(pictured above: The Blackbird Revue)

(Pictured above: Betse Ellis and Jason Beers)

The grit of Americana music is in the story. A person’s entire life can be summed up in 3 of 4 minutes. The most joyous of moments, the inexplicably painful experiences, the randomly bizarre episodes, all wrapped up in a neat little structure of verses and choruses. Last Friday at The Brick, an attentive crowd listened as 3 different groups of songwriters took the stage with handfuls of stories to tell.

The night got off to a fast-paced start with a solo set from Betse Ellis, the fiercest fiddle player in Kansas City and likely beyond. With the talent, the material, and the personality to enhance it, a solo set from Ellis can be far more captivating than watching many full bands. As an original member of The Wilders, Ellis has the experience and the chutzpah to command a stage by implementing a mix of her own tunes and classics. Her set included songs from artists like The Doc Watson Family and John Hartford, along with a few originals. These songs ran the gamut of humorous ("Drunkard’s Hiccups"), insightful ("It’s A Hard Time in This World," a song she played on tenor guitar), yet always entertaining. Ellis closed out her set with a rendition of The Clash’s "Straight To Hell" – a fine example of her rock influences tinged with a traditional flare and culminating in an amusing and accessible flavor.

 –Michelle Bacon

(photography by Todd Zimmer)

Overview:

The Latenight Callers’ latest EP, Easy Virtues, is a 21-minute exhibit of what you’ve been missing if you haven’t by now heard of them. It is full of noiresque, sinfully sexy music that will have you turning the lights down low in order to fully appreciate. Fill up your hip flask, dust off your fedora… it’s time for The Latenight Callers.

Track 1: "The Mad Season"

Ellen O’Hayer’s guitar intro is as unsettling as it is swank. It’s not until Gavin Mac’s painkilling bass line drops in like a velvet bomb, you know you’re going to be okay … or are you? “It’s over now. You had your mad season with me,” begins the tale of regret and revelation that lyrically hearkens to Nancy Sinatra. The patented Latenight Callers “Noir-a-Go-Go” sound enchants and hypnotizes. It’s like that distant radio, playing softly against your unwinding mind as you drift off to sleep after a couple gins too many. The track then shifts into a driving pop chorus that shows The Latenight Callers have a few more gears in the box than one might have expected. Krysztof Nemeth’s baritone guitar solo abducts your fear and bathes you with that rare sensation of letting yourself fall when you know it’s a dream. His seductive melodies, accompanied by O’Hayer’s sparkling hollow body strumming, could entrance a crazed gorilla. Julie Berndsen and Ellen O’Hayer’s harmonized vocals have the same tantalizing effect as a cobra swaying to his master’s flute. Except, with the femme fatales of the Latenight Callers, it’s no ruse.

Track 2: "Electric Park"  

"Electric Park” begins with a familiar-with-the-80s synthesizer loop that you might hear some Face Value in …  Suddenly, it slides into a smile inducing, hip swaying carnival rhapsody, showcasing more of Nemeth’s chiming, echoing, double agent guitar pangs—and another Latenight Callers trademark—the crooning of Julie Berndsen into a bullhorn. The trebly crackle of her amplified voice weaves a tapestry of lyricism, from stiletto heels to blushing schoolgirls. Graciously, The Latenight Callers know how to mix bullhorn vocals into their live and recorded sessions, pleasantly. No Al Jourgensen banshee wailings present here.

Track 3: "Calaveras"

Beginning with an old sample of Raymond Chandler reminding you that “anything can happen when the Santa Ana blows in from the desert,” saying “Calaveras” (“Skulls”) has noir soaked into it is like saying David Lynch makes strange movies. This track is the most serious in tone on the EP, though it remains ultra inviting. The hauntingly emotive vocal outro, harmonized between Berndsen and O’Hayer, is angelic; like the fabled capturing of a siren’s swan song. This is the 45 your subconscious spins while you drive down a lost highway during hours of darkness. Berndsen’s lusty vocals; Mac’s relentlessly groove-oriented bass measures; the patient hitman guitar arpeggios of Nemeth and O’Hayer; and the gentle backbeat conjured up by Nick Combs all would perfectly provide the score behind the iconic smoking ashtray scene in a black-and-white new wave film.

Track 4: "Wrecking Ball"

What would this EP be without a prominent organ part? You need not worry – here it is. “Wrecking Ball” downshifts into cerebral oblivion. By this fourth and final cut on Easy Virtues, you’ll blissfully feel like you have been doped by Jackie Treehorn. “It’s not about the way it tastes, it’s all about the way it feels…” This closing number begins to slip below the horizon and out of sight in the midst of a mournfully sustained violin, the distant whale song of a theremin, rich echoing guitars—and at the end of the tunnel—a few gentle finger snaps. Then it’s gone, leaving you all alone, where you’ll probably select track one, and start over.

Summary:

Few bands can convincingly create such ambience. The Latenight Callers pull you from the everyday sphere, and send you packing, into that smoky parallel reality depicted in art-noir; where characters walk among the dark, seedy side of society. The Latenight Callers have worked painstakingly hard in crafting their own contemporary brand. The members have only been playing together as a unit for a couple years but they have earned the respect of Kansas City, in spades. Their shows always lend to a night to remember – I highly recommend catching them. It adds to the appreciation you’ll undoubtedly have for their albums. With that said, Easy Virtues is a must have in the music collection of any lover of the avant-garde.

You can catch The Latenight Caller’s sultry noir live show at Nica’s 320 this Friday, June 22 at 8 p.m. with The Blackbird Revue and Kentucky Knife Fight.

–Christian Anders Liljequist

This week’s edition of On The Beat features multi-faceted drummer Bernie Dugan of The Brannock Device, Cher U.K., and The Quivers. He’s a busy guy and a gear head. How does he do it? 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.

“Can you picture the armada of Hello Kitty spaceships?” -Gen. Marsupial Takahashi

Someday, Japan is going to send people to Mars. It’s true. I’m pretty sure Gemini Revolution will provide the soundtrack while the astronauts will kick it during their long journey through space.

The Other Side of Yesterday EP is hacky sack music for Asian hipsters. It reeks of patchouli and mirin equally. This is the weird Asian record the Doors would have made had they lasted long enough. It’s kinda jammy, pretty psychedelic, and superbly spacey.

Gemini Revolution takes the Taj-Mahal Travelers playbook, cut out the boring extreme avant-garde randomness, and pop it up a bit. The slow building, eventually lush arrangements feature a mostly free-form rhythm section that provides enough randomness to contrast the layered cheap keyboards. The reverb-maxed vocals come and go sparingly, adding a textural component to music that is clearly focused on the other instrumentation.

The stand out of this EP is the title track “Other Side of Yesterday."  Reminiscent of Modest Mouse, the song goes through many variations of stripping down and being built back up. It also utilizes the vocals the best of any song in this batch, with a pleasant back and forth during the choruses. Mix in the melodic bass work, the Kenny G-esque saxophone keyboard doodling, and the random percussion introduced throughout, and you’re left with a song that tows the ADHD line, yet ends up accessible and groovy overall.

Some might say this sound is dated, but Gemini Revolution has a very specific thing they are going for. It is refreshing to hear a group of musicians just doing their thing, regardless of what is dictated by the musical trends around them.

 -Zach Hodson

Editor’s note: Gemini Revolution released the follow-up EP to Other Side of Yesterday on June 14, entitled Sizuka. We’ll have a review of this album to you very soon! 

(Pictured above: Brodie Rush of Be/Non)

Friday night The Riot Room saw two of Kansas City’s finest take the stage in preparation for the music of Broncho, the evening’s headliner. This reporter didn’t stay long enough to hear their set, but judging by the sound check, they killed it. Without a doubt.

After patiently waiting for Nik Wallenda to complete his historic tightrope walk over Niagara Falls, Soft Reeds took little time to re-establish themselves as one of the area’s leading practitioners of danceable indie rock. Their sound has gotten tighter and more radio-ready with each gig, their covers of Talking Heads and David Bowie songs were most enjoyable, and the new material they presented proved once again to be a tantalizing tease of that which is yet to come. Their next record is being tentatively targeted for an October-ish release date, so in order to save time this reporter highly recommends that you go ahead and put "buy the new Soft Reeds album" on your autumn to-do list. Judging by how they sounded Friday, it’s going to be a monster.

Following this opening set would be a formidable task for any band, but Be/Non was more than up to the challenge. Be/Non led off with "Space," the music behind the brilliant three-and-a-half-minute animated preview of A Mountain of Yeses, the movie based on the album of the same name. Performing their first gig with their new guitarist (who this reporter will refer to as "Nate" because … well, that’s his name), there didn’t seem to be any hesitation about tackling a set filled with Be/Non’s usual grandiose approach to avant-garde rock, with a heavy dose of psychedelic sounds that Messrs Rush, Ruth, and Shank tackled as a three-piece in last month’s KC Psychfest. These two bands targeted their audience with two different brands of music which had the same goal: get the people moving. Judging by the dancing that this reporter witnessed in front of the stage, that mission was successfully accomplished twofold.

Check out Soft Reeds’ video for "This Affair," off Soft Reeds Are Bastards: 

And the animatic for "Space," off Brodie Rush’s upcoming film A Mountain of Yeses. Song performed by Be/Non under this album.

-Michael Byars

 As summer quickly approaches, there are a number of shows going on this weekend (luckily, our concert calendar will tell you where you should be!). But before the night gets kicked into full gear, go check out Erik Voeks and The Quivers (pictured above) doing an in-store performance at Vinyl Renaissance and Audio on 39th Street.

Voeks, the reigning power pop prince of Kansas City, kicks off the set at 6 pm with some of his solo tunes. He’s collaborated with about every reputable musician in Kansas City, and has shared the stage with numerous national acts. Being a veteran of the pop music scene, Voeks has mastered and trademarked the art of the hook and placement of dynamics. And since he doesn’t play solo shows around town too often, this set will be one to catch.

The Quivers’ first EP is our CD of the month, so we’re a bit biased. But still, this high-energy Motown-influenced rock group is not to be missed live. Vocalist and bassist Terra Peal commands the stage with a muscular vocal presence tinged with sex appeal and booming bass lines. Her partners in crime (Todd Grantham, Abe Haddad, and Bernard Dugan) drive and provide more color to a series of quick tunes. Tonight, the four piece will be performing songs off this EP as well as the one they just wrapped up recording on.

This is a free, all-ages show. Go early and buy some records at Vinyl Renaissance. Then you still have time to fit in a nap and go see some more great gigs tonight. How’s that for a plan?

When you read the descript “prehistoric rock,” your mind may cue up a picture of The Way-Outs, a Beatles-esque band that appeared on The Flintstones back in the day. On the other hand, you might think of primal guitars and hard-hitting drums with band members donning ragged, wild cat-skin smocks. Enter The Cave Girls, an all-girl trio that sounds like they highjacked a time machine from prehistory to the late 1970s and happened to time jump right into CBGBs while The Ramones were playing. They’ve since shown up in Kansas City and have released a set of short, fun, no-frills rock ‘n‘ roll for us modern types.

The band’s theme song kicks off the album a la a punkier B-52s: hand claps, raw guitar, and sing-along vocals telling the tale of how The Cave Girls got to KC: via I-435. A surprising twist in the song is when they kick it into overdrive and show off some old-school punk rock chops. This is also the band’s longest song on the album, coming in at 5:29, with the others trailing in length by at least 2-3 minutes. 

The ability to get straight to the point is one of the more refreshing things about this release. The Cave Girls don’t mess around. The songs themselves aren’t reinventing rock by any means, but they find a solid home within the context these girls are putting them in. For instance, the song “The Maid” starts out with killer guitar that sounds like it was birthed in T.Rex’s garage. The song ranges from mid-tempo burn to intense thrashing all the while the lyrics describe the job at hand for a maid that just wants to get paid. No tongue-in-cheek innuendos, just a straight-up description of the occupation’s ups and downs. While this would never work for other bands, it does for them and the result is a fun romp through the swamplands of prehistoric bad-assness. 

-Mike Tipton

If I didn’t know that this band was a supergroup of KC stalwarts, I wouldn’t have any idea exactly who or what Thee Water MoccaSins is. I can only assume they like to keep it this way. There are no members listed on their “official” places on the web, there are no pictures that aren’t foggy, off centered, or purposefully blurred.  They are truly as abstract as they try to appear.  It is purposeful mystery, in that emo-adorable kind of way.  They give you no choice but to not focus on who they are, but more importantly what they do.

The band describes itself as “electro-psych fractal pop”.  Hmm.  Electro.  Psych.  Fractal.  Pop.  Sounds … heady.  And with the “Description” field on their Facebook being a link to the philosophy of randomness, their hometown being a link to “The Tree of Life Web Project”, and their own admission from their website that the whole thing was started “as a lark”, I find myself struggling to determine whether these are a group of earth-loving, deeper-than-thou intellectuals or if they’re just fucking with me.

Don’t worry, I really do understand it, but do I believe it?  I think I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and go with the grand idea they propose.  After all, it’s a glass nearly full kind of day.

But like I said before, it’s not how they present it, it’s how they do it.  And Thee Water MoccaSins does it well. …from the Rivers of Missouri and the Banks of Fear is a solid album clearly made by people that know how to make records.  The songs share just enough structure and whimsy to keep both camps happy. The rocking parts keep the tattooed hipsters interested while the sometimes-bordering-cheesy 80’s synths give hope to that guy in the back of the bar still hoping Ric Ocasek has another Candy-O in him.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about this album is its ability to be blatantly influenced throughout, yet end up a cohesive and unique-sounding record in the end. Thee Water MoccaSins spin specific elements from all eras of rock history into something that walks on its own feet.

The opening track, “In the City”, sounds like The Who sharing a brown liquor drink (no ice, please) with a methed-out bumpkin as sung by Robert Smith.  It is clear this band understands the importance of having a solid and rocking album opener and they have most certainly achieved it.

Often the tracks space out into structured musical strains that test the limits of the fairly simple electronic elements beneath.  The songwriting stays fairly formulaic throughout, “Holy Roller” being the exception. This track eventually breaks the mold a bit, and features a more playful back and forth between the instrumentation and vocals.  It sounds much more purposeful than the occasional random chaos in other songs.

“Diablo Diablo” is the standout track for me. It starts akin to the others, but ends up being the best usage of vocals on the album, both for melody and effect. Also being lyrically the most accessible of these songs, it’s the one I find myself humming hours after listening.

All in all, Thee Water MoccaSins has made a very solid record.  Regardless of whether you appreciate the existentialism and verisimilitude, these electronic-tinged rock grooves will keep your ears pleased.

–Zach Hodson

We’re proud to launch our very first weekly feature, On The Beat with Sergio Moreno! Our first interview features Tess Jehle, drummer for The B’Dinas and Dream Wolf. Catch the beat here at the link.

On The Beat is written by drummer Sergio Moreno (from Hillary Watts Riot and Alacartoona), and features some of the many talented drummers in the Kansas City area.

Deco Auto — This fun-lovin’ 3-piece, whose songs all have a heartbeat to their rhythm, laid down the ground rules for the evening in 4/4 time; making it impossible not to wag your head to, while incessantly checking for loose floorboards under your shoe. With a nostalgic power-pop rock jingle, their dulcet vocal harmonies transformed you into a suburban kid on an adventure in a sugary coming-of-age summer movie. Their sound is reminiscent of earlier Soul Asylum and The Replacements, had those bands cut their teeth jamming with Dave Clark Five. Lead singer/guitarist Steven Garcia’s crunchy Les Paul guitar riffs bounced along in anthem to the purist backbeat stamped out tightly by Kansas City drum darling, Michelle Bacon. Wrapping a sexy vine around the triplet’s delight was the carefully melodic bassist/backing vocalist, Tracy Flowers – a perfect last name, when considering her sixties-styled vocal harmonies with Garcia. Blending well into their set were covers of “Needles & Pins” (Nitzsche/Bono, 1963), and “Time Won’t Let Me” (The Outsiders, 1966).

Next up, Gas Pump Talent from Springfield, MO – who describe their own sound as “stomp and holler” – showed they’ve learned to cunningly mash-up more acoustic genres than can be listed – and well. Sadly, I was out of eyesight of the stage throughout their relatively short set. Fortunately, I heard them just fine – recordBar’s sound guys consistently set a high bar. Gas Pump Talent showcased musically captivating, campfire, Ozark-styled country-crunk that had DNA speckles of Dylan, Springsteen and Waits sprinkled throughout. Their performance was infectious, often lending to an Irish folk vibe that beckoned you to order a whiskey drink, pull a chair up front, and sing along with any reoccurring stanza you heard. I recall debating their genre with some friends as we listened…this was much in vein, which always makes me happy. The Midwest consistently cultivates great bands that are hard to paint into a corner. ¡Viva Springfield!

Closing the night down for the evening was another 3-piece from Kansas City – The Empty Spaces. Their rock n’ roll blend of (dare I say) country, rockabilly and surf beach party made for attention-grabbing jams, which featured a squirrely Mat Shoare dancing about, yelping Femmes-esque vocals into the mic, while playing hooky rhythms on his guitar. Widening out their sound was the ever-busy, hard-hitting drum licks of Ross Brown, and jovial out-of-the-box bass man about town, William Brent Wright – who was stripped down to his under tank top by the night’s end. The guys looked like they were having a good ol’ time up on stage, which added to the decent-sized audience looking loose and ready to party – and that they did.

It was a fun, energetic night, with three bands that stylistically are different from one another, but together on a bill – made for a great Saturday night at the recordBar.

–Christian Anders Liljequist

A room full of eager, starry-eyed 30-somethings with sweat dripping from their pores. Lukewarm beers. Ceiling fans halfheartedly oscillating. The first signs of summer hit Lawrence at The Jackpot on Thursday night.

The evening began with Lawrence band The Roseline (pictured above), a group that has been made up of Colin Halliburton and a plethora of other revolving musicians since its 2005 inception. The group–a four-piece with standard instrumentation on Thursday–played to a steadily growing crowd, with its tightly-knit blend of country and Americana rock. The band weaved between sweet love songs and emotional songs of desperation. Elements of Neil Young’s simple but brilliant song arrangements rang through The Roseline’s music, accompanied by Halliburton’s steady, easy-to-embrace vocals.

By the time The Roseline’s set ended, the club was abuzz with a healthy balance of satisfaction and anticipation. From the moment Ha Ha Tonka kicked in with the a cappella intro of "St. Nick on the Fourth in a Fervor" to the end of the heavy-driving "Usual Suspects," the audience was in a thrilled, sweaty uproar. Brian Roberts commanded the stage with a robust vocal presence and a positive vibe felt by the entire room. His bandmates played with the same level of proficiency and vigor, not simply captivating the audience with the musical performance but with a collective, good-natured and overall playful energy.

For nearly an hour, the rhythm section of Lennon Bone and Luke Long pounded away alongside Roberts’ clear, potent voice and Brett Anderson’s upfront mandolin and lead guitar work. They consistently showcased their characteristic penchant for four-part harmonies, culminating in the a cappella song "Hangman," an old folk standard first popularized by Leadbelly. The crowd seemed familiar with their songs, which were mostly off their 2011 release Death of A Decade. Their mix of insightful lyrics with a blend of roots and feel-good rock was a hit with the most bearded of fans and college kids that may have wandered in out of summer break woes.

Ha Ha Tonka has received its fair share of national recognition. The band has appeared on Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, played national fests like Austin City Limits and Lollapalooza, toured with national acts such as Meat Puppets, Murder By Death and Old 97s, and is currently signed to Bloodshot Records (with the likes of Ryan Adams, Neko Case, Justin Townes Earle). The attention is well-deserved, as the group puts a unique spin on the folk music of the Ozarks, infusing it with rock, bluegrass and a healthy dose of soul. On Thursday and throughout their tour together, the raw sound of Ha Ha Tonka complemented the soulful voice of Langhorne Slim perfectly.

Editor’s note: Since The Deli deals strictly with local/regional bands, we did not highlight Langhorne Slim’s performance, but rest assured, he killed it.

–Michelle Bacon