’s a weekly podcast brought to you by Midwest Music Foundation, hosted by Michael Byars of 89.3 FM KCUR and guest hosted by Chris Haghirian of Ink Magazine. Each week, Michael and Chris bring you their picks of the best, newest music around the globe, and typically a large dose of local music love. They also provide an update on what’s happening around Kansas City in the coming week, so along with The Deli’s comprehensive calendar, there’s no way to miss what’s going on around town.

This week’s podcast features some local pride from The Hearts of Darkness, as well as several other national bands that will be coming to town soon. You can stream it at the link here. The links below will take you to The Mailbox’s Twitter and Facebook pages, and allow you to subscribe to it on iTunes! Make The Mailbox a part of your weekly music routine.

–Michelle Bacon

Share this story on Facebook

Schwervon! is the newest, hottest band to hit Kansas City. They recently located here from NYC and have already had a successful career together, opening for acts like The Vaselines and Belle & Sebastian. The dynamic duo of Nan Turner and Matt Roth sits down with us and gives us a little introduction to who they are.

The Deli: Gun to your head: one sentence to describe your music.  What is it?

Schwervon!: Folkicide, The Cave Girls, Deco Auto, Soft Reeds, The Quivers, Cowboy Indian Bear, The Ants and Radkey. To be fair, we are still in the process of discovering the rich fabric of KC local music! Ask us in a week and there may be 5 more bands!.

The Deli: Who are your favorite not-so-local musicians right now?
 
Schwervon!: The Schwervon! trinity all-time favorites are probably Pixies, Yo La Tengo, and Sonic Youth. But more "now" bands we like are Grass Widow, Jeff Lewis, Sleepy Kitty, The Vaselines. Matt likes the new Japandroids. We also discover new "old" music every week, in the form of cheap vinyl at the Cowtown Mallroom.

The Deli: What is your ultimate fantasy concert bill to play on?

Schwervon!: We’re about to go play one actually! We’re opening for The Vaselines in Brooklyn on August 30. Curating an All Tomorrow’s Party Festival would also be a good job to have…
 
The Deli: Would you rather spend the rest of your life on stage or in the recording studio?
 
Nan: On stage! I like playing our songs for an audience, and unlike recording, I don’t have to listen to take after take of what went wrong!
Matt: We’ve recently evolved into the mindset that for us playing better together live results in a better recording. I love working in the studio, but I hate recording my own band. I love playing live with Nan.

The Deli: A music-themed Mount Rushmore.  What four faces are you putting up there and why?

Schwervon!: This question makes our heads hurt. We’re not big fans of things set in stone. Put the Rolling Stones up there and we can move on!
 
The Deli:  All right, give us the rundown.  Where all on this big crazy web can you be found? 

Schwervon!: Eat something green every day.
Break free of the 5 day-40 hour work week.
Prepare, prepare, prepare. Then let go.

It’s great to know why musicians do what they do. Why they write songs about heartache or joy. What kind of emotion they’re trying to express. Who they most look up to. That’s the magic of what they do. But then there’s the science of it. How do they make the most raw or sensual sounds come out of their instruments?

For this week’s edition of Grinding Gears, we sit down with Todd Grantham, keyboardist and all-around good guy of The Quivers. He gives us the exclusive on stealing vibraphones, pling-plinging and the burns.

Read our interview at the link here!

You can also preview The Quivers’ latest EP Gots To Have It! at the Bandcamp streaming link below. They’ll have physical copies at their show at The Brick this evening.

-Michelle Bacon

Share this story on Facebook 

On Saturday, Sept. 8 from 12:00-5:00 pm, a Legal Bootcamp for Musicians will be presented by volunteers from the Kansas City Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts at Czar. This event is part of the Crossroads Music Fest (Sept 7-8). 

This intensive workshop will provide attendees with knowledge on a variety of topics including copyrights, contracts, financing, and business formation.  Lunch will be available for purchase. Advanced registration is encouraged. 

1. Opening remarks/Welcome – Information about the KCVLAA and the content of the day’s presentations – Rebecca Stroder, Mandiant Corporation, 12:00-12:10 pm

2. Have A Cigar: An Overview of Music Industry Terminology, Publishing, Licensing, and Trademarks – Information about the common terms used in the music industry, explanation of some of the components of the publishing industry and general licensing and trademark information – Donald R. Simon, Simon Business Consulting, Inc., 12:10-1:00 pm

3. Take the Money and Run: After Proper Documenting, Withholding, and Reporting – Explanation of the income tax and sales tax requirements of musicians and insurance needs – Ryan L. White, Evans & Mullinix, P.A., and Nicole E. Forsythe, Kutak Rock, LLP, 1:10-2:00 pm

4. Stairway to Law: Legal Steps to Protect Your Band’s Future – Information on why bands need Limited Liability Companies, the administration essentials of those companies and the importance of band agreements and their provisions – Christopher S. Brown, Van Osdol & Magruder PC, 2:10-3:00 pm

5. A Kiss Is Not A Contract So Why Care (About the Contract)? – Explanation and discussion of common contracts provisions that musicians see in publishing contracts, performance contracts, rental contracts and others, examples of sample contracts will be provided. – David L. Rein, Jr., Finch & Campbell, LLP, 3:10-4:00 pm

6. When Weezer Calls Jamie: The Balance Between Marketing Your Work and Enforcing Your Rights – Information on marketing music while maintaining control of intellectual property and enforcing the musicians’ intellectual property rights – Rebecca Stroder, Mandiant Corporation, 4:10-5:00 pm

General admission is $15, $10 for members of Midwest Music Foundation and Crossroad Music Fest performers and attendees. Free for members of KCVLAA. Tickets can be purchased and more details found at the link here.

More info about Crossroads Music Fest will be coming soon.

–Michelle Bacon

When Casey Burge and company packed their leather pants and headed for the coast, it was a tough blow for Kansas City’s thriving music scene. There is little room to question that they were losing both one of their most eccentric and fiercely talented family members.

Minden had slammed onto the scene with a hipster pop meets dance rock sound, turning heads of indie snobs and shaking the asses of scene girls. Having the ability to go note for note and toe to toe with any band in the surrounding area, Minden had gathered a massive following. Due to their ability to kick in teeth and fill bars, a majority of the scene pouted in unison at the announcement of their departure. But alas, even the addition of Google Fiber couldn’t make them stay. Skipping town for Portland, Oregon’s thriving and bearded scene, the band’s first full-length album, Exotic Cakes, which was recorded at Element Recording of Kansas City by producer Joel Nanos (bro-love), would only be partially an “816” release. For this review however, we’re simply going to assume Portlandia is a long reaching suburb to the KC Metro.

Upon first listen, Exotic Cakes is a touch underwhelming. While spectacular in both production and musicianship, the album seems to lack the hooks essential in pushing a release right over the top. The truth is however, that they are there. They’re just sneaky little bastards, slipped into the folds of the band’s unique songwriting. Once the listener dives deeper into the "dance-if-you-want-to" qualities of the release, they’ll find tiny hidden quirks buried and layered in the mix. If committed to the growth process of an album, the average listener will be blessed with Minden’s ability to give. They’re like a Christmas tree that never runs out of presents, regardless of how many you manage to open.

Elements of Minden’s magical live show manage to slip into their release and cling to the listener like glitter on a dance hall floor. The energy that can be heard in the approach of the band is unquestionable. There is no room to deny that the band adores the music they are making. Take “New Age” for example. The drum- and vocal-based track oozes sexuality and begs for a slow grind. The shifts from the chorus to the verses manage to be balanced somewhere between smooth and unexpected. This keeps the listener both interested and on their toes. Chances are, if you know what chord progression or instrument is coming next, you’re probably in the band. Minden is either that ahead of the curve or bat shit crazy.

One might be able to make a logical case for both. I’d be willing to argue that they were brilliant in an “Andy Kauffman” kind of way.

Score: 8/10

-Joshua Hammond

Share this story on Facebook

Wanna hear about split infinitives? How about the proper usage of "who" versus "whom"? Okay, maybe not. But this week we’ll be hearing from Appropriate Grammar‘s very own Steve Gardels. He tells us about his self-taught approach to drumming, his career with the Hopeless Destroyers, and the KCAI "fart box." Catch the beat right here!

On The Beat is a weekly interview brought to you by drummer Sergio Moreno (of Hillary Watts Riot and Alacartoona), and features some of the many talented drummers in the Kansas City area.

Share this story on Facebook

Congratulations to Spirit Is The Spirit, The Deli KC’s August artist of the month!

With lush arrangements, compelling rhythms and an indie pop accessibility, Lawrence group Spirit Is The Spirit has found wide success since its debut EP Mother Mountain, released back in early 2011. Since then, the band has signed with The Record Machine and has played at the Middle of The Map Festival twice. In May, the six-piece launched a successful Kickstarter campaign to acquire a van to tour around the country, and is currently putting together rewards for all of their supporters. They hope to begin recording a long anticipated full-length album in the fall.

Spirit Is The Spirit promises that its upcoming shows and music will only get better while the band explores more adventurous ideas in both live performance and writing. While Mother Mountain did not involve all six of the members in the process, the next album promises to involve each member in each step of the process.

Spirit Is The Spirit is:
Austen Malone
Noah Compo
Wayne Zimmerman
Josh Landau
Brook Partain
Danny Bowersox

And here’s the music video to the band’s song "Pillows," available on the 12" compilation Secret Handshakes, a collaboration between The Record Machine and Golden Sound Records.

–Michelle Bacon

Share this story on Facebook

Check out "Cold Rain," the first video off David George and A Crooked Mile’s latest release, Going Underground. The song/video features Jacob and Danielle Prestidge from The Blackbird Revue.

The video was directed by Jason Turner, edited by Michael Loftus, produced by DARKTRAINFILMS, and stars Jason Turner, Melissa Bollman, and Chantal "Shorty" Savage.

–Michelle Bacon

Share this story on Facebook

Little Rosco is one of the newest bands to emerge in what continues to be a growing Kansas City music scene. Though the four-piece rock group only has a couple shows under its belt, it shows promise and willingness to become a force in the musical community. Today, we chat a bit with frontman Josh Colburn.

The Deli: Gun to your head: one sentence to describe your music.  What is it?

JC: There are a lot of great local bands in the KC area, so it’s really hard to just name a few. Some favorites would be Cherokee Rock Rifle, The Atlantic, The Strive and We Are Voices.

The Deli: Who are your favorite not-so-local musicians right now?
 
JC:  Well, Foo Fighters tops the list, I think for all of us. Also Jimmy Eat World, The Used, The Joy Formidable, Mutemath, Relient K and The Starting Line are all bands that have influenced us. On the other hand, some of the guys listen to bands that we don’t emulate as well, such as the Alabama Shakes and Japandroids.

The Deli: What is your ultimate fantasy concert bill to play on?

JC: I don’t know if I can speak for everyone, but my personal favorites would be Rockin New Years Eve in New York and the Metro in Chicago. Not lofty, I know. But ever since I was young I’ve loved the intimate setting of the Metro and the energy of New York. But when it comes down to it, I don’t like to be too far removed from our fans during a show.
 
The Deli: Would you rather spend the rest of your life on stage or in the recording studio?
 
JC: Definitely on stage. I’ve never heard of "Studio Fright" and there’s a reason. I love the rush and the energy you feel being connected to other people. It’s incredible.

The Deli: A music-themed Mount Rushmore.  What four faces are you putting up there and why?

JC: Dave Grohl (do I need to explain?), Jimmy Page (again…), Frank Sinatra (there has to be at least one true gentleman up there) and Johnny Cash (again, I don’t think that needs an explanation). These guys are legends or legends in the making. Their music and lives inspire musicians daily.
 
The Deli:  All right, give us the rundown.  Where all on this big crazy web can you be found? 

JC: Go out and support local musicians. They’re your friends or potential friends and they’re working hard for you! Find music you love and don’t ever let it die because, as Quincy Jones said, "What a harmonious world it would be if every single person shared a little bit of what they are good at doing." We like to think we are contributing to such a world, but we need everyone to join us!