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Grinding Gears with Jason Beers

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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 multi-talented multi-instrumentalist Jason Beers, who plays with The Brannock Device, Dead Voices, and Rural Grit. If you want to hear from someone who plays bass, clawhammer banjo, musical saw, trumpet, and more, Jason is someone you want to hear from.

Read our interview at the link here!

-Michelle Bacon

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Album review: She’s A Keeper – Live at Midwestern (EP)

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Not too long ago, I reviewed She’s a Keeper’s self-titled effort from 2011 (see the review here). And to put it plainly, it was just a wonderful little slice of folk awesome. However, too often bands pull off a sonically exciting and successful effort in the studio but suck up the joint when playing it live. I am glad to find that this is not the case for She’s a Keeper. The Live at Midwestern EP is just one more indication that this band has quickly become a local music force to be reckoned with.

As to be expected, the live renditions offer a little more bite than their record versions. The drums break through the arrangements more, and while diminishing the dynamic range that the studio album provides, they provide an extra kick to the gut.

Overall, it is good to hear the increased emotion of the live performance not affect the quality of musicianship. The vocals, one of the key strengths of this band, stay powerful and true throughout. The folks at Midwestern Music Co. who recorded it paid close attention to making sure the songs projected both power and clarity. Overall, it sounds better than a lot of local studio records I’ve heard. Big props to them on this.

From a personal standpoint, I am glad to see my favorite track from the self-titled album performed here. “Branches,” even with its somewhat stripped-down arrangement and cello in need of a slight tune, still comes across powerful, dynamic, and full of songwriting surprises.

Word from the band’s Facebook page seems to indicate the group is back in the studio and that the members “have a good feeling” about the new songs. Based upon this live EP, I’d have to agree with them. 

Though Live at Midwestern was released back in March, She’s A Keeper will be celebrating the release with a party this Saturday, August 4 at Czar with Olassa and The Natural State. You can also check out our Artists on Trial interview with guitarist/vocalist Zac Jurden at the link here.

-Zach Hodson

Zach is a lifetime Kansas City resident who plays multiple instruments and sings in Dolls on Fire and Drew Black and Dirty Electric, as well as contributing to many other Kansas City music, art, and comedy projects.  He is very fond of edamame, treats his cat Wiley better than he treats himself, and doesn’t want to see pictures of your newborn child (seriously, it looks like a potato).

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On The Beat with Nan Turner

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Nan Turner is one of the newest and hottest drummers to hit the Kansas City music scene. She’s one half of Schwervon!, who recently relocated to KC from Brooklyn. Nan tells us a little about her approach to the skins and her transition from the Big Apple to the ‘burbs. 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.

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The Slowdown’s new track: “To Wonder”

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The Slowdown has released a streaming and download link to its second single, "To Wonder," off its upcoming debut full-length album A. The 6-piece Kansas City band includes former members of Elevator Division, and describes itself as a "riff-based, roots-inflected, electronic-infused, deftly experimental take on full-bodied rock that conjures a blend of Wilco, Flaming Lips, M83, early Aerosmith, Alice in Chains, and My Morning Jacket."

"To Wonder" is a bit more straightforward than the band’s previous single, "A Mirror, A Torch." The song is driven by Sam Hoskin’s whispy vocals, atmospheric backing vocals, and constantly moving backbeat, with a heavy alternative but bluesy Jerry Cantrell-style guitar solo to top things off.

Listen to "To Wonder" for yourself at The Slowdown’s Soundcloud page.

And if you missed our post on this when it debuted, here’s the video for "A Mirror, A Torch":

–Michelle Bacon

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Artists on Trial: She’s A Keeper

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She’s A Keeper is one of Kansas City’s youngest and quickly growing bands in the scene. The five-piece group has found some far-reaching success, most recently opening up for Josh Ritter at Crossroads on July 19. Today, guitarist/vocalist Zac Jurden visits with us.

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

Zac Jurden: Our music defies an easy description; in the same song, we’ll go from dynamic acoustic instrumentation to full-on folk rock. We like to mix it up.

The Deli:  Let’s talk about your latest release or upcoming shows. What can we expect?
 
ZJ:  We have our EP release show at Czar on August 4. We recorded a live set in January at Midwestern Musical Co and released it a few months ago. This show is the belated, official release of that project. We will be sharing the stage with The Natural State, which has all female members and a male cellist – the ironic opposite of us – as well as the Lawrence band Olassa. We are really looking forward to the show and it promises to be a great evening… so come. On another note, be on the lookout for our next full-length album! We just booked some time in a studio and we literally can’t wait to crank out another project. We like to think that we’ve matured, both personally and musically, since the release of our first album. This next project, I hope, will back that up.

The Deli:  What does “supporting local music” mean to you?

ZJ: A couple weeks ago, Chris Haghirian was talking about how everyone in Midtown is sharing the same 5-dollar bill. I thought that was a really great way to depict the support and mutually beneficial nature of supporting local music in KC. The way I see it, supporting local bands is a way for us to reciprocate the support that we have received thus far. We are still relatively new members of the music scene here but we already feel very much at ease within this community because everyone is so nice. There are some really great bands here and a very diverse collection of different styles and I think it’s important to bring attention to all of these different bands because they deserve it. It is my hope that, as a community, we are capable of putting KC on the musical map. It’s kind of like our shared mission and by supporting each other we can actualize that goal in the very near future. 
 
The Deli:  Who are your favorite “local” musicians right now?

ZJ: Favorite local musicians frequently shift with who we share bills with, but Making Movies has been high on our list lately. The Hearts of Darkness is also a static favorite. We were happy to see both of these bands, as well as our friends Quiet Corral, as nominations for the Pitch Music Awards this year.

   
The Deli:  Who are your favorite not-so-local musicians right now?
 
ZJ: My favorite bands and musicians change on a monthly basis but right now I’d have to show some love to The Tallest Man on Earth, Radical Face, Glen Hansard and Fleet Foxes.

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

ZJ: My dream show would be opening up for The Avett Brothers for a couple reasons. First, those guys put on a seriously kickass show and they are definitely a source of inspiration for us in the writing process and how we go about playing live. Second, I really want to know how their cello player manages to run around the stage with his cello, which seemingly levitates in front of his body.
 
The Deli:  Would you rather spend the rest of your life on stage or in the recording studio?
 
ZJ: I know that Kate would say the recording studio, but I think that the rest of us would choose playing shows. It’s just way too much fun. I can honestly say that playing music for people has to be one of my favorite things about being a human being. In this upcoming year I’m really excited to hit the road and start playing shows for strangers to see how well we are received outside of KC. Besides, you always meet a lot of great people at shows and get the chance to connect with other bands.

The Deli:
  A music-themed Mount Rushmore.  What four faces are you putting up there and why?
 
ZJ: I’ve put a lot of thought into this one but it’s still a tough decision. Since I have to choose though, I’d chisel out the faces of Glen Hansard, Robin Pecknold, Paul Simon, and Isaac Brock.
 
The Deli:  All right, give us the rundown.  Where all on this big crazy web can you be found?
 
ZJ: Hop on the information superhighway and go to www.facebook.com/shesakeepermusic! Our page is the most frequently updated site and it has all the information you need to keep up with shows and find our music. While you’re at it, hit that Like button!
 
The Deli:  Always go out on a high note.  Any last words of wisdom for the Deli audience?

ZJ: I’ll do my best to seem wise. If you’re reading this I’m sure you’re already on the right track. Sites like this that promote both local and national music are a fantastic place to find good music. Take some time to find local bands that you like and tell them that you like what they do, it really does make a difference on our end of it and it offers bands like us the motivation to keep going. On that note, if you’ve heard our music and like what you hear, come out and see us. I personally think that our live performance has a lot more to offer than our recordings and it would be a good way to determine for yourself what we are really about. Lastly, I’d like to show some love to everyone that has been so kind to us. We really appreciate the support and can’t wait to continue to make music, not only for our own satisfaction, but for your listening pleasure too.

Come see Zac and She’s A Keeper as they celebrate the release of their Live at Midwestern EP this Saturday, August 4 at Czar.

-Zach Hodson

Zach is a lifetime Kansas City resident who plays multiple instruments and sings in Dolls on Fire and Drew Black and Dirty Electric, as well as contributing to many other Kansas City music, art, and comedy projects.  He is very fond of edamame, treats his cat Wiley better than he treats himself, and doesn’t want to see pictures of your newborn child (seriously, it looks like a potato).

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Grinding Gears with Chris Meck

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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 our newest feature, Grinding Gears, we first sit down with guitar extraordinaire Chris Meck, who has been a mainstay in the Kansas City music scene for years. He and his lovely wife Abigail Henderson have been writing music together in The Gaslights, Atlantic Fadeout, and currently, their duo Tiny Horse. Chris, with Abby, is also a co-founder of the Midwest Music Foundation.

Read our interview at the link here!

-Michelle Bacon

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Show preview: Sonic Spectrum Dealer’s Choice at recordBar, 7.29.12

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If you haven’t been to one of the shows in the Sonic Spectrum Tribute Series at recordBar, this is one to experience. Since debuting the series last January, host Robert Moore has selected local bands and musicians to play songs of eclectic artists like David Bowie, Talking Heads, The Pretenders, Neil Diamond, The Clash, and most recently, Minutemen.

This Sunday, Moore will be celebrating his birthday and has handpicked a few Kansas City musicians to play songs of his choosing, from artists as diverse as Bauhaus, XTC, The Beatles, Loretta Lynn, Devo, T.Rex, and many others. Performances will be from some of Moore’s (and Kansas City’s) favorite musicians:
  
 
Erik Voeks & His Merry Men: Erik Voeks, Cameron Hawk (The Dead Girls, Hidden Pictures), Dave Tanner (The Depth & The Whisper, Liverpool), Patrick Hawley (The What Gives), Cody Wyoming 
 
Tiny Horse (Abigail Henderson and Chris Meck) featuring Zach Phillips (The Architects), Matt Richey (The Grisly Hand) and Cody Wyoming
 
  
And Moore promises a few other surprises, so be there if you can.
  
Doors: 7 pm
Showtime: 8:00 pm
$7 cover; A portion of the proceeds from this show goes to Midwest Music Foundation.


Upcoming Sonic Spectrum tributes include:
August: Fela Kuti, featuring Hearts of Darkness
September: The Doors
October: The Ramones
November: Devo
December: The Rat Pack


–Michelle Bacon
 

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On The Beat with Sergio Moreno

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This week, we turn the tables on the creator of On The Beat, Sergio Moreno. Find out about his various projects (including The Hillary Watts Riot and Alacartoona), as well as other things he’s involved with, and see how he feels being in the hot seat for once. Catch the beat at the link here!

On The Beat is typically brought to you by Sergio Moreno, but has been overtaken this week by drummer and The Deli – Kansas City editor-in-chief Michelle Bacon. This weekly interview features some of the many talented drummers in the area.

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Album review: The Empty Spaces – Party Line (EP)

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Mat Shoare and his band, The Empty Spaces, owe a lot to Buddy Holly, Duane Eddy and The Ventures. On Party Line, the band’s second EP, though, Shoare delivers a little more rockabilly and Replacements with his pop (especially on the brief standout, "Jackie Says"). You gotta give it up to the band, however, for embracing all the slap delay, Ampex tape and Stratocasters of old, without sounding merely like a tribute band. Recording live, the band captures the energy of its live shows. And like any good EP or 45, Party Line gives fans an snapshot of the band, unadorned with studio chicanery.

The EP starts fittingly with the title track, “Party Line,” a good indication of where the band’s headed in the next 20 minutes. The strongest track, "The 1960s Divorce Rate Blues," benefits most from the live recording when it collapses from a rocking 4/4 into a doo-wop waltz. The closer, "B-52’s," pushes the rockabilly envelope farthest. With the rhythm section carrying the song, Shoare has fun with a spring reverb tail louder than his twangy guitar.

With occasional mistakes that seem intentionally left in, these recordings certainly feel live. They could also benefit from overdubbing. Some background vocals or an occasional second guitar part give the listener something to return to. That minor complaint aside, one thing’s for certain, listening to Party Line aptly prepares anyone for an Empty Spaces concert. In the age bands filling out their live sound with auxiliary band members and laptops, this can certainly be refreshing.

Listen to tracks from The Empty Spaces’ first EP Low Noise at their page on Golden Sound Records.

The Empty Spaces will be kicking off a short Midwestern tour to celebrate the release of Party Line on Thursday night at The Brick with Soft Reeds and The Caves. From there, they’ll be hitting St. Joseph (Cafe Acoustic on Friday), Omaha, Des Moines, Minneapolis, Chicago, St. Louis, and Lawrence (The Jackpot on August 4).

–Jonathon H. Smith

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Artists on Trial: Jesse Kates of The Sexy Accident

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Editor’s note: Today we begin a weekly Q&A of Kansas City musicians. We’ll be using the same questions each week so you can get to know the artists a little bit better. And if you’d like to be included, please send us a message at kceditor@thedelimagazine.com and we’ll get you in!

This week we’re joined by Jesse Kates, frontman of The Sexy Accident.

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

Jesse Kates: Mercurial pop of brains and heart.

The Deli:  Let’s talk about your latest release or upcoming shows. What can we expect?
 
JK: We’re playing a bunch of shows to celebrate our fourth full-length, Ninja Ninja Fight Darth Vader, which we released in the spring. We’re selling it to raise money for charity, and the response has been great! We’re particularly excited about a show we have coming up on Friday, July 27 with The Hilary Watts Riot and Howard Iceberg and the Titanics. We think it’s the most eclectic and bizarre lineup ever assembled for a show by anyone on earth at any time, ever, which of course is not true.

The Deli:  What does “supporting local music” mean to you?

JK: Speaking as Jesse (because I am Jesse), to me it means just trying to soak as much of it up as possible. I go to a show a week, and I try to pick the ones with newer bands.  I like to go where having another person show up might make a difference in how the band feels at the end of the night. Putting yourself out there takes a lot of courage and I think that deserves recognition and respect.  
 
The Deli:  Who are your favorite “local” musicians right now?

JK: I don’t know why "local" is in quotes in that question. Are bands from Canada sneaking across our borders with guitars and posing as KU students?  Well, if so, my favorite Canucks would be The ACBs. I’m a sucker for pop, and especially pop with a rhythmic emphasis and a lot of falsetto singing. I’m joking about the falsetto, but what would The ACBs be without falsetto? (The answer is AC/DC, obviously.) We played a show with Dolls on Fire a while back and I enjoyed that quite a bit. Hey, what’s this brown stuff on my nose? I also like bands that don’t exist anymore (much) like namelessnumberheadman.

   
The Deli:  Who are your favorite not-so-local musicians right now?
 
JK: Top of mind would be Josh Ritter, who killed it at Crossroads KC the other night.  I love his story songs.  Especially the ones about mummies and nuclear warheads. And I’ve never seen anyone sustain a grin on stage for 2 hours before.

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

JK: Do I have to worry about dying of shame because my band is not nearly as good as the other bands on the bill? OK, assuming megalo-Sexy Accident, where I have huge hair and wear leather pants (which is what we’ve been missing, really) and Daniel gets to fly around in an anti-grav drum saucer, I’d want to play with the reincarnated Marvin Gaye (backed by the Funk Brothers) and the 1986 version of The Bangles.
 
The Deli:  Would you rather spend the rest of your life on stage or in the recording studio?
 
JK: Both would be horrible. Assuming continuous rockage, living on a stage would be like those dance contests in They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?, only it wouldn’t take as long for people to drop dead or start shanking each other.  And living in a studio would lead to a pretty serious vitamin D deficiency, since studios almost never have windows (that’s how they keep the sound in).  That said, given a choice of grizzly musical ends, I’d take death by rocking outdoors in Central Park on a series of crisp September days.

The Deli:  A music-themed Mount Rushmore.  What four faces are you putting up there and why?
 
JK: Norman Blake, Raymond McGinley, Gerard Love and Francis MacDonald. Because that’s the lineup of Teenage Fanclub. 
 
The Deli:  All right, give us the rundown.  Where all on this big crazy web can you be found?

http://sexyaccident.com
http://facebook.com/accident.sexy
http://twitter.com/sexyaccident
 
The Deli:  Always go out on a high note.  Any last words of wisdom for the Deli audience?

JK: Never take advice from a marginally successful, semi-professional musician.

Join Jesse and the crew of The Sexy Accident this Friday as they deliver their mercurial brand of pop to The Brick, alongside The Hillary Watts Riot and Howard Iceberg and The Titanics. 

-Zach Hodson

Zach is a lifetime Kansas City resident who plays multiple instruments and sings in Dolls on Fire, as well as contributing to many other Kansas City music, art, and comedy projects.  He is very fond of edamame, treats his cat Wiley better than he treats himself, and doesn’t want to see pictures of your newborn child (seriously, it looks like a potato).

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Show review: The Ants/The Brannock Device/Steady States, 7.21.12

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(pictured above: The Brannock Device)

There’s no rhyme or reason for what took place. 

No explanation that the normal human mind can calculate.

But it takes those elite few who bring sounds and experiences into our being. Doing the very things our brains only attempt to wrap themselves around.

There are those moments that you find yourself entranced by what you’re hearing. Saturday night at Davey’s Uptown was one of those nights.

The strangely odd but fitting combination of Steady States, The Brannock Device and The Ants was an evening of music for musicians. Three bands with decidedly different styles but conjoined by a passion for the placement of each beat or the merging of each intricate melody.

(pictured above: Steady States)

Steady States began the evening early with a heavy kick to the teeth. There’s no question that this 4-piece group—former members of Mother Culture, Ste. Simone and Last Call (New York)—has a definitive hardcore sound with a quirky sensibility. 

Compared to the bands that followed them, Steady States is relatively new to the scene, only playing in town for the past year. Nonetheless, this resulted in a 35-minute massacre of brute force, knowledge and style. Frontman Joel Shields gives off the mild-mannered vibe of Clark Kent, and explodes out of nowhere with an Ian McKaye sort of intent. At the surface, they have a raw noise post-punk sound. But as the name suggests, each screeching guitar note or yell continually creates another element as it expands and comes into itself. Steady States are unapologetically hardcore punk, with a minute but intelligent invasion of math rock.

Next up, The Brannock Device, a veteran Kansas City group. Watching Brannock can be like going to the symphony. You listen to the congruent convergence of several pieces and attempt to analyze each one in the tiniest of details, whether it be in the machine-like flow of Bernie Dugan’s drumsticks cracking snare hits; Jason Beers’ harmonic bass chords; Marco Pascolini’s ungodly guitar arpeggios; or Elaine McMilian’s theatrical vocal delivery.

The band’s clear connection to one another is evident in each progression. While Brannock’s experimental approach may not be pleasing to every musical palate, there’s an absolute sense of the song composition and execution. It’s a music lesson on how to bring a glowing warmth to each low tone and a melodic depth to each dissonant note. A performance by Brannock brings forth an inner study on how to play music and how to derive satisfaction from creating the exact part you want to create. One that fits together while simultaneously existing on its own plane.

(pictured above: Chad Bryan and Sean McEniry of The Ants)

Rounding out the evening was The Ants from Lawrence, a band fully adept and bent on making music on its own terms. Much like the bands that preceded them, The Ants played their own peculiar brand of music and had a hell of a time doing so. The group has been around almost as long as The Brannock Device and has been crafting its own signature sound ever since.

Frontman and guitarist Chad Bryan knows how to captivate an audience simply by writing bizarre licks and entertaining lyrics. But he goes further by singing with a purely honest vocal style, injecting The Ants’ overall personality. The music is progressive Americana, and never apologizes for being such. Like all of the other bands of the evening, The Ants played exactly what they wanted to, with vigor and expertise. Each song had a sway-inducing quality, often steered by a jangly guitar and just a touch of country swagger. 

At the last song of the set, The Ants invited Marco Pascolini to the stage for a long jam session. From ripping punk notes to disjointed but oddly connected guitar riffs, Pascolini and Bryan performed a battle of wits and wizardry set off by an eccentric expression laid out on keyboard, bass and drums.

This final scene showed us exactly what we had seen that evening: a group of musicians coming together to showcase what they loved, and entertaining and educating its fans at the same time.

–Michelle Bacon

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Local Music Kickstarter Projects

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We thought we’d begin letting you know about a few Kickstarter projects in the works for musicians around the area. Please note in the comments or send a message to us at kceditor@thedelimagazine.com to let us know if there are others we’re missing. 

The RADKEY Quest to End False Rock: $5,000 goal, 10 days remaining

The St. Joseph brothers Radkey are asking for help to allow them to record an album in Minneapolis (with Ryan Smith of The Melismatics) and Brooklyn (at Adrian Grenier’s Wreckroom Studio). The funds will also go toward travel expenses and band merch. 

The B’Dinas Morning Party Midwest Tour 2012: $2,500 goal, 11 days remaining

To help promote their latest EP Morning Party, The B’Dinas are embarking on an 8-city tour in August around the Midwest. They’re asking for help with travel expenses and band merch.

2 Twenty 2 to the Studio!: $3,000 goal, 10 days remaining

Lawrence group 2 Twenty 2 is getting ready to hit the studio, and is asking for some funds to get the process started.

Help support local music in whatever way you can!

–Michelle Bacon

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